Texas - Page 442

Ponyup, I think he gave it away or something. No sign of it today at all. I already have 4 dogs. Can't take anymore especially one that likes to kill chickens.

Hi everyone!
We FINALLY got the coop built, and just in time! The girls were getting stir crazy in their pen and ready to move about. It took longer than I had thought, since hubby decided that we first had to build a new fence for the dogs ( making the backyard bigger and not with a privacy fence anymore), then use the old privacy fence to build the coop. Plus we used the old dog run (10x10) for protection. But instead of using four sides of the chain link, we used one panel on top (I have all the pics up under my photos, if this is hard to follow!). Then it was wrapped in chicken wire and all holes patched. One of the gals--Dora (she tends to "explore" and my son's favorite cartoon)--was gracious enough to keep pointing out where holes needed to be patched. The final coop size is 10' long and 6' high. I love it! And better yet, so do the girls!

However...yesterday I went out to go feed them when we saw that Dora had somehow got her leg woven into the chain link fence. I got her out and brought her back to her old pen to recuperate. Good news is that she is doing better. She is eating and drinking, but has a really bad limp. She did feel well enough to fly to me today tho, so I am hopeful. Sadly, her two best friends--BB (a frizzle) and Sue (an Ameracauna like Dora)--suffered a terrible fate. Something got into the coop and those two didn't get away. It was heartbreaking. Those three were the smallest, and the other three (who are about three weeks older) were fine. Hubby was looking around online and saw that opossums tend to er..eat...the way we found them. But I don't know what could get in! Can opossums squeeze in like that?

I'm in Georgetown, if that helps to know what critters are around here (well, outside the city proper). Thanks for getting thru my ramble, either way!

(Oh, Dora was sad to be alone, so we got her some new friends today, and she is much happier with some little ones around her--this time, two RIRs and two Brahmas)

~Jeni

Jeni,
Your coop pictures are great!  You and your husband are very talented and your chickens are very lucky!

 

Sorry about your girls :( 

 

Do you think the predator could have gone under the chain link?
 

And you just made MY DAY! I grew up in Corpus Christi and am now in Houston. Back then, Corpus was, shall I say, almost exclusively "hispanic" as they say. But where I am now, we have tons of illegals. If I say one word about those people that don't know how to act I get accused of racism. I guess I'm really racist against stupid people, cause trust me, sorry comes in every color of the rainbow. (retired postal worker)

Yea i was labled "the self hatin mexican" in my co back at Ft Hood. It w....as so funny when my squad leader asks me what i am.... "male?" ....."a pvt?" ....... he then asked if i was mexican or puerto rican? I stold them all i was neither, that i was a Texican. My family has been here in Texas since Texas was Tejas the Republic! And that if Texas ever secceeded from the union i would defect to my countries army! Lol my battle from basic gave me that label... "Padilla ive never met a beaner that hated his own people as much as you!" I dont hate hispanics. I despise the ones that come over here the wrong way for the wrong reasons! The ones that get on guvment welfare and ride the system. Those need to be sent back! The ones that come over here and do things the right way, feel free! I had a SGT that imigrated from Columbia. He came here for college and loved it so he joined the Army! That made me proud!
There are men and women in Iraq and the 'stan that risk their lives and their families lives for the chance to have a better life than what they have there. Brings a tear to my eye when i think about the terp we had. He got spotted and his whole family was wiped out! He came back to finish what he started and made it here shortly after i got out!
Thats what makes the difference in my eyes i guess. Have the pride to live the American Dream! PAY YOUR TAXES! Dont have a job and want to so you can pay them? JOIN THE MARINES! JOIN THE ARMY! Smart? GO AIR FORCE!
Thank you for your time!


By no means am i condoning the enlistment into the military! DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK!

We aren't sure. We have blocked any potential holes with rock, and are planning on doing more rocks around the bottom today. Plus we are going to install doors to the front of the coop, so at night we can make sure the gals are safely penned in and away from any more potential threats.

Happily Dora is putting more weight on her injured leg, and is so much happier with the new chicks spending time with her.

Hi Y'all!

 

We're in Bryan-College Station. Anyone else in this area?  I am busy on my coop and SO DESPERATE to get done and go get our girls! We're going to Blue Star Ranch to get them. We're hoping to get a Black Australorp, White Rock, and 2 bantams for the 2 oldest kids: an EEgger and a Frizzle!

Howdy there Import... not in B-CS, but have certainly spent some time in the Brazos Valley!

 

Interesting story from our friends over at A&M and the Extension Service... If you're in Texas, and looking to start raising chickens (or are still a newbie), this might be worth checking out:

 

‘Clucks-for-Bucks’ program set July 27 in San Marcos

Expert: Niche market may spell opportunity for small-scale poultry producers

SAN MARCOS – Cluck, cluck, cluck. Hear that? It’s the sound of money, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service poultry specialist.

It also could be the sound of fresh eggs for your morning breakfast, or a great project for your kids, said Dr. Craig Coufal, AgriLife Extension poultry specialist in the Texas A&M University poultry science department, College Station.

For those interested, AgriLife Extension will be holding a small-scale poultry production workshop from 8 a.m – 4:45 p.m., July 27 at the Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel, Spa and Conference Center, 1001 E. McCarty Lane in San Marcos, he said.

 

http://today.agrilife.org/2012/06/19/clucks-for-bucks-san-marcos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgrilifeToday+%28AgriLife+Today%29

That sounds great!  Now if they would just do one a little farther north and east, it would be even better!

Just thought I'd drop in and say 'Hi' to everyone - haven't been on in a week or so - super busy with work, garden, kiddos, and baby goat kids . . . had twin bucks born last Thursday.  I have 4 broody hens - I have to keep throwing eggs away because after a week or so of setting on the nests, the hens move and the eggs get cold :(  I've got one hen 'locked' in a homemade nester box (I'll take pics and try to post tomorrow) and am trying to figure out a way to confine the others to the nest boxes (of course with food and water).  It's been very frustrating . . .