Washingtonians

[FlyRobinFly]

Just been super busy here doing summer stuff. Watering the gardens, making jam, cracking the whip at my girls to get all their stuff ready for fair which starts next week!!! We have to work in the barn tomorrow night to set up for fair. NOT looking forward to doing it in the heat!!

Best of luck to your girls at the fair!

 

[FlyRobinFly]

What a great experience to go out and check for eggs. After the thrill of the first one, you get the thrill of finding the fresh warm one or the thrill of finding several in the same spot. Or finding the egg in a place that you didn't expect.
Not to mention trying to identify which hen laid which egg.

Everyday I get a thrill when I get an egg.

x2! Happy for all the peeps who are getting first eggs, whether for the first time or from a new layer.

 

[LakeBird]

Something you might want to consider is a nice kind of vine (like honeysuckle). It will look quite nice and provide some good shade! That's what we have going for our run.

Do the chickens eat the honeysuckle vine?

 

[FirewifeJess]

Any ideas why my girls are chasing me around trying to peck at eggs I've collected? Is it more of a "Hey, that's mine give it back!" thing, or are they just curious...VERY curious? It's kinda vicious and I have to move quick when I have an egg in my hand!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
That was my first question too, because if they don't, I'm SOOO planting some soon! That would be great to plant in boxes all around the whole run and have it weave up the wires!

 

[Chubby Chicken]

That was my first question too, because if they don't, I'm SOOO planting some soon! That would be great to plant in boxes all around the whole run and have it weave up the wires!

That would look pretty and mask smell

 

[Teva]

That was my first question too, because if they don't, I'm SOOO planting some soon! That would be great to plant in boxes all around the whole run and have it weave up the wires!

I have three honeysuckle vines along my walk way and they aren't eating them, mostly just dirt diving underneath them.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

Hey Jess

One thing you should consider is adding some type of shade to the run.  Maybe hang a tarp or something on the sunny side of the run (west?).  I do remember how warm it was in the afternoon, but it was really the sun beating down on me and not really the 'heat'.  If there was shade on that side it would have made a big difference.

My birds don't have any tree anywhere close enough to provide shade.  They spend almost all their time in the shadows cast by the coops themselves.  We've had nearly three weeks in a row of 95+ degrees - with another week of the same on the way.

Most of our customers are friends or cow-orkers ..erm... co-workers.  If we're currently out of inventory, we simply tell them, "I'll get you your two dozen on Monday" or whenever.  They are just about all fine with that.  They understand that the heat reduces the production.

Three days in a row now I've gotten a really small egg.  Something I"d expect from a pullet just starting to lay, only I don't have any pullets who are at POL.  I don't know if the heat is the cause, or if this is a broody hen who's starting to lay again. 

Hey Dave, I remember thinking "Dude! This is western Washington!". When you suggested that my Legbars would appreciate the trees and shade under the coop to stay cool. But now I am so thankful that they aren't more exposed to the sun. Imagine! 100 degree temps. Here? They spend much of the day under the little coop. BTW. I am just starting to get eggs.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

3:16 pm and my outside thermometer just hit 101*. In the house is 89* and going up.

 

[JennS]

Well, looks like I'll have backyard chickens after all! I called my city's planning office to clarify the ordinances, and found out that they are rewriting all of them. The lady told me I was wrong and pretty much expected me to know the new ones and be in compliance, even though they aren't even online yet!

She finally told me she'd send me a copy. That was two days ago. I called again today and supposedly they are in the mail today. Grrrr.

Anyways, the new rules are worded to completely eliminate front yard chickens. But they lower the distance to 15 feet from property lines, so I can fit a coop under my deck in the back yard. Of course, now I'm thinking again of building a bigger coop, since I have a fair bit of space under there....

In the new location, the coop will be built on part of a concrete patio with the pen on dirt next to it. I'd like to put a bin for dust bathing on the concrete. What is the best way to do this? Build a box? Use big cat litter boxes? And do chickens like to walk on concrete or should I put something on the ground under the coop?

I like the new location. The coop will be close to the faucet for ease of cleaning. The patio has a French drain in it, so when I clean there won't be a big mess. I'm rather leery of letting the chickens out to roam in my back yard though. I have a lot of perennials which put up vulnerable new growth in the spring, and my vegetable garden is back there. Looks like I'll be working on chicken exclusion as well.

Thanks!

Jennifer