Washingtonians

[herbandteas]

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I saw that but want chicks or eggs but I may have to break down and buy older. DH says no roosters

Im waiting from someone from your area to come pick up my two extra cockerals... Im hoping that they will show up today. The black AM cockeral is beating the crud out of my wheaten girls... But, then my evil little silky turns around and kicks his but! Its actually kinda funny to watch, as she is 1/4 his size, but has a HUGE attitude!

my silkie girl is the same way

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

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[blueducklings]

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Hmmm, we do the deep littler and it doesn't smell much. However, this is our third year; first year we either didn't do it right 'cus it did smell, OR it needs time to ferment properly. It needs to be not too wet and not too dry. Also, the base needs to be able to drain, so that it won't stay too moist.

What kind of litter are you using? That could have something to do with it.

I started with wood shavings but that was dusty. Now I have just straw.

 

[blueducklings]

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My son had a pencil caddy on his desk last 2 years and this year, cause he is in JH, he has a locker so he can haul around just the things he needs. I got him a small magnetic pencil cup for his locker and a shelf.

Hope that works.
I also ended up buying a few nice things at the UW bookstore...I found the us constitution pencil as well, and a very nice student day runner that has all the UW info in it. Even when they have games, and what you need to graduate.

We try.
But I really like their note books. Nest year I am shopping there. Everything he needs plus some, and it is not made in CHINA. At least I had the options there.

Both my kids schools order day runners that we must purchase from them. The elementary school one is pretty basic, so it is $8; I don't know how much the middle school one is (DH wrote the check for it). It is very customized for the school and contains contact info, school rules, dress code, and lots and lots of pages with stuff like periodic tables, multiplication charts, instructions on how to write a report....

The middle school has lockers that they made them tall and very, very narrow so no one gets a bottom locker, and not even the skinniest kid can get shoved in one. Alex has to remove his books from his backpack just so he could fit the pack in the locker! What is really stupid is they don't allow the kids to go to their lockers between classes (unless it is lunch time) nor do they allow the kids to bring their backpacks into the classroom! I bought Alex this mega-binder/book bag combo thing to hold all stuff he needs to schlep around with him. It is one of those cloth covered zip-around binders with 2 sets of 3" rings in it, a built in accordian file and 2 built-in pencil-cases. It can easily hold 3 spirals (day-timer, graph paper and Language arts), 2 black compostion books, 2 packs binder paper, plus all the subject dividers, and his calculator when we find it (they specify brand and model on that too). I can't get all the colored pencils, the tape dispenser, 24 pencils (did put in 2 of the 5 required mechanical pencils), most of the glue sticks and other bulky stuff in, so they are in a box in his locker. Alex loves the binder/bookbag thing. Last year he carried a regular binder (the cover kept tearing off) and schlepped all those notebooks and pencil bags loose. Sometimes he'd drop the binder, and all the papers would fly everywhere. I hope this one holds up better! It was pretty pricey, but not as high as relplacing all those normal binders. I did see on the school supply list, they specified "No zip-around binders". I'm breaking that rule!

The teacher bought the whole calass the costco binders last year and it was great. Had a handle and zipper and the whole 9 yards.

 

[blueducklings]

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I have not figured it out either - I even use poop boards that I scrape into a bucket about daily, and still end up shoveling the litter out of the coop and sweeping all the dust out at least every 8 weeks, and usually 4! Without all the poop on the floor, there is no where for all the dust the chickens create to stick to. so it gets in the air and drives me insane because in addition to DE, and dust from their feed, I'm sure it also contains dirt from their dust baths, chicken poop, and poutry dust (the ones in the shaker can for mite control). I don't want to breathe all that crud in! I buy a big bag of white shavings monthly.

I did buy a radiant panel heater for the coop which I will plug into one of those outlets that only comes on when the temp drops below 35.

I couldn't figure out the deep litter method either - so we ended up doing a version of this - more like a kitty litter box

We use coffee chaf - the outer hull from coffee beans - and a big kitty litter scoop. The chaf makes the coop smell like coffee - and the poop clumps to the chaff. We'll clean it every other day or so. The best part is the chaff is FREE from your local coffee roaster. I LOVE free!

The biggest downside is that chaff is very light - and flies around in the coop.

Hmm, I guess coffee would make it smell better. LOL
Starbucks poo.

 

[blueducklings]

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yes something is wrong, I never have any smell in mine. So what are you doing?

OK, so I start with one cushy layer of straw, then they add a layer of poo, then I add layer of straw then they add a layer of poo and it smells like amonia.

I don't feed them when they are in there. So nye nye and in they go, no food, no water, just bed time. AND THEY JUST LAY AROUND, NO PERCH ( THEY ARE DUCKS)

 

[blueducklings]

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omg!! I just love the thick black hair!! Beautiful!

 

[cheryl98117]

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yes something is wrong, I never have any smell in mine. So what are you doing?

OK, so I start with one cushy layer of straw, then they add a layer of poo, then I add layer of straw then they add a layer of poo and it smells like amonia.

I don't feed them when they are in there. So nye nye and in they go, no food, no water, just bed time. AND THEY JUST LAY AROUND, NO PERCH ( THEY ARE DUCKS)

I would recomend using something other than straw... I used the deep littler method in my first two coops. The first coop was an open front and never got stinky, had plenty of ventilation, the second coop tunk to high heaven, and had poor ventilation. So I stopped using straw. Now I sprinkle stall dry on the coop floor in a light layer, then put down an inch or so of pine shavings, and clean out as needed. But I dont have ducks so...

But straw itself will start to stink when it gets wet and starts breaking down. Kinda a rancid smell to it.

 

[blueducklings]

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LULU is a cutie pie.

 

[blueducklings]

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Awe mann, you mean it won't work for my ducks?? I am bummed...