Washingtonians

[jbear]

Goyo's Girl :

I live on the outskirts of Walla Walla, Washington on an acre. Loving having chickens and could spend hours being amused by their antics. They're 20 weeks old; 8 hens and one cool rooster.

 

[justbugged]

Quote:
I am going to miss you a lot.

 

[justbugged]

Seven words, and I still can't seem to type all of them out, before hitting the submit button. And then there is the sequence issue.

If spelling was my only issue, I would be a happy camper.


By the way

to Washington State thread Goyo's Girl.

 

[lacasitarojafarm]

I am looking for a Maran breeder in Washington, hopefully close to me in Skagit Valley. I have heard there is one on Whidbey Island. Does anyone know their name or the name of the farm? Maybe they are on here?

I have had two chickens eaten by eagles in the last two days, one a buff Orpington that was just starting to lay and a Cuckoo Maran. Please help.

Thanks. Roxanna - La Casita Roja, Skagit Valley.

 

[justbugged]

To Washington thread. I think that Lorraine does. I am sure that as soon as the others get here they will know for sure. Do you have the birds free ranging? With the eagle populations in Skagit Valley I would think that free ranging may not be completely possible.

 

[Chickielady]

It seems to me the Eagle knows where an easy meal is and keeps returning.
You will have to net your chicken runs, to protect them.
Getting more won't help until you go get some bird netting and attach it to the top of your chicken runs, I use small wire ties (tie wraps) used for car wires to attach the net to the top of my wire fencing.
If you need support, if your run is too big, I use 50# test fishing line draped back and forth and put the bird net on top.
Make sure to go shake it off during snow, and plink the net with a finger to dislodge water droplets before you enter and it rains on you !

And great news !
I will not be murdered afterall...maybe !
I told DH remember how I have searched for Rhode Islands ? Yes, he remembered...I had a PM saying she has some and can mail them tomorrow and that message was sent yesterday I think but we were not home so maybe the eggs are already shipped ???
Really ? is all he said, Cool you found the ones you wanted...and he said nothing more.
He still may murder me in the night and smash the eggs when they get here though...

But until he murders me and runs off all the chookies and steps on all the eggs, ain't he the BEST DH in the world ?
He is fixing the boat, seems some water left in the block cracked the intake manifolds,,,,dumdumdum, and then yesterday the waterpump on the new van lost water from the bearings, so he has to drop the block to fix it, and, the ball joints on his big old 72 chevy are going and she is wanting to wander all over the road...so I do not think he is paying any real attention to me and getting more eggs in August!!!! am I nuts ???

 

[NWChicks]

Quote:
Yes, but that's part of your charm! And you have the BEST smileys!

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
Yes, but that's part of your charm! And you have the BEST smileys!

Go get some bestsmileys.com it is free !

And I do not think it is my charm that DH loves !!!

 

[L0rraine]

Quote:
I have two older Maran hens but no rooster. I think there definitely are a couple of Maran people on this thread (with LOVELY chocolaty eggs) so hopefully they will surface.

What I do have here is a nearly impossible eagle problem. I've lost four ducks and two hens this Spring/Summer. We have now significantly netted (as Chicklady suggested) most of our pen areas and haven't lost anybody since (knock on wood). Surprisingly though, I've not lost them free ranging (though I'm still quite nervous when they are out). Everyone I've lost has been in a pen. The eagles will hop down to a low branch and/or then to a roof of a duck house, and then hop down inside the pen. That way they managed to avoid any wiring I had over the pen to discourage them (the wiring worked for about two years and then they realized they could get through it). Once in the pen the eagles apparently can chase the ducks/chickens around on foot until they catch one and then sit there and leisurely pick it clean. It's usually the drakes or a momma duck, because I think they will try to take on the eagle to try to defend the other ducks or ducklings. In most cases the ducks could have found a safe spot in the pen, but they didn't make it for one reason or another.

I've also lost a couple of smaller ducks and bantam chickens to hawks while free-ranging. I have an intense dislike of 'birds of prey' which I used to find quite majestic. One day (just like in a nightmare movie), these huge shadows moved passed the windows. I looked outside and there were FOUR eagles (two adults and two juveniles) circling down into the yard. I grabbed a hammer (like I was actually going to throw it and hit one of them???

) and I flew out the door and started waving my arms and screaming at the eagles while trying to round up all the ducks and chickens. Fortunately no one got eaten that day, but it still makes my heart race when I think of it.

Anyway, I'll try to get pictures of what we've done here -- though not sure how well the netting will show up on the camera. (As people will point out - it's not raccoon proof, but guess I'll have to wait until those little masked buggers prove to be a problem).

 

[lacasitarojafarm]

Please post pictures. My farm is very close to Padilla Bay wildlife preserve and there are a LOT of eagles in there. We have had at least two eagle sightings where my 7yo daughter and my 3 yo were like. "Wow mom look athte bautiful eagle!" It was really close. Then today there was our Boff Orp on the roof of our coop half-eaten and the Cuckoo Maran feathers were in the run and the rest of it was probably in a nest or up a tree somewhere. My daughers were very sad as the Boff Orp was the freindliest. I hear that eagles prefer fish but are opportunistic. There are PLENTY of fish are we are by the Skagit River and close to Anacortes but they got my chickens instead! I want to put a heavy line net but I am terrified that the eagle will get caught in it.