Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[ValerieJ]

Headed into Longview today: grocery shopping, farm supplies and a hair cut. Long day. Making an easy dinner of BLTs tonight.

Strawberries were disappointing. The variety is very small, like raspberry size, but very sweet and good. But, we waited too long for some of them and others were attacked by a bug of some sort. I use Neem, an organic insecticide, but it is not working well at all. Need to find another one.

Think we'll dig up the strawberries next year. This is year 3 and we have yet to have a nice crop to eat. I can use the space for something else. We do grow blueberries, raspberries and marionberries, and those are always great. Had to plant a few new raspberries this year because a deer got into them last year and killed them. I do expect a few raspberries out of the new vines. We'll see. Lots of blueberries and marionberries though.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sprayed the Ortho ground clear around to allot of the small trees
outside the yard and bit inside.

 

[Hinotori]

I can cross "attacked by hummingbird" off my bucket list

Pulled down a branch on a tree to get a good leaf picture because I couldn't remember ash type. Bird to the face. Yelling and diving so I tried to get a picture of the hummingbird. Then I saw the cup on next branch. Quickly took a pic and left. Wouldn't have noticed it except for the attack.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I can cross "attacked by hummingbird" off my bucket list

Pulled down a branch on a tree to get a good leaf picture because I couldn't remember ash type. Bird to the face. Yelling and diving so I tried to get a picture of the hummingbird. Then I saw the cup on next branch. Quickly took a pic and left. Wouldn't have noticed it except for the attack.

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Oh my goodness!

I almost got smacked by a hummingbird today, was standing in the yard watching the hens free range and one barely missed me zipping by.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I can cross "attacked by hummingbird" off my bucket list

Pulled down a branch on a tree to get a good leaf picture because I couldn't remember ash type. Bird to the face. Yelling and diving so I tried to get a picture of the hummingbird. Then I saw the cup on next branch. Quickly took a pic and left. Wouldn't have noticed it except for the attack.

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How very cool !

 

[Smokerbill]

I can cross "attacked by hummingbird" off my bucket list

Pulled down a branch on a tree to get a good leaf picture because I couldn't remember ash type. Bird to the face. Yelling and diving so I tried to get a picture of the hummingbird. Then I saw the cup on next branch. Quickly took a pic and left. Wouldn't have noticed it except for the attack.

View attachment 4158846View attachment 4158848

How very cool !

That's exactly what I was going to say. Cool! It's amazing how the hummingbird had the smarts to camouflage the exterior of the nest with pieces of lichen. Makes it nearly invisible!

 

[Smokerbill]

I'm in the middle of another attempt to integrate the younger pullets/cockerels with the flock. When I forced them out of the brooder into the entire flock the teenagers were being jerks again, pecking at the little ones' heads. The old barred rocks could care less about them.

So I was able to get the 4 barred rock hens and the chicks into the day run and locked them out of the coop and secure run. I supplied them with plenty of water and food. And they're all getting along just fine, just a couple of butt-pecks dealt out when the chicks got too close to the feed pellets on the ground while they were eating. Once the hens had their fill the chicks got their turn.

The New Hampshire teenagers are getting a well deserved time out today for being too aggressive (in my opinion) to the chicks.

Doing this will give the chicks a chance to start feeling comfortable around the old hens and used to living in the larger space of the day run. It'll be tricky tonight trying to get the chicks back into their brooder space for the night, but I'm hoping it'll go well.

Picked some peas and collards yesterday...

 

[ValerieJ]

I don't know if NH Reds are anything like RI Reds, but my experience with the latter was they were a bit aggressive in general. They may mellow out with age.

Nice harvest!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Went out with Pugs and Mocha cleaned tables and boards.
Been bringing limbs from long broken down limbs.
Lot's of kindling for times we want fires.

 

[Smokerbill]

Thanks! New Hampshires were developed from RIRs, so they may have a similar temperament. The young ones are two RIRs (pullets) and 2 NHs (the males). They'll just have to learn to run or fight back I guess. I've seen no blood drawn so I guess it's not that bad.

I'll open up the coop door near the chickens' roosting time and let the whole group mingle for a little while. They'll be focused on fighting over their perches by then, I hope, and not picking fights.