Texas

[MandiB]

I had to look up chicken math. I had a good laugh. I started weaving a couple of years ago and weavers have OLAD. Obsessive Loom Acquisition Disorder. It seems I may end up exploring chicken math, too.

I am looking at a great big walk in coop...just in case!

I am going to do more research into securing runs and fencing. Burying heavy wire fencing seems like a great idea!

 

[jajeanpierre]

I've noticed most people here on BYC seem to get their nipples from Ebay because they buy just a couple and sometimes shipping is thrown in for free.

I get mine online from QC Supply. They are in Nebraska I think and have given excellent customer service and decent shipping costs - I buy more nipples than most people at a time so it is worth it. They have different kinds of nipples, one kind has to be pecked at and pushed straight up in order to get a drop to come down, then there is the kind that just has to be knocked any way to get a drop of water. I get those so that I can situate bottles and buckets for the shortest chicken to reach straight up and the tallest chicken kinda has to crook their neck sideways but then can peck sideways and still get water.

They also sell the screw in kind as well as the push in kind of nipple, and you can get extra washers for the push in nipples too.

I use both screw and push in, depending on what I am putting the nipple in. Coke bottle caps get the screw in kind of nipple (screw ins are not reusable since the threads get messed up and can leak if you unscrew and then screw them in again).

You also have to put a couple tiny air holes into the end of your Coke bottle for air to escape when using the nipples - I use a #14/16 sewing machine needle to poke the holes - or you can end up with a vacuum and nothing will come out of the nipples.

If you want to freeze, just hold your finger over the holes and fill enough so that you get some water in there but it does not come out the holes or freeze around the nipple, so you'll want to sit your bottle at an angle in the freezer. Or you can just throw ice small ice cubes into the bottle.

An 11/32 drill bit works for both screw in and push in nipples.

Is this the screw-in type that you like that can be knocked any which way to get water?

http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...aterers/420006-poly-threaded-body-nipple.html

Or this one?

http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livestock/waterers/poultry-waterers/420002-stainless-steel-nipple.html

I don't see any washers. Where would they be?

Thanks.

 

[jajeanpierre]

We lost the last Mille Fleur. I couldnt save it..passed while i was holding him.

I'm sorry you've had so many losses. How many chicks did you have in your shipment?

 

[henless]

We lost the last Mille Fleur. I couldnt save it..passed while i was holding him.

So sorry!

 

[Brookshire11]

15 chicks total.
Were down to 12 now and have a bad feeling we'll be at 11 by morning.
I have one last chick, a little Buff, thats not doing so hot....the rest are running around. All he's done is sit with his eyes closed.....Ive done sugar water and tried to get him to eat but all he wants to do is snuggle against my chest

 

[jockeyeba]

15 chicks total.
Were down to 12 now and have a bad feeling we'll be at 11 by morning.
I have one last chick, a little Buff, thats not doing so hot....the rest are running around. All he's done is sit with his eyes closed.....Ive done sugar water and tried to get him to eat but all he wants to do is snuggle against my chest

Sorry for the losses, maybe this one will surprise you

 

[jockeyeba]

Hi...I'm new to BYC and to chickens. I hope to get a coop this spring and get some chickens. I'm an animal lover and very excited about chickens! I have a question about free ranging chickens here in Central Texas where we have little to no grass and lots of dirt. Is it worth doing? I am also somewhat concerned about predators during the day. We are on 24 acres, surrounded by acres and acres of open land, our nearest neighbor being a mile away, so I see the hawks. But this is all undeveloped, and I have left all of my "yard" as unlandscaped as possible. We cut down all of the tall native grasses near the house for fire reasons and because I don't want snakes to sneak up close to the house (this is where I am counting on those hawks to see clearly!). I am planning to clear out more grasses where we want to put the coop, but even if there was grass, there just isn't much to it before it turns crispy and dry. Is this something that the chickens like? Basically it's rocky dirt with little grass. Am I better off putting in a big run for them? I'm thinking of having a roofed run so they can be in the shade if it's hot or raining, and possibly letting them free during the day. If I had an urban backyard I'd let them out without much worry. What do the rest of you who are a bit more rural do with your chickens during the day? I'm attaching a picture of the area I'm going to put the coop. Where the shadow is the grass ends. I'll trim further back, to the trees. I've tried to read as much as possible, but I think i could read forever and still feel unprepared! ---Mandi

