Washingtonians

[RonB]

weaveagarden
After feeding mealworms to my girls a few times, they have ALL become my pet and best friend

I have a very hard time telling my two White leghorns apart now. I was thinking of painting one like a Southwest airline jet. their tails remind me of a planes tail. But I hear paint isn't good for a chicken or ducks feathers. Did ya see what happen to that poor duck when the Oregon ducks played the Oregon State Beavers? they painted the duck the color of Oregon State (black & Orange)

Any suggestion on how to mark my girls. put something around their leg? The only way I can tell my Calif. white from the leghorns, is she is a little bit smaller and her comb stands straight up. the leghorns is so big it falls over
Hey 9 out of 12 eggs is GREAT

you must be proud of them!!! I got 6 out of 8 today. short one white and one brown egg. BUT thats ok, I'm proud of my girls and how they are doing in this cold, I'm so happy that my one leghorns is better now. she laid three in three days. she might be the one that skipped today. But thats OK

I gave the troops some warm oatmeal about an hour ago. didn't take long for them to gobble that ALL up

 

[weaveagarden]

RonB - I am very proud!.

My coop heat emiter should be coming in the mail anyday. At that point I will be switching them to some darkness. Right now I am using a bulb to keep their hen house above freezing. I am sure the light is making them lay more. I want them to be back to having 8-12 hours of dark to sleep in. I am not sure how much exactly at this point. I thought I would play around with it a bit until it seems like they are the happiest.

I want to lock Pinky up in the coop until whatever time is set as nuisance for dogs in my area. I think it is 7AM. I am hoping still to have the city council grandfather him in under the existing rules for construction and dogs. It seems fair that if I can get him to not be making more noise than those existing pests, I should be able to keep my previously legal rooster even though they have made them illegal recently. I think I am the only person who had a legal coop with a rooster prior to their changes. In addition, my doctor has written a letter for me addressing how much better I have been doing both emotionally and physically since beginning to raise chickens.

Pinky really helps me to keep track of my flock, and makes it possible for me to put the right amount of focus on them. I have a hard time keeping track of things sometimes. He reminds me to feed them on time, as well as letting me know when to come out to check on someone if their is a problem. For this reason, I am not kidding when I say that I believe he is a service animal for me.

I know a lot of you can understand how much difference there has been in my life since I started raising chickens. It truly has giving me a life. Before, depression and inabliltiy to cope and interact with other people kept me from doing so many things. Now I am outside where other people are, and I am happier. I am even planning to go out of town for a party in February..... But I guess you all know that.

Bless our feathered friends!

 

[chookchick]

It is soooo cold right now in Olympia! Is it this bad everywhere in WWA? Was 8 degrees this morning, right now it is 17, so I think we are in for another very cold night. I finally caved and got a black reptile light to keep the water unfrozen in the coop.

Tomato lady--you are not alone! We have already had several reports of frozen pipes, and things haven't thawed enough to let water out yet. I think it will be interesting in a few days. I went to check on my neighbor's place, (out of town for winter), he "winterized" his irrigation, but left the valve box lid off of a critical box--right next to the mainline to his house! Keep a close eye on everything...and the water shut off tools handy....

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Weave, you can pick up a multi-setting timer at WalMart and other places for about 5 bucks. This will let you set a time for the morning and for the evening for when you want the lights to come on and go off.

Yes, the light is likely making them lay more. Many, if not most, breeds of chicken will stop laying during the winter if they don't get at least 14 hours of light. I keep mine on 15 just to be on the safe side.

As for your birds needing darkness to sleep. I wouldn't worry at all about that. When I started out, I didn't know about the timers and had the lights on 24-7. Just a few nights ago when the temps dropped and the waterer started freezing, I went out and hung a heatlamp over the waterer so they have light again 24-7 until the temps come back up. You will find the birds have NO problem getting what sleep they need. Ever see a hen at Noon in July sitting on a limb with her head tucked up under her wing?

