Washingtonians

[jbear]

OK, our Serama pics:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors you have! Soo pretty little feathery flowers in your pens. cutenesses!

how are those goat girls doing?? I miss them!! Give them a lil goatie smooch for me

 

[FirewifeJess]

**sigh** My stupid cat keeps getting in cat fights. He's so lame. If he ends up needing to go to the vet, we're going to have to make him an indoor cat. Hate to do it, but the vet bills aren't worth it to me. He's such a wuss too! So now he's sitting at my feet licking himself after being cornered on our porch by a neighborhood bully cat.

 

[Teva]

**sigh** My stupid cat keeps getting in cat fights. He's so lame. If he ends up needing to go to the vet, we're going to have to make him an indoor cat. Hate to do it, but the vet bills aren't worth it to me. He's such a wuss too! So now he's sitting at my feet licking himself after being cornered on our porch by a neighborhood bully cat.

It's not his fault! It's those other darn bully toms that keep trying to beat him up!

(keep him inside!) Hope he's fixed!

 

[FirewifeJess]

It's not his fault! It's those other darn bully toms that keep trying to beat him up!

(keep him inside!) Hope he's fixed!

Yeah yeah...I just hate these neighborhood cats. They're always in our backyard drinking from the creek. Of course it's his backyard, but they were here first. I'm sick of having to jump up from whatever I'm doing to go rescue him! Yep, he's fixed for sure! I'd never keep an unaltered animal.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Yeah yeah...I just hate these neighborhood cats. They're always in our backyard drinking from the creek. Of course it's his backyard, but they were here first. I'm sick of having to jump up from whatever I'm doing to go rescue him! Yep, he's fixed for sure! I'd never keep an unaltered animal.

Except my chickies of course

 

[FirewifeJess]

Question for you guys: I will have a very secure run on Friday. Saturday I'm picking up 2 new chicks from Dawn and Tamara. I need to keep them separate, don't want anyone getting sick. My girls are used to free-ranging so they can sleep in the coop and leave out the man-door to access the backyard. What about the 2 new ones? Could I make them a makeshift shelter in the run out of a rubbermaid bin and call it good for a week or two? Sounds like the most economical way to quarantine them, I just don't know if it will be warm enough inside a bin outside. The run will be covered.

One more thing: some people seem to be REALLLLY concerned about quarantining their birds and freaked by disease, and others are really laid back and have no problems with an acceptable small quarantine and risk. Dude...I have no idea what to do now. I was thinking of just observing for a week or so and then letting them mingle a bit. Are the people who are SO concerned the ones with huge flocks? I only have 8 girls and all stays very clean on a regular basis. New water daily. Fresh feed from the gravity hanging feeder. So...talk to me peeps! Should I just have appropriate meds on hand in case of a cocci contamination and then not worry too much about them after quarantine?

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I just wanna have a warm fuzzy fer a second! I know I don't come on very much anymore--been very very busy with not much extra snuggle time with my computer--if I am online, it's usually on that OTHER social site - you know FB- lol BUT, if I hadn't started coming here sometime ago, I would have missed out on some really great friendships...
and I wanna thank CR for letting me invite myself on his dune trip--it was a much needed sand shredding vacation and look forward to duning with his group again!! and I love the pic of you, DW and Quincy in your rail..

Welcome to the very many new names I am seeing-- hope you have been enjoying the ride here and all the chicken obsession you being enabled of.
PS-- the serama folks are the WORST enablers of ALL! hahahah

We very much enjoyed having you along. Looking forward to many more trips. There is no backing out now. You are part of the crazieness !

 

[KMoran]

http://www.king5.com/home/Amber-Alert-issue-for-three--158820155.html?gallery=y&img=1&c=y PLEASE READ MARYSVILLE, WA Amber Alert LETS FIND THESE KIDS AND BRING THEM HOME!!!! MARYSVILLE, Wash. - Marysville Police have issued an Amber Alert for three children believed to be have been taken by their parents in violation of custody.
Police are searching for at 1998 Pontiac Grand Am, Washington license number AGJ9693. The suspects are 33-year-old Curtis Drakeford and 29-year-old Ashley Todd.
The missing children are 9-year-old Kali Drakeford, 8-year-old Ashton Drakeford, and 6-year-old Cursten Drakeford.

 

[Rainwolf]

Question for you guys: I will have a very secure run on Friday. Saturday I'm picking up 2 new chicks from Dawn and Tamara. I need to keep them separate, don't want anyone getting sick. My girls are used to free-ranging so they can sleep in the coop and leave out the man-door to access the backyard. What about the 2 new ones? Could I make them a makeshift shelter in the run out of a rubbermaid bin and call it good for a week or two? Sounds like the most economical way to quarantine them, I just don't know if it will be warm enough inside a bin outside. The run will be covered.

One more thing: some people seem to be REALLLLY concerned about quarantining their birds and freaked by disease, and others are really laid back and have no problems with an acceptable small quarantine and risk. Dude...I have no idea what to do now. I was thinking of just observing for a week or so and then letting them mingle a bit. Are the people who are SO concerned the ones with huge flocks? I only have 8 girls and all stays very clean on a regular basis. New water daily. Fresh feed from the gravity hanging feeder. So...talk to me peeps! Should I just have appropriate meds on hand in case of a cocci contamination and then not worry too much about them after quarantine?

Quarantine is as important as you value your flock.. If you have a rare breed and a lot of $ invested then you will be very careful bringing in any live birds from outside.

If you have a small backyard flock that will not break the bank or heart if something comes in then you can be more laid back on the quarantine.

The reason for Quarantine is 2 things....
Preventing the new stressed bird from passing anything to your flock.
And controlled introduction without the new bird being attacked by the entire flock.

First thing is a simple Quarantine where your birds do not have access or can come in any contact with the new bird/s
Length of time is based on your judgment, experience and how much your worried about your current flock.

Second is after quarantine is introduction but with a barrier so they get to know each other.
Again Length of time is based on your judgment, experience and how your current flock reacts to the new one.

Third step is to put the new one in the coop at night with the current flock.
You will want to do this when you can be there first thing in the morning so that if the flock attacks you can rescue.
This also depends on how worried you are about the new bird/s, how big the coop is and if they have space to run/hide...

Hope this helps

 

[itsren]

Any seasoned chicken people...if I have one coop this year with its' capacity just about maxed out (by the time I finally finish acquiring newbies next weekend), but I really want more next year and the run/yard will be plenty big enough, would it work to have 2 separate flocks/2 separate coops/1 run/yard? I was thinking of gettting established this year with our current setup, then adding an additional coop in the backyard. I just wonder how it works adding more birds as chicks. If they have their own coop, they'll be safe from my current flock right? Will they automatically want to stay in their own separate coops with no crossover at night? Or will some of the hens invade the new coop next year? Just musing. Thanks!

Jessica, you're cracking me up with the chicken math!

I'll admit... I was having guilty thoughts of "would anyone really know if I snuck a bunch of broilers into my back yard for a couple of months (exceeding the 6 I'm allowed)?" But, after the neighbor's dog attack, I realized the dog would know. Sigh!