Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CharMac76]

Hello! I'm considering making my own coop, and wanted to do it as I expensively as possible. Does anyone know of the best (inexpensive) places to find wood, scrap, reclaimed, etc? I need a coop big enough for 9 birds.

 

[LaurelC]

Hello! I'm considering making my own coop, and wanted to do it as I expensively as possible. Does anyone know of the best (inexpensive) places to find wood, scrap, reclaimed, etc? I need a coop big enough for 9 birds.

Craigslist! Check the free section.

 

[CarlieO]

So what do the kids do? Is it like meeting once a week/month? Showing birds at fairs? I seriously know nothing.

I did 4-H for horses. We met once a month for club meetings. Members were elected to president, VP, secretary, etc. We participated in TONS of community service events all over our area. Actually, I grew up in Snohomish so it was all up in your neck of the woods! (My parents just sold the farm I grew up on a couple years ago; boy do I miss it up there, lol!) We participated in local shows and the local and state fairs. We could actually win $ based on how we placed too! Not sure if it's the same with poultry but I don't see why it wouldn't be.

It was a fantastic experience growing up in it. There are club leaders who guide the members and their families on how to prepare for shows, how to enter, what's needed. They also educate on proper management of your particular animal. They have presentations by vets and other leaders in your particular field of 4-H. I can't speak highly enough of it. It was so much fun. The kids meet TONS of people who share the same interests from all over the state. Many lifelong friendships are formed in 4-H. Lots of clubs will allow you to sit in on a meeting or 2 to see if it's something you'd be interested in. I don't know of any poultry 4-H clubs up your way, only horse 4-H clubs, sorry!.

 

[FamFitz]

Craigslist! Check the free section.

Or check for discarded pallets. There are a few different stores by me that put any they don't need on the side of the road and it's 1st come 1st served. A few of those put together makes for a good frame and you can use the slats from others to fill it in.

 

[NWSumatras]

So what do the kids do? Is it like meeting once a week/month? Showing birds at fairs? I seriously know nothing.  

oh oops sorry I guess I didnt really answer your question. Well every 4h club is different. Plus the club will help you with every step. So say if poultry is what your kids want to show, then most meet weekly and some meet monthly. They teach you how to raise and hold your birds properly. You learn all about your birds at the meetings. They will go over everything and any questions you have. There is a lot more to it, but I am using my phone to reply. Its making it difficult. The end product and preparation of say your poultry project is to show at the fairs. That is the time when kids get to show off their birds that they raised, and share their knowledge of what they learned. They get recognized and even win awards, which vary from place to place. Maybe someone else will add to this.

 

[FamFitz]

Or check for discarded pallets. There are a few different stores by me that put any they don't need on the side of the road and it's 1st come 1st served. A few of those put together makes for a good frame and you can use the slats from others to fill it in.

Hello! I'm considering making my own coop, and wanted to do it as I expensively as possible. Does anyone know of the best (inexpensive) places to find wood, scrap, reclaimed, etc? I need a coop big enough for 9 birds.

Ooops! My response (#1) was meant to quote this one (#2) not the reply it ended up quoting. My bad!

 

[FamFitz]

I did 4-H for horses. We met once a month for club meetings. Members were elected to president, VP, secretary, etc. We participated in TONS of community service events all over our area. Actually, I grew up in Snohomish so it was all up in your neck of the woods! (My parents just sold the farm I grew up on a couple years ago; boy do I miss it up there, lol!) We participated in local shows and the local and state fairs. We could actually win $ based on how we placed too! Not sure if it's the same with poultry but I don't see why it wouldn't be.

It was a fantastic experience growing up in it. There are club leaders who guide the members and their families on how to prepare for shows, how to enter, what's needed. They also educate on proper management of your particular animal. They have presentations by vets and other leaders in your particular field of 4-H. I can't speak highly enough of it. It was so much fun. The kids meet TONS of people who share the same interests from all over the state. Many lifelong friendships are formed in 4-H. Lots of clubs will allow you to sit in on a meeting or 2 to see if it's something you'd be interested in. I don't know of any poultry 4-H clubs up your way, only horse 4-H clubs, sorry!.

oh oops sorry I guess I didnt really answer your question. Well every 4h club is different. Plus the club will help you with every step. So say if poultry is what your kids want to show, then most meet weekly and some meet monthly. They teach you how to raise and hold your birds properly. You learn all about your birds at the meetings. They will go over everything and any questions you have. There is a lot more to it, but I am using my phone to reply. Its making it difficult. The end product and preparation of say your poultry project is to show at the fairs. That is the time when kids get to show off their birds that they raised, and share their knowledge of what they learned. They get recognized and even win awards, which vary from place to place. Maybe someone else will add to this.

Thanks for the info! I'll have to tell my son about it and see what he thinks. Course, I would imagine that we need show quality birds for this - and I doubt that ours are. Maybe it'll be a future endeavor. Is there a typical age range for the kids that participate? Sorry to be asking you so many questions - I could probably just contact the 4H myself and ask them.

 

[NWSumatras]

I did 4-H for horses. We met once a month for club meetings. Members were elected to president, VP, secretary, etc. We participated in TONS of community service events all over our area. Actually, I grew up in Snohomish so it was all up in your neck of the woods! (My parents just sold the farm I grew up on a couple years ago; boy do I miss it up there, lol!) We participated in local shows and the local and state fairs. We could actually win $ based on how we placed too! Not sure if it's the same with poultry but I don't see why it wouldn't be.

It was a fantastic experience growing up in it. There are club leaders who guide the members and their families on how to prepare for shows, how to enter, what's needed. They also educate on proper management of your particular animal. They have presentations by vets and other leaders in your particular field of 4-H. I can't speak highly enough of it. It was so much fun. The kids meet TONS of people who share the same interests from all over the state. Many lifelong friendships are formed in 4-H. Lots of clubs will allow you to sit in on a meeting or 2 to see if it's something you'd be interested in. I don't know of any poultry 4-H clubs up your way, only horse 4-H clubs, sorry!.

Exactly!
Well said!

 

[Kaneke]

Ok so I gotta be niele...are you from Hawaii or just vacation there regularly ?  I'm from O'ahu.

gotta go back to Maui every year cuz our medical works only there .. takes 6 weeks to three months to get in to see them all; hubby wants to travel in retirement so we spend probably 2/3 of the year on the mainland, eventually we will probably return to Maui full time ... one son in Washington (takes care of this place full time), one in Oregon, one on Kauai ... granddaughter and DIL in Kennewick

 

[Naloboy]

Hello! I'm considering making my own coop, and wanted to do it as I expensively as possible. Does anyone know of the best (inexpensive) places to find wood, scrap, reclaimed, etc? I need a coop big enough for 9 birds.

Try Freecycle.org. It's like Craig's List but only for free stuff and they are specific to your area