Texas

[hensfortherapy]

Miss Priss sitting with me a while today.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Here's my EE escape artist, Pearl


And my lap chicken, Eloise


Fearless Freya wanted a picture too

Wow! They have grown so much!

So excited! I got my new roo today! He is a splash BLRW! NOT show quality, but very pretty in my books! I have three hens and only one is a Wyandotte....he seemed to know that and picked her out immediately!! I'm a little worried though cause he's SO big!! By girls are only about 6-8 months old and he has to be full grown. HUGE! At least compared to my hens. He wanted to get right to work....

Very pretty

Miss Priss sitting with me a while today.

She is so big and fluffy and pretty.

I've got to figure out a way to get my stuff built so I get my chicks.... I wish I knew people that would help me. Handy people are hard to find these days. Everyone just pays to have stuff done around here. I can't afford to pay so i will have to figure this out.

 

[LBejaran]

Do you have a rooster or two? They should be good at keeping an eye out for hawks.

Also, do you have cover for them in the open areas. Some hawks are pretty aggressive, especially if they are starving, but just being able to run under something will help.

Some chickens are just stupid, too. My Ameraucanas are fabulous free rangers. If anything sounds an alarm, they all run for the fence line and cover. I have another bird, a Polish, who just stands in the middle of the yard with her head up looking around for the danger. (Yes, I tape up her top knot, so she can see.) She is hawk dinner waiting to happen. A breeder friend of mine said that some birds were just stupid and that a lot of breeds have had their natural survival instincts bred right out of them.

I hope those two turn up.

I have too many roosters, haha! My EE rooster does most of the watching, but George the Blind watches out a lot, too. When the EE makes even the smallest peep of warning, George screeches and everyone runs. Most of my birds are American Game mixes and are really good about watching out for hawks,too. So were these pullets, I think, because one was so eager to find cover that she escaped the yard yesterday so she could hide in the thicker cover of the field. Unfortunately, there is plenty of open space for a hawk to swoop in and snatch up a small enough bird. There are several places they can hide (underneath a grapefruit tree, in the coop, on the patio, under the oaks where our firewood pile is, etc.) but a hawk would be fast enough to capture them. It's unfortunate and now that I have an idea of how to prevent this from happening again, I'm going for it.

None of my other chickens are small enough to be carried off, but they could be injured if the hawk is large enough. I'm going to put away my cochin and New Year's Eve chick just in case. It's come up that hawks, once they find a good food source, will return over and over again. I can't have that. If I'm planning on expanding my flock, I need to keep it safe. So once I can plan out how I'm going to set up the fishing line, it's going up.

I wish they would turn up. New Year's Eve chick is sleeping on the patio, looking for them. He doesn't like going to the coop by himself. At least the dogs will keep him safe.

 

[8isenuff]

Wow! They have grown so much!

Very pretty

She is so big and fluffy and pretty.

I've got to figure out a way to get my stuff built so I get my chicks.... I wish I knew people that would help me. Handy people are hard to find these days. Everyone just pays to have stuff done around here. I can't afford to pay so i will have to figure this out.

Ms Jelly Bean, I bartered for my coop on Craigslist. I had some tools and a dehydrator laying around that I didnt need and got coop and 4 chicks for them! The coop wasn't even listed as a trad or barter item, I just asked. You might try that. He even delivered it to me!

 

[8isenuff]

Day 15 candling: 31 out of my 36 eggs are still going strong! I lost 3 of my olive eggers: 1 was a dude and 2 others stopped very soon. 2 of the marans stopped early too

Still have lots of French Standard Black Copper Marans going and mixes of the Marans and Buff Orps, Barred Rocks, and RIR. Plus 6 Americauna/EE and Gold Laced mixes.

SOOOOOO excited and nervous for hatch day!!!!

 

[8isenuff]

Does anyone know if you can get the Marek's vaccine locally? Or can I only get it via internet?

 

[hensfortherapy]

It is so pretty outside right now. Sun shining on the tree canopies. Just alittle nip in the air. Had to get up early to reset the chicken coop doors. Fed the girls and they followed me around apparently hoping I had something different cause they picked at it a little and then went about foraging. Ha they are spoiled. I haven't been to the store to pick up their favorite treats since being sick. I'll have to get them some spinach or collard greens. I should plant them a few things. Need to check my seed packets. I am sure I impulsively bought something I intended to plant for them.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Does anyone know if you can get the Marek's vaccine locally? Or can I only get it via internet?

I bought mine on the internet--if you can find it locally, let me know.

 

[jajeanpierre]

How do you mix up Oxine? I bought a quart bottle thinking I could just add water, but the label says to add "Oxine Activator" or use Citric acid. The supplier added a label that just gave the amount to add to water. What does everyone else do? Thanks.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

How do you mix up Oxine? I bought a quart bottle thinking I could just add water, but the label says to add "Oxine Activator" or use Citric acid. The supplier added a label that just gave the amount to add to water. What does everyone else do? Thanks.

Maybe you can find your answer in here> https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-users-please-share-usage-dosage-storage-etc