Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Smokerbill]

Go pinch a few seed heads when they quit blooming. I used to have a few but they’ve died off.

I took your advice and just pinched off a couple of seed heads from the western columbine growing across the street. The pods had just opened, but the seeds were still inside. Very small!

I'm going to go look for some more.

 

[Smokerbill]

Good morning all,
I have had a busy morning, its 55 out and we have a wonderful soaking rain yesterday, the ground drank it all up.
I need to walk down with my big 2 wheel wheelbarrow to my neighbors sawmill and get more wood chips for my run--- I can handle pushing 3 loads and 4 maybe, I need 8 or as much as I can get. I want to fill the entry way and all of the thin spots before fall.
Before, just dirt and mud
View attachment 3588499

After
View attachment 3588501

Have a great day!

I put the smaller wheelbarrow in the big one , got shovels and rakes, Walked down with my husband as he took the trash can to the pavement, we then filled both barrows, and went back for 2 more. this is going to help cut down on flies, dust and mud.
View attachment 3588775

You inspired me! I hauled 5 or 6 wheel barrow loads to the new run area, dumped them and spread them out just a little. The birds can finish leveling it.

I found a great surprise for the chickens, too. While loading the last wheel barrow load I dug into a big ant nest, filled with luscious, creamy white ant eggs! I kept it separate, then dumped the nest on top of the chips in the run.

When I let the chickens in, I pointed to the eggs and finally one took my cue and came over to look. Once she ate an ant egg the others were soon to follow her example. They love those ant eggs, and they're probably eating the ants, too.

Surprise #2, one of the cockerels found something interesting. I saw him looking at something in the pile, then I saw it move. A little baby snake, doing its best at aggressively striking at the cockerel. It was maybe 6 inches long and maybe 3/16" in diameter.

The hens saw it and just looked. Finally one grabbed it and they played "try to take my treat away" for a little while. But I think the snake must have been biting them and freaked them out a little. The snake was dropped and they wouldn't pick it up again. It slithered away.

The woodchip covered run floor...



Chickens eating ant eggs...



Hen looking at snake... The snake is striking in this pic, mouth open wide.




Cockerel looking too...




Looks like the chicken just grabbed the snake in its beak here...



I'm disappointed that they didn't eat it. Maybe next time.

 

[pennyJo1960]

If one of mine finds a snake they eat it play with it till dead then they eat it.

 

[Hinotori]

I was starting to put up a fence around my entire garden area, which would have been about 150 feet in length total. And unless it were 6 or 7 or 8 feet tall, the deer would probably just jump over it, making me even madder and feeling more the idiot. So I decided to just cage the individual beds and be done with it.

I still have to get some protection around two more beds. The big one (16x14 feet) is temporarily protected, but so well that I can't get into it unless I partially take it apart. The other one is relatively small, only 3.5 x 14 feet. It should be easy to deer proof that one.

Step in posts with fishing line 2 to 3 feet out from the fence. Deer freak out when they brush against it because they cant see it. Will not necessarily stop elk. They may just go through it.

I had protected the garden with just the fishing line for 2 years. Kept the deer away. Only got broken by the elk who didn't actually eat anything. This year I got some t-posts in with temp fence. Once I get the field fence up, I'll run some wire above it.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

You inspired me! I hauled 5 or 6 wheel barrow loads to the new run area, dumped them and spread them out just a little. The birds can finish leveling it.

I found a great surprise for the chickens, too. While loading the last wheel barrow load I dug into a big ant nest, filled with luscious, creamy white ant eggs! I kept it separate, then dumped the nest on top of the chips in the run.

When I let the chickens in, I pointed to the eggs and finally one took my cue and came over to look. Once she ate an ant egg the others were soon to follow her example. They love those ant eggs, and they're probably eating the ants, too.

Surprise #2, one of the cockerels found something interesting. I saw him looking at something in the pile, then I saw it move. A little baby snake, doing its best at aggressively striking at the cockerel. It was maybe 6 inches long and maybe 3/16" in diameter.

The hens saw it and just looked. Finally one grabbed it and they played "try to take my treat away" for a little while. But I think the snake must have been biting them and freaked them out a little. The snake was dropped and they wouldn't pick it up again. It slithered away.

The woodchip covered run floor...

View attachment 3588978

Chickens eating ant eggs...

View attachment 3588976View attachment 3588977

Hen looking at snake... The snake is striking in this pic, mouth open wide.

View attachment 3588983
View attachment 3588986View attachment 3588987

Cockerel looking too...

View attachment 3588988
View attachment 3588989

Looks like the chicken just grabbed the snake in its beak here...

View attachment 3588990View attachment 3588991View attachment 3588992

I'm disappointed that they didn't eat it. Maybe next time.

Yea!! great work,, looks great!!

 

[Grandmas Coop]

If one of mine finds a snake they eat it play with it till dead then they eat it.

mine too,, i even cut one up in pieces just so everyone got a bite

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Mamma #2 had a good dirt bath

And I was surprised when I liked out the kitchen sink window and saw mamma #3 with the 2 1 week olds out in the run,
All the other chickens left her alone and didn’t mess with the chicks,,


Ziva loves watching the chicks

 

[pennyJo1960]

Had to fix fence crazy white dog was in the chicken yard.
Fixed the leak in the new main coop also. Found 2 screws not in the wood, sealant in hand and backing out the screws and resetting them. 2 clamps is on for 48 hours to let them dry.

 

[pennyJo1960]

My new cockerel is blue copper marans also.

 

[Smokerbill]

My new cockerel is blue copper marans also.

What? No picture?