Washingtonians

[FirewifeJess]

Hooray!!! My coop and run are now 100% predator proof and the coop has more ventilation!!! BIG BIG BIG thanks to Renee for coming over and helping out doing it for me!! She's amazing, has power tools, and KNOWS HOW TO USE THEM!!! (Except that one time she almost dremeled off her finger, but we won't tell a single soul about that time, shhhhh) We opened up the window of the coop door from 4x28" to approx. 20x28", what a difference in ventilation! The coop cooled way off when we did that, and now that the run is protected I can leave the pop door open from now on for more ventilation full time What a great day. We ate lunch and the kids played ALL day long really well together! Let me tell you we were lucky on that count because 6 kids usually spells trouble but everyone was great! Thanks again, my chooks will be much happier now that they can choose their own bedtime and wake up time

I'll be interested in knowing what time they get up, now that they don't have to wait for me to open the door; usually they're still roosting at 7:30am when I go out there!

 

[SweetSilver]

another photo of Lemon (click photo to see larger version)

No.... cockerel I think now I see those tail feathers and suspicious saddle feathers. The other picture had his tail down. So, probably not pullet. ??

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
If this bird was a pullet I'd go get her tomorrow! Beautiful!!!

 

[RainyDayChicken]

hi everyone
I have a question does everyone keep their birds under a heat light for 6wks or longer. I take my birds out from under the heat at about 3-4wks. I was taught that they would be healthier doing it this way, that nature would take care of sickly birds. I was just wondering if anyone else does it this way. Thank you for any input.

 

[FirewifeJess]

hi everyone
I have a question does everyone keep their birds under a heat light for 6wks or longer. I take my birds out from under the heat at about 3-4wks. I was taught that they would be healthier doing it this way, that nature would take care of sickly birds. I was just wondering if anyone else does it this way. Thank you for any input.

I take away heat when the birds are fully feathered and the weather permits. It's all about temps. I think it's pretty awful, actually, to just remove heat when they're tiny and let the ones who aren't fully feathered to just suffer and/or die from being cold. I don't, however, micromanage our brooder. I never moved the heat in the brooder so that it was less by 5 degrees each week, as most people suggest. The baby chicks spent a lot of time under the lamp and as they grew older they just spent less and less time on the hot side of the brooder. We took away heat from our girls at 8 weeks old, when the night temps stayed in the 50s. They were just barely fully feathered and were living in the coop.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Hello from Eatonville! I just wanted to put a bug in everyone's ear that I'm looking for a new rooster. I'm hoping to find one with all the good friendly qualities (can catch easly). Not sure on breed though... maybe some help? I found out my new flock is most likley a barnyard mix but I would like to hatch chicks from a few of them eventually to keep things going. I like the idea of mixes, and have been kinda attracted to the green egg layers so I'm thinking about an EE Roo... (a big plus if he is attractively colored) Any other suggestions? Also, I have a need for a roo because of predators so he must be, or mature to a decent size. The current fancy bearded buff laced polish roo only attacks humans... if they turn their back.

One more thing, I cant travel too far maybe an hour drive max from Eatonville. Hubby still getting used to his newly chicken crazy wife!

Thanks in advance!

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:

Sheesh! As an ex-English teacher, I'm ashamed to have fallen in to that one!

Why "EX"? Didn't you like doing it? We need good English teachers.

My pet peeve in this country is the bad English.

To / too
there / their / they're
course / coarse
then / than

These are ones that I really hate. I think even worse though, is that there are so many people who home-school, yet they cannot speak or write properly themselves. I find myself slipping into bad ways too, now.

Falling off soap-box with foot in mouth!

I am not an "English" major...but I hate it when people say things like Chimley or WaRshington. My mother says both of these. Drives me nuts.
I dunno hon, we in Bawlmore say we "warsh the clothes in the zink". Then we go and werter the lawn hon.

