Washingtonians

[JennS]

Woohoo, almost done with the groundwork for the pen. No stinkin' roof rat is going to get into this thing! I laid down 1/2" hardware cloth about 6" below the soil level, used hog rings to secure the corners (only tore my hands up a little bit), and ran it under the pavers that the pen will sit on. I'm not sure if I'm going to wrap the patio side's HC around a board or just fold it down....



A few more retaining wall stones, some leveling on the pavers, and we can start the fun part! I do like how the pen will be visible through the basement window. It won't block it, so I'll be able to see the terraces (I have peonies and hostas planted there), but I looked out there today and could see the whole work site. I'll have to put some perches up high in the pen so the chickens can see me as well. Maybe they'll enjoy watching the fish tanks, lol.

Jennifer

 

[Hinotori]

I have had eagles attack my chickens. I have learned to love the crows that warn me.

There is a small flock of crows that live over on one of the neighbors property. They chase the hawks off all the time. I've even seen the tiny killdeer go after them and harass them away. The crows pull the hawks feathers out to make sure they know to stay away.

There are two eagles that live in the neighbors big snag during the winter. I've watched them hunt ducks on the big pond many times. They swoop down and the ducks go under. So they circle and do that several times, then the following eagle will snag them when they pop back up if they time it right. I've had eagles buzz over my head so close I could almost touch them. They know I don't bother them and ignore me. Never had one circle on the property near the chickens. The chickens aren't dumb and if it flies over and is big, they head for the nearest large object. Sometimes that is my german shepherd to her surprise. We get people flying their small planes to low over the ponds sometimes. Freaks the birds out.

My head rooster is always watching, and a couple of the older hens help him out. The little silkie cockerel is fairly good at watch even with that big tuft on his head. I don't think I've ever seen him eat since he matured. He's just always watching and herding his flock into a small area. They aren't allowed to fan out to much. I'd put the broody brahma in with the silkies and he wasn't happy about it at all. He'd pull her feathers out if she tried to take food that belonged to HIS flock. Her chicks are three weeks old now and both her and the silkies were sleeping in different houses. Last four nights, everyone had been in the same house and the silkie cockerel is treating the brahma like one of his girls now. So I'm removing the other house since it's only used by the one silkie hen to lay eggs now.

The brahma hasn't really seemed like she belonged since her sister was killed by the dog. If she wants to hang out with the silkies, she can. I do hope that she will start hanging out with the brahmas I got this year when they mature. They like to range out farther just like her. Well except for the special needs one.

It got caught in the fence when it was a week old and probably would have died if the german shepherd hadn't insisted we had to go outside. I don't know how she got up that high to get stuck like that. Now she has this weird stance to her and can't lift her head up higher than level. She's fast, though, and gets more than her share of treats when I toss them out. I feel so sorry for her. She knows she's not able to do stuff the others are and doesn't venture far from the coop and run. She's very sweet. I pick her up and she'll snuggle in sometimes. I didn't handle them much as chicks so it speaks very well of her temperament.

And I think I'm rambling. I'm to tired and my arm hurts where I rammed it into the gate. So I'll catch up the rest of the way tomorrow.

 

[justbugged]

I have learned something about things at my house.

I am in the processes of clearing out kitchen cabinets, so that we can replace them.

So I just cleaned out the cupboard that I store our alcohol bottles. I have learned that apparently neither DH or I drink, but we do have a bunch of fruit cakes that are completely out of control drunks!

I was aware that anyone who is willing to eat fruit cakes that I make, would need to be at least 21.

Still I don't really think I was aware of how many types of booze that these cakes were consuming.

I don't think that there are more than 2 bottles in the cupboard that I might want to mix a drink from, the other 20 or so are from these seriously drunk fruit cakes.

 

[justbugged]

Quote: We homeschooled both of our children. In reality we simply unschooled. There are several types of homeschooling, un-schooling is where a parent allows a child to learn what they want to learn. We facilitated their learning, but didn't make them learn anything that they didn't want to at the moment. Every moment of a childs life is an opportunity for then to learn. I am not really certain to this point how, both of our kids made it without much trouble through the college years, but they did without much trouble. They had been taught to learn. The public schools in this country make very good factory workers, but they don't teach kids to think for themselves. The colleges in this country teach young people how to learn and think on their own. All I know for sure is that we were able to get 2 kids through at least 2 years of college before they were 18. We didn't use anything more than the 11 required subjects, as outlined by the state of Washington. I did write a paper about how we planned on meeting those requirements. It doesn't require a paid for, or professionally designed program. After all you can use the Reader's Digest magazine to teach spelling and vocabulary. In the end all i know is I was able to allow 2 children the ability to learn for a lifetime without buying curriculum.

 

[justbugged]

I have learned something about things at my house.

I am in the processes of clearing out kitchen cabinets, so that we can replace them.

So I just cleaned out the cupboard that I store our alcohol bottles. I have learned that apparently neither DH or I drink, but we do have a bunch of fruit cakes that are completely out of control drunks!

I was aware that anyone who is willing to eat fruit cakes that I make, would need to be at least 21.

Still I don't really think I was aware of how many types of booze that these cakes were consuming.

