***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

My husband is officially the hero of the annual male Tamplen fishing/hunting/camping trip. They go every year in Oct, and this year it fell on a game they all wanted to watch, so they all brought radios so they could listen to the game, except Gary..................................................... he brought the tv from the study, cables of all kinds, antennea and generator specifically so they could watch the game. So this group of guys are going to be in the woods in Eufaula all huddled around a TV tonight so they can see the game.

 

[bridget-rdh]

I have a question......If supplemental light is used to keep your hens laying, is it best if you do in in the morning or at night??? Is 14 hours of light enough?? Thanks

I do ours in the morning, it's on a christmas light timer.. But we only have hens. Ours comes on around 4am and off at 715am. Will have to change all that next week with time change.

 

[MacGuyver]

Whipped cream isn't fancy for me, that is how I drink coffee, (actually I drink hot coffee flavored milk)

I pretty much drink hot coffee flavored milk too.

 

[bridget-rdh]

All the girls roosted on their own tonight! So excited they are catching on quick! Thanks Ksane for the tip on the light. We had to catch 5 that tried to roost in the barn but we just put them in the run and they roosted on their own. Happy chicken momma here!

 

[artsyrobin]

the first winter we had guineas was a riot- they wanted to sit on the car, but the darn thing was just slick

 

[Elbert Garrett]

Good Morning! It`s a frosty 29°F......Brrrr! I hope everybody is enjoying their weekend, mine has been uneventful so far and that`s how I like `em. I hope y`all have a great day!

 

[Poco Pollo]

Morning, Chicken Friends : )

Charley, if you're lurking out there, take a look at this bad boy : ) I let groups out to free-range yesterday, and they spent most of their break hunting for bugs. My Standard Cornish alpha roo, Kiev, found some pill bugs under a bush near the house. He fed his girls most of the afternoon. It was great to watch him dig and then call to the ladies.


My little ones, a group of cream Legbars, who are about two months old, are doing well in the cold. I'm going to watch them closely to be sure they can handle the temperatures as they drop.

 

[mjgigax]

Mitzi your set up sounds like ours. We have 2 big dog kennels that are 12' x 40' both those have 1/2 acre runs that are uncovered they can forage during the day. They have a 12x10 enclosed area in that kennel for shelter from wind, rain ect with nesting boxes and roosts. Then we have 2 hoop houses 10' x 10' only one has birds right now. The other is empty until some of the chicks are ready for the ground but that won't be for at least another month or two. Then we have a 10'x20' dog kennel that (hold your hats) has dogs in it! LOL But it normally is for birds. Once we find the momma dog a home it will return to being a bird coop. Then we have two smaller kennels that are 5'x10' that have Kurt's bantam cochins in them. They each have a igloo dog house for shelter in them. Then there is the chicken condos which has 10 pens ranging from 4'x14 to 16'x14'. 6 A-frame pens all with birds, Lastly is our feed house yard that Nathanael's Mr. Red and 2 hens use during the day it is 10'x10' so perfect for 2 OEGB to use during the day. And our rabbit hutches we have 3 that have 4 pens each in them that are 24"x36" each. That is where Nathanael's OEGB's live now but we are thinking of moving them into cages in the feed house now that cooler weather is getting here. It will be easier and cheaper to keep them warm that way. But they will have smaller pens and have wire floors in those pens so I haven't been in a rush to move them in there. We have plans for 2 more pens out of chainlink panels that will be 6'x10' for more of Kurt's bantam cochins. Nathanael and Jackson are still looking for little tykes play houses to convert to chicken pens for their birds, lol.

Reading this reminded me how poultry is such a good family activity.

 

[Elbert Garrett]

Handsome Fellow!

 

[NanaKat]

Good Morning Okies! It is brisk out there this morning! I'll go back out when temps rise a little to let the flocks out to range. I covered my fall potatoes and will uncover them when the frost melts...hope to see that the vines aren't,t damaged. We have some nice weather coming again.

Mitzi... I have the two 12x12 rooms in the barn, One for brooders and banties and the other is the layer /cochin coop. Each has a 10 hole nester hanging on the wall and each has a floor pen for either chicks or a broody with chicks until they are 3 weeks old to go range. then the floor pens are used for growing chicks transitioning from the concrete floor to the dirt floor and then to the outside. There is a 6 x 50 foot run attached to the south side of the barn that has an opening that is never closed so the hens can go out anytime. Samson the Cochin roo has a harem of 35 lucky girls. he has his favorites but all the girls answer to his food calls. I will separate him and the Cochin girls for pure bred breeding in a few weeks.
A 14 x 16 foot covered yard with a coop currently hold the Columbian Wyandottes and the F1 CW/Aussies for breeding back to Beau. that pen has a 6x8 pen that can be closed. I have been attaching plywood to the inside walls and will water proof the roof to make it a bigger coop.
Next is a 25 x 40 uncovered pen that has a covered 8 x 16 dog kennel that houses the coop. (A pen within a pen). the roosters are housed there until I butcher and until those I will use for breeding are old enough. There is plenty of grass forth these guys but I let them out to range with the flock.
Pen four is 25 x 30 for the two geese. They have a goose house loaded with hay for sleeping but they haven't chosen to use it preferring to sleep on the ground. They have a kiddie pool. they range also.
All birds have access to as much ground as they want when out free ranging. They have been in the front yard, around the far side of the barn, in the garden, out under the trailers and tractors, and out in the pasture with the cows...they like checking out the creep feeder for the calves too. We range the flocks from sunup to sundown and Beau and Samson actually keep their flocks separate from each other. Each flock returns to their own coop each evening...chickens are really smarter than we give them credit.