Washingtonians

[Chickielady]

Welcome to ALL NEW PEEPS!!!!!!!!

yES THERE ARE A FEW IN YOUR AREA.....CowgirlGrace & Cheryl are out there among others...but welcome to the thread !!

 

[Chickielady]

Thanks Greg, but my puter is fast...and I have several programs on here for spybots & trojens & the like.
What the issue is, short Virtual Memory...CPU shortage.
So have to deal with it, But I will look into your program as well, thanks.

 

[Kaneke]

Roopert has been pretty nice to the girls, though his clawed feet do tend to break some of their feathers when he does his business

I found the best way to keep him DECENT, was to carry my old warped wooden tennis racquet with me ... I can give him a good swat with it, then use it to pin him down ... also by swinging it slowly, like a pendulum, I can "herd" the flock where I want them ... there's a good bit of "give" to the old gut strings, so it won't break bones, but it does deliver a meaningful impact (and the neighbors who might see it, won't think of it as Animal Cruelty)

 

[Chickielady]

Good news: all three Hamburgs gave me eggs today; they've all been laying (they lay eggs with distinctive shapes and tones) but I've only had 1-2 eggs a day from them; today there were three, all of them still a little warm. I won't want to set eggs until calving season is well started and I have chickie-proofed the run- especially since the feral cat was down at the Hoop House last night and started Bjorn crowing at 1am.
Bad news: I was at the point of being committed to feeding the Hamburgs and gathering their eggs, which involves certain vulnerable and pain-prone joints being up in the air and outside of the run when assorted frozen precipitation started to fall, so I am inside warming up and drying off before I finish chores. And then I've got to run errands and buy chicken feed and groceries and get back here early enough that DH and I can have dinner out and then buy more groceries, for that is the shape of all my weekends.
Seeya whenever.

Aren't ya glad you do not have a job ???????? That is what my sister says when she unloads on me about her job...as if I am just sitting around.....and then I have to remind her I have to HAUL water in a bucket & heat it on a campstove to the right temp so I can take a shower......and ya know what she says?
"You choose your way of life"

Some people do not get Farming at all.........if we complain, they think we are stupid to be farmers.......so if we are all jobbers, who will feed us??????

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Just gotta throw this out!
I'm loving my neighbor right now!!! However you all may hate her by the end of the weekend!!

And all its gonna cost me is time and some duck eggs!!

Gotta love it when your neighbor goes to the mountains and need someone to watch the house and tells you to feel free to live on the computer!

Ya mean we need to watch what we say about ya now!!

 

[TheReidHomestead]

ummm thats not going to stop just by making him back up...My big rooster decided he did not want me to go near his girls...I ran him down thru the barn out to the pasture over the fence panels...back over the fence panels and around the barn and into the barn where he got stuck under a wheel barrow. I grabbed him and held him down until I could breath again then packed him over to the coop and flattened him on his back and held his head down by the feathers. no I did not physically hurt him. he finally gave in and just laid there limp. he weighed about 12 pounds to by the way. but guess what, a week later he came at me again but this time I did not chase him, I booted his butt down the driveway then drove him away. he tried again a week later and I kicked him further and then kicked him again before he could get up, I used the side of my foot just so you know, I didnt want to break bones. I would not let him return to the ladies. was his last chance. he never attacked me again after the butt kicking, and he had sense enough to stop his attack if I had made his girls squawk, he would start then stop and bob at me but never again did he get me. AFTER I kicked his butt backing him up till he turned and ran worked. then the coyote got him so I have no idea if that was a lifetime fix, if you like your rooster and want to keep him, you will know how far you need to go, mine was BIG and it hurt when he slammed me. my guess is hormonal and he is tired of waiting on those girls, they are very close and he knows it, but nobody is respecting him., sure he is frustrated. do what you gotta do. and again, I dont beat my animals but a rooster that size can really hurt you.

