Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[MargaretYakoda]

So, I would not have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes last night.

Scene: Dusk. Outdoors near the "big coop."
A 12 week old pullet is outside the fence, trying to figure out how to get back in to roost.
I start going toward the gate to herd her back inside the fence, and she decided to CLIMB THE FENCE.

I kid you not. Five foot chain link fence. She flew up a couple of feet, grabbed the fence with her feet, and CLIMBED THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE TOP!

We'd been wondering how some of them were getting out. Now we know.

 

[Amberjem]

So, I would not have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes last night.

Scene: Dusk. Outdoors near the "big coop."
A 12 week old pullet is outside the fence, trying to figure out how to get back in to roost.
I start going toward the gate to herd her back inside the fence, and she decided to CLIMB THE FENCE.

I kid you not. Five foot chain link fence. She flew up a couple of feet, grabbed the fence with her feet, and CLIMBED THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE TOP!

We'd been wondering how some of them were getting out. Now we know.

wow ninja chicken!

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Oh, hey, I think it was this thread where someone was asking about putting vaseline on larger combs and wattles during a cold snap?
In saw it was going to get down into the teens here last night, so around dusk I went out and put the vaseline on all the cocks and cockerels. My oldest cock, a 20 month old Orpington, remembered this from last year and didn't put up a fuss at all. I was shocked when I realized just HOW BIG his wattles had grown, too. They're the size of my palm! I hadn't really noticed how big they were until I was rubbing the vaseline on them.
The others, all Jersey Giants, fussed a bit at first, but once they realized that whatever I was doing made their wattles and combs feel better, they settled right into it.

 

[Amberjem]

Oh, hey, I think it was this thread where someone was asking about putting vaseline on larger combs and wattles during a cold snap?
In saw it was going to get down into the teens here last night, so around dusk I went out and put the vaseline on all the cocks and cockerels. My oldest cock, a 20 month old Orpington, remembered this from last year and didn't put up a fuss at all. I was shocked when I realized just HOW BIG his wattles had grown, too. They're the size of my palm! I hadn't really noticed how big they were until I was rubbing the vaseline on them.
The others, all Jersey Giants, fussed a bit at first, but once they realized that whatever I was doing made their wattles and combs feel better, they settled right into it.

how cold did it get over there?? thats a big comb!

 

[MargaretYakoda]

how cold did it get over there?? thats a big comb!

Low was 25 according to Weather Underground.

 

[kweyland]

Oh I have a soft spot for Zebra finches! My great grandmother raised them and I loved helping her care for them. When she passed, she left me her prized pairs <3
It looks like you may have got an early Christmas gift in your profile pic--congrats and what a beautiful baby!

It IS hard to decide; the more time I spend on here, I'm like Oh maybe I should add ducks or quail... It's addicting! I have had so much fun with my chickens though, and part of that has been the awesome people here!

Well if you ever want to get back into finches or expand your flock, you know where to come! I'm so in love with all birds! the varity in shapes, sizes, and colors just captivates me! the more alien and unique something is, the more I'm fascinated by it! Birds just have this way about them!

 

[Carolei]

I discovered the down side of vaseline on the combs and wattles. After I smeared all my girls with vaseline they decided it was time for a dust bath! Ugh. They're a mess!

 

[Ashley Stroud]

Well if you ever want to get back into finches or expand your flock, you know where to come! I'm so in love with all birds! the varity in shapes, sizes, and colors just captivates me! the more alien and unique something is, the more I'm fascinated by it! Birds just have this way about them!

Aren't they all amazing? My husband was raised in a tropical country and spent many an hour birding, never had any pet birds, but he is totally in love and in awe of all of them too. We often take our dogs out for hikes and usually spend some time birding.

 

[Ashley Stroud]

So, I would not have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes last night.

Scene: Dusk. Outdoors near the "big coop."
A 12 week old pullet is outside the fence, trying to figure out how to get back in to roost.
I start going toward the gate to herd her back inside the fence, and she decided to CLIMB THE FENCE.

I kid you not. Five foot chain link fence. She flew up a couple of feet, grabbed the fence with her feet, and CLIMBED THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE TOP!

We'd been wondering how some of them were getting out. Now we know.

wow ninja chicken!

Yep! Ninja chicken! lol

 

[Ashley Stroud]

I discovered the down side of vaseline on the combs and wattles. After I smeared all my girls with vaseline they decided it was time for a dust bath! Ugh. They're a mess!

I wondered about that...
Do the wattles soak it up by morning or are they a greasy mess? Thinking of doing it to mine.

I can see my neighbor down the way has a heat lamp in the coop and it has me so uneasy and nervous about a fire.

Would it be shocking to the chickens when they have to leave the coop in the morning and venture into the cold? Seems like a recipe for frostbite, an overly warm coop. Then again I might be too cavalier about my girls--I don't have heat for them and have the vents in their coop open, enough that there isn't condensation on the windows in the morning so that means the whole back vent up above the roosts. I figure they're wearing down jackets and as long as it isn't drafty...