Eastern Tennessee Thread

[stanglover2001]

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[tnchickenut]

Everyone is free to come or go as they please... but I don't see a reason in leaving because others got "in trouble" with staff. Again, it is also against the rules to question staffs decisions and also against the rules to keep gossiping about the problem that caused it all.

That said, this is a thread for East Tennesseeans who are on BYC. Personally, I don't care what poultry or fowl you breed. I don't think BYC has "rules" for who can or can't post in this thread, especially rules based on what birds you have. That "I have more chickens than you" mentality is one of the issues with BYC, imo. Bit like high school.

One chicken, no chickens, 500 chickens.... I don't care. I have no dog in this fight.


To the new people, please don't run off. Do watch who you get advice from... same with the rest of the internet. People can be who they want to be online. Same here as any other webpage. And remember that just because someone had chickens for 20 years, doesn't mean they were/are doing it right. Same with breeding. My personal advice is to research everything and only use people's suggestions (especially with illnesses and breeding) as a starting point for your own google searches. You should never take anyone's word as gospel.


Now that we got that cleared up.... 5 ft is plenty high for heavier breeds, but leghorns and other lighter breeds will fly right over them whenever they like in, my experience. One trick that the books suggest and that has not always worked 100% for me is to not give them a "goal" to perch on... meaning if you have a post or beam at the top of the fence that they can see, they'll aim for it and hop over. I have tried to have the posts shorter than the fence for this reason... works for about 98% of the flock. There seems to always be some who get out no matter what. For me, that is part of it and I don't stress.


Now, go hug your chickens or whatever birds you have.... Peace.

 

[itsthelaw37801]

lol I cried for a week when Hubbie's game rooster got loose and killed my little OEGB Silver Duckwing Roo. I had him for a few years. Then when a person was walking their dog down our road and it killed my ducks, I cried. Then when someone brought a GSD here b/c they thought it was ours, and it wiped out my barn, just about. I was ******. I have been wiped out a few times, mostly from dogs. I am really crazy about it now.
Lady up the road was walking with her husband and two of their 20 or so dogs down the road. They were loose and not on leashes. The ran into my yard at full blast and I came out the door yelling NO NO BAD DOG! Yelled at them to keep the dogs out of my yard. I am sure I could have handled it differently. Shoot, I know I could have. I am just tired of spending a huge amount of money to get new birds b/c someone else thinks it is great for their dogs to run loose. I also happen to really love and like each bird on my property.
We bought a Boxer one year for my youngest daughter for Christmas. He was 10wks old when she took him out one day to go potty and he proceeded to eat my young Polish and Turkeys like they were Snausages. Ugh dogs... We re homed him and found a Great Pyrenees pup who was raised around chickens and ducks. At 6 months old she busted through our bathroom window to maul our Ducks.

I don't cry now, but that does not mean I am less obsessed or that it does not hurt me. I just think you get desensitized to the mayhem.

I started out last dog out with the Geese, at a younger age. I supervised. I know.... KNOW... she will never get within 5 feet of them without watching them closely. Geese have a way of putting things in their place.

So what did the people do when you started screaming? They probably thought you had lost your mind. I would have gone bonkers and put a sign up at the road that read "walk your dogs on a leash."

 

[GableBabble]

They gave me nasty looks. Then this past Christmas, a dog showed up. We thought he was another dump off. Hubbie went to get the gun, but the youngest daughter had already grown very fond of him. He was like the perfect dog. Indoors and out. B/c of where we live, we really did not think he belonged to anyone. He was full of flea's, tick's, matt's, and had no collar. His toenails were ingrown into some of his pads.
Anyway, long story short. She got a collar for him for Christmas (he was at our house for 3 weeks, with free run of the yard). Christmas day he got let out to go potty and must have went home. He belonged to them.
Hubbie went to retrieve the collar, after the wife had called our house and talked to my youngest daughter. The wife was very nice, but the Husband came out of the house like a wild bull. He was angry and nasty, still remembered me yelling at them. I felt bad for the dog and my daughter, and my husband.
We have not seen or talked to them since.

 

[laughingdog]

I was part of the original mess that started the last trouble here, and just this morning i remembered what i think it was finally, and am apologizing for reacting crudely and childish to a few preventative solutions suggested, that i felt were inhumane. I name called and made apparently long lasting bad impressions on a few, and that grand standing statement of my opinion on the matter was wrong. I am not trying to claim to be an expert, but just parrot fact, as well as what has worked great, or very badly, for me, and others ive seen personally around me, but my not work at all for others. i took longer than most to accept the internet, so looked most info up from books and paper articles, that maybe not as readily available as sources online (i dont really trust anonymous sources that are not proven by editors or publishers). the atrocious spelling ect, is sadly just due to me posting replies when im half asleep when get to get online, coupled with fact i now have increasingly bad vision ect. so flaming or soap boxing as it may seem, i didnt mean to get anyone in trouble, run off, or run them off. so im not trying to cause trouble or get attention, im just trying to admit that i messed up also and apologize. many topics on here i know nothing about to much, but that is partly why im here to learn from others as well about how workings of hobby farming or more works for others here in our area.

 

[littlechicklet]

I don't clip wings. There are people who do, but I do not like how they look. It can also leave them without much chance to get away from predators.



Even though I do not talk much, I do read this forum. I will miss the guys who are leaving.

Or is there a reason that clipping one of their wings would be a no no?

I have clipped wings in the past and also think it looks bad. The reason I did it was to try and protect mine from predators because they would fly out during the day while I was at work. We have woods on 2 sides of our property with foxes, hawks, raccoons, etc. I also think some are just determined to get out. The lot they were in had a 6' fence and these were LF heavy breeds and EEs.

 

[littlechicklet]

Heck

I just found this site that is for East Tennessee chicken hobbyist. I got on here to learn from everyone. I hope I made the right decision.

Please do not be discouraged by events that transpired recently. We are a friendly group, try to offer our opinions based on our own experiences, encourage one another and enjoy communicating with other people in our area. We all have different ways of doing things and I for one do not feel my way is the only way or the best way.

btw:

&

and the E. TN thread to all the new people and those who follow along. Glad to have you with us!

 

[littlechicklet]

itthelaw-

I am sorry you lost one of your chickens. I think it does get easier the longer you have chickens (at least it has for me). I am still saddened by the loss but not devastated like in the beginning.

Also I am glad to here Taz is doing well. It sounds like he has some good instincts. If its okay keep us posted on his progress; esp. include pics because he is so cute.


ETA: I think GableBabble put it very well in her post. "I don't cry now, but that does not mean I am less obsessed or that it does not hurt me. I just think you get desensitized to the mayhem."

but I usually still cry some.

 

[FeyRaine]

I am picking some up around the 8th of Feb. I have been over excited about it for weeks lol

Gosh, Feyraine. Your name is familiar. Did you pick up a Pekin, Welsh, and a few other birds down in my area?

& a surprize Del named Ruby brought home by the DH, was that from you??

 

[tnchickenut]

I don't clip chicken wings but had parrots and caged birds growing up... you only have to clip a inch or two of the tip of the primaries... keeps them from getting "lift off".

I can see where certain breeds and certain locations, it would be better to clip, but for me... I just leave them be. Sometimes you lose one here or there to something, but it does get easier. There are still some who mean more to you than others, though.