Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Lutefisk]

Well..............................we have been nailing down Hickory 3/4" flooring in the living/dinning/kitchen for the last 2 days.......and let me tell ya how my ham strings feel.....oh and what about my kneesles ??????????????????

Do you have a shop creeper seat? That's what we use for working on floor level projects. Really spares the back and knees and if you make a cover for it, makes a nice ottoman or extra seating.

The coops here are bordering on about 32 degrees..............the water IN the coops was glassed over lightly with ice...and the low outside here was 17...............NO standard comb birds had any sign of frostbite, so I am happy about this.
I must say, I do not recall EVER having such dry cold weather in NOV & DEC....................usually we have this clear, dry super cold weather in January....so that is strange !

I wonder if the cold is why the new rooster isn't crowing. That's been a little disappointing. OTOH the ladies are being extra quiet too.
Congrats on the improvements!

 

[Totalcolour]

I wonder if the cold is why the new rooster isn't crowing. That's been a little disappointing. OTOH the ladies are being extra quiet too.

You know, my cockerel, who started crowing about 6 weeks ago, stopped. And the young guy that should be crowing, isn't either. I have put it down to the cold too. Oh, Sinbad did crow Friday morning, 2 crows!

 

[beausonge]

I had a dog that THOUGHT she wanted to chase chickens. I don't know if it was Ian Dunbar but it was maybe a 70ish dog training book. It had what was called a "penny can". You take some pennies and put them in a candy tin then tape it shut. You follow the dog and as soon as they show ANY predatory interest in the chickens you nail them with the penny can. It works best if they have no idea where it came from. Scares the heck out of them. You might have to do it one or two more times and then you just have to shake that can. Worked great for my dog and she had killed a chicken. After a while she didn't even want to go near a chicken. You just have to be super vigilante and keep after them until they think chickens are something to avoid.

 

[Lutefisk]

I had a dog that THOUGHT she wanted to chase chickens.  I don't know if it was Ian Dunbar but it was maybe a 70ish dog training book.  It had what was called a "penny can".  You take some pennies and put them in a candy tin then tape it shut.   You follow the dog and as soon as they show ANY predatory interest in the chickens you nail them with the penny can.  It works best if they have no idea where it came from. Scares the heck out of them.  You might have to do it one or two more times and then you just have to shake that can.  Worked great for my dog and she had killed a chicken.  After a while she didn't even want to go near a chicken.  You just have to be super vigilante and keep after them until they think chickens are something to avoid.

The modern version of that is the rock bottle (plastic pop bottle with a few pebbles in it). That would work with many dogs but I'm pretty sure that would not work with my GSD. Too hard, and too much prey drive. I saw that on my previous GSD Brando when I took him to a local herding trainer for a herding day. He'd never seen sheep before and it was exciting to say the least. He went into the ring with the trainer and proceeded to pursue the sheep with gaping jaws. Joe (the trainer) had to fend him off the sheep with the stick and Brando ignored everything unless Joe actually smacked him on the head with it.
After several smart raps he suddenly realized he wasn't supposed to bite the sheep and went straight into ignoring them. Sat down and started checking out the view through the corral fence. I could see him thinking, ok I get it, screw you guys. At which point Joe tossed a rock bottle at him, and bounced it right off his head. He wasn't even startled, just ran right to it, picked it up and pranced back to Joe with it, tail wagging, still ignoring the sheep. Joe and everyone watching just about fell down laughing. Anyway, our current GSD has a similar temperament and his very favorite activity (that doesn't involve live prey) is to retrieve thrown objects.

 

[1TurkenLover]

Don't know a place in Kitsap for sure, but you might start inquiring at local businesses about wooden pallets - they come apart easy and they're a pretty standard size, so make for great building materials. I suggest looking around on CL and see if you can find a used dog house...they make great 'starter' coops. Also, produce bins (the wooden ones, not the cardboard or particle board ones) -- also great, cheap beginner coops.

strong Wood Pallets, the thick kind, we used them as our walk around the house keeps WA Mud down, starts @ bottom step expanded as we found them

8º here around midnight. I'm so happy it clouded up like I wished. It was 19º this morning. Birds are fine. Well house heater didn't work Friday night and it froze so we woke to no water. I messed with it and it's fine now. We have water this morning. Chicken water gets put in gallon jugs by the woodstove the night before.

Woke up to house with frozen pipes. Pump house fine. water was running about 3 Am......

Holy BLEEP it's cold.

There. I just had to say that.

X2 And WA is supposta have Rain right ? NOT single digits this early. no snow here yet, Chickens waters freeze they're Fine, our water freezes and I'm not Fine Burrrrrrr

Hey there CL

, it hasn't been this cold at this time of year since 1972, the year I was born

Two things my Grandparents lived w/o and I Need. " Running inside water, Toilets that Flush w/o dumping water in back and TP "

 

[jocelyne1967]

Hi all, need some advise. I got my first chickens today, (they are a little over a year old). A black orpington and a (coronation sussex. It is about 25 degrees outside and the sussex will not go into the sleeping part of the coop. They both got up there earlier so she knows where it is and how to do it but is just sitting outside in the run. I felt bad and made her some hot oatmeal but am worried. Where they were previous there was no sleeping part tp the coop, just a huge run with a tarp over it. Do you think this is just what she is used to? Should I be worried?

 

[Hinotori]

I'd put her inside now that it's dark. If you had a light to lure her in at dusk it may help get her to go in. I have little LED puck lights for the doghouse coops.

 

[jocelyne1967]

I just went out and put her in the sleeping part of the coop. She was not to happy about being moved, but I feel better! Thanks for your help

 

[ducklingsweety]

Hi all, need some advise. I got my first chickens today, (they are a little over a year old). A black orpington and a (coronation sussex. It is about 25 degrees outside and the sussex will not go into the sleeping part of the coop. They both got up there earlier so she knows where it is and how to do it but is just sitting outside in the run. I felt bad and made her some hot oatmeal but am worried. Where they were previous there was no sleeping part tp the coop, just a huge run with a tarp over it. Do you think this is just what she is used to? Should I be worried?

you might need to just lock her in a couple nights and let her out in the day, she could freeze if you dont!

 

[jocelyne1967]

I went out and tucked her into the hen house part. She was not happy, but has stayed in. I dont know who was more scared, her or me. Pitch black outside. I must say, her body felt nice and warm though. Makes me feel better to know she is warm under all those feathers