Washingtonians

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
After seeing these pics I had a brain storm. See that little coil band on the leg. Well I don't know where CL got / gets them but shhhh don't tell I know where to get em for free. I saw people at the casino withe them. So ya go to local casino and get one to go on yer play card and ya could even choose the color. Hey really is there a problem scamming the scammers ???

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'm off to bed...and back to work tomorrow--it was nice to have an extra day off....and DH says he'll finish my "sniper tower" coop this week!

So we'll see.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
Why do you think this one is a boy? what makes him stand out as such? (trying to learn). Do you feather/wing sex? Can this be done on orps?

I can not feather wing sex and they say it doesnt work on orps anyway. but the serama, this chick is very upright, very bold and has big feet and a big fat head. its not really an exact way to tell but its my guess. I will know soon...combs will grow. so in a nutshell... he is cocky!

LOL...well that works too. Bummer, I watched how to wing sex and did all my orps...I banded to see what I came up with. Guess that won't work. I will just wait and see what happens with everyone. I will go and check the two blacks I have. If either of them do not look "roostery" I would love to have your little hoss. Or a little hoss from you at a later date. What would a blue over a black or buff do?

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
Absolutely gorgeous.

Would it be possible for you to post me a photo of a pullet and a cockerel orp - around 3-4 weeks old? (or even a bit older if you have it) Do you have anything like that? I would like to use as a comparison for my group.

I tried to get pic's of mine this morning for my Craigslist ad, but all of the girls were hiding in every shot. The Orp's take a really long time to sex, mine are 6 & 7 wks old and I'm just starting to feel sure about who is who. Their combs are bigger/pinker than the girls.

Thank you for the information.
Mine are all pigs with feathers. Not sure who is who yet. They are 4 weeks old.

 

[jbear]

Quote:
What did you pay per pound for them to cut & wrap ?

i honestly don't remember... pretty close to what it says on Scott's page. It is well wrapped. The pig was heavier than Scott expected..but not fat, he was just a Big Pig..

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
I tried to get pic's of mine this morning for my Craigslist ad, but all of the girls were hiding in every shot. The Orp's take a really long time to sex, mine are 6 & 7 wks old and I'm just starting to feel sure about who is who. Their combs are bigger/pinker than the girls.

I will take pics of the new babies as they grow up, the cockerel in the above pics was easy to tell. he always looked like that. with mine, the pullets get tails and the cockerels do not. pullets have small pale combs and the boys combs and wattles turn red and get bigger than the girls first. its not 100% accurate but pretty close. at 12 weeks its easy to tell most of them as the boys are growing saddle feathers and the pullets saddle feathers are blunt and round where the boys are getting very pointy

Thank you so very much....now I need to ask a question and I hate to sound so illiterate, but:
What exactly (or where) are the saddle feathers? I am assuming the feathers on the back?

 

[jbear]

Quote:
Here in western WA ..it is timing, a staple gun, and a big roll of 6 mil plastic.
That and you seriously need to shop for seeds that 'work' in your area.
DO NOT ever just buy seeds that look good at the hardware store.
I only buy my seeds from Territorial, and one other heritage seed company.
They have a fantastic catalog, with great photos & descriptions, and I do this all in about December.
Planning is everything..while the chicken poop & straw & shavings are cooking out in the snow...
Buy seed that works in your area, start the seeds indoors a few weeks before you set them out.
Build a hot frame, or cold frame if you have no way to buy heat tape.
I really have to find it on line & post it..it is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!
Bury it in the ground, and plug it in.
It is self regulating..gets to a certain temp & stays there.
It works like a water bed heater or seed mat.
Heats the whole cold frame into a hot frame, plants grow outside in the hot frame, even in the snow!!!

This winter, I will give you a heads up what I am buying & doing.
This fall I do cold weather crops:
Garlic, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and always lettuces and arugula.
Beets do real well if you start them in October & they sweeten in cold weather.
A beet planted in March and growing through summer will be tasteless, same for turnips & rutabagas.
The extreme cold makes the plants put on sugar, which is anti-freeze !!