God Bless,

 

[Nyrial]

It's a Tailfeathers sighting!

I'm not going to talk about the two eggs I got today.. from the ducks.

No chicken eggs yet, but I haven't put a light in the coop yet either My closest working outlet is in the garage, and I have the heat lamps for the little ones plugged into that. I did, however, hang a fleece blanket about 2 feet above the floor the whole length/width of the coop. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I thought it felt a bit warmer in there when I did chores this morning than it was previously. Their bodies are only heating a 72cubic foot space instead of a 216 cubic foot space.

Same on the rooster side, except theirs is 4X6 instead of 6X6.

I think the worst of the cold is over after tonight, at least it is according to Yahoo weather.

 

[brennant]

Quote:
Weave, you can pick up a multi-setting timer at WalMart and other places for about 5 bucks. This will let you set a time for the morning and for the evening for when you want the lights to come on and go off.

Yes, the light is likely making them lay more. Many, if not most, breeds of chicken will stop laying during the winter if they don't get at least 14 hours of light. I keep mine on 15 just to be on the safe side.

As for your birds needing darkness to sleep. I wouldn't worry at all about that. When I started out, I didn't know about the timers and had the lights on 24-7. Just a few nights ago when the temps dropped and the waterer started freezing, I went out and hung a heatlamp over the waterer so they have light again 24-7 until the temps come back up. You will find the birds have NO problem getting what sleep they need. Ever see a hen at Noon in July sitting on a limb with her head tucked up under her wing?

God Bless,

I have a light on 24/7 and the flock seems to be doing just fine. These birds are tough!

I am reminded that I need to call you tomorrow.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

We have had 3 and 4 the last 3 days. Today I woke to frozen pipes. I had a heat lamp on in the pump house but it wasn't enough. I started trying to thaw @ 7am and after a trip to town for a new check valve and using several other parts that a pack rat like me would have I got water about 4pm. In the mean time while I was trying to get water thawed. I asked DW to go steal some water from the neighbor for the chooks. So I guess since DW stole water from the same place I stole chickens from that makes DW a water rustler.

We are at 9 now and I am sure will get colder. So far the chooks seem to be doing fine, As long as we can manage to keep water for em and that's a full time thing .

For the record the neighbor is fine with the teft of water and called from Tacoma to tell me we could go to her house for water or showers what ever, which I already knew and would do if needed even though she wasn't home. Good neighbors are great to have

 

[Illia]

18 degrees out tonight, same as last night ( and the lousy forecast says it is supposed to warm up each day. . It's not. )

It seems all the pipes on the east end of the house are frozen, but not many on the west end. Hmm. Continued basis of feeding the girls oatmail, potatoes, and rice during mornings and evenings, and ohno!! I forgot to check for eggs today!! Been waaay too busy. Sooo exhausted.

Seems like each night, my pond gets another half inch to inch of ice. I broke it yesterday to find over 3 inches of ice, and now the hole is sealed up with about 3/4 inch of new ice.

It it still cold enough that the water inside the coop is freezing, but luckily not too much - Just to make the water really cold, and the rims of the waterer laced with ice and ice particles. Each morning, I pour hot water over all the waterers, and what happens? The temp turns from freezing cold to just plain cool. Wow.

Ohwell, atleast I don't live in Utah anymore - I checked the temp it is currently at right now where I used to live: 0 F, with a wind chill setting it to feel like -10 F.

 

[RanchGranny]

I'm in La Center, in Southwest WA, about 30 miles north of the Portland, OR border. We have seven incredible hens, all named. We have a mixed bunch of RIRs, Golden sex-link, Americauna, Buff Orpington's & a Polish/Orp cross. I've had them for about a year, and what a year it's been! I raised them from chicks in the house (it was Feb & freezing!) until they feathered out, & they think they're dogs. The follow me around the yard when I let them free-range, and God help us if we leave the house door open - we'll find them walking around the living room, inspecting the kitchen, etc.