I don't think that there are more than 2 bottles in the cupboard that I might want to mix a drink from, the other 20 or so are from these seriously drunk fruit cakes.

So after checking out the bottles of alcohol in the cabinet, I got to thinking about the drunk fruit cakes.

I found them begging for another drink.

Given the need to keep them moist, I let them have another dose of juice.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

OK so given that I haven't seen much in the line of replies. I WILL be at Enumclaw sale in the morning. Going to try to be there about 9:00 to meet Cowgirlgrace. Then there is a chance I may be going to work on helping improve her pen/coop/enclosure! This last part is still yet to be decided.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Well now it sounds like CGG may not make it!!! Seems she can't get boxes to transport in!!! DANG IT JIM !!!!!

 

[Farmin Momma]

I had the cutest dream lastnight.....
It started that we were haveing a BBQ at my house and by we I mean all of you BYCers and my family. Funny thing is that all of you had BANDANAS on your faces except for the few of you that I have met. Every one was out side looking at my coop (granted the house was completely different from what it is and so was my coop) and talking chickens when I decided I needed to go inside and make something that called for eggs. I looked in the fridge and there were not enough so I walked over to the wall next to what seems to have been the back door in the kitchen and there was a box on the wall about waist high. The box looked like ya'lls nest boxes that are on the outside of your coops so you can get eggs with out going in. KMHunter came into the kitchen to talk for a minute and I was showing her this box. I opened the top and it was nest boxes IN THE KITCHEN WALL so that I could get the eggs from the coop right from the kitchen!!!! It was the coolest thing ever. In the middle of makeing what ever it was I was making, I had some scraps for the chickens, so I opend the back door and holly cow the door led right into the coop itself. Next thing I knew was we were all outside again and and some balloons got lose off the table, we all tried catching them but could not and just watched them fly away. Then one of my kids showed up and said there was someone who had a basket full of our chickens and he was running for his truck. Now I am not sure what he drives in real life but in my dream it was a truck, but I think it is safe to assume we all know who the guy is that was stealing my chickens! The dream ended when HE got into his truck and drove away, the tailgate to the truck fell open while he sped off and gallons apon gallons of water rushed out. It looked like someone opened up. So it ended very weird.

You know I have had some pretty weird dreams but that one is almost at the top just because ya'll were there with covered faces!

 

[lovinchickypoos]

I had the cutest dream lastnight.....
It started that we were haveing a BBQ at my house and by we I mean all of you BYCers and my family. Funny thing is that all of you had BANDANAS on your faces except for the few of you that I have met. Every one was out side looking at my coop (granted the house was completely different from what it is and so was my coop) and talking chickens when I decided I needed to go inside and make something that called for eggs. I looked in the fridge and there were not enough so I walked over to the wall next to what seems to have been the back door in the kitchen and there was a box on the wall about waist high. The box looked like ya'lls nest boxes that are on the outside of your coops so you can get eggs with out going in. KMHunter came into the kitchen to talk for a minute and I was showing her this box. I opened the top and it was nest boxes IN THE KITCHEN WALL so that I could get the eggs from the coop right from the kitchen!!!! It was the coolest thing ever. In the middle of makeing what ever it was I was making, I had some scraps for the chickens, so I opend the back door and holly cow the door led right into the coop itself. Next thing I knew was we were all outside again and and some balloons got lose off the table, we all tried catching them but could not and just watched them fly away. Then one of my kids showed up and said there was someone who had a basket full of our chickens and he was running for his truck. Now I am not sure what he drives in real life but in my dream it was a truck, but I think it is safe to assume we all know who the guy is that was stealing my chickens! The dream ended when HE got into his truck and drove away, the tailgate to the truck fell open while he sped off and gallons apon gallons of water rushed out. It looked like someone opened up. So it ended very weird.

You know I have had some pretty weird dreams but that one is almost at the top just because ya'll were there with covered faces!

That is HILARIOUS!!! Sometimes I prefer dreams to real life!!

 

[FirewifeJess]

We homeschooled both of our children. In reality we simply unschooled. There are several types of homeschooling, un-schooling is where a parent allows a child to learn what they want to learn. We facilitated their learning, but didn't make them learn anything that they didn't want to at the moment. Every moment of a childs life is an opportunity for then to learn. I am not really certain to this point how, both of our kids made it without much trouble through the college years, but they did without much trouble. They had been taught to learn. The public schools in this country make very good factory workers, but they don't teach kids to think for themselves. The colleges in this country teach young people how to learn and think on their own. All I know for sure is that we were able to get 2 kids through at least 2 years of college before they were 18. We didn't use anything more than the 11 required subjects, as outlined by the state of Washington. I did write a paper about how we planned on meeting those requirements. It doesn't require a paid for, or professionally designed program. After all you can use the Reader's Digest magazine to teach spelling and vocabulary. In the end all i know is I was able to allow 2 children the ability to learn for a lifetime without buying curriculum.

Agreed 100%. Most home schooled children I know are WAY, WAY, WAY more advanced and have quite the advantage over ANY public school child. Over my dead body would my child set foot in the public school system knowing what I know about their form of "education". It absolutely does NOT take "professionals" or a school system to raise educated thinking children who will thrive in college and beyond. Thanks JB.