Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

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I have a gal pal in Idaho who raises Min Pins....vecious little boogers too!
One female actually brought down a full 40 pound Tom turkey, by it's neck, and killed it dead by herself!
You would think the big bird would have flown, or something..they have the funny snarl too.
My brother has the ultimate nutcracker~
Black Scotties, so cute, short little legs, but viscious ratters they are!
They have the funniest snarl on nitrous oxide...and a long nose full of very needle sharp terrier teeth.
I want one, for the rat & varmint capabilities, but fear it would love chicken as well...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/50801_scott_ms_b.jpg

My baby brother, Scott, with his Scotty, Bridey.

I sort-of want a Scotty but it's one of those dogs I had a bad experience with as a kid. I'd like something a bit less bossy! That's why the list I gave earlier: Border, Welsh, Norfolk or Norwich. I'd say Cairn, but their getting as overbred as Westies.

My favorite cousin's widow (who is also the Chicken Whisperer's grandmother) has applehead Chihuahuas, and they've gone a long way to cure me of my tiny-dog issues: bright little things, which think they're pointers, or something. Minpins, on the other hand, along with IGs, sort of bring them back: fragile, dumb, and snotty.

 

[cheryl98117]

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Yes finally! There has to be at least 4 laying now, as I collected 3 days ago and check for eggs every day. They are refusing to lay in the coop!!!

They never lay in the same spot twice iether! Today I collected 10 eggs, cracked 2 open and both had the bullsey, I even went and cross checked with pictures posted on telling the difference. They were deffinately bullseyes. So I put the remaining 8 eggs in along with two from my barred rock girl.

These little buggers like to hide their eggs from me. Any tips on getting them to lay in the provided coop/nest boxes? Im thinking of biting the bullet and purchasing some wooden eggs, as the golf balls dont seem to be doing the trick with these girls...

Maybe lock them in a pen, so they have access to their coop to go lay, if even for the next few weeks, and no free range until they behave.

I refuse to free range right now! That cockeral is MEAN!!! He goes after Chloe every chance he gets! He has even attacked my sister. Im about ready to give him the old chop, and replace him with another. Im just afraid that I dont have the stomache for it right now... So they are locked in the run, have access to their coop at all times, refuse to sleep in the coop at night, and wont lay in the nest boxes... But they spend a good amount of time in there during the day... Stupid chickens.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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are potato plants poisonous? I did not know that.

 

[Kaneke]

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Ooh - so excited for you!!!

Let me know when you get dimensions and I'll see if it will fit in our toyota pickup.

edit - oops - should read to the end before I reply

got excited.

Looking at the photo - it looks a bit like our coop - except that ours is on a stand. So I went out to measure it. It's 3.5' wide - 5.5' long, and 4' tall. The nest boxes take up about a foot of the 5.5 length. We have a perch going down the center and two on each side a bit higher - enough room for about 8 birds. If you really only want 6 - this would work. And if you find a better one later - you can use it for your broody house, cockerel house, etc.

Let me know if I should go take pics of the inside of my coop so you could see how it might work!

I have seven chickens in a 42" x 42" x 42" coop

one big advantage of a relatively small coop -- it will stay WARMER in the winter .. not so much cubic to heat; the chickens LIKE to cuddle close to each other

easier to insulate, not so much insulation to buy/attach

the roost is crossways, about in the middle of the coop, halfway up

and I have an old deep covered kitty litter box in there, as a nest box -- one end of the cube hinges down halfway from the top, for human access to the coop, with the chicken's doorway on the opposite end

I would say this is a real good deal ... of course that is just my opinion

 

[AriLovesChickens]

She has someone else coming to look, and I'm okay with it.

 

[Chickielady]

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Maybe lock them in a pen, so they have access to their coop to go lay, if even for the next few weeks, and no free range until they behave.

I refuse to free range right now! That cockeral is MEAN!!! He goes after Chloe every chance he gets! He has even attacked my sister. Im about ready to give him the old chop, and replace him with another. Im just afraid that I dont have the stomache for it right now... So they are locked in the run, have access to their coop at all times, refuse to sleep in the coop at night, and wont lay in the nest boxes... But they spend a good amount of time in there during the day... Stupid chickens.

I have the Blue Ameraucana & the Wheaten, in a crate, ready to go bye bye, if you want one, let me know.
I suggest the Blue, he is a good boy, and will not 'go after' anyone. The Wheaten has issues tearing the hen's "hair" out, mounting too high & missing the target, and all my hens are bald

The Blue:

 

[Sudsy Chick]

Another thing about my small coop that I take for granted is that they only sleep and lay eggs in it. They free-range all day long - we have a pretty large fenced in back yard. Lots of dogs on the other side of the fences that keep the racoons & such away.

My DH will be happy to cut the wood - and maybe we can get a work party together to build it on a weekend. It'll be more fun that way

Like an old fashion "coop raising"!

 

[Chickielady]

Mine all sleep or lay eggs in it also, but during bad weather, snow & sleet & rain, I am happy knowing they have space to hang out indoors, undercover.
Some of my coops have stilts, so birds can hang out under, and I have a dust bath for them there too.
Other coops are walk in size, and there is plenty of space for the number of birds housed there during nasty weather.

 

[Chickielady]

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are potato plants poisonous? I did not know that.

Yes.

 

[Sudsy Chick]

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Ooh - he is pretty!!! Someday I will live where we can keep roosters!