It is 13 degrees here right now, and supposed to go lower before morning. Last night our low was 6 degrees. None of our pipes have frozen yet, but we've been running the water in the taps & leaving the cabinet doors open where there's sinks. We have a space heater on the wrapped pipes in our pump room, as we have a well. But man! It's COLD! Brrr! The chicken's water has been frozen x2 days, so twice a day I bring out a new bucket of lukewarm water. We placed two heat lamps over the hen's roosts; want to get one more tomorrow. Tonight I figured out I could set the water on platform near the heat lamps, and wonder of wonders - it wasn't frozen a few hours later! The hens seem to be fine even tho the ground in their coop is frozen. I do have an area with covered pallets in the coop that I keep their nest boxes on & food, etc. if they want to get their feet off the icy ground. And of course, they've got a nice roost bar near that area, too. I let them out yesterday to peck around in the afternoon sun, & they seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly. Oh, and I also read that sunflower seeds are good for chickens in the winter as digesting them warms them up, so I've been giving them some every day. I just throw it out in their coop for them to peck around and find - it keeps them entertained for quite a while.

I've got to say - I like the clear cold better than the somewhat warmer rain. I think my girls do, too. At least we all stay dry in this weather!

 

[justbugged]

We have are ourselves a pair of rustlers out in Ethel.

If this keeps up we may have to call the media.

So if I called Problems Solvers would they help Rob thaw out his pipes or tell the story of his chicken nabbing ways.

I have a balmy 20 under the eaves, and probably right above the really large garden window. Half of the girls are out in the coup at just above freezing. The water is still liquid at least. But I am really tired of carrying water. I have had all the hoses disconnected since the beginning of the freeze. I really miss the auto watering system.

I found a silver lining though, at least the dog poop is frozen solid and it doesn't it doesn't stick to my shoes. It does mean that I will need to clean up the backyard before the thaw.

I added insulation to the coop today. I got a 4x8 sheet of 4" thick insulation. Because I was willing to buy the beat-up sheet the guy gave me 15 bucks off the sheet.

I had to have him cut it half to get it into my car. I needed some of it to insulate the skylights in the bathrooms. I have been insulating the kitchen skylight for years, when it gets this cold. I finally broke down and insulated the bathroom skylights too. In the past if I kept the doors closed to the bathrooms in weather like this it would be like going to the outhouse cold.

A little nippy in the middle of the night.

Anyway the point is I used the rest of the panel to insulate most of the roof in the coup. The girls were not real happy with me, but "I am the Mom so don't mess with me", I told them, and I hope the insulation helps some.

The half of the flock is in the garage in the brooder pen. I moved the younger and smaller girls to that pen. They are really happy in there. It's about 38 in the garage, and I gave them a light for a little extra heat. I am going to have to give some of the little ones a bath tomorrow. The wet weather has been really hard on the Faverolles and the 2 Andalusians. So this as good of time to give them a little wash as any.

I cleaned the coup while I was doing things for the birdlets. Everything looks, and smells better.

I have had to take out the patio panel dog door. It is just too cold for it. The dogs are now driving me crazy. The big dog stood outside most of the day waiting to bark at the dog on the other side of the fence. That's a big no no at my house.

Vicki aka TomatoLady's and my chicks are doing great. I moved them to the bathtub today. I just couldn't bring myself to put them in the jetted tub. I put them in the tub in the main bathroom. It will be a lot easier to clean afterward. Someday we want to replace it with a walk-in shower. So the baby chicks are safe behind the tub's glass doors, and seem to be very happy. I feel like I have chickens everywhere.
There are also 4 kittens in the sewing room. I need to get Misery, Enjoys, and Company homes sooner than later. They are maxing out the cat box.

I keep having the feeling that I am simply outnumbered in my home by my own good heart, and critters.

Well that is the recap of my day. I think I am really tired now and tomorrow is coming really soon. And it is now 16 outside here. Goodnight all.