Texas

[Heidisgran]

I just picked up some coocoo Maran eggs from Melissa Rose. I swear, that woman is a godsend! She is just a wonderful chicken goddess!!! These eggs are gorgeous! Eggzactly the egg colors I'm looking for! Ahhhh!!!! So happy!!! Setting them tonight!

congrats...I set 12 beautiful dark heavy Maran eggs myself today

 

[TammyTX]

We're barely halfway through the day and there have been a few surprises.

For one, this happened.

You can see everything up here!

Yeah, you're gonna have to feed me up here. I don't think I can get down.

So there's that.

Then, my Cutie (my adorable little mutt who also loves to hop onto my shoulder) didn't come out when I called. I thought, okay, maybe she escaped the yard again. She'll come back when she hears me scooping out food.

So I went to the feed container, opened it up, and inside was Cutie. I was horrified. She was fine and she chirped at me, waiting for me to lift her up. Needless to say, I ran her to the water and made sure she drank. I was so upset because I always check to make sure none of the chickens stay in the feed bucket. They love to hop in when I'm distracted, gah! She's fine, but thank God for small blessings. I didn't close the container correctly yesterday, so she had enough air. Jesus.

I need a drink.

Well, I hope your drink was a creamy Chai Latte Frappuccino! Very cute photo.

What do yall think of this serama rooster, he is 4 months old and triple laced?

How interesting! That is beautiful color! I don't know about Seramas...is that the result of a mixed breeding or a standard color? He looks like a little calico chicken!

 

[showbarnmom]

congrats...I set 12 beautiful dark heavy Maran eggs myself today

These are rich chocolate. Not super dark, but have lovely dark spots on some. Squee!

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: I was amazed they are much more beautiful in person

 

[LBejaran]

WARNING: LONG, RANT-LIKE POST! THIS FIERY TEXAS GIRL IS KINDA UNHAPPY!

Whoo! I'm exhausted. We got to TSC and, wouldn't you know it, they had the cutest chocolate Labrador/golden retriever puppies in the front for adoption. $25 and they had most of their shots and the guy would deworm them right there. Mom picked one up, knowing right away that it was special. It looked at us, licked her nose, and fell asleep right there in her arms. I could tell there was a connection, she knew, and the guy was so happy to see Mom picking up a puppy to adopt.

Well, we didn't take it home and it is so frustrating. I've been wanting to adopt a puppy lately. Our main dog, Sandy, is getting up there in years and we need her to start teaching a new pup how to act. It was the calmest puppy that would easily be trained and it would definitely take the reins from Sandy. I would hate to have to start with a new puppy and no older dog to teach it the right way of protecting the flock. I really wish our puppy nemesis would reconsider the idea of getting such a dog. Considering that Mom and I are the ones who pay for all the dog necessities anyway, I don't think he should be that much of an issue. Not to mention the accusations we get about bringing animals home. Considering that I'm the one hand-feeding baby birds and bottle-feeding puppies/kittens and buying supplies with my own money and I am doing all the dang work only to be harassed whenever I try and make a move that will positively affect the family, I think it's about dang time that this puppy-hating punk just back off and let me do what I do best!

Back to happier thoughts.

<---This is how I'm meditating right now.

We purchased the crumbles, oats and dog food and I had enough to cover it! Yay for self reliance!

Afterwards, we headed out to the local retro diner, ate huge corn dogs and ranted angrily about not getting a puppy. Then we headed out to Lowe's and got some floor cleaner ('cause anger makes me feel like cleaning the house until it's absolutely spotless, hehe!). Once we got home, I sat down for awhile and drank a glass of sweet tea before heading outside to mix up the feed. Unfortunately, we got home a bit later than I normally feed the birds, so they were ravenous. I've never been flapped in the face so many times by so many different birds. The turkeys both jumped up on my arms, nearly knocking down the feed. A few young cockerels hopped on my shoulders and tried to reach the feed I was holding. One mean little pullet pecked my hands until I picked up her, shuffled her around until she squawked in discomfort and let her loose. She got really embarrassed and red in the wattles, haha! It took half an hour to get everything blended together in the canister and now it is full!

I'm exhausted, I'm sore, and maybe I'm a little frustrated. But overall, today was a pretty good day. I think I just need to settle down and paint some eggs. Gotta get some glue sticks for the hot glue gun to fill the eggs. I think it might be an inexpensive way of keeping them from cracking so easily. Until then, this girl needs a nap!

 

[LBejaran]

Well, I hope your drink was a creamy Chai Latte Frappuccino! Very cute photo.

I wish! No, I chugged some icy cold sweet tea and ate a piece of pumpkin bread before the guilt got to me and I fed some pumpkin puree to Cutie. At least now I know to triple check before closing up the feed canister!

 

[TammyTX]

Austin is reporting 12.5 inches of rain in south Austin! Here, 25 miles east of downtown, we have only had 1.5 inches so far.

How much have y'all had??

 

[TherryChicken]

I live in south austin. Does anyone have olive egger chicks for sell? I cankt find them anywhere...

 

[Little Wing]

Eek, I'm so excited!

I've saved up $38 ($27 from the painted eggs and the rest is change I've just gathered over time) and will finally put it to use. I'm going out tomorrow to purchase two 50 lb. bags of feed for my chickadees. One will be Purina Layena SunFresh Recipe Crumbles (I can finally afford to spend an extra couple dollars on it!) and the other will be Producer's Pride Whole Oats that I will mix together with whatever is left of our scratch grains. It will all be mixed in our big aluminum feed container and we'll be set! These birds are finally paying for themselves!

Well, kinda. I did spend hours painting their eggs. I'd be really impressed with them if they laid an egg with a scenic forest landscape, haha!

Anyway, my babies are gonna be in for a treat tomorrow. They'll have full tummies and I'll have a full feed container for longer than the two-and-a-half weeks a bag normally lasts. That paired with the possible yard flooding I'll be doing this weekend is going to be fantastic! I'm still owed $30 for eggs, so I'm covered for after this batch of feed finishes, but hopefully I won't have to let the canister get empty. I get panicky when I can't buy the feed myself. Mom has been buying it (she secretly swipes her card just as I'm pulling out my wallet) but now I'll have cash in hand, ready to smack that green on the counter before she can open her purse. I'm so pumped for it!

If you start fermenting their feed, it will cut your feed bill almost in half and your chickens will be healthier.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Austin is reporting 12.5 inches of rain in south Austin! Here, 25 miles east of downtown, we have only had 1.5 inches so far.

How much have y'all had??

So far, just under 1.5 inches. I'm just north of San Antonio.