***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[allenw]

Speaking of

What's the tornado protocol for your chickens?

when the poultry quit down the storm is on top of you.

 

[Matt in Okla]

Speaking of

What's the tornado protocol for your chickens?

Hope to God I'm still alive to raise more in the aftermath.

 

[Crisa]

I was just gonna throw mine in a dog crate in the shelter...

 

[Matt in Okla]

I was just gonna throw mine in a dog crate in the shelter...

Lol I'm gonna have you come down n train mine cause ain't no way I can get them in nothing in the few minutes we get. I can barley get the wife n dog in. Maybe you could train them too then I'd have time to shoot some quality redneck video

Seriously though pre plan food n water for all and rotate every year in the shelter.
Make sure you register the shelter with the nearest town or fire department. I'm not bout registration n big government but there are times I wanna be found.
TP, air horn or whistle(to help be found in the debris field), gloves, trash bags(to collect what's left or go potty), flashlights lights(one strong one and a headlamp to use both hands), candles(unless there are gas leaks), gun(cause all kinds of predators show up later) and a tarp come in handy.

 

[Crisa]

Lol I'm gonna have you come down n train mine cause ain't no way I can get them in nothing in the few minutes we get. I can barley get the wife n dog in. Maybe you could train them too then I'd have time to shoot some quality redneck video

Seriously though pre plan food n water for all and rotate every year in the shelter.
Make sure you register the shelter with the nearest town or fire department. I'm not bout registration n big government but there are times I wanna be found.
TP, air horn or whistle(to help be found in the debris field), gloves, trash bags(to collect what's left or go potty), flashlights lights(one strong one and a headlamp to use both hands), candles(unless there are gas leaks), gun(cause all kinds of predators show up later) and a tarp come in handy.

Haha! Maybe I will train them! I only have 5 and they'll be in a run so it'll be easy to round them up!

Yes! I'm somewhat of a prepped so we have food and water in our shelter along with flashlights, blanket, clothes, food for our animals (water too), entertainment, a wind up weather radio that charges our phones too. Guns and whistles too!

I need to renew my list though and add stuff.

 

[therarebreed]

I do love Buff Orps, I have (forgot exactly without looking at invoice) some on order for the spring. Always been one of my favorites.
Ah Cotton Catch Geese, someone else who really knows some Heritage breeds. I haven't seen any available semi-locally, although the Livestock Conservancy lists 3 North Texas breeders- I couldn't find any info available on any of their respective websites. Will keep an eye out for anyone with some Cotton Patch, if I do I'll send you a PM.
Very sorry to hear about you loosing your goose, I can honestly say that is the first time I have personally heard of someone loosing a bird to a Bald Eagle. I had to bold it in the quote, because you just don't see that every day. Unfortunate.

We have loved our Cotton Patch Geese. And the bald eagle incident was bizarre. I have never heard of an eagle attack either. Not in our area anyway. We have chicken hawks out here, but they've never bothered my chickens or geese, thanks to our dogs. But the eagle was bold! Actually there were two, a mate, I suppose. We assumed it was a chicken hawk at first, but immediately noticed it was a bald eagle. They can't be shot without paying a hefty fine or time in jail, so shots were fired into the air to scare them off. They were coming back for my male at the time. They didn't mangle my female, just a hole in her lungs. It was terrible. And as for a bald eagle predator that it's illegal to kill, what CAN you do?! At least we're moving!

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: I have mine in steel cages in the barn...so it is somewhat protected from the heat. 8 in each cage go thru a quart of water and 5 cups of feed a day....and produce 4 - 6 eggs a day. I use 18 % layer pellets for feed...you could use game bird feed. If you put them in a pen outside, they lay eggs indiscriminately on the ground. I would love to have a fly pen with lots of ground cover for them but have not made the transition.
Coturnix are several generations removed from the wild and don't have much self preservation skills. The last cage that escaped...all but one remained in the barn and the one in the garden did not fly away when approached. They are a nomadic breed unlike Bob White so if released would wander off your property.
4 to 6 whole skinned birds fit in a quart freezer bag.
The Ring necked Pheasant on the other hand are still wild and could survive if released. They have been laying since November...clutch eggs are hatched in the spring.

 

[doc637]

We have loved our Cotton Patch Geese. And the bald eagle incident was bizarre. I have never heard of an eagle attack either. Not in our area anyway. We have chicken hawks out here, but they've never bothered my chickens or geese, thanks to our dogs. But the eagle was bold! Actually there were two, a mate, I suppose. We assumed it was a chicken hawk at first, but immediately noticed it was a bald eagle. They can't be shot without paying a hefty fine or time in jail, so shots were fired into the air to scare them off. They were coming back for my male at the time. They didn't mangle my female, just a hole in her lungs. It was terrible. And as for a bald eagle predator that it's illegal to kill, what CAN you do?! At least we're moving!

Definitely a rare occurrence, its a bad deal when you can't defend your birds. Hopefully your new place will be more kind to the birds.

I have mine in steel cages in the barn...so it is somewhat protected from the heat. 8 in each cage go thru a quart of water and 5 cups of feed a day....and produce 4 - 6 eggs a day. I use 18 % layer pellets for feed...you could use game bird feed. If you put them in a pen outside, they lay eggs indiscriminately on the ground. I would love to have a fly pen with lots of ground cover for them but have not made the transition.
Coturnix are several generations removed from the wild and don't have much self preservation skills. The last cage that escaped...all but one remained in the barn and the one in the garden did not fly away when approached. They are a nomadic breed unlike Bob White so if released would wander off your property.
4 to 6 whole skinned birds fit in a quart freezer bag.
The Ring necked Pheasant on the other hand are still wild and could survive if released. They have been laying since November...clutch eggs are hatched in the spring.

Thanks for the info, I figured they would do ok in the heat. I could always move mine into the shop if it got too bad outside. SO you have ringnecks too? Do you raise them just for meat?

 

[NanaKat]

Yes @Doc637 that is what we do. I have two males and 8 females. I'll begin hatching eggs again now that the weather is nicer. These are in an inside pen and we hope to release some on our 400+ acres. We have had them since last spring and were surprised that they were laying so soon and so prolifically. Fall hatched chicks made it to two months and then stropped thriving.

 

[bardies]

I have Coturnix. Hatch rate is 40 - 50% about equal males to females. lay eggs year round. I pickle loads of eggs and also hard boil them....buggers to peel unless you put vinegar in the boiling water.

I do the same thing....with eight outside pens, the hen house and the brooder room in the barn, and another brooder in the hot tub room, with incubators and a hatcher in the back bedroom...no way to protect everything. .Hope and prayers...

How does vinegar in the water help with peeling?