The above is not being a smart *****, it is Baltimoreze at its finest. Everyone calls everyone Hon. There are more smashing of words but I really don't want to go into it. Every region has its colloquialisms. Yeah, I'm a Bawlamoron, my home town and every now and then I miss it.
No offense. I have friends who "hun" everyone too. Warshing clothes in the zink and werter the lawn would drive me nuts. and make sure to clean your chimley while you are at it. LOL.

 

[RainyDayChicken]

I take away heat when the birds are fully feathered and the weather permits. It's all about temps. I think it's pretty awful, actually, to just remove heat when they're tiny and let the ones who aren't fully feathered to just suffer and/or die from being cold. I don't, however, micromanage our brooder. I never moved the heat in the brooder so that it was less by 5 degrees each week, as most people suggest. The baby chicks spent a lot of time under the lamp and as they grew older they just spent less and less time on the hot side of the brooder. We took away heat from our girls at 8 weeks old, when the night temps stayed in the 50s. They were just barely fully feathered and were living in the coop.

Thank you for the info so they are living in the coop by 8wks with heat. I thought that people were talking about keeping them in the brooder until 8wks. That I can understand, i make sure they have warmth until about then it just not in the brooder.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Hello from Eatonville! I just wanted to put a bug in everyone's ear that I'm looking for a new rooster. I'm hoping to find one with all the good friendly qualities (can catch easly). Not sure on breed though... maybe some help? I found out my new flock is most likley a barnyard mix but I would like to hatch chicks from a few of them eventually to keep things going. I like the idea of mixes, and have been kinda attracted to the green egg layers so I'm thinking about an EE Roo... (a big plus if he is attractively colored) Any other suggestions? Also, I have a need for a roo because of predators so he must be, or mature to a decent size. The current fancy bearded buff laced polish roo only attacks humans... if they turn their back.

One more thing, I cant travel too far maybe an hour drive max from Eatonville. Hubby still getting used to his newly chicken crazy wife!

Thanks in advance!

I have this boy you can have for free any time. He's very nice and growing fast, about 13.5 weeks old right now and I think he just crowed the first time yesterday. I'm in Covington 98042. Let me know. His name is Dinner because if nobody takes him, that's what he'll end up! Oh yeah, he's a Maran/EE cross.

bleh that didn't work. why did they change pic posting!? ugh

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu303/stegmanjessica/484eeddf.jpg

 

[chickenjane82]

Chlorine, in it's natural state is a gas, that is why it evaporates so quickly from water set out for birds.
Since the water is so close to the dirt, poop and contaminants can easily be kicked in, and because one sick bird can drink from the font and birds naturally blow their nostrils out (Ameraucanas are the worst, they will practically BATHE in the font and clean their beards) so the next chook to come along gets whatever disease the first one snorted out.

We have finished constructing our well...producing fantastic.................BUTTT................since we just constructed it, it tested positive for E. Coli & a few other Coliform bacterias.................all seriouse health issues, which attack the liver & kidneys of all MAMMALS including livestock.

So we SHOCKED the spring with Chlorine......and re-tested it as no more E.Coli, but still has other coli-form bacterias to deal with......this pristine mountain spring.

We re-shocked......as alot of the contaminants in your water can be from the tank, the pipes, the faucets, the pumps, etc......and I ordered a 100 kit for testing.

Anyone that thinks Chlorine is a nasty horrible cancer-causing chemical...needs to spend some time looking at the nasty worms, diseases and bacteria the Africa Nations deal with !
Thankfully we have
Chlorine ! And I am sure our spring will be health IN ALL THE PIPES & STuff

BLEACH? or Chlorine?
Its my understanding that the 2 are different? Am I wrong?

Thankfully Im not in Africa.

Im not quite on board with the daily bleach water, but I am interested in what you are saying. What kit did you get for testing? Im gathering that the nipple waterers would be the most sanitary way to go. Wouldnt that be a better solution?