Washingtonians

[xoxocammyxoxo]

Wow, those are really cool. Is there anyway you can take more pictures or even measurements and send them to me via pm?

Apart from the brooders in the basement, we also have some outside, as well as grow out pens.



They all have water and electricity :-


with automatic waterers inside, plus a wire bottom so there's little cleaning;we move the birds to a clean pen, then move the other pen to a new spot.


When the birds don't need heat, they can go to the grow-out pens - when the tops are removed there are hinged wire doors so the birds can enjoy the sunshine without escaping!.


All the automatic waterers are on a pipe base so spilled water (from the ducks) is removed via a hose running down the hill.

We have chickens and ducks so they had to be dual purpose.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Oh no that's horrible! How many hives did you have, and what would cause them all to die like that?
Quote: I had 7 lost 5 going into winter and the last 2 in the last 2 weeks. It looks like they just ran out of food but there aren't enough deads so not sure. So I will be busting my tail to do any swarm captures or carve outs from buildings.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

I live in Duvall

I live on Novelty hill, not very far from you.

And I live just north of you both, a mile north of the county line on the west side of the valley!

 

[justbugged]

Quote:
I guess I don't totally understand still.


I got the gun reference without any problems. But I was confused about the engine problem. I thought that I have heard my guys talking about Chevy 357 short block engines. I did a bit of research. I found that the 350 Chevy motor is one of the most common types Chevy engines, and very common in trucks. So a Chevy 350 motor that has had the cylinders bored out by 0.40 is referred to as a Chevy 357. So it seems that 357 motor, is a modified 350 motor. I can buy any number of 357 Chevy short block crate engines on e-bay. Here is one of the links that sort of explains this. http://forums.chevyhiperformance.com/70/6487614/general-chevy-discussion/355-vs-350/index.html

So if I am sadly mistaken feel free to let me know.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

Well folks don't count on any more of my little jars of sticky gold (honey) for a while. Today I discovered that all of my hives are dead ! This really sucks. I enjoyed working with the bees so much! Just another attempt and failure in my life. How much more will there be. 

So sorry CR. It was good honey too! Perhaps some new colony's will find their way to you again like last summer.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

A few photos of the new additions to my Serama family:

baby #1


baby #2


baby #3:

A few photos of the new additions to my Serama family:

baby #1


baby #2


baby #3:

Cute chicks!

 

[xoxocammyxoxo]

So I wanted to make a post before bed.

1) 28 chicks is way to many for me to handle

So I will finish growing them out for now until they are about 8 weeks or so and then find homes for some.

2) I noticed a lot of posts about birds coming up missing/being killed without warning. A good friend of mine was talking about a "rouge" cougar wandering around the south puget sound killing animals. There's been recorded killings from cats to horses and there is evidence that it's the same animal. No people have been attacked but I guess they are looking for it. Says there might be something wrong with it which is why it's killing so much. We've seen a couple piles of feathers on the property, not from my birds but we are not taking any chances.

 

[drumstick diva]

4312 I love serama baby # 2

 

[SadieSue]

Quote:
They are all so cute! I can't wait to pick up my Serama eggs this weekend and get them in the incubator! Right now I'm appreciating the 6 babies that are in the brooder though. I've been snuggling them as much as I can because tomorrow they go to live at my friends home. Her DH is chick sitting for the weekend while we're in Stevenson but she'll be taking over the duty when we get home. It's a good thing they're going to live at her house because I'm already getting very attached...

 

[Rainwolf]

Man, it's tough to keep up with this fast-moving thread! I grew up in Oklahoma, and my fear of snakes has never really gone away. I know there are no poisonous snakes in Western Washington - it's practically my mantra - but I can't get over the h eebee jeebees when I see an evil, slithering monster in the garden. I wish I could train my chickens to eat snakes. My hens do pretty well with the giant slugs, so it's a possibility!

Your chickens eat giant slugs? Man, they need to give my girls a lesson or two. They are spoiled rotten and don't eat anything. They eat the snakes, though I wish they wouldn't. Ooooh, and the time they caught a preying mantis. What joy! I'm going to have to try the ducks. I've heard muscovies will even hunt rats.

Quote:

Your chickens eat giant slugs? Man, they need to give my girls a lesson or two. They are spoiled rotten and don't eat anything. They eat the snakes, though I wish they wouldn't. Ooooh, and the time they caught a preying mantis. What joy! I'm going to have to try the ducks. I've heard muscovies will even hunt rats.

I think the muscovies would be better, more dedicated slug hunters but yes, my hens annihilate slugs. I had heard that chickens weren't crazy about eating slugs, so we made sure to feed them tiny slugs when they were babies, and it seemed like it worked. If the slugs are too big to eat in one bite, the hens peck them into smaller bites. gruesome but effective.

I trained my flock to eat snails and slugs..... i just crushed the snails to start and started with small slugs. They learned from that and now snail and slug hunt themselves just fine. I taught them as adults but the babies are easier to get to try new things.

So, out of 15 straight-run chicks, about 5 of them are cockerels. I have leghorns, buff orpingons, and EEs. I suppose I ought to keep one. I'm not looking forward to the 5am wake up calls, though. In your experience, which breed is the best roo?

It is not really a breed difference. I would pick the one you like best or the breed you want to mix your hens with for hatching eggs. I currently have a little 2lb nothing mix rooster that can out crow my 8-9lb Ameraucana rooster. Some are noisy some are not. One thing I highly advise is that every night you handle that rooster, every day you feed the ladies first and then let the rooster eat, this will help establish you as the flock master and it will help reduce any rooster attacks. Also be aware any new people in the yard may need a buffer from a rooster as they will try to protect the flock if the stranger gets to close to the girls.

Ogress, what an ordeal you've been through! Glad you are on the mend and hopefully back up on both feet for good soon. I'm supposed to be at work in 10 minutes but am having trouble pulling myself away from the incubator. So far I've got the Ameraucana chick who hatched yesterday and am up to 4 wheaten Marans, one zipping and I think one pipping. Fingers crossed by the end of today I'll have all 6 out. Thank you zgoatlady - these were some good eggs! Going over to my gf's this afternoon to candle the eggs under her broody and dose her birds with the Eprinex. I forwarded her the information you all suggested and she's going ahead and following your advice. Next week we'll do my birds. Happy spring everyone - keep those babies coming!

Thats great, told ya washed eggs can hatch..

Washed eggs do fine as long as they are never exposed to any bacteria. The only issue with washing eggs for incubation is that the "bloom" is what protects eggs from getting bacteria which kills the embryo. I have had to wash some eggs before incubation due to some nasty ones coming in the mail a couple made it but most were doa due to the contamination before washing. (sorry pet peeve of mine is people selling pullet eggs without saying so and people selling and shipping dirty nasty eggs)

Wow, those are really cool. Is there anyway you can take more pictures or even measurements and send them to me via pm?

Apart from the brooders in the basement, we also have some outside, as well as grow out pens. They all have water and electricity :- with automatic waterers inside, plus a wire bottom so there's little cleaning;we move the birds to a clean pen, then move the other pen to a new spot. When the birds don't need heat, they can go to the grow-out pens - when the tops are removed there are hinged wire doors so the birds can enjoy the sunshine without escaping!. All the automatic waterers are on a pipe base so spilled water (from the ducks) is removed via a hose running down the hill. We have chickens and ducks so they had to be dual purpose.

I would really like to see any "plans" you have for this as well. These grow outs/brooders look great CR so sorry about your bee's Hoping you have a better time with them this year.