Washingtonians

[Chickielady]

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I want some bees !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't help ya this year but next year if you get the wooden ware I can probably do a split to get ya started. While They are awesome they do require some work to help keep them going and they are not cheap to get started. If I were to buy the bees I have captured over the last 2 days it would be about $150. and that is just for the bees not the brood box $60 x2 plus bottom board $20, inner cover $13, telescoping top $25 and then honey supers when the time comes.

DH's newly widoer Dad. my FiL, in NorCal, had 5 hives, the smoker, gear & all the keeping stuff.
He got down to 1 live hive, probably due to the virus or whatever is killing hives off...anyway, he 'leased' this live hive to a honey company.
This 'honey' company manages bee hives, they move them from farm to orchard & harvest the honey & FiL gets a few gallons a year, of fresh excellent honey, and does no work.
I have seen these tractor trailers moving saran-wrapped hives, thousands of hives per truck, down I-5 going from crop to crop.
Farmers "rent" the bees during their blossoming period, then the management company comes & picks the hives up, and takes them to another farm...cool for the farmer, increases crops a plenty, but seems to me it would totally confuse bees and in my opinion, this is why so many worker bees go out in the morning & never make it back to the hive, being totally turned around & lost.
It would confuse & stress us out.
Anyways, FiL still has the bee stuff, and hives (4) and extra wax comb, etc I THINK>>> I am gonna call him.
It is almost time to take the trip down there again.
Hopefully he has not sold the empty hives & gear~~~

 

[Chickielady]

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I only have one

I suggest you contact Cheryl, she has the same birds, I hatched them & split them with her.
She has several extra Wheatens...I only have 1 Blue Wheaten and am keeping him.
I do not know if Cheryl has an extra Blue Wheaten ???
I have lots of Blues, so we will undoubtedly get a Blue Wheaten (Blue Wheaten Cock over Blue Hens and Wheaten Cock over Blue Hens) so will have eggs....
Contact Cheryl & see.
I DO have 3 or 4 more excellent Wheaten Ameraucana Cockerals though..

..........didn't get 1 pullet, although Cheryl did.

Dang, I thought I had read a post where you both got plain Wheatons and no blues so thought yours may have suprized you. I'll ask Cheryl just in case but if you change your mind let me know. He is from Pips and Peeps line. Been trying to win some Peachick eggs in the auction but they are way too expensive. Awesome color though.

What if I rent him out to you for a week or two in a breeding pen ????

 

[TifsBroodyBabes]

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I have a 'pen' that you 'dot' on insect bites, called itch stop I think...anyway, it is like a fat felt pen, and it contains 100% ammonia, and it works, just a dot.

I have that same pen and it does work.I just can't remember where I bought it from, I need to get some for the first aid box.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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Good maybe I can refill it in the fall when I harvest. I don't even think I am going to have enough honey for us to make it to harvest.

 

[Chickielady]

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I have a 'pen' that you 'dot' on insect bites, called itch stop I think...anyway, it is like a fat felt pen, and it contains 100% ammonia, and it works, just a dot.

I have that same pen and it does work.I just can't remember where I bought it from, I need to get some for the first aid box.

Mine ran dry over winter, so I unscrewed it and filled it with SUDSY AMMONIA..not white ammonia, and it is working fine!!
Got mine at Walmart 2-3 years ago.
It is called "After Bite""
Contains 3.5% ammonia.
Works.

 

[Chickielady]

OK, I am outta here for the morning...gotta call FiL & ask about the hive stuff....and I will be back later on.

Remember I have these cockerals for sale to BYCers::::

Ameraucana:
Black, blue, wheaten

Also have a SQ White Plymouth Rock cockeral, beautiful pleasant boy.

I also have 5 black runner ducks almost totally fledged for sale,

and 6 Lemon Blue Cochin started birds, awesome big profusely feather legs & toes !!!!!!!
Blue, several splash & one looks pied, as in a splash with brown-red and blue splashes...very pretty.

Did a fertility test on the Feather shanked Cuckoo Marans yesterday..some are, some are not.
The new boys are giving it a try..but the big ol' hens will still run them off.
The pullets let the boys mount, though.
Soon the Cockerals will be big & agressive enough to get the old hens, too

They are awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[L0rraine]

(Just accidentally posted this on the Silkie thread elsewhere. Guess they are probably wondering why I was talking about Runner Ducks

)

Just sold two of my Runner Drakes to the CUTEST family last night. They have chickens and are looking to add a bit of 'interest' to their crew (but no more eggs). Hopefully my boys will work out for them. My drakes are a bit wild, but all my Runners become a bit more 'settled' with a regular routine, and they seemed like the perfect family to provide this. It's always so hard to let our kids go off to new places (but I felt really good about this new home). And I certainly haven't been able to protect all of mine from an onslaught of predators this year.

Hoping I can pair up my two remaining drakes with my Runner girls and improve my 'housing' options. I'm working on a new coop (or two) to put in my vegetable garden area, but knowing me, that project will take all summer. (Especially now that my daughter has added a brand new granddaughter to my 'brood' of grandsons so I'll be fussing over grandchildren a good part of the summer as well.)

T Hi It was great to hear that you have 'babies'! Are they from your Chocolate Runner girls -- or are they brand new 'genes'?

In a month or so, I'll probably be looking for new homes for some Silkie chicks. I'm hoping to have a better sense of colors in the new few weeks. I was thinking I had Splash, Blue and Black, but my 'Blacks' are starting to look dark blue. I'm was hoping to add a Splash, a light blue and a black to my current crew.

Before I end my incessant rambling, thought I'd post a pic of the Brooder run I threw together for Mom and babies. Wish I could make things 'pretty' like Chicken Rustler ...

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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Not only does it increase / cause fruit to happen. Two years of no pollination and mankind is done. It's that simple and that is more reason we should take care of the bees.
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Nope they imprint land marks and return to them. If a hive is moved during the day you will see all of the foragers who were out returning to the last location and they won'e be very happy.

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Yes anything he has would be a good score. I am using some stuff I got from a family friend and he was using it when I was pre teen. Of course that was only a few dayz ago.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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Thanks but my coops aren't all that great you need to look at what some of the others on here are doing.
BTW there is nothing wrong with that tractor. If you want it to look better just add a coat (or 2) of paint and trim and a few goodies. And pressure wash and cedar stain the roof.

 

[SadieSue]

I have a gf here in Tacoma with a small backyard flock of 6 hens. She would like to add some color to her egg box and is looking for maybe 2 Ameraucana pullets and 1 BCM pullet. (Nice green/blue and dark chocolate eggs) She was sold an "Americana" when she first bought her flock who of course is an EE which is only giving her light brown eggs.

She isn't interested in raising chicks, but would prefer pullet or hen younger than 1 year. Does anyone have any to sell that would fit the bill? She's been looking on Craigslist but is having trouble getting folks to respond.
TIA!