Washingtonians

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Dad died last night.

OMG!!!! I am so sorry.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Question... the girls have been in the coop most of this week. I put one roost bar 18-20" above the floor going one way and another roost 3" off the floor going the opposite way (like the top of a "T") for Drama, my Light Brahma. I hoped Drama would roost there. The coop is small, so I really didn't think it would be a problem because she could sit on her roost and look up at the other two.

The new set-up is very similar to how the brooder was set up. Drama would sleep on her lower roost, while the other two slept up above.

A couple of days ago, when she was sitting on my lap, I noticed she reeked to high heaven. Last night I sat out and watched them go to sleep before their auto door shut. Turns out, Rhodie and Caunnie sit on the top roost and Drama sits right beneath them on the floor - right in the poop zone.

No wonder my lap bird reeks!

Any suggestions on what I can do? I want to hold my girl, but, wowza, I don't want to smell that!

And... can chickens be washed? If so, how?

Very carefully. LOL.

I have had to wash my seramas and my orpingtons. Shall I say sarcastically: They just LOOOOOVE it.

 

[jenreinke]

Hi fellow Washingtonians! My son and I are looking to add 4 chicks to our flock of 5. It seems we just missed the big chick season. I am wondering if anyone near Tacoma has any young chicks available or will soon? I am hoping for chicks that are less than 2 weeks old so they will be used to being held and people. Our current chickens are about 2 years old. I am hoping to add some color to my flock and looking for wynadottes, speckled sussex, orpingtons or anything of the like. We currently have a black and gold sex link, barred rock and golden laced wynadotte and a rooster of unknown breed. Anyone have any leads or know of anyone with baby chicks? I have been checking craigslist without much luck. I can be reached on here or privately at [email protected]

I just got a 5 week Ameraucana from Seattle Farm Supply.in Shoreline. They do have tons of younger chicks as well though and he has a good rep in the area.

Jen

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
I also haven't been at it long but all the chicks I got from him were in great shape and very healthy. I like that they're vaccinated for Mareks too.

 

[itsren]

A good time to start is just before POL.

I keep reading POL. What does that mean?

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Point of Lay, around 20 weeks

ETA: From The Chicken Encyclopedia (which I got today!): POL: The age at which a pullet is due to start laying.

 

[itsren]

You know they don't take up as much room as LF, right? They are small! Lol! I'm not a chicken pusher, really!

I saw Chubby Chicken's cute little silkie pen. Got me to thinking... hmmm... even I might have room to have a silkie trio. Maybe next year. I have to recover from getting the LF coop/run together.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
I can't wait to visit and see your setup. Have fun camping and finishing up the coop/run!

 

[itsren]

Very carefully. LOL.

I have had to wash my seramas and my orpingtons. Shall I say sarcastically: They just LOOOOOVE it.

Oh my goodness... my little Drama reeks so bad tonight! I could smell her halfway across the yard. I don't have any pet shampoo... does it have to be a special shampoo? If I'm going to buy something, I want to buy the right thing.

So... tonight we finally moved the coop from the back yard to it's final home on the side of the house. It messed with the girls heads again - so they were ALL sleeping on the floor. Thank goodness. Hopefully, Drama will get a break from being a poop catcher. They were getting very aggravated with us - we didn't get it moved until 9:15... 45 minutes past their bed time.

Here's the coop (before it moved to the side yard)... (ignore the huge blue tarp behind the 2nd picture - that's the run and wood for it up on a saw horse)





And, here's the inside. You can see Drama's roost down low, and my EE and RIR's roost up above. I measured the "high" roost - it is only 16" and Drama still can't get up there. At the very least, I'd like to get her on the low roost so she stays out of the poop zone. I don't think it would be fair to completely remove the roost for the other two just because Drama can't get up there - or would it?

 

[Teva]

I have been using Eprinex for 2 years now. I think it is fine to give it any time of the year. I give them their forst doese at 6-8 months and I meant to give it twice per year, but it is more like every 8 months. It cleared up the poopy butts on my big cochins.

I'm so behind and I'm getting lost on all of this chemical talk. wow.

Can any of this 'prevention' be done organically? Just curious.