Dixie Chicks

[Ravynscroft]

This year has been weird for molts/heat/rain issues... my eggs picked up, now some are dropping off again... :/

 

[BriardChickens]

blech. She doesn't get on every day.

it's not you know who running it?

 

[minihorse927]

This year has been weird for molts/heat/rain issues... my eggs picked up, now some are dropping off again... :/

yep, I've heard several people having odd molta.

it's not you know who running it?

nope.

 

[Outpost JWB]

This year has been weird for molts/heat/rain issues... my eggs picked up, now some are dropping off again...

x2 on that! I've got a few going thru molt. A couple that have a cough, and yesterday when I was out picking stuff up out of the yard we heard screaming (squawking) from the smallest chicks' brooder cage. These chicks were born May 21, 2015. 2 of the small roos are already mating

??? Or at least trying. They are in a cage where they cannot see the grown roosters because the grown are out back far from them. Ever heard of such a thing? They're not even 2 months old! Now I'm going to have to separate them which means another cage. Which means another stop during feeding and watering time. If I counted right, we have 20 pens, coops, kennels & cages currently

. No wonder it takes over 2 hours to feed and water.

Last spring I had a roo start being aggressive and mating when he was 3 months old. I thought that was odd. I penned him up for another month and then butchered him. That was kind of hard, because his coloring was absolutely gorgeous. But, I did not want to breed the aggression into another generation though.

 

[Outpost JWB]

Previous owners are usually of the genius type. Don't get me started on ours...

I hear you on that!! Our original owners of this house, had at least 2 horses-on this little 3 acre lot

. They built 2 lean to sheds out back & roughly fenced out 1/2 of the property. That whole acre and 1/2 was where the horses would roam, eat and such. The land is so beat up back there it's impossible to walk in spots. I've filled as many holes as I can in the 2 years we have lived here. DH has mowed a pathway (which is now overgrown due to all the rain), and we are working little by little. There seems to be NO drainage anywhere on this property. Front or back. It holds water, grows mosquitos, frogs, etc. Terrible. Little by little, we are trying to make it habitable. The 2nd owners (from what we are told) had snakes, iguanas, & tropical birds and never came out of the house. They have been described by my neighbors as vampires....

The back of the property was untouched for 10 years. So it was VERY overgrown when we bought the place. We seen (and still see) the potential, it's just hard to get there as quick as we would like.

@perchie.girl , Thanks for describing the flooring that is used in some barns. I really had no idea. When we get a new coop, it's going to have better flooring!! We repurposed the lean to sheds and have the deep litter method. Right now it's DEEP!!! (and nasty!) I shoveled it out in the spring. There is no bottom. It's just dirt. I appreciate the way that you explain things in detail. It really helps. Thanks again. I've heard of people using scrap linoleum. Any of you do that? What's the pros and cons of that?

I'd better get moving. Got that whole work thing to do today. You all have a great day!

 

[minihorse927]

Anyone else have a bunch of hens who excessively preen on their rooster? @Outpost JWB, good morning!

 

[minihorse927]

Oh, guess what @Outpost JWB! They're giving minimal chances of rain after Monday!

 

[minihorse927]

@BriardChickens, check to see if you've been added. Alison just added a bunch of people.

 

[BriardChickens]

@Outpost JWB goats would help you clear that up really good. So would sheep, ours have done real well. Our hair sheep are almost no work.

@minihorse927
Yes I have!

 

[seminolewind]

Wax on...Wax off

LOL, they just had that movie on tv 2 days ago. Not like I watched it, just saw it.