Washingtonians

[itsren]

Both pictures are gorgeous!! I love the chicken butts!

You should have prefaced that pic with "Guess what?"

LOL!

 

[ChickAudie]

Will they be free ranging too? I highly recommend they have a covered run and still be able to range your yard. That will keep the coop/run cleaner as well, and give them lots of greens/bugs. If you are confining them to coop/run full time you are correct, the grass will be gone in a week.

Yes, I am out in the yard daily and they will be allowed to roam free

while I can supervise them. Originally, I just wanted them for spider control lol! Now, I just think they are neat and would make a great addition to the family

We do have a pretty old fence (Hubs repaired any gaps) but there is a big doggy next door who looks like he would enjoy some fresh chicken if he could just manage his way over, so they def will not be out there by themselves. My hubs and I are fortunate to work opposite shifts, so they will always have somebody there to tend to their needs. I am not sure how often he will be out there with them, but he's a super softy and I can imagine they will be out for an hour or two when he's home, and I will have them out for a couple. I am wondering if 2-4 hours a day out of their pen will suffice?

 

[itsren]

I do have a question.... I wasn't going to roof the enclosed run, just the coop. Since we are in Washington, do y'all think I should put a cover over it to keep out the rain?? I was just going to run the hardware cloth over the top, but then read the article on avoiding a muddy run and am thinking a roof might be a bit better idea, more work than I was wanting

, but better for the outdoor ladies in the long run..... Our lot is a large, but level lot.... sort of on a hill, a big hill that you only noctice when you drive up. There is some pretty thick grass growing, but from what I have read, that won't be a lastin' too long!

As soon as the rain starts, you'll probably wish you had a roof on it.

I still have to install the roof on mine...

 

[itsren]

Our lot is only 10,800 s/f so I can't go bonkers with a delux chicken mansion...as much as I want too

We should start a 10,000 s/f club... and then we should convince justbugged to teach us how to turn our lots into absolutely gorgeous mini-farms that the neighbors will "ooh" and "aah" over instead of giving us that look of dread followed by "You got chickens?"

 

[ChickAudie]

We should start a 10,000 s/f club... and then we should convince justbugged to teach us how to turn our lots into absolutely gorgeous mini-farms that the neighbors will "ooh" and "aah" over instead of giving us that look of dread followed by "You got chickens?"

That would be awesome! I would love to be a member of that club! The neighbors we have now are all pretty nice (aside from the hungry doggy on the other side of the fence, who also finds the postman to be the most vile creature). The other side has a daycare and the kids just love to watch the dog run around the yard, so I can imagine how excited they will be to see chickens! We are just renting for now (yes, we have a very cool landlord!), so I don't want to spend mucho dinero on altering the landscape, the coop I have plans to build will be moving with us when we finally get our dream farm :0) I am doing the flared hardware cloth vs. trench, I figured it would save some energy, and with someone always home, I am comfortable with the safety.

 

[pettec63]

Hi all!

I know it's been a while since I've been on, but it's been a LONG summer, and I've had lots to do. Because I have lots to do, and because of my on going hip issue, things go much slower than normal. What it used to take me a few hours to do, now takes more like days!

to all the newbies, if you stick around I'm sure you will learn lots of stuff! About chickens and other things!!
Cloverleaf, I am ssoooooo sorry about the chicken disaster!! I hope they were insured?? I really hate shipping anything USPS, I just don't trust them, namely because one of my ex's worked for them, and yea.....
that is just very sad!

CL you are such a talent!! What wonderful pictures! Maybe some day I can pay you to do one for me!!

Itsren, when I posted about the hoop houses, I was going to ask you, is that something you can do? I really don't know much about permaculture although I have been reading about it, I would love to make our place sustainable, as much as I could! But, I suppose a hoop house defeats the purpose of making your land useful. I have never had a "green thumb" although I have grown some veggies. I am going to work on the hoop house thing before the snow flies and try and raise some stuff this winter.

Well, all my chickies have grown up, and are starting to lay, I have TONS of ducks and ducklings, can't seem to find a good market for them, and I refuse to let them go for nothing! My buckeyes are starting to lay now, and I have too many Bantam Ameraucanas cockerels!!! So, if anyone is looking for a nice boy for blue eggs let me know!! I'll post pictures next!

 

[FlyRobinFly]

As well as Ogress is being the ultimimate enabler and selling me her Hobavator Genesis tomorrow.

And I have two new additions to the family. Meet Bunnie and Clyde!

Yay, Christmas comes early for you! Glad you got the bator you wanted.

Cute bunnies too!

(Finally got a chance to use the dancing bunny emoticon!)

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Does anyone here have experience with meat goats? I have the opportunity to get a portion of a billy goat for a good price. Apparently he's a big sucker, maybe 200 lbs. Do billies have good meat? Anyone have good recipes? I've had cabrito, but I know that young goats are much more tender, so I don't even know if an adult billy goat is worth cooking.

Totalcolour raises her own meat goats (and rabbits and fowl too) and is also a fabulous cook. She would be a great resource.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Good to see you Julie (pettec)!

Been a while!

 

[pettec63]

So we got a chance to trade one of my old dairy goats for a Duroc/hampshire boar!!!



He's having a great time in the pasture, and he's buddies with my gelding!!!
We have 4 different species in the pasture right now, I'll have to take a picture, you guys wouldn't believe it!