Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

My chickens want out SOOOO bad! Should I just let them? (They are 9 weeks old but very feathered.) They don't have a run, just free range and there's covered areas they can get to. Our neighbors chickens were out in the pouring rain yesterday and seemed as happy as could be foraging around the yard. (They are a mile and a half from us, but still neighbors

).

This is exactly why I am setting eggs in the incubator, instead of giving the eggs to my broody~~~~~~~~~~~~~~chicks are happy in the brooder................Broody Mama wants OUT !!!

 

[Chickielady]

Apparently, my chickies (hens really) seem to like the rain.
Every time I check on them, they are all pecking the ground whether it's raining or not.

Hubby & I went out yesterday and bought me a new stove and vent hood. He installed the vent today and I get the stove on Wednesday. Our old stove didn't have a window in the door, no oven light and the oven temperature ran high. So glad to get a new stove. Husband said it would be my birthday present which is Monday. Happy Birthday to me!!!

Trying to get curtains for my guest/sewing room done. Got the room painted last week, so now it's definitely time for new curtains. One panel is almost done, now I need to get the other panel pinned and sewed. Can't wait to get them done and get that room put back together.

how is your hip ?
are you up and walking now ?

 

[Chickielady]

Hello Washintonians! I am in Pierce county. I am so excited to find this thread! I apologize if these are questions answered already--please direct me to old posts if so. I had trouble finding things via the search function. I am new to chicken keeping, and still new to BYC!

This is my first winter with chickens. I am trying to figure out how to best winterize, and am behind schedule. I am a bit unsure of how much additional protection they'll need, as last year was my first winter in Washington, and I hear it was milder than usual.

I have two Rhode Island Reds, 8 months old. Our home had a great dog run that we converted into a chicken run this summer. They have a large area about 30' x 10' with a concrete-floor, that is half enclosed with sheet metal, and half with strong wire bars about 3 inches apart, covered with chicken wire. There is also a connected 11'x15' run with dirt floor--all chicken mesh (not the strongest, I know. Hope to switch to wire mesh at some point)
Inside the concrete area I have a small coop with a couple roosts and nesting boxes (DIY-style bought from the Tractor Supply CO). Since being full grown they basically hate going in the coop, except to lay eggs in the nesting boxes, and are happy sleeping on top of the roof. We used to manually place them inside the coop at night, but gave up and now let them sleep on top.

Here are my concerns:

Will my girls get too cold? Where they sleep they are protected from wind, but it is open-air. Can I trust them to go into the coop if they get cold? I laugh at the people who say it is cold in the south sound, as we spent 4 years in Vermont. But then again, I am not a chicken sleeping outside.

I get constant water leaking in on the concrete. I have pine shavings around the area with the coop which only very slowly get wet, but the rest of the concrete area is consistently damp. I thought the building structure was going to provide better protection from water, but it still leaks in. What would you recommend to put on a damp concrete floor? Straw? I worry about mold. Is it better to leave it as plain concrete?

I do not have electricity near their coop. I could run extension cords if needed.

Thank you in advance! It is so fun to see posts from all the other people around the area! I have quickly fallen in love with backyard chicken-keeping, but know that I am still quite a novice

They will be fine provided a sheltered place, out of the rain & with out predators
I assume you have no floor in your coop ?
Try to, in the future, raise it up, apply footings & a floor, then you can have wood shavings or straw...each is good, and will then be dry

 

[lindalouly]

Haven't been on here for a few. It is a flooding mess around here!!! My culdasac is a lake and my birds just want to be wet and muddy!!! Trust me there are plenty of safe places for them to go. The girls are doing well besides looking like drowned rats... Alice, my Minorca is the only one who has had it with this weather. Well hope you all are staying dry.. Working on making a homemade incabator... It's a learning adventure. Don't worry, no eggs until I get this down good.,

 

[Chickielady]

@HenKat I see what you're saying now. Maybe fill the run with straw, or try and use some expanding foam on the inside or outside of the run to try and seal the boards along the bottom to keep the water out. I would probably just put them in the coop each night for warmth. Sorry to hear about your other 2 birds.

Don't do straw !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is fantastic in the beginning, but then it gets WET and heavy, and breaks down and is STINKY and hard to heave OUT of the chicken yard...a pitchfork...yard out the crud into a tractor bucket of=r a wheel barrow...YUCK I won't do it ever again/
Put Pea gravel & or road base in your runs, and if they are over poplulated, and poo is heavy, wash it out with a hose.

 

[Chickielady]

OK one more check on the bator....and then I'll collect & set eggs in the morning.....loves to you all.....

Snuggle weather is here...and
Vasserole weather !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for Awesome casseroles...... anyone have one that is to die for ????????????????????

 

[Elaine Wright]

[COLOR=B22222]NOT[/COLOR]

[COLOR=B22222]and not fondly remembering the FIRES either[/COLOR]

Thanks for that. I'd forgotten the fires that cancelled my summer back country hike and burned down friends vacation homes.

 

[lindalouly]

OK one more check on the bator....and then I'll collect & set eggs in the morning.....loves to you all.....

Snuggle weather is here...and 
Vasserole weather !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[COLOR=FF0000]Looking for Awesome casseroles...... anyone have one that is to die for ????????????????????[/COLOR]

My sons favorite is two bags of frozen diced style hash browns.. Two cans of cream of chicken a tub of sour cream. Cubed ham and cheddar cheese all mixed with lots of season salt then topped with crushed cornflakes with melted butter. Bake until cooked fully with foil. I thaw the hash browns first to cut baking time.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

I have both, and still looking for truffles !

We're finding them mostly off of the little feeder roots about three to five feet from the trunk of dougs that are around thirty years old. We're only having to go a couple inches from the surface through the litter.

 

[Elaine Wright]

@chickalady
http://mobile.eatingwell.com/recipes/chilaquiles_casserole.html

A favorite of the family. Even my 9 year old nephew loved it. He's a picky eater.