Washingtonians

[StacyK]

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Oh, I do know THAT already, LOL!!

I jump over here very often while working. I have to set limits & make myself do so much work before I let myself come back!

Ice cream sounds good right now!!!

 

[Gwen]

Question - I have seven 4-1/2 week olds in a brooder in the garage. It's hot in there but probably not as hot as it is outside. I'm getting a tractor tomorrow or the next day, 3x6 is the run, the coop part is smaller. Can I move the chickens into the tractor 24/7 now or is it still too cold at night? I'm on Whidbey Island and we're slightly cooler than Seattle temps right now. I was in Seattle the other day and it was 90 but was only 85 or 84 here on Whidbey. And I understand the temps are supposed to start cooling down.

The only way I could heat the tractor would be by putting a heat lamp next to the 'front door' of the coop or next to the window. There is no way for me to hang a lamp inside the coop itself and have it far enough away from the chickens so that it didn't burn or bake them to death.

Here's a pic of what I'm getting:

I will have a large coop in another week or two, but would just like to get them out of the garage and at least onto some grassy areas until then. They sure love to peck at stuff I throw in there, I just know they'd love being outside and I would love to stop the dust that's collecting in the garage. During this heat I have been turning off the lamp during the day and turning it back on at night. I'm down to a 75 watt bulb right now. They do not seem either too hot nor too cold.

 

[Centaurheart]

Gwen - It was 73 outside last night for a low here (winlock). Please, throw your chickies outside at night. They will be just fine and snuggle up all comfy cozy - and probably thank you. Just make sure they have lots of shade during the day. I have some baby EEs that are yours' same age, and I turned the heat lamp off last week and they've been just fine. Just make sure they can get out of any breezes and your tractor has some nice hay or shavings for them to cuddle on.

Iron- I feel your pain. I'm off to work now... if you smell cooking meat of the not so fun variety coming from the direction of the Freddies DC, thats me.... roasting.

 

[Gwen]

Centaur, your lows are quite a bit higher than ours. We're down to 65 and maybe even a bit lower right now.

I'm so stressed out over everything! The heat isn't helping. I was just talking to a neighbor and she said she has hawks all the time sitting on the top of her run watching the chickens. I wasn't planning to cover the top of their run as I'm planning to leave it open anyway for them to free range in the woods that come up to the back of the coop area.

She also said she has rats that come into her coop every day thru the popdoor and eat her chicken feed. I hate rats. I mean really hate them. They completely gross me out. No way do I want rats, and I esp don't want to spend my money feeding them!

I'm also not entirely sure my cat (who should be out there eating all the rats) will not be after the chickens. Please tell me that once they're full grown, they can stand up to the cat and he'll leave them alone. Actually, I'm not adverse to getting rid of the cat if he won't let them alone. He's a great cat and I know someone who wants him. I got him for a mouser, which he does a fair job of, but am really not emotionally attached to him. Maybe he'll eat all the rats and leave the chickens alone. But I also would not want to attract hawks that might go after the cat. They've been after him before but he's a saavy guy and has avoided them and now they have given up and don't even bother coming here. (Apparently they prefer my neighbor's chickens.

)

So many worries and decisions. I don't think I'm cut out for this.

 

[chookchick]

Congrats "unemployed" on your first egg--that's a big first one!
I finally figured out how to get the dumb chickens to walk in a tub of water. I took an "under the bed box" (idea from BYCer) and filled it with woodchip and sand. Then filled it with water so it is like a big mud puddle. (NOTE-move the box before it is filled with water----duhhhh!) They really like it-poking around in the chip with their feet cooling in the water. I'm going to add a frozen water bottle as soon as they refreeze.
Stay cool everyone! (Call in sick if you have too....)

ETA--Gwen, don't worry about the cat--they won't go after grown chickens. Cover the run with netting and take the food into your well-fortified (hardware cloth) henhouse. Then relax and enjoy the chickens!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Ok so just for fun lets see who records the highest temp. As of 4:22pm all 3 of my thermometers show 111*. I Can't remember being this hot since I moved from The Dalles. I can remember 115* over there and an average high of 110* for a week.
I think I'm just about to break a sweat !!!!

 

[nivtup]

No Sebbies this year, we have all girls that are coming of laying age.

Still need to find a good breeder boy.

We seem stuck on 104, hopefully it will start to tick down here shortly.

Just watered again, and man do they look HOT HOT HOT.


BTW,

We have eggs for hatching we could make a decent deal on due to the heat. I would not want to ship, so pick-up only.

Golden Cuckoo Marans - now available
Wheaten Marans - This weekend or early next week
BBS Ameraucanas - Lots, now and later
BLRW - Next week sometime.
and a few Araucanas of mixed colors - Next week.

 

[nivtup]

And I am sure we could part with some Khaki Campbell ducklings, mixed color heritage turkey poults, young (althoug nearly the size of thier parents) Toulouse Geese, and we have a large group of Ameraucanas scheduled to start hatching tomorrow or Friday.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Nivtup, I'm looking for some Khaki females. You ever get up north towards Marysville?

Btw, I've been so busy it ain't even funny and haven't had time to post lately but have been watching the thread. I've got 50 some Ameraucanas and Welsummers hatching out on Saturday.

Just hatched out some more guinea keets and stll have plenty for sale.

It's 108 here in Granite Falls when I looked a couple of hours ago.

God Bless,

 

[nivtup]

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