Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
Mine aren't quite exterior, but I do have a slant built into them. I followed plans posted on this website by "Opa". The eggs roll back into a storage room. I don't have the matts he uses in them, I just use a bix of shredded paper and wood shavings. If I don't make it deep, the eggs roll back.

So I got the exterior nest boxes done and they turned out way better than I planned.

(cause I didn't have a plan ... or drawing!

) Before I screwed on the floor board, I put a 1/2 inch piece of scrap wood under it on the side that is away from the egg collection door. The egg rolled great. One of the people that I viewed their plans used coconut coir sheet in the bottom of the nest box. I'm going to try that and hope that the eggs will still roll to the back. I also made a drop down door instead of a hinged lift up roof cause my kids are going to collect eggs and are not tall enough to reach down inside. I'll have to attach chain to the door to keep it from opening too far. This will make a ledge that they can set the basket while they gather the eggs. All in all, it was a successfully productive afternoon! Now, if I can only find sheet coir around here!

Call Black Lake Organic, (360) 786-0537 they may have it or know where you can get it locally. The nursery on the north end of Pearl Street (is it still Pioneer?) used to be pretty good for that kind of stuff, but I haven't been there in ages. Olympia Supply had sheet straw but I didn't notice coir; they'd be worth calling, as would Lincoln Creek Lumber. I suppose you've checked the Farm Store that used to be Darigold Chehalis? Otherwise anywhere I know is in Oregon, and it gets easier and cheaper to order stuff online and have it delivered the higher gas gets.

 

[broodytood]

Quote:
So I got the exterior nest boxes done and they turned out way better than I planned.

(cause I didn't have a plan ... or drawing!

) Before I screwed on the floor board, I put a 1/2 inch piece of scrap wood under it on the side that is away from the egg collection door. The egg rolled great. One of the people that I viewed their plans used coconut coir sheet in the bottom of the nest box. I'm going to try that and hope that the eggs will still roll to the back. I also made a drop down door instead of a hinged lift up roof cause my kids are going to collect eggs and are not tall enough to reach down inside. I'll have to attach chain to the door to keep it from opening too far. This will make a ledge that they can set the basket while they gather the eggs. All in all, it was a successfully productive afternoon! Now, if I can only find sheet coir around here!

Call Black Lake Organic, (360) 786-0537 they may have it or know where you can get it locally. The nursery on the north end of Pearl Street (is it still Pioneer?) used to be pretty good for that kind of stuff, but I haven't been there in ages. Olympia Supply had sheet straw but I didn't notice coir; they'd be worth calling, as would Lincoln Creek Lumber. I suppose you've checked the Farm Store that used to be Darigold Chehalis? Otherwise anywhere I know is in Oregon, and it gets easier and cheaper to order stuff online and have it delivered the higher gas gets.

Yes, Pioneer is still here at the end of Pearl! I checked Kaija's, HD, and Walmart. I'll call Pioneer and the Farm Store tomorrow. Thanks for jogging my memory! Did you use to be from here?

 

[Kaneke]

also check the vendors at the farmers and craft markets -- I know at Arlington there is always a booth that has sprinklers, coconut coir, dental tools, and miscellaneous "stuff" from China, like a bargain-basement Harbor Freight

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
Now I have heard of packing eggs in a lot of things to protect them during shipping. But this is the first time I have heard of using WATERMELON.

These are actual chicks. Seven of them. I hope they realize they'll never get properly ripened watermelon again.

You could take them on vacation to Hermiston? Or do they still grow melons there? My East-of-the-mountain relatives used to bring real ripe melons over for summer picnics.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
These are actual chicks. Seven of them. I hope they realize they'll never get properly ripened watermelon again.

You could take them on vacation to Hermiston? Or do they still grow melons there? My East-of-the-mountain relatives used to bring real ripe melons over for summer picnics.

If it ain't a Hermiston it ain't a watermelon worth eating !!!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
Call Black Lake Organic, (360) 786-0537 they may have it or know where you can get it locally. The nursery on the north end of Pearl Street (is it still Pioneer?) used to be pretty good for that kind of stuff, but I haven't been there in ages. Olympia Supply had sheet straw but I didn't notice coir; they'd be worth calling, as would Lincoln Creek Lumber. I suppose you've checked the Farm Store that used to be Darigold Chehalis? Otherwise anywhere I know is in Oregon, and it gets easier and cheaper to order stuff online and have it delivered the higher gas gets.

Yes, Pioneer is still here at the end of Pearl! I checked Kaija's, HD, and Walmart. I'll call Pioneer and the Farm Store tomorrow. Thanks for jogging my memory! Did you use to be from here?

When you live in Lacey, Chehalis is often the closest place for a lot of farm and garden stuff (I swear we spent half the summer every year running down to Barnet Implements for parts and Darigold for baler twine!) I went to CCC (before TESC was opened!) and my husband ran the computer lab there from 1985-1996. And one of my cousins lived out on the north end of Buckner Street before she got a job in California. And then there's having to get on Amtrak in Centralia if you want to check baggage.

 

[broodytood]

Quote:
You could take them on vacation to Hermiston? Or do they still grow melons there? My East-of-the-mountain relatives used to bring real ripe melons over for summer picnics.

If it ain't a Hermiston it ain't a watermelon worth eating !!!!

Never heard of Hermiston. I'll have to google it. Might be worth the drive to get good watermelon. CR- please tell me your not in the barn at this hour...IT'S COLD OUT THERE!

 

[broodytood]

Quote:
Yes, Pioneer is still here at the end of Pearl! I checked Kaija's, HD, and Walmart. I'll call Pioneer and the Farm Store tomorrow. Thanks for jogging my memory! Did you use to be from here?

When you live in Lacey, Chehalis is often the closest place for a lot of farm and garden stuff (I swear we spent half the summer every year running down to Barnet Implements for parts and Darigold for baler twine!) I went to CCC (before TESC was opened!) and my husband ran the computer lab there from 1985-1996. And one of my cousins lived out on the north end of Buckner Street before she got a job in California. And then there's having to get on Amtrak in Centralia if you want to check baggage.

NO way!!! MY DH was at CC during those years and was always in the comp lab. Loved his comp lab. Wonder if it was your DH? Small world if it was.

 

[newtochick]

Quote:
Ok, but how smart do your chickens have to be to figure it out and NOT bean themselves in the face when it opens? Mine are dumb...yeah, no reeeeally dumb.....

There are some vids on Utube that show a chicken using one and how to train them to use it. Seems pretty simple! Even for the 'challenged' chicken!

I have a few chickens that seem very smart...and a few that seem pretty, well not so smart. My not so smart ones figured it out first because they kept stumbling onto the step, trying to figure out where the food had gone that used to be there!

The first few times the lid opened they jumped back and it closed, then they would go back and do it again...and jump again...after a few times they figured out that the food was inside! This summer I plan to train them to use the water nipple...that one should be fun!!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
When you live in Lacey, Chehalis is often the closest place for a lot of farm and garden stuff (I swear we spent half the summer every year running down to Barnet Implements for parts and Darigold for baler twine!) I went to CCC (before TESC was opened!) and my husband ran the computer lab there from 1985-1996. And one of my cousins lived out on the north end of Buckner Street before she got a job in California. And then there's having to get on Amtrak in Centralia if you want to check baggage.

NO way!!! MY DH was at CC during those years and was always in the comp lab. Loved his comp lab. Wonder if it was your DH? Small world if it was.

Probably, he was the guy who was always there, keeping the computers running and teaching a couple of classes, as well. There were other instructors, but he was the one who ran the lab.