Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Hinotori]

Thanks! We are the final home for both dogs, so it's been interesting retraining them from old habits. Minnie was easy as she was only two when we got her. Mandy however, we have had for 3 months now, but has 6 years of terrible habits to over come! I'll just keep exposing them to the chicks. It helps that we have the brooder in the house so they have to hear & see them with out touching as well. Luckily we don't have cats, just horses, dogs and how chickens!

Thanks for the advice!

I use a shock collar for when the dogs are being stubborn about learning to not do something. Like running down the drive and into the road, or chasing elk off. I've used the collars since they were about 7 months old. Never had chicken issues with them, but did have the other problems. They get zapped maybe a couple times every few months. Mostly I use the collars to call them back in now. I have them trained to return to me when it vibrates. If they are way out in the brush playing, they can't hear me sometimes. Deer and elk show up any time of day, so having some way to control the dogs helps. The GSD gets a mind of her own when they show up, but now she just tries to chase them off front of the property. Last fall the dummy went after a 13 strong herd of elk when I let her out to potty. She's lucky they did run and didn't kill her. So now the collars are insurance since she wouldn't listen to me then.

She didn't bark at them, just did a magnificent herding move and when one tried to go the other way, circled and pushed it back with the others and moved them off to the back part of the property. If I didn't think I'd be dragging her dead body back to the house for burial, I'd have been able to enjoy watching it better. I want to get a few sheep, so I think she may be willing to help me move them.

 

[BGMatt]

13 chicks from CL of which I believe only 3 are cockerals. yay! That leaves me with 10 more hens, 3 weeks old and doing well. Jersey Giants but I may have a black copper maran or two in the mix.
7 hens, 1 broody sitting on 6, make that 5 eggs (I just found 1 broke)  which will be mystry chicks until they are older. Could be Eng Orps, JG/RIR, or EngOrp/RIR, or JG/Eng Orps.
So I could be having 20 hens.  (I am outta my mind. this was just suppose to be an activity for me to get me outta the house everyday and provide a few eggs through the week)

Had a hawk come visiting 2 days ago.

Blue, (my blue jersey giant rooster) herded his girls close to the coop wall and was standing guard in front of them with his eye firmly on the circling hawk. The hawk made about 5 passes overhead and finally went on to better hunting grounds. Perhaps he didn't see the chickens or maybe he saw Blue who is as big or bigger then most hawks and decided it wasn't worth the fight.

That's how it always starts, just a few and then it gets hard to count! LOL

I'm the same way Partridge Chantecler eggs arrived today. They are the last breed I will be adding this year, as further breeds will require larger facilities at least a year off. (And I will probably have to give up at least one of the following: Silver Leghorn, White Polish, Bantam Sicilian Buttercup.

 

[SplendidsChicke]

I use a shock collar for when the dogs are being stubborn about learning to not do something. Like running down the drive and into the road, or chasing elk off. I've used the collars since they were about 7 months old. Never had chicken issues with them, but did have the other problems. They get zapped maybe a couple times every few months. Mostly I use the collars to call them back in now. I have them trained to return to me when it vibrates. If they are way out in the brush playing, they can't hear me sometimes. Deer and elk show up any time of day, so having some way to control the dogs helps. The GSD gets a mind of her own when they show up, but now she just tries to chase them off front of the property. Last fall the dummy went after a 13 strong herd of elk when I let her out to potty. She's lucky they did run and didn't kill her. So now the collars are insurance since she wouldn't listen to me then.

She didn't bark at them, just did a magnificent herding move and when one tried to go the other way, circled and pushed it back with the others and moved them off to the back part of the property. If I didn't think I'd be dragging her dead body back to the house for burial, I'd have been able to enjoy watching it better. I want to get a few sheep, so I think she may be willing to help me move them.

We have the PetSafe invisible fence system that marks out our 7 acres. I think I can buy a remote for our collars though as PetSafe made them dual use. The elk thing is a good point. We live on Indian Hill in Snoqualmie, we have LOTS of elk passing through.

My husband if originally from Albany, NY having elk in his back yard was a BIG novelty. Since hes also a photographer he took some shots!( http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhonan/8508591037/in/photostream/)

But since both dogs are just now learning about nature they only stand far away and bark. Mandy (cattle dog mix) is more aggressive about barking at them but won't go further than a few hundred feet from the house. In fact both dogs are so satisfied with just having a YARD they don't seem to be into exploring their boundaries. They have 7 acres but only really explore the from half by the house. I'm sure the longer they live here the bolder they will get. Both got shocked when the fence went up, now they hear the beep (ours beeps as they approach the boundary wire) and automatically stop, so if I had the remote, I could have the collar beep and they would know to stop. Followed up with me calling them back to me would be similar.

 

[Slinglings]

Quote: arguing over which chick flick to watch

teeheehee

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
It wasn't conflict between members. I don't think anyone is not speaking to each other.

Very true.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote: There was absolutely no conflict between the people posting on this thread. That isn't why people left. We are still communicating, just not here.
no conflict with each other. the others can be found on a social site. Even so, I still come here daily. I still like our forum here and wish and hope that the cause of the exodus can be remedied to everyone's satisfaction.

Same Here!

Hi Mikey!

 

[CarolynF]

So it's day 28 for my silkie eggs. There was still movement last night and one pipped internally yesterday. Right now it's zipped about a quarter of the way out and another egg has pipped externally. These two eggs are the only ones I have really been holding out hope for. They developed better. We'll see if I get live healthy chicks. What color they will be is anyone's guess. I'd thought that the mother was just a splash with odd pigment holes, but she's apparently a cuckoo splash that's split for porcelain. The last four eggs of hers I hatched I got blue, splash, blue cuckoo, and porcelain out of. So my head rooster in there is split for the porcelain as well then. That is if I understand the genetics right. I'm hatching for more broodies, not for showing so the color doesn't really matter.

Good Luck!

 

[Lutefisk]

Got the last batch of chicks out of the brooder so have room for another few... Thinking of heritage breeds. Haven't heard from the person whose list I'm on for chicks, so anyone have any? I'm looking for Marans and Cream Legbars but also interested in heritage RIRs, Dorkings, Jersey Giants and.... what other breeds are good for this area? Leaning toward naturally broody, good mothers, roosters that aren't too aggressive.

 

[CarolynF]

Got the last batch of chicks out of the brooder so have room for another few... Thinking of heritage breeds. Haven't heard from the person whose list I'm on for chicks, so anyone have any? I'm looking for Marans and Cream Legbars but also interested in heritage RIRs, Dorkings, Jersey Giants and.... what other breeds are good for this area? Leaning toward naturally broody, good mothers, roosters that aren't too aggressive.

Hi There Lutefisk!
Congrats on your littles! The person to check with for JGs would be Chickielady.
Hope you've been enjoying the great weather. By any chance have you stopped into the greenhouse near the Brem. Airport, I think it's called Brothers. I was there the other day and it was like icing on the cake of this beautiful weather. All they need is a few chickens!

ETA: Lyn A. in Gig Harbor/ Key Pen. has BCMs.

 

[Hinotori]

One live and kicking chick. I'll candle the eggs here again as soon as it gets dark and see if any more movement. Mama has gotten very defensive. I would be to after sitting four weeks and only getting a single chick out of it.

It's blue or splash I think. Little feet are good. I'll put some food and water in by her in the morning so she can teach it to eat.