Texas

[uglychickens]

MUST BE NICE!!!!

 

[erikk]

Y'all talking about your first flocks...I was afraid to put the birds in the coop so I kept mine in a box for a long time until they pecked the feathers off of each others backs! With my (current) third set of birds, I couldn't wait until they turned a month old a couple of weeks ago , so we could put them outside in the hoopty. I did worry about them last night when I saw them trying to sleep in the exposed portion of the coop. Tonight, I ushered them inside and they stayed.

We're on our first set of chicks. We got some mature birds from a co-worker including 3 senior citizen silkies. When the first silkie went broody and stayed broody on ceramic eggs for a couple weeks we found out when the local feed store was getting chicks and got 6 EEs to put under her one night. They all bonded and have been doing well. It was about 6 weeks ago so we weren't worried about them getting cold in the middle of our TX summer.

Sadly we're down from 6 to 3. They've been able to escape or fly over our run's walls and our family dogs have killed 3 now. They're in doggie jail (crate) for the 3rd kill yesterday. I think I know which of the two dogs is guilty but not 100%. I really need a protective roo to teach the dogs the chickens aren't prey. My wife isn't keen on my shock collar plans and truthfully I'm not either but we need to train our dogs (or have a roo train them) not to go after the chickens. Once that's done we can let the chickens free-range our 1/2 acre fenced backyard.

Anyone near Abilene have a human-friendly dog-unfriendly roo they'd sell?

 

[Italia]

MUST BE NICE!!!!

Awww too cute. Reminds me of a cat I used to have that liked to get in the shower and take car rides. Never wanted to be out of sight, but was not a lover. To pick up that cat meant putting on bandages after. He just showed up in my life one day and decided his lot in life was to keep an eye on me.

ahh...... thanks you just reminded me that I need to clean the cat littler box out

 

[Italia]

We're on our first set of chicks. We got some mature birds from a co-worker including 3 senior citizen silkies. When the first silkie went broody and stayed broody on ceramic eggs for a couple weeks we found out when the local feed store was getting chicks and got 6 EEs to put under her one night. They all bonded and have been doing well. It was about 6 weeks ago so we weren't worried about them getting cold in the middle of our TX summer.

Sadly we're down from 6 to 3. They've been able to escape or fly over our run's walls and our family dogs have killed 3 now. They're in doggie jail (crate) for the 3rd kill yesterday. I think I know which of the two dogs is guilty but not 100%. I really need a protective roo to teach the dogs the chickens aren't prey. My wife isn't keen on my shock collar plans and truthfully I'm not either but we need to train our dogs (or have a roo train them) not to go after the chickens. Once that's done we can let the chickens free-range our 1/2 acre fenced backyard.

Anyone near Abilene have a human-friendly dog-unfriendly roo they'd sell?

Sorry about you loss of chickens. It sounds like you will have to find a way to keep chickens and dogs from running together. I got a little silkie roo for sale but I do not think he would be much help. lol

 

[kkidsmom]

Quote:
Are you related to a david or stephen metcalf? I moved from Jacksonville in 1979 and they were my age at the time, twins. I too miss the changing seasons. Once in 1996 I was "home" in August and visiting a church where the people didn't really know me. They asked do you have humidity in Texas like it is here (they were thinking that their version of hot was impressive) I laughed and said no its worse cause we in East Texas don't have any wind to blow away the humidity. Paula

 

[Italia]

Does any one on this thread have experience selling ducks? I bought three cayugas and have enjoyed them so much I wanted three more. I ordered 10 because they had a forty five dollar charge added if buying less than ten, so basically same price for ten as buying three.

One duckie got eaten by a snake, but I have had six up for sale for six weeks now on craigslist. No one has bit at all. Is this the wrong time of year to sell ducks? The thought of having to feed all these ducks until spring is painful. I feed H&H so I do not think I will get my money back by then. They grow so fast.

Any ideas? Dress them up in pink tootoos?

 

[mylittlechicken]

Hello Texans,
it seems we have a beehive forming under our roof outside.
Now the question, I started to think getting a beehive would be a good idea. But husband don`t want it, cause in Texas there is a 50/50 chance you get honeybees or killerbees.
Does anybody have a beehive and what are your experiences? You ever had problems with Killerbees?

 

[hungnguyen]

to bee or not to bee, that's the question.

For me, I will eliminate the bee before they develop and chase me or other people. If i want honey, i can go to the store.

 

[chickletteSarge]

Hey speaking of.... My nextdoor neighbors have a bee problem and I could extract them if someone will buy the transport boxes and whatnot.

 

[hungnguyen]

3 wks ago, I have 1 rooster got sick with the heat. His cage was at the outer corner and the sun got to the water jug, that was why he chose not to drink and got sick. Now, last weekend, I had 2 got a cold ... with the hard rain last weekend and 60F in the morning, couldn't help.

Love the weather in TX, don't we !