Texas BYC Cafe

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
Yes and No No: the ranch owner is poor both in finance and technology so we don't have that high tech yet. The best I did last year was attaching about 30 Nite Guard lights around my coops to prevent predators. It really helped stopping the 4 legged. Yes: As said, I put the Nite Guard at the ranch. Then earlier this year, at my house, some doves lived on my tree and kept pooping on my van roof. I took 1 Nite Guard home and hanged on the tree. Now my whole neighborhood is talking about ... I have security camera flashing near my door.

 

[lovingmyhens]

So yesterday I read a blog on Facebook about how dangerous temperatures over 85 were for chickens. Really? Haven't farmers raised chickens for centuries here in the south where 85 is just the start of high temps? Do ya'll do anything different to protect your chickens from the heat?

This is my first summer with the chickens and no I won't do anything different. They should acclimate themselves. Same with my rabbits. I've got 5 outside in big runs and people say they should be inside. Scuse me? Rabbits are an outside animal that need to run and jump. They make it through the summer just fine and we get REALLY hot here in Houston!
The chickens have a huge yard to free range all day and only use the coop when they sleep. They have plenty of shade. Some people put out pans of ice water, but that's too high maintenance for me!
Others have differing opinions. This is just how I'm rolling with my chickens!

 

[Roosting Robin]

So yesterday I read a blog on Facebook about how dangerous temperatures over 85 were for chickens. Really? Haven't farmers raised chickens for centuries here in the south where 85 is just the start of high temps? Do ya'll do anything different to protect your chickens from the heat?

This is my first summer with the chickens and no I won't do anything different. They should acclimate themselves. Same with my rabbits. I've got 5 outside in big runs and people say they should be inside. Scuse me? Rabbits are an outside animal that need to run and jump. They make it through the summer just fine and we get REALLY hot here in Houston!
The chickens have a huge yard to free range all day and only use the coop when they sleep. They have plenty of shade. Some people put out pans of ice water, but that's too high maintenance for me!
Others have differing opinions. This is just how I'm rolling with my chickens!

I know! My daughter has one rabbit inside driving her crazy. She went to buy a second one and planned an outdoor hutch. The rabbit seller wouldn't sell her one unless she at least promised to keep it in the garage! These are sweet animals, but they are livestock, farm animals! I keep plenty of fresh clean water and shady large yard for them. Thank you, wow! if you listened to all the 'experts' who write blogs, you'd go crazy trying to take care of chickens!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I think as long as they have access to plenty of fresh water and good shade they should be fine in the heat. No one takes in all the other birds that live outside and they are ok.

I don't actually have chickens so I could be wrong on that. It makes sense to me though.

I have read about giving them frozen treats - like watermelon - to help keep them cooler. Frozen water bottles in their water to keep it cold, or hanging in the coop to bring down the temp.

Long and short of it. They are animals and they should adapt. Like you said Robin, people have been keeping chickens in Texas for a long time and never did anything special for them in the heat.

 

[hungnguyen]

Here is one of my baby GaNoi at 2.5 months old

 

[lovingmyhens]

Here is one of my baby GaNoi at 2.5 months old

Ok hung, I'm sorry, but this poor chicken is NOT dressed for a ball. Have you heard of the story The Ugly Duckling? Well this has got to be the main character! Cept it's not a duck. I like little Charlie's pics better! Lol. That poor chicken.

 

[TexasLisa]

Here is one of my baby GaNoi at 2.5 months old

awwwww, I think it is cute. It has a tuxedo on for the ball.

Lisa

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Here is one of my baby GaNoi at 2.5 months old

That is something only a mother could love.

 

[henless]

Thanks everyone, I have missed talking to ya'll. I guess I have been in a funk and it's been hard to get out of it. I rented a house on Canyon Lake for my husbands 50th birthday and that's where we are going. I was going to do the surprise party thing and invite all our close friends from Houston.... have a few 5th wheels out here on our land for them to stay in and just have a big o party but then I thought about it and decided he would enjoy a vacation much more. So this house is up in the trees over looking Canyon Lake and he is very excited. We are taking the boat and are just going to chill; float the river, go to German town, enjoy the beer garden, wineries and relax!

Ok.... now for that second cup of java...LOL

Sounds like ya'll are going to have a great time! It's nice to just get away from everything. Dh & I want to, just hard to find the time.

Thanks LoveHen and ManyHens for your notes. Glad to see everyone made it here after huge storm crossing TX last week ... the storm killed 1/2 of my 2-3 mo chicks.

I saw this cafe shop. For me I had stayed away from beer, liquor since 15 yrs old. Last year I started to stay away from sodas and coffee too (now I am a good boy and a bit richer). So can I come into your cafe shop for... maybe the restroom ???

Only if you flush and put the lid down!

Charlie has gotten so big!! He is such a cutie pie. I know you can't wait until they are able to come and stay with you.

Thanks for sharing your chicken pics. I have never seen any that look like that. They should do well in our heat without all those feathers making them hot.

So yesterday I read a blog on Facebook about how dangerous temperatures over 85 were for chickens. Really? Haven't farmers raised chickens for centuries here in the south where 85 is just the start of high temps? Do ya'll do anything different to protect your chickens from the heat?

This is my first time with chickens. We had them when I was a kid, but who remembers what we did back then? I had thought about adding frozen water bottles to their water buckets for those days in deep summer when it is really hot. I don't plan on coddling them. Like everyone said, they are chickens, not family. I do like my chickens, but I want them to be hardy, not have to be pampered in order to survive.

@Ms Jellybean ~ Your garden looks great!! Mine hasn't done much. I don't know if its' the soil or what. It's limping along for now. I'll have to try something new next year. My beans have come up, but not that many. Out of 30 beans planted, I think about 12 have come up. None of my sunflowers have come up, so maybe heirloom seeds don't do well here. My heirloom tomato plants look like crap, so I got some regular ones to see how they go.

@TexasLisa ~ Glad your doing better from your concussion. Head injuries can be so tricky. Just be careful when your out in the heat.


I need to get off here and get some laundry done. I've already watered the garden, cut the chickens some grass, watered my hanging baskets and took out the trash for pick up today.

I have a trumpet vine in my yard (I have several, they are growing wild in my pasture). I put some rocks around the bottom and last year planted some old time petunias I got from my mother-in-law. I noticed today that one of them is growing, so hopefully more will sprout up. They are so pretty, and come back every year.

Have a great day ya'll!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

@Ms Jellybean ~ Your garden looks great!! Mine hasn't done much. I don't know if its' the soil or what. It's limping along for now. I'll have to try something new next year. My beans have come up, but not that many. Out of 30 beans planted, I think about 12 have come up. None of my sunflowers have come up, so maybe heirloom seeds don't do well here. My heirloom tomato plants look like crap, so I got some regular ones to see how they go.

All my stuff (except the onions) are heirloom. I was told they wouldn't do well here. Right. Perhaps it is the soil. What did you do to prep your garden? I compost my leaves (mulched) in mine over the winter and I fertilize a few weeks before planting and then right after I plant. I may throw some out there again in a week or so to help the with the heat. My garden is raised and the people who built it added organic soil and manure (found the bags in the yard). I don't know when they set it up but I lived here almost 2 years now.

My sunflowers are in a bed that I didn't do anything special to. The giant sunflowers are doing better than the heirloom varieties, but I think something (birds) ate the seeds since they don't get planted very deep.

The soil here is pretty bad. Heavy black clay (gumbo) and very alkaline. Amendments are necessary.