Washingtonians

[Sunbug4]

Ewwww - I just went out to the chicken coops to spy on the feeder in the banty run (dog kennel at the edge of the woods). I saw about a half dozen small rats and a big one run down the wooded hill and jump down into the banty run. All along, I thought the hens were making all those trails through the woods. It's rats! Or maybe it was a bunch of mice and a big rat, but I'm thinking mamma rat and a bunch of young rats.

Time to get batteries for my zappers and load them up again! yuck. I have not used them since the fall.

Oh My heck! I would have freaked! Go get them rats!! I shudder to think of it! Good luck!!!!

 

[Breshcandra]

I was wondering if any one hatched anything out of an egg with a complete broken air cell? The reason I ask is that I have one. It has a totally broken air cell and there is something moving in there.

 

[itsren]

Ewwww - I just went out to the chicken coops to spy on the feeder in the banty run (dog kennel at the edge of the woods). I saw about a half dozen small rats and a big one run down the wooded hill and jump down into the banty run. All along, I thought the hens were making all those trails through the woods. It's rats! Or maybe it was a bunch of mice and a big rat, but I'm thinking mamma rat and a bunch of young rats.

Time to get batteries for my zappers and load them up again! yuck. I have not used them since the fall.

What are zappers? Today I opened my compost bin and a small rat was inside. Ugh! We battle them every year. They usually live under my neighbor's shed, but they eat out of my compost bin. I was suspicious the other day... there was a hole that had been dug through the pine chips that I had thrown in there. They tunneled to get to some veggie scraps I had buried. This one ran the direction of the old nest - my neighbor's shed.

I'm going to have to tell them to trap for rats again. It's just going to add fuel to the fire when the neighbors discover I have chickens. We get the blame for them because we have a compost bin - even though they don't live in my yard.

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm thinking a run at the edge of the woods, is not the best place for bantams .

 

[itsren]

I'm thinking a run at the edge of the woods, is not the best place for bantams .

Will rats hurt chickens? Or just eat their food?

 

[Illia]

How awesome !
How is bugging going over there ?
We have been getting hordes of all sorts of moths here.some I do not recall seeing before.
Some look so much like tree bark or leaves.how cool their camo is !
Thought about catching some in a jar for you !!

Then I figure you have probably seen them already !

First off to the person with the Easter Egger they're wondering if it is a pullet or cockerel - It's a pullet. Those aren't saddle feathers you see, trust me. It's a pullet.


To Chickielady - Bugging has been okay. Because of all the brooder lamps and whatnot for the main barn/coop going on, I couldn't use a trap in the normal place so I have one right out my bedroom window. I've been too lazy to even bother washing my sheet from last year so right now it's a little dirty with algae stains

But hey, the moths don't care and no visitors see it anyway. Catches have been decent but not super yet. I missed the season I always miss which is around March-April, and May is always kinda boring, but June-August will be fun. Especially with our expanding garden, who knows what I might catch.

If you got me a jar of moths, I'm sure half of them I'll know quite well and half I'll know but never find out here. You live very close to a guy I know who actually got me into this, got me the camera I have today, and he usually catches stuff I never do, but am familiar with identifying/knowing of. I believe your summers are a bit more arid, and it's more agriultural out there, so that allows more things like Sphinx moths and the sort. Supper jealous of people with those.

Aaanyway, felt like an idiot bringing my telescope out again tonight, as even though it is mostly cloudy, I saw the moon for a quick few seconds, but, by the time the telescope was out, and after a good round of patience, I never saw it again. Always next time.

In the mean time, I had fun planting a TON of strawberries today as well as some hardy Kiwis today (the fuzz-less kind) Chickielady I don't know if you remember, but my backyard is riddled with several huge slash/burn piles from the logging, and, well, they're not so pretty and we've yet to get rid of them, so, genius idea - I decided to have hardy kiwis grow up them. Hardy Kiwis are SUPER productive and the vines, fruit and all, can weigh over 100 lbs per plant, plus the vines grow out as much as 40 feet, so, perfect place. I've got one really, really big burn pile I'm just gonna cover with them, and have fun climbing up to harvest the Kiwis.

 

[itsren]

I have some stuffed chickens. My sister bought them at an auction for me as a joke. I would send them along for a good cause.

If I lived closer to you, I'd take you up on it. I never got anything made today. Hopefully I can get to it tomorrow afternoon. Thanks so much for the offer.

Good news! She seems to be walking with less of a limp. Today has been the first time this whole week where I've really had much hope for her recovery - the injury seemed so bad. I'm so proud of my little Brahma. Today, I put her and her hospital kennel in the greenhouse with the others. It was her first chicken-chair free day.

Since I moved the greenhouse to a very shaded side of the house, I felt better about putting her hospital kennel there - the temp doesn't get very high. I would have never put her hospital kennel where I originally had it because she would not have been able to duck under shade if it got too warm. She seemed so happy to be near her *sisters* again. Since the other two were so busy playing keep away with some lettuce, they didn't bother her at all either (although my EE really wanted the lettuce that was in the hospital kennel, too).

As hyper and active those other two are, I'm guessing it may be at least a couple of weeks before I will be able to fully integrate her back into the flock. I tell you, they are crazy. They had a suet feeder full of lettuce, yet Caunnie and Rhodie spent the entire day trying to steal the piece of lettuce that was in the other bird's mouth. Such juveniles! They can run, and they run fast!

 

[Imp]

Quote: Rats will kill chickens sometimes. It has been occasionally posted that they will gang up on a chicken or, at night will just start eating (similar to possum).
I haven't seen any evidence of rats in my yard in years, but I had a few 10 years ago. They only went after the feed, but I had lights on so maybe it/they weren't willing to take on alert chickens.

Russ- I like the stray/feral cats that live here now.

 

[itsren]

Gee maybe someone could fashion a chicken like cover to slip over a heating pad - for an enhanced "broody mama" effect .

Excellent idea! Hmmm. I have one of those small round things you can either fill with ice or hot water. I wonder if I could incorporate it.

 

[Chickielady]

I think she's the prettiest EE I have ever seen.

I have some chicks that may well look alot like that, very "silver"
They are "Party Chookies" we call them, and are from a Russian Orloff Cock over BBS Ameraucana hens............alot are "chocolate" with what looks like a partridge-blue body...so far.
Very pretty.
We were tired of BLACK chickens !!

Exciting to see the various colorations of EE this pairing is making!