Washingtonians

[KMHunter]

Well all went well with the bee removal I was there about 5;30 done by about 7:30. It went very well especially since I was working alone. I got enough very nice brood/comb to make 5 frames. When I got home was when the trouble started. I figured since I was in the bee yard and suited up I should check the other 4 hives. Well seems NONE of the ladies were too fond of me waking them that early. Each hive blew up in my face. I am thinking it is time to wash my suit again or buy a new one. I took several more stings and all of the recent stings have been in the same spot. Inside my upper right arm. That spot must be really marked. Ok gotta go gonna try to get a load of scrap loaded for town today and then have a wiring gig to do tonight.

Please be careful with all of those stings! I hope you don't get any more for a long while. But great job on the removal!

 

[Hinotori]

Anyone going to the gun show in Puallope today? That is where we are heading now!

We're going later today. I have FedEx coming this morning. Thankyou for reminding me. Almost forgot since I haven't had my badge out in a while.


Glad the removal went smoothe, CR. Those stings make me hurt just thinking about it. DH wants to try bees butfor some reason he thinks I'm going to take care of them. I dislike being stung to much, though the gentle bees around here have helped me get over my fear. Wasps can die horribly. They've got me to much last couple years.

 

[RaZ]

Well all went well with the bee removal I am thinking it is time to wash my suit again or buy a new one. I took several more stings and all of the recent stings have been in the same spot.

Congratulations on the removal.
I recommend that you do not wash your bee suit in DH''s washing machine. The propolis and wax gets all over the machine and then gets into her dainties. Make DH very unhappy when you ruin her washing machine.

Do it by hand in a tub outside and avoid the mistake I once made.

 

[JNB]

Well all went well with the bee removal I was there about 5;30 done by about 7:30. It went very well especially since I was working alone. I got enough very nice brood/comb to make 5 frames. When I got home was when the trouble started. I figured since I was in the bee yard and suited up I should check the other 4 hives. Well seems NONE of the ladies were too fond of me waking them that early. Each hive blew up in my face. I am thinking it is time to wash my suit again or buy a new one. I took several more stings and all of the recent stings have been in the same spot. Inside my upper right arm. That spot must be really marked. Ok gotta go gonna try to get a load of scrap loaded for town today and then have a wiring gig to do tonight.

CR Some one told me awhile back that if you get stung enough times you become immune to the sting????

I have never really wanted to test that theory myself. Seems a better task for the professionals

. Im glad you got a good amount for the 5 frames....

 

[nikki1]

Okay, guys, I need some practical help. I have 3 girls who are just starting to lay in the last week or so. They were hatched early March, and are ready to go. In May the neighbor dogs broke into our yard and killed 4 hens, so the replacements were hatched mid-May, and are a couple months from laying. Can you see the question coming? How do I get my big girls the calcium they need, without giving the little girls too much? Also, is there anything besides calcium I need to be adding to the chick feed for the big girls?

Any ideas? I only have one coop, so separation isn't really an option. Thanks in advance!

--Nikki

 

[JNB]

I had planned on leaving early today for the farmers market in Tenino.. but as we were pulling out of our driveway I saw a box.... Hopped out to move it and low and behold there were 2 hens in it!!!!

Both look like RIR and both are pretty small and ones entire rear is a big RED featherless mess..... Grrrrrr So what could I do, couldnt leave them there... I have no clue where they came from.. only thought is from someone who knew I sell eggs... So I made them a quarintine pen in the barn and set them up. Im not looking forward to nursing pecked on hens again I just finished up with 2 other girls that were from a friend and litterally just added them into the main coop on Tuesday. Was planning on using the small movable pen for some Cornish X (we are wanting to try meat birds). At least on the bright side I still have the meds and stuff to give them for the peck wounds.

So done with that, we attempted to leave again and in the street were the neighbors 2 Boxers... Their people are on vacation for the weekend and we are feeding and watching the place... This is first time the puppy was left home and she must be missing her people because she is digging out.. So we loaded them up brought them home and fixed them a shady kennal with a tot size swimming pool and fans LOL.
So now its the time we had planned on being back home by and we still haven't left . So gave the chickens some frozen water bottles for the afternoon heat. I think we are still gonna try to head to the Arts Fair in Eatonville for ..
the afternoon.. Ill cross my fingers

I hope everyone is doing well and can enjoy the sunshine a little bit

 

[hallerlake]

Okay, guys, I need some practical help. I have 3 girls who are just starting to lay in the last week or so. They were hatched early March, and are ready to go. In May the neighbor dogs broke into our yard and killed 4 hens, so the replacements were hatched mid-May, and are a couple months from laying. Can you see the question coming? How do I get my big girls the calcium they need, without giving the little girls too much? Also, is there anything besides calcium I need to be adding to the chick feed for the big girls?

Any ideas? I only have one coop, so separation isn't really an option. Thanks in advance!

--Nikki

The big girls can eat the little girls food, but give them oyster shell on the side. They'll take what they need.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Anyone else having fly troubles with all this heat? They're super thick around the run and back patio. Hosed down the patio and hung a fly trap which already has a lot in it! What else can I do? Is this just what happens when you turn up the heat with lots of chickens around? Kind of a bummer Maybe I'll hang the last of the vanilla scented tree scents I have LOL

 

[justbugged]

Rat question for you all...

Our neighborhood has had a rat problem for years. We live on a cliff overlooking the valley. Because of this, we end up with quite a few animal problems (raccoon, rat, owl, opossum, gopher, bobcat, coyote, etc.). Even though this is residential neighborhood, with so much unusable and overgrown land on the steep cliff below us, there's just no keeping them away.

Because of our kids, we don't set out bait blocks. We'll use sticky traps around the compost bins, but, since our bins are overflowing with chicken shavings we no longer have room to compost food, so the rats seem to be leaving our bins alone.

A few different neighbors are seeing rats again. One neighbor set out bait blocks. I guess the rats drug the bait blocks to another neighbor's yard, where his dogs ate part of them and got very sick. Now that neighbor is afraid of setting out bait blocks.

I've been looking online for different solutions. There is this heavy duty bait box available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Protecta-HEAV...8&qid=1343740293&sr=8-1&keywords=rat+bait+box

Has anyone used this before? If yes, can the rats drag the bait blocks out of the box?

over the years we have thrown bait blocks underneath our house. So far we haven't had anything die under the house that we have noticed. At least I know for sure that the pets can't get to the bait no matter what. Our neighbors said that they had a rat die in their back yard, but I know that I nor my chicken are what can be attracting the rats. I do have a neighbor that had a mama rat living in their garage one summer.

My big cats killed the babies thankfully, and I am not sure what happened to the mama rat. I do keep all my feed in bins. It's also nice that the nasty little dogs are more than willing to kill rodents.

I have on the other hand been thinking about getting some old fashioned snap mouse traps. The nasty little puppies have learned to jump up on the chairs at the breakfast bar, and have been stealing stuff off of the kitchen island.

I am just not sure that I am really mean enough to really put a mouse trap on the chair. So far I have only just thought about it. I am afraid that it might break a nasty little foot, and then I would feel very very bad. But every time I find some else that has been stolen, I start to think evil thoughts.

 

[justbugged]

The last Intro to Freezer Camp of 2012 tomorrow morning in Enumclaw

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are holding the last "Intro to Freezer Camp" tomorrow morning. We will be starting between 9:30am and 10am. All are welcome to come see how it's done. We have 6 more meaties that need to be processed. We are going to start fairly early in the day because of the heat. PM me for the address if you are interested.