***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[miohippus]

A few snapshots tonight

love the top hats going on.

 

[YardBirdMom]

My husbands gonna ban me from this site! (As if)
But really, I was doing the chicken dance (what we call rounding them up at night) and realized there's not a single one I could part with!

I really love my girls. I'm having a hard enough time knowing the fate of my roosters.

IF I continue the path I'm on hubby will attempt to ban me too

I guarantee by next spring I will have added another run, plus am trying to figure a way to build another small coop for EE's!

I didn't know wether to punish my dog or love on him today. After rounding up all the free ranging chickens and shutting the coop I noticed my half blind mille hen was missing. Just then my phone rang and as I was answering it my dog ran up to me with the missing chicken in his mouth. He promptly dropped her at my feet like TaDa I found her for you. I looked her over and only saw a small scratch at the top of her head. I am keeping a close eye on her to make sure she is ok. That scared me but my dog was so proud if himself.

He's a good boy! He found her, delivered her, and didn't eat her! lol

It's been awhile since I've been on here. First, let me say I love reading this forum. It IS Oklahoma...people happy for each other, sad for each other, helping each other out. It will take me forever to put names with personalities, but I'm trying...just much better at remembering people's faces!

My two male CLs I got from Rinda are growing nicely as is the Barnevelder pair, and my little lone Isbar. I so hope it's a she. It's at 10 weeks now. It feathered out slowly, but doesn't have much of a comb. I've been out of town for a few days, so I'm hoping it'll be obvious by the time I get back.

My Jubilees are getting big! I lucked out. The two I hatched (from North Carolina) are boys. Out of the 11 I purchased from Michigan (JB's Poultry), 8 are girls. I plan to keep one of those roosters, but I'll have a couple to sell (or TRADE) once I decide which one I'm keeping.

I have yet to send a roo to freezer camp. One, predators keep taking them, but two, I kinda like them. Three, cleaning seems, well, hard. But I hear the taste is amazing. I grew up on it at my grandma's, and remember all the steps to get it to the table, but I don't remember the taste. Lol.

Welcome back! I would be a new 'face' that joined in April of this year and am a first time chicken owner. So far I am loving it and cannot believe how much happiness chickens .... CHICKENS have brought into my life! My farm truly feels like a farm with their addition!
I don't know how I feel about 'freezer camp' either. IF I bought the meat variety I wouldn't have a problem, that's what they're for, yes?! But the guys I'm raising now that I like ...... Not sure I can do that. I have no problem sending calves I've raised to be slaughtered, but my sweet, little , cute chickens ... UH! Perish the thought lol

Hey everyone,
I'm quitting my job today for another opportunity, but sending good vibes my way would help. (I've never had to quit a job, and I've only been here 7 months. this is hard)

BUT, on a different note Gwyn (changed from Gwen) is crowing. Wouldn't shut up this morning. It's not super loud, but it's so funny! Crowed about 6 times then shut up (I think, I actually left the house). So cute, but might be getting a crow collar.

Best of Luck!! I hope your new adventure makes you blissfully happy!

 

[MrsDickey]

Finally off work! Whoooo! Being a CNA is a hard job, definitely not for the faint of heart. Anyways, I have 1 inch regular chicken wire. And I do have a picture of the body. I kept trying to download it at work but since I work in a fully brick building I don't get real good reception.

 

[MrsDickey]

 

[lonnyandrinda]

@MrsDickey definitely a snake that couldn't swallow what it started. You have to seal every nook and cranny, including up around the ceiling, with 1/2" hardware cloth. Chicken wire doesn't keep ANYTHING out- it keeps chickens in and that's all! You can buy bird netting at a garden store or Lowe's and bunch it up around the outside of the coop on the ground, snakes get caught in it and can't get out.

For anyone OKC area I have confirmed I'm headed your way on Saturday July 12. I would be glad to do chicken train for anyone between OKC and Tulsa, and also I have yummy yummy fresh honey for sale! Route will be from Tulsa taking I-44 to OKC then along the north of the city on the Kilpatrick Turnpike and then over to Yukon. I can't deviate too much from that route as I will have 4 kids with me, I can meet probably about 12-12:30 or much later in the afternoon, 5ish maybe.

The sizes below are $6, $8.50, and $16.50. 1 lb, 1.5 lb, 3 lb

 

[YardBirdMom]

@MrsDickey that is DEFINITELY a snake attack! Think about a baby kitten or puppy being born, all wet and hair smashed down. Well, a snake is just going about it in the opposite direction and had to let him go once he couldn't get past the shoulders.

I'm so sorry! I've yet to lose a chicken (knock on wood), but I would be a complete wreck about it! I really hope you consider either welded wire or hardware cloth to replace, or go over, the chicken wire. Check your coop and look for ANY 1"x1" spaces, holes, or gaps because a snake won't need much room to get in. Matter of fact, after this I can think of a couple area's I might need to reinforce, primarily my door into the run. There is a big enough gap where a snake probably could squeeze through. Tomorrow evening I shall correct that issue!

Good luck

 

[YardBirdMom]

@MrsDickey definitely a snake that couldn't swallow what it started. You have to seal every nook and cranny, including up around the ceiling, with 1/2" hardware cloth. Chicken wire doesn't keep ANYTHING out- it keeps chickens in and that's all! You can buy bird netting at a garden store or Lowe's and bunch it up around the outside of the coop on the ground, snakes get caught in it and can't get out.

For anyone OKC area I have confirmed I'm headed your way on Saturday July 12. I would be glad to do chicken train for anyone between OKC and Tulsa, and also I have yummy yummy fresh honey for sale! Route will be from Tulsa taking I-44 to OKC then along the north of the city on the Kilpatrick Turnpike and then over to Yukon. I can't deviate too much from that route as I will have 4 kids with me, I can meet probably about 12-12:30 or much later in the afternoon, 5ish maybe.

The sizes below are $6, $8.50, and $16.50. 1 lb, 1.5 lb, 3 lb

Me, me!! I could meet you in Chandler, right off the turnpike -- I want that BIG jar!

 

[ashtree]

I'm so so sorry. That's heartbreaking based on what ksane and sagetown were saying I think it looks like a snake got in. I hope you catch it. Quickly.

 

[bardies]

Rat Snake. No feathers. They wrap around the neck and choke their prey. They'll clean out a coop pretty quick. Check corners, dark covered areas. They can climb walls, believe it or not, so check all barn corner posts, where they can coil up on top of them.

Few years back, had one of these scrunched up on top of the window frame - over 6 feet above the ground, no way to get to it. It was the outside of the kitchen window that overlooks the back patio. Snake was after the chicks in the nest on the porch ceiling fan.
Two days ago, watched my yellow bull and a few of his cows 'chase' a snake - into the tractor barn...but they were following it, and it did feel 'chased'.

 

[Kassaundra]

I am 99.9% sure that is a snake you are dealing with. The feathers weren't plucked from what I can see they are just plastered to the skin. After the snake killed him it tried to eat him, but couldn't swallow the big body and so spit him back up.