So a beet planted in October & growing over the winter will be so super sweet !!!!!!! YUMMY in salads or boiled with butter, right on your dinner plate.
There is nothing like a fresh winter beet, cabbage or brussels sprouts, picked from the garden under a few inches of snow~~~~
It is all timing, and the right seed.
AND compost!!!!!!!!!!!
Compost every thing ! Store bought is garbage !!!

I get most of my seeds from Irish Eyes. They are from Ellensburg.
I'm eating lots of kale already. Love em. Got Russian Red, Curly and the Dinosaur kale.
I shall save some space fot beets in october. Just planted some leeks and more lettuce & spinach. Heck, it is still cold out. Cant plant anything else.
Rest of the stuff is under plastic, but the radiated rain is making my plants go crazy.

All 3 boxes are brand new. 8 X 4' boxes, 20+ inches high.
It takes 1 to 1 1/2 yards to fill each box.
Great advise.

very good advise..

And I would love to know what you are planting and when. Right now the only thing I have are peas--shelling and snow, and kales coming up. Oh, and garlic, onions and potatoes. And Rhubarb.. good golly there is a lot of rhubarb. I have been slicing it and freezing it. Till I figger out what to do with it all! lol! Jelly?
I had a good salad mix coming along.. chickens got into it and demolished it in one day. CL~I told you the sad slug story .. slugs demolished the NEXT planting.. lol! can't win this Spring. Aw Well. will replant AGAIN this weekend.. spinach, and lettuce.

I get my seeds from Territorial or Uprising Seeds. Or my momma.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Well today we had just got home from town and here comes the old guy from where I got the swarm yesterday. He siad he didn't have my phone # so drove overto find me. He said there was another swarm.

I threw part of a box together, got Robert and we were off. Sure enough they were about 8" hgher than the one yesterday. So again I backed the truck under we held the box up and swept em in. I am now totally out of boxes, foundation and useable frames so I guess I am done rustling bees for this year. Amazing to think that really struggled to get my first package/hive of bees last year and now I have 4 hives.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
That's really great!!

Being pregnant is hard enough without extra challenges! I really feel for you having to get poked with the needle so many times

I really hate needles. Take Care!

By the way, I was talking to my mom (from Malott) and mentioned the location of your farm. She knew exactly where I meant and started talking about the families that used to live there. She's 91, so the families she remembered were there back in the 1930s!

She was speculating what it must look like now and even said, "We should go to Okanogan again some time." I think she's right, she deserves a road trip! Better call some of the cousins.

I have lots of photos.....does she remember the Pine Grove School House? Did she go to school in Malott or Okanogan?

This was a day we got snow in April.

Here is the school house from our driveway:

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Equibling/4-5-10_schoolhouse3.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Equibling/4-5-10_schoolhouse2.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Equibling/4-5-10_schoolhouse.jpg

Yep, she remembers the school house--well. I'll be sure to show her these pictures.
She went to school in both Malott and Okanogan. If you go into the grange hall in Malott you'll see her in some of the photos hanging there. It was originally the school. We had a family reunion there a couple years ago and she was reminiscing about school days there.

 

[RedReiner]

Quote:
I will take pics of the new babies as they grow up, the cockerel in the above pics was easy to tell. he always looked like that. with mine, the pullets get tails and the cockerels do not. pullets have small pale combs and the boys combs and wattles turn red and get bigger than the girls first. its not 100% accurate but pretty close. at 12 weeks its easy to tell most of them as the boys are growing saddle feathers and the pullets saddle feathers are blunt and round where the boys are getting very pointy

Thank you so very much....now I need to ask a question and I hate to sound so illiterate, but:
What exactly (or where) are the saddle feathers? I am assuming the feathers on the back?

there are no stupid questions except for the ones you dont ask. yes saddle feathers are back feathers right in front of the tail. cockerels have longer pointy ones and pullets have short blunt ones. if you wing sexed your orps keep track, you may be right!! blue over black will give you 50% each color. blue over buff will give you who knows what, buff does not mix with the blue black and splash. it gives you strange unrecognized colors per the SOP.
http://www.unitedorpingtonclub.com/breedingexhibitiontips.htm