Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[pennyJo1960]

Several years glad it did not need a new well.

 

[ValerieJ]

The well service made it out this morning. He checked things out and right now he is replacing the pump, wiring, controller and the well cap. At least it should be good for years now, one less thing to worry about. And I need a shower. Badly. LOL

Glad he was able to come out so quickly for you!

 

[Hinotori]

 

[WhySayWhat]

Phew! 13 days my group of volunteers worked....we fed, watered, caught, sought medical care for, and reunited pets in the Gray fire area! Our final "tally" of animals helped/saved/evacuated included...

• 350+poultry
• 77 cats
• 46 dogs
• 50+ deer
• 34 Horses
• 47 Goats
• 4 Cows
• 2 Porcupine
• 1 Llama
• 1 Endangered (on the Eastern side of WA) River Pelican!

I am so proud of everyone that stepped up and helped where and how they could! The core group of us are now forming a formal organization and working on getting our nonprofit status for the next animal crisis!

Once formed, we will be looking for people that are trained/experienced and willing to teach us how to properly and safely catch all kinds of critters!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning state folks. Was nice to have drenching rain a few days ago.
The garden is doing great now. Water tonight.
Looks like the pup had settled in there.

 

[Smokerbill]

Going to be a warm one today. I found 8 good eggs in the boxes this morning. One was oversized and the shell was a little thin, but it was intact.

I'm wondering if the laying problem is because the chickens aren't eating enough layer pellets. Their runs are covered with deep woodchips, and they're always pecking and eating stuff from it. I don't know if they're filling up on rotted wood or not, but if so that can't be nutritious.

Yesterday I wetted down layer feed and gave them quite a bit, enough to get their fill a couple times through the day. And getting 8 good eggs today seems to validate that they need to eat more actual feed. I'm going to feed them a lot more mashed layer pellets every day for a while and see if it makes them lay good eggs consistently.

The new well pump is working, but I'm pretty sure that the old pump was ok and didn't need replaced. When he tested the new pump it didn't build pressure like it should, just like the old pump. He replaced something in the control box and it started working right. But another problem is he determined that my well is a low flow well. It doesn't refill quickly after water is taken out. Maybe that's because we've been pretty much in a drought all summer...

I'm going to Home Depot and buying a few plumbing supplies so I can shock my well and the plumbing with Clorox. He said it wasn't necessary, but everything I've read says when a pump is replaced, the well has to be shocked to kill any e-coli that may have gotten in. What a pain.

 

[Smokerbill]

Gave the chickies a lot of mash today, some fortified with extra eggshells and pulverized oyster shells. Let them out to forage a couple hours ago and went out a bit ago to check on them. There was a cat of some kind sitting down under the apple tree, just watching. I think it was a domestic cat / feral cat. Didn't look like a bobcat, and I don't think it was a young mountain lion, which we have around here.

The chickens were probably 50' away from the cat, so I herded them back up to the house, all the while warning them of the dangers of exploring too far from their home territory. I doubt that they understood, but they sure responded to my instructions to move to a different location.

@pennyJo1960 , did you ever find your 50# bags of oyster shells? I bought a 50 pounder today at Tractor Supply in Chehalis. Manna Pro. It's not flaked oyster shell, but more like reconstituted shells with coral calcium included in the mix. It was like $18 plus tax.

I don't think mine really like it, but I pulverize it in a coffee grinder and mix it with wet mash sometimes so they don't even know they're eating it.

 

[geno 9129]

QUESTION DOES ANY BODY FEED THERE CHICKENS SLICES OF WET BREAD ,I'VE BEEN FEEDING IT ,AND ALSO SALTINE CRACKERS ,ALL SMASHED UP ,BUT LOST TWO HENS JUST LATELY, BUT I THINK I OVER DOCTORED THEM LIVE AND LEARN

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good morning Gang ! Why the wet bread ? Guess that is my first thought?
I will treat with corn or meal worms.
Wet soaked pellets at times put hotter water in the winter.

 

[Hinotori]

QUESTION DOES ANY BODY FEED THERE CHICKENS SLICES OF WET BREAD ,I'VE BEEN FEEDING IT ,AND ALSO SALTINE CRACKERS ,ALL SMASHED UP ,BUT LOST TWO HENS JUST LATELY, BUT I THINK I OVER DOCTORED THEM LIVE AND LEARN

Don't know why you'd wet it. Saltines aren't the best. Too much salt. Even bread should only be a rare treat. Too processed and low nutrition. Too much, too often, could induce sour crop. Too much bread will reduce eggs laid because of the low nutrition filling them up.

Mine get it once a week when I toss the last few slices of a loaf to them. So 3 slices for the 15 large fowl. If there is more, silkies get some. 1 slice for each 10 silkie pen. They do like it, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. More like candy than scratch is.