Welcome Mandi put your coop & run where you get some shade from the trees. They should be locked up in the coop at night to be safe & be sure to use hardware cloth on the coop-the only thing that will keep raccoons out

 

[bnjrob]

Is this the screw-in type that you like that can be knocked any which way to get water?

http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...aterers/420006-poly-threaded-body-nipple.html

Or this one?

http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livestock/waterers/poultry-waterers/420002-stainless-steel-nipple.html

I don't see any washers. Where would they be?

Thanks.

The red one that says 360 degree nipple is the one that I use -
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...aterers/420006-poly-threaded-body-nipple.html

These are the push in types that I use, they come with the washer/grommets already, but I ordered extra to have as replacements in case something happens to the container that the nipples are in, I can still re-use the nipples -
http://www.qcsupply.com/420011-push-in-style-nipple.html

Here are the extra washers/grommets that you can get for the push in type of nipples -
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...rs/rubber-grommet-push-in-poultry-nipple.html

The 360 degree nipples can't be set perfectly horizontal or they leak, but I don't have much of a problem with about a 45 degree angle or less. I basically make macramé bottle harnesses out of poly rope (like those old plant hangers from the 70s), and then hang the bottle up using the rope harness. I put the bottles in tighter places where I can't hang a 5 gallon bucket high enough for the chickens to be able to get underneath.

 

[hensfortherapy]

15 chicks total.
Were down to 12 now and have a bad feeling we'll be at 11 by morning.
I have one last chick, a little Buff, thats not doing so hot....the rest are running around. All he's done is sit with his eyes closed.....Ive done sugar water and tried to get him to eat but all he wants to do is snuggle against my chest

Glad you got your chicks, sorry 3 didn't make it. Fingers crossed for the Buff.

 

[jajeanpierre]

The red one that says 360 degree nipple is the one that I use -
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...aterers/420006-poly-threaded-body-nipple.html

These are the push in types that I use, they come with the washer/grommets already, but I ordered extra to have as replacements in case something happens to the container that the nipples are in, I can still re-use the nipples -
http://www.qcsupply.com/420011-push-in-style-nipple.html

Here are the extra washers/grommets that you can get for the push in type of nipples -
http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...rs/rubber-grommet-push-in-poultry-nipple.html

The 360 degree nipples can't be set perfectly horizontal or they leak, but I don't have much of a problem with about a 45 degree angle or less. I basically make macramé bottle harnesses out of poly rope (like those old plant hangers from the 70s), and then hang the bottle up using the rope harness. I put the bottles in tighter places where I can't hang a 5 gallon bucket high enough for the chickens to be able to get underneath.

Thanks so much. I'm just not happy with those "made in China" plastic jugs, especially when I make the water acidic with apple cider vinegar. The galvanized waters might be worse--birds are very susceptible to zinc toxicity. I wish I could buy stainless steel, but I can't see that being a big selling item in the poultry industry.

I'll get a bunch of everything.

I'm a bit worried about these show quality cochins in the Texas heat. They are very heavily feathered with heavily feathered legs. My Silkies, while being feather legged, are hatchery birds so not the over-done fluffy show quality birds. My Ameraucanas really suffered last year in the heat and they had plenty of shade and I kept watering spots for them to be able to wallow in damp shade. They still really suffered. I'm going to set up misters this year near the parrot cages. The parrots will love being able to bath and the chickens will have lots of cool wet mud patches to cool off in.

My Cochin pullets are on their way from San Antonio to my post office. My clothes are laying out for my 5:45 phone call. I'll send pictures when they arrive.