***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[NanaKat]

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Martins don't like hawks because they are known for killing young Martins. We haven't had any problems with owls stealing young from the nests at night because we have no owls frequenting our few trees. Our neighbor was always loosing small critters to the owls because they have their home set in a wooded area. Martins like a water source, a no trees around their poles. We use the birdhouse gourds and we soak them in stump killer before we prepare them for nest houses. That sets the gourd for weather resistance....go figure.

Well that explains a lot, my gma and I set her up a gourd apts for the martins, but never got one, but she lived in an extremely wooded area.

And I never knew about the stump killer.

There are pics of the gourd poles in some of my garden pictures in the "serious gardening" thread. We have had up to 30 pair during one season. They usually start leaving around August 1. We will be having flight school soon as the babies begin to fledge. Each pair can have 4 - 7 babies. This year we have over 20 pair....so if each pair averages 5 then we will have over 100 babies. It's really fun having them sing and swoop overhead.

 

[NanaKat]

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I dont really know if there is a correct amount or not i just put the sand in and then poured a small coffed can of DE and about the same amount of 7 dust in on top of the sand and kinda mixed it with a hoe ..i dont think you can overdo the DE but then im not for sure .. i mixed the 7 dust with it to kill any mites or critters faster then hope the DE starts doing its thing

Oh and as for the amount of sand it was a wheel barrow full..lol.. it was about 4 inches deep in a 3x3 frame ..

The newest Hobby Farms Summer 2011 issue of Chickens has a great article on "The Anatomy of a Dust Bath" on page 10. The writer offers a recipe: 1 part fine sand, 1 part fireplace or wood stove ash, 1 part garden soil, and 1 part DE. I made one too and put it in the hen house near the big window to keep it dry. I added a little dusting powder for livestock too....2 cups to my box.

 

[janbcoo1]

Hi! Not only am I new to OKIES in the BYC, but to raising chickens too. We bought a few from a local girl and they have turned out to be like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. And we DIDN'T know what we were going to get either. But we did get three cockrels and five hens of vastly different sizes, shapes and colors - NO TWO ALIKE! So now we are looking for something that will lay eggs slightly larger than the robins in our neighbors' trees. We are open for suggestions.

 

[Poco Pollo]

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Welcome! You might try an online search for breeds to figure out what suits you. Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart is one, and My Pet Chicken has brief descriptions and pictures of most breeds. Lots of folks on the thread hatch, raise, show, etc... so if you figure out what you want, post, and folks will jump in and help you find what you want. Check signature lines, too, since that's where many people list the breeds they raise.

 

[mjgigax]

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Welcome! Chickens are also like chocolate in that one is never enough! Or is that potato chips?

 

[janbcoo1]

Hi Monty, What do I have to do to become a member of the OKIES? I live in OKC in the NE side of the city, but still in town enough to be subject to the "no roosters" law. However, we are trying to build a neat smallish flock here in town. Our home, yard and flock is an education for several of our neighbors' children, so we are interested in keeping not only lively and fun birds, but everyone healthy (including the children!).

 

[NanaKat]

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Welcome! Chickens are also like chocolate in that one is never enough! Or is that potato chips?

Good one MJ!
And welcom Janbcco!

 

[sixshooter60]

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Oh and as for the amount of sand it was a wheel barrow full..lol.. it was about 4 inches deep in a 3x3 frame ..

The newest Hobby Farms Summer 2011 issue of Chickens has a great article on "The Anatomy of a Dust Bath" on page 10. The writer offers a recipe: 1 part fine sand, 1 part fireplace or wood stove ash, 1 part garden soil, and 1 part DE. I made one too and put it in the hen house near the big window to keep it dry. I added a little dusting powder for livestock too....2 cups to my box.

yeah that is where i read about the dust box. only i didnt want to put a wheel barrow full of DE ...lol... and i didnt have any wood ash .. i just mixed some DE along with some 7 dust on the sand and i figure i will just add more DE as needed..

 

[poultryand bees]

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You have had a wonderful group of folks who would love to assist you in the acquisition of a laying flock that is fun to watch

Have you ever attended a poultry auction? Some of us go to those and this time of year, you may be able to find some good bargains on laying hens or at least on young pullets.

Disclaimer: not only will we assist you in the acquisition of a laying flock, we may try to assist you in the acquisition of more chickens than you have pens to hold. That is because some of us are addicted to attending poultry auctions, hatching eggs and otherwise acquiring poultry. Since addicts tend to be enablers, we like for everyone around us to be "addicted" to poultry also

 

[Greybear23]

Well just got in from the chicken rodeo!!! Yeah I forgot to go put up my reds tonight before dark, had chickens roosting on cages, in the barn rafters, in with my little chickens which were still open too!! Finally got them all caught and separated, I think they would have gone in to the light except the gate going to the room they are in in the barn had blown closed, there was two roosting on the gate!!! LOL All is well now on the home front!!! Think I'll hit the hay though, need to haul in a load of scrap tomorrow and get a few groceries!! Takin my last vacation day off tomorrow!!! Gnite all!!! Lynn