***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Sooner Magnolia]

I still have 4 and they are locked up for a few days while we go to our family reunion. Still have my favorites. Not sure if I should call myself lucky. I know never to give an animal that name. It never works out....

 

[Tika75]

How did everyone get through last night with the storms? It was shaking our house and our 18 year old asked me this morning if a tornado had gone by. We had moved our chicken jail away from the house the other day so I was worried about it. My husband said it stood up without damage. Our barn's roof needs fixed. The winds were strong enough to break the 2x4s so it is sagging. We lost some dead tree limbs, but they needed to come out anyway. Other than that we didn't get much damage.

 

[dunnmom]

Another newbie move on my part. I've fed my chickens a few times some grass that I've been pulling from the non trimmed areas in my yard. They love it, but I didn't know that long strands could impact their crops. So far no sick chickens that I can tell, but from now on I should rip it up into shorter pieces, because I've seen them reeling it into their mouths like spaghetti.

 

[Fallenone05]

Hope everyone is okay after these big storms!! Be safe tonight, too, because there's supposed to be more storms pushing through.

@dunnmom I doubt that you hurt them any with the longer grass! I'm sure they'll appreciate the short blades just as much as the long blades, too.. I did the same thing and they're just fine.

 

[Fallenone05]

Just got a laugh out of my chooks... A baby found a dead cicada and tried to eat it before a big hen chased her off.. Then the rooster 'found' it for his ladies and got a lot of attention for it. :'D

 

[NanaKat]

Another newbie move on my part. I've fed my chickens a few times some grass that I've been pulling from the non trimmed areas in my yard. They love it, but I didn't know that long strands could impact their crops. So far no sick chickens that I can tell, but from now on I should rip it up into shorter pieces, because I've seen them reeling it into their mouths like spaghetti.

You are correct. Snip the grass blades into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Chickens will take small pieces from grass as they eat when grazing. The long blades require grit to crush on the gizzard. Getting those long blades from the crop to the gizzard can be difficult and could cause crop issues.

 

[NanaKat]

We are getting envious of those getting good measures of rain. Our section of central Oklahoma has been missed by rain...the storm either fizzle out or split and go around us. In the past two months our rain total has been 2.5 inches while Shawnee to the south has received 8 inches and Chandler to the north has had over 5. Our ponds are 1.5 foot low and the grass in the pastures is yellowing. Cracks in the ground are 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.
While the winds have dropped limbs, the rain totals for the past two days is 4/10 inch.

 

[dunnmom]

Lots of run maintenance to do today, due to too many flies. Considering putting my 8 week old BRs in with the bigger girls. I'm not sure, but I thought it might be a good idea to try to get them together before the older ones start laying. I've been paying close attention to the integration thread that's been going. Any of you ever have trouble getting little ones in with the big ones? Times like this, I wish free ranging was an option for my girls.

 

[Poco Pollo]

No power for a couple days. Still waiting for the electric company crew to replace the downed lines in our yard and pasture. Lost one Cornish cross when moving birds before the storm. He wandered off and probably blew/flew to Texas.

 

[NanaKat]

No power for a couple days. Still waiting for the electric company crew to replace the downed lines in our yard and pasture. Lost one Cornish cross when moving birds before the storm. He wandered off and probably blew/flew to Texas.

Glad you are okay.