Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[HoneysuckleHills]

I can tell you your problem ! First of all Females DON'T like to be told what to do

you should know that

and you don't yell fall in, you yell bak, bak,bak,bak. thats what I do and they all gather at my feet and follow me to the run. I have to be careful I don't step on their feet. My oldest girl (a RIR) is always in the lead ahead of me. once they are in the run they get a treat. usually sunflower seeds. then I count them . I count the white ones first and then the colored ones

thats how ya do it

RonB: I love you! You make me laugh! You are so funny.

I come on everyday and read (or I guess lurk...) but I never really have much to add.
Those of you who know me know that you can't shut me up in person but I'm not much for typing.
Wish I was heading to the show. Anybody still on the fence about going and want to carpool?

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Hi all, been away for a week and can't read through the 100+ pages I'm behind! DH's grandmother passed so we are busy dealing with that, plus all sorts of other mayhem. Miss you all, but hope to be back again soon.

So sorry, Robin. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you.

 

[itsren]

I appreciate the concern. i do know when I hit my limits on the size of flock that I care for. I will admit to being at the upper limit currently. For myself it depends on how often I have to clean the coop. If I can go for more than a month or two, then I feel it's okay, but when it gets to the point of having to be cleaned out once a week or less, then I have to many birds in the space. I have a rather large area for my run, so even though the coop is rather small, it has been working. I am planning on letting a number of my older hens go in the spring. I am planning to turn most of my flock into blue egg layers. So I know that their will be birds coming and going. But I can't imagine having 40 birds in my set up, let alone more than that. There would be no way for me to keep up with that many birds.

JB - your set up is amazing! I just loved it. Your yard is gorgeous. You have beautiful grass and gardens. I thought your set-up works very well. I can't imagine your neighbors having problems looking at your beautiful yard. Your run looks like a beautiful arbor - not a chicken run. I still want to build an arbor chicken run like yours. Maybe someday.

The folks I was referring to didn't have a large enclosed pen like yours. I think if they had built one large pen, with a large run, and had a lot less chickens (she was guessing more than 60 total on that small lot, they had lost count), they might not have gotten in trouble. Instead, they had 5 large (4 of them were tall) coops that could be seen over the top of the fence scattered through the small yard. They lived in what I often refer to as a "McMansion" (big house, small yard). Their chickens free-ranged in the back yard (no covered, enclosed run), and that entire area was a thick layer of composting chicken poop. When you walked through the yard, the tops of your boots were covered with muddy poo. Plus, they had roosters. My husband said he felt bad for the family that lived behind them, because their back deck looked over the top and was so close to all that chicken poo. The neighbors probably couldn't even eat on their deck because the smell was pretty strong.

After seeing that, I understood why my city is so strict about making sure the coop/run is built a long distance from the fence line. The day I dropped off eggs to one neighbor who was originally upset about our getting our 3 girls, she asked me "Where did you put your chicken coop? We can't see it any more." I told her the only reason they could see it when they did was because we were building it out in the open in the back yard. I thought that it was pretty cool that she noticed that she couldn't see it any more. Our back yard has a shorter fence and is visible to most neighbors in our cul-de-sac, yet none of our neighbors can see our coop from their yards or houses. Our building it short was intentional for that very reason.

 

[itsren]

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Ah, darn. I guess I won't take the moss then. I'm sure I'd kill it. We have an open back yard, with lots of sunlight. It's probably why the moss I've tried to put in the wire baskets died so quick even though I'd water it often. Majombaszo - thanks for the offer though.

What will work well lining my wire planter boxes besides cocoa mat? That's what I have been using and I think it's ugly.

 

[itsren]

I'm pretty sure Caunnie quit laying now, too. I'm only getting one egg a day from Rhodie. Rhodie has found her saving grace. The not-so-very-nice bird that lays every day is welcome to stay. Not that she really has to worry too much considering the four we had planned to replace her with are more than likely boys.

 

[itsren]

I have the best luck when I put the hen in a suspended, wire-bottom cage. She gets food and water, but no 'cell mate', and usually serves a sentence of 3 days. Then she's allowed to return to the rest of the flock. If necessary, I return her to 'solitary confinement' for another 3 days. Some folks use a cage that hangs. Mine is on 'legs' and is about 3' off the floor. I believe this works because the hen does not feel 'safe' with the wire bottom cage.

Is 31.5"x19.5" an OK size for the floor of a broody cage? I have a 4-tiered wooden slat shelving unit that I want to convert to a double-decker broody cage with poop shelves. Drama is a breed that is said to go broody, and we're going to try to hatch some BCMs... also a breed that, according to internet searches, supposedly go broody. I know how I want to build it, I just need to know if that floor size is too small or not.

 

[itsren]

The cage I use is actually a 2' x 2' rabbit cage the sides are 1" x 1" hardware cloth and the bottom is 1/2" x 1"

This may have answered my question. 19.5" is thinner than 2', but maybe the 31.5" would make up for it in space?

 

[itsren]

OR is it that you SWEET LADIES (notice the kissing up) THINK YOU Know everything???

Well... OF COURSE!

 

[itsren]

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I'm sorry, too. That's always difficult.

 

[pips&peeps]

I had to post pictures of our temporary house guests. They are staying for the winter.

Norbit



Rasputia




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