Texas

[erikk]

Lots of rain here! I'm SO happy. I realized two days ago exactly how dry it's been. I was working outside and noticed that my yard is COVERED in goat turds. I only have 5 goats and I have a HUGE yard, but there is no moisture in the air to help break them down so it's all accumulating. Gross!!! I ought to have the best fertilized yard in the whole state...

I understand that pasturing chickens with cows can be great because the chickens will scratch up the cow patties. Will chickens do the same or anything for goad feces?
Erik

 

[mandaleigh1981]

The show Revolution is also available on Netflix for streaming. Another similar EMP-type show as "Jericho" which I enjoyed a good bit too.

In Revolution at least I kept wondering how nobody could forget that before we had electronics we still had steam engines and even purely-mechanical diesel engines. The shows are entertaining, and I think we all could stand to learn a bit about what life was like 100 or 200 years ago. When asked where food comes from and people answer "the grocery store", we have an opportunity to educate about the origins of the food we eat and the conditions the livestock experience before coming to the grocery store and our restaurants.

Woohoo! Almost 2" of rain in the last couple days according to my rain gauge here near Abilene, TX.

Erik

I agree. These end of the world movies are becoming popular probably because of the sorry state of the US at the moment. I love on Revolution how Texas is it's own country. Wouldn't that be a dream come true?

 

[TammyTX]

We've only had about 1 1/2 inches so far.

I checked the hoop coop and some of the chicks were running around the open area, but most were inside the coop part. We have a dump truck tarp and I draped it over the open area to give them more covered area so the could scratch a bit. They did not like the tarp, but they'll get used to it. My four 4 month old BC's were running around the chicken yard but all of my old birds were content to sit on the roost in the coop.

The horses feeding area has several inches of standing water and mud. He still wanted his feed, though.

This weekend is supposed to be cooler People!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!! It's going to be perfect to burn the two dead trees we've been stacking up all summer. But I am SURE snakes are in there, so it will be a daytime burn!

Anyone else planning on yard work after all of this GLORIOUS rain???

 

[Italia]

The show Revolution is also available on Netflix for streaming. Another similar EMP-type show as "Jericho" which I enjoyed a good bit too.

In Revolution at least I kept wondering how nobody could forget that before we had electronics we still had steam engines and even purely-mechanical diesel engines. The shows are entertaining, and I think we all could stand to learn a bit about what life was like 100 or 200 years ago. When asked where food comes from and people answer "the grocery store", we have an opportunity to educate about the origins of the food we eat and the conditions the livestock experience before coming to the grocery store and our restaurants.

Woohoo! Almost 2" of rain in the last couple days according to my rain gauge here near Abilene, TX.

Erik

I did like Jericho. We only have Netflix no T.V. I never saw the ending though. I thought it got canceled. I was kinda bummed out. I really was interested in the story line and what happens next. That is rare for me. Most movies or series just don't keep my attention.

 

[mandaleigh1981]

Nope but I am planning on ripping someone a new one. On Facebook, I just got jumped all over and called a bad person because I mix cedar shavings with the straw in the nesting boxes. Oh boy. So, being a scientist (technically, though not a rocket scientist) I asked for a source. She "heard on BYC". So, since I have used cedar from day one, even when they were chicks, I look up research studies. Conclusion, only in very enclosed space with no ventilation are there any ill effects. I go back and tell her. She goes back to "Everyone knows that, its all over BYC". So I find some threads on here, people arguing about it, some using cedar for years with no problems. I turned into R Lee Ermey I swear. I went off on her. I hate it when people repeat things as gospel without looking it up and just say well so and so told me. Or I heard. Or even in a book, because I have read a couple of crappy chicken books that weren't even close to truth. Its one thing to be nice and suggest someone look at something and make an informed decision. It is a whole 'nother thing ENTIRELY to call names and get crappy over something that you obviously haven't bothered to look up or research. Ok, I am done. Only place I can vent.

 

[Italia]

I understand that pasturing chickens with cows can be great because the chickens will scratch up the cow patties. Will chickens do the same or anything for goad feces?
Erik

I do not have goats, but after putting the chickens in the horse pasture we have no flies at all. Horse takes care of biz and the chickens are all over it. They love it

I think I read somewhere that it is good gut bacteria for them. Kinda like fermented greens.

 

[erikk]

Anyone else planning on yard work after all of this GLORIOUS rain???

Oh yes! I want to expand the chicken's run and have some 16' TSC livestock panels. I tried to drive the t-stakes into the ground last week. Hammering wouldn't work, soil was too hard. Using the front end loader on the tractor I was able to drive one in but the next one just lifted the front of the tractor. With all that downward force the stake couldn't be driven into the hard ground. So this weekend I know for sure I'll be able to drive all the stakes into the ground wherever I want with ease, thanks to this rain!

Erik (near Abilene, TX)

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hi I live just north of San Antonio in Boerne I have silkies and bantams as well. they have a run that isnt covered but also a coop that is their dry spot. for the most part when its raining they will stand out in the run until they are soaked and muddy then they will wonder into their coop until they want back out the silkies look pitiful in the rain but seem happy out in it. I have had my birds going on 4 yrs now and i dont put a heater in with them during the winter times. They seem happy and if its cold they just snuggle closer. I think the important part is to provide them an area to get out of the weather if they choose to. They all go into the coops at night and are out in the runs most of the day. hope this made sense

Thanks. They are so young and not very wise. Mine have dry areas under the coop, under tarps and inside the coops. I'm just worried that there is so much rain their little silkie feathers will just get wetter and wetter. As long as their is air in the fluff, I won't worry, but I'm afraid that the rain will just overwhelm their fluff and they'll be soaked and will get chilled.

 

[TammyTX]

I use only cedar shavings in my nest boxes, bottom of coop and in the hoop coop with my 6 week olds. No problems with hens and no problems with mites since I switched over several years ago.

 

[erikk]

I did like Jericho. We only have Netflix no T.V. I never saw the ending though. I thought it got canceled. I was kinda bummed out. I really was interested in the story line and what happens next. That is rare for me. Most movies or series just don't keep my attention.

They did a second half-length season that wrapped up the Jericho storyline reasonably well. I just checked Netflix and it is available for streaming. Texas is featured in the ending! ;-)

We got rid of satellite tv too. 1) Just too expensive to pay that much so the kids can watch mindless cartoons. 2) SICK AND TIRED of paying money so that I can have commercials blared at me and my kids every dozen minutes or so!

We stream a lot on Netflix now (and get an occasional DVD from them). We've bought a lot of TV shows (Dr. Who) and movies from iTunes store and watch them with the AppleTV box. Not sure I'm really saving $$ since we end up buying a fair number of shows from iTunes but at least they're commercial free!

Just signed up for Amazon Prime so going to be checking into what programming they have available for streaming too.

Erik