Washingtonians

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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Terri: Just watching Krem2 News and if I remember your exact location.....You are looking at up to 12" of snow. Get out the shovel and snow blower. I hope that you have teenagers to shovel you out or nice neighbors.

Good luck. Hold on tight.

 

[Ogress]

I'm just hoping to cover the price of their food and maybe a little extra - it would take forever for the girls to pay off their mortgage for their eglu cubes! DH is not very handy with anything not related to a computer, so even my wooden coop was in the same price range by the time I hired someone to build it for me.

Initially I was just going to do eggs for my family and a friend or two who'd take care of the birds whenever we go out of town. Then my daughter's harp instructor gave me about 30 blank egg cartons and asked if she could get some, then other friends and neighbors ... everybody is bringing me egg cartons and asking for eggs, even though I have not gotten a single egg yet! My kids and I love watching the chickens. When I'm out working in the yard, I will let them out of the runs, and they follow me around, waiting for me to dig up some worms, and grabbing any low-hanging berries they can find.

 

[Ogress]

I'm thankful it is just rain here - coming down so hard on the metal roof there was no need for an alarm clock. Snow is melting fast now.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Heres a story I posted on another thread. This is how I found out how some roos can be submissive and not crow around the others.


Throw him in a pen with a bunch of pullets where he is the only roo. I bet he starts to crowing. I had a retarded Light Sussex. He came out of the shell screeching instead of cheeping and he was born with a bald butt. He did manage to grow up and mature, except his tail feathers were curly on one side and straight on the other and he walked with his head cocked to the side, and by looks was most definately a roo but was in a pen with a dominant roo. He never crowed or tried to breed. I just thought it was because he was reatarded. I had someone come over to pick up some other hens and she saw Fred and fell in love. I told her he was retarded and he didn't crow or breed. She wanted him anyway because he reminded her of a retarded rat she used to have and she didn't want a crower or a breeder so that would be perfect. So, I gave her Fred. The very day he was at his new home he bred everything in sight and started crowing. She did keep him and he has since calmed down a bit but it is so true about the less dominant roo not crowing or even developing as quickly as the dominant one.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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I have 9 hens, I hope to add a few more to the "collection" next summer. But mine are considered "pets with perks". My DH Loves birds, but with cats and dogs already in the house I couldn't handle any more....so chickens are his compromise. He likes to let house birds out and I don't think they would do well with 4 cats and 5 dogs watching them. So, his hens are spoiled rotten. He sits in the yard hand feeding them. Their coop is insulated (walls and ceiling) and has a heat lamp. He goes out every night at lock down and holds and pets everyone (much to the Roo's displeasure). The "PERK" is the eggs (of course). So we just say we have pets with perks. I don't want to be obligated to sell eggs to anyone....I just give them away as I have extra. I have 2 teenage boys and a tween girl...we use lots of eggs. I also supply my parents (neighbors). The chickies keep down the bugs and help to "stir" my garden in the fall/spring. I figure that the cost of food, housing, care, etc, is no different than the costs for my cats or dogs.....and I don't get anything useful back from the dogs or cats. Wait, oh, yep....cats do supply me with fresh meat whenever they bring me a mouse or snake into the house...

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Uh, Don't envy those who are getting lots of snow. We are getting rain and a little breezy but still waiting for the stronger winds. We are pretty much sea level near the South Sound. Rain is yuk too though. Mud mud mud and poopy coops since no one wants to come outside.

Anyone use the deep litter method in their coops? Read about it on another thread and I thought I'd give it a try since you only clean out the coops once or twice a year. You just keep adding clean litter on top. Not sure I like it or maybe I'm doing it wrong. Seems they still have to live in their poop since they are always stirring it up. They say it works best on a dirt floor but does still work on a wood floor. It's a method thats been used for hundreds of years, tried and true. Still not sure, after cleaning up after animals all my life it goes against everything and I just want to go in there and clean all the time.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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I often wondered about this too. I went through a bout of Coccidia this fall and lost 4 hens before we figured out what it was....Anything the litttlest bit dirty scares the H*** out of me. I can understand the theroy, but I am not sure I want my hens having to be surrounded with so much feces. I would love to hear input from our panel of experts (you know who you are).....

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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Thanks for the reports on your snow totals. Wish I was there to enjoy it with you all.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

When I only had 10 chickens for our familys eggs I gave the extras away all the time. I didn't worry about the cost of feed. It's true, its pets with perks. Then our financial situation changed and rather than pound the pavement for new accounts decided to farm. I grow produce for Farmers Market and our local co op. People always asked if I had eggs so decided to get into chicken farming. Don't make a ton on the eggs but they pay for themselves and it brings people to the farm and they buy produce too. For my time, farming doesn't make as much as landscaping but it sure is a great way of life and we are managing. Still do landscaping but have honed it down to my favorite customers and not taking any new ones, thats one less stressor in my life.

Blah Blah Blah Yada yada yada

Ha, Now that the season has slowed down I have more time to post! Have you noticed?

 

[pips&peeps]

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Got NADA til about an hour ago. Tiny, tiny flakes coming down and they are pretty wet, just a skiff as of right now.

I am hoping that it warms up just above freezing today; the forecast says 33.......

ETA: That was the "weather channel" forecast, NOAA says 29.