And just a reminder, up until this week, it seemed like spring was coming. Spring is mating season and the roosters can and do get more aggresive during this time. So, if you have a new roo, and this is his or your first spring with him, be a little more watchful. I know I am, even with my oldie but goodie roo's who have never come at me.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

For those of you who do not remember T-Hi, she usually has a duck on a leash with her !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

Yes, I got one 10 days ago and freaked out! I thought it was because I had NPIP AI tests done and thats WSU-USDA and now we are on the list. We have to fill them out even if we dont have birds now it says. I will send it in when im dont filling it out. There are no right or wrong answers. No good or bad.

Quote:

I got one about a year ago, and tore it up & tossed it.
Then I got another about 6 mo ago, and read it again...filled it out & sent it in.
Big deal?
I do not know, seemed innocent enough to me to regulate our taxes on the property, unless you all are getting a new one I have not seen yet??

 

[Chickielady]

And just a reminder, up until this week, it seemed like spring was coming. Spring is mating season and the roosters can and do get more aggresive during this time. So, if you have a new roo, and this is his or your first spring with him, be a little more watchful. I know I am, even with my oldie but goodie roo's who have never come at me.

That was this Winter's Chinook which the Native Americans say, comes every year in the vacinity of the middle of January, usually around the 16th....although this year was early.
In Idaho one year (1996 ?) it was -30 degrees & a total compact of 16 feet of snow, and one morning in the middle of january we awoke to dripping sounds.
When we went outside, all the snow was gone!
This was the Chinook.
It is warm winds that bring warmth to this continent.
Then 2 days later, about January 20th.......blizzards from Heck blew in & we were all back to -30 again.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_wind




Watch next year & see !

 

[Chickielady]

OK, not sure what's going on with my reply postings. Also, the site's running very slowly and at one point I had to reboot because BYC froze.
On another note, my big cuckoo marans cockerel attacked me 4 times today, first from behind, then three times facing me, aggressively, and ripped my leg. He finally stopped and I got him to back up, but he was still confrontational. Couldn’t do much more than that because my leg was bleeding through my sweats and I didn’t want to start a riot.
I have 10 pullets and 3 cockerels, all about 5 months old. I’d already decided to re-home the 2 silkie boys based on the boy:girl ratio (silkies were supposed to be girls) but had intended on keeping Rocky (‘the wonder rooster’ – not so much right now). They’re all in the coop, which is 8’X10’X5.5’ tall with lots of roosts (their run is still not secure). Rocky attacked me the first time a few days ago, but after he came at me twice I got him to stop and backed him up around the coop. I thought he attacked because I was wearing red - now, not so sure. He’s also gotten much more aggressive towards the girls, trying very hard to mount and is yanking on their combs, and yesterday I found a pullet with her comb partially ripped. The girls are pinking up but aren’t laying and aren’t ready for mounting.
Hormones, being cooped up, pecking order – could be contributing factors, but he just seemed really angry. He used to be calm and stay out of my way, but his whole demeanor changed from one week to the next. Is this aggression or just a hormonal cockerel? After I put him in his place the first time, I wouldn’t have expected him to be more aggressive, and given he’s only 5 months old the aggression seems excessive. I've read about what to do with an aggressive cockerel / rooster but have never had to do it. Would love to get your thoughts / suggestions / advice –

He is a cull.
He was hatched from mean hens & there is no way to get around it.......CULL HIM.
When you get here look me up OR I can send you excellent French Cucko Marans eggs~~~
My cock birds are so awesome that they even run & break up fights with other birds!
They are on patrol & absolute Loves!!!!!!!
Raised & hatched them myself after I too had mean cockerels.
Lemme know & I can send you THE BEST CUCKOO EGGS!!!!!!!!!!
Now just coming out of moult & will start laying again as winter warms~~~
My boys are sweet hearts !! All hatched by my hands from my sweet natured hens !!
This is where buying from a breeder is better than buying from a hatcherie