Washingtonians

[weaveagarden]

I am getting a lesson about chicken coops this week. Maybe a few lessons.
In our area the more covered area the better.
And always build the coop at the highest place in the yard.

The poor things are so tired of their 7X4 inner area and a couple of roosts under cover outside. Pinky has been crowing up a storm today. I think he thinks I control the weather. The sump pump has been going off and on most of today. And I can hear the rain pouring down out there now.

I hate to wish away my life like this, but........

Is it spring yet?

 

[suburbanchickchick]

Quote:
My kids are 6 and 7 yrs old and I agree - fabulous ages! They still think I am pretty cool and I can snuggle them all I want.

That said, last Saturday BF and I BEGGED Grandma to take the kids for the evening as they had driven us NUTS all day. We had reached the end of sanity and beyond!!! Grandma said yes, and by Sunday afternoon we were all back to normal. Thank goodness for Grandma's!!

I am also missing the chickens. In the morning I run over to let them out then off to work. It is dark when I get home and BF usually tucks them in while I get the kids in bed. I hope they still remember me.

 

[Nyrial]

Mine are 2 and 4 and a half. I'll agree that the older is getting much easier to manage, and I actually don't mind taking her places if it's just her.

The youngest is 3 times as naughty as her sister ever was.

I wish I could send them to Grandma, it was easy when we lived in Michigan. All I had to do was call and tell her that my kids were driving me nuts, and they would take them for the day, or even overnight! Now that we have to pay someone to take them away for a few hours, no family in the area.. well, it's a heck of a lot harder to not blow our stacks every now and then. I just keep telling myself that someday the "big move" will pay off. In the meantime, we just go nuts and buy a lot of chickens.

 

[weaveagarden]

I wish I lived close enough to be a surrogate grandma once in a while for you. No nieces or nephews either, so I really do miss that connection with kids. I was a girl scout leader for years and got to play that extra adult role model part. I miss that more than I miss work. I love my girl scouts. The last ones are graduating this year. It is hard to believe they are aged 17-21 right now. Love when they return as friends. I had a previous group who are now 29-32 I see them out and about once in a while. Very cool to see how great some of them turned out.

The chickens are out and about today. Hopefully not too about. Moody is in the out area of the yard and the chicken in the inner. I am hoping he will be able to herd them back in if they decide to jump the inner fence. It is an experiment, and I may regret it, but I have to try sometime. It would be great if he had a job to keep him from getting bored during the day when he is here. And I like the idea of not having to always pen them in with aviary netting on top.

 

[herbandteas]

Quote:
I quit retail the day I told a lady we were out of B/S chicken breast because I was a communist.

I'm not nice enough to do that stuff anymore.

I am getting there. I spend most the night picking up my area and talking to customers that need help finding stuff. At the end of December I will be having surgery to fix my hearing so I will have a vacation from it then.

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
Bump

Just bumping this message again.

 

[RonB]

rainplace
With all the ducks you have , you must be an expert on them right? we have two magpie ducks both drakes about six months old. I kicked them out of the chicken coop after only two weeks. what a mess. but they still stay in the chicken run and get to run free with the girls for about two hours everyday. will they be ok outside under cover this winter even if it snows? this is my set up . they have lots of room to get under the barn and out of the rain and wind also part of the run is covered with hay in the corner. we also have a 2x3ft plastic dog house but they don't seem to ever go in it. when ever I go out to the run late at night if they aren't in their pool they are sitting in the middle of the dirt! will they be ok outside?

I gave my chickens some mealworms the other day. they went crazy over them. so today I bought 1,000 worms. my chickens were all over me like bees LOL. my calif. white even tried to fly up onto my arm to get closer to the can.. thats the best entertainment I've had for $6.50

 

[KMHunter]

Just saw this on craigs list.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/zip/1470651097.html
Anna, duck/Turkey house?

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
I love giving my girls mealworms, It is truly the best entertainment EVER! I have been trying to raise mealworms but it is not going very well. I have beattles, but no worms. May have to give it up soon and just buy them.

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
If you remove water and food from the coop, the mess won't be bad at all.

Is the run predator proof? If it is, and they have place to get shelter when they need it, then it shouldn't be problem. Do you have straw or wood shavings down in the doghouse?