Texas

[lovingmyhens]

Ok so here are some pics of my backyard and why I can't hand pic the weeds. Don't know if you can see but 3 of the 4 chickens are under the trampoline. One us in the coop taking care of business.

My yard is pretty big considering I'm in a neighborhood. It actually goes back 10 more feet into the bayou but there a pole so they put the fence in front of it. When I save my dimes for a new fence (it's kinda falling down) I'm going to have them put it at the edge of my property line. Then I can get more chickens.

:cdIf I didn't work I could totally do the hand picking weed thing.

 

[TammyTX]

Hi, folks. I'm new to the TX thread and to BYC. I'm in Liberty Hill, NW of Austin, W of Georgetown. And it's getting cold. 69 degrees at 7 a.m. and now it's 38.

Welcome Pamela!!

You are right about the late frosts last year! I also had to replace plants at least twice.

I saw several flocks of geese going north last week, maybe that means warm weather soon.

 

[hensfortherapy]

That is a bit of a bizarre reaction to some pretty innocent comments and sharing of ideas.

I know that avian vets are loathe to remove leg bands on parrots because they often break legs or dislocate joints in the process just trying to restrain the bird.  I would think the same would be true with a much smaller and less developed chick.

If pecking is the issue, you can just hang something like aluminum pie plates to give them something more interesting to peck at.  In a few days or weeks the feathers will cover the band and you will not find it.

I am more than a little surprised that you would not post on this forum simply because others hold differing views of the situation--any situation.  I don't know about you,  but I'm here to learn, and if I only do things my way, I certainly won't learn and will never improve my chicken husbandry skills, which at the moment I feel are quite lacking.

That's funny jajeanpierre. I think of you as a chicken genius. .
There are so many things I do not have to worry about doing having such a small flock of girls and not showing or breeding, but I love to learn and hear all the different approaches to the same issue. When I read a post I try to picture the poster smiling that way it reads with a positive feel.
Keep warm little chickies and chicky keepers.

 

[hensfortherapy]

The broccoli can go out. Be sure to harden it off first. The beans may need to wait. See here for tips. Look in the Notes section (near the top of the page). Here are my cinnamon rolls aka lunch. I left the cloves out of the filling. I just want pure cinnamon in my rolls. Edit: It is pouring rain/sleet and thundering now. More sleet than rain. Yuck!! Had to share this with everyone. It will make you cry.

Oh man, that is a sweet story.

 

[jockeyeba]

[TEname= [QUOTE="jockeyeba, post: 12931187, member: 72749"] I'm so far behind-just read the last 6 days, I was trying to save time clicking the ovation but I'm over my limit now so I know I missed responding to several posts We picked up our new Painted Desert ram-Heartbreaker(the one on the left) Sunday, Tuesday was shot with my dental surgery, we've been working everyday trying to get things done before my husband donated a kidney Friday but it was postponed until later this week now Congrats about your book Teri

What a beautiful animal! Sounds like you have been running yourself ragged last week. Your husband is a pretty special person to be donating a kidney. He and the recipient will be in my prayers. Lisa [/QUOTE] Thanks Lisa

 

[jockeyeba]

Very pretty! Love how their horns curl. Is the one in the back older since it's horns are longer?

Some new pictures of our white Ameracauna stag, new Ameracauna pullet that started laying last week width: 350px; height: 233px"> [/URL]

Love your chickens! The gold really shines on the black hen. What is the difference between the Ameracauna and Easter Eggers? I know EE's are a cross between Ameracauna and another chicken, but how do you tell a purebred? Light rain has passed through here. Temp is nice out, 67 degrees. Enjoy everyone before the cold stuff shows up.

Thanks henless the one on the left is 13 months old the other one is 3 years old. These are my 1st Ameracauna's-still learning about them

 

[hensfortherapy]

Hi, folks. I'm new to the TX thread and to BYC. I'm in Liberty Hill, NW of Austin, W of Georgetown. And it's getting cold. 69 degrees at 7 a.m. and now it's 38. 

Anyway, I don't have chickens yet, as our neighborhood has had restrictions that prevented residents from having poultry, but recently a (seemingly successful) petition has circulated and it looks like the rules are changing. I've wanted chickens for a while, and am happy it is becoming a possibility. 

We are looking at a small flock to start, maybe 3-4 hens. At the moment, we are looking for a reasonably-priced good coop, probably something chicken-tractor like or a chicken ark that we can move around the property. We don't have a fence around our property, but are looking at temporary moveable fencing (or do we even need fencing?) to allow the chickens to free range during the day. We also have a LGD that could eventually help with this, but she needs serious training -- she is still a pup and we haven't had any livestock to train her with -- before she is more use than trouble. 

Just wanted to say hello and thanks for all the info I've already gotten by checking out these forums. 

Best,
Pamela (aka FreeRange Pamela) 

P.S. And, Rachael, about gardening, I believe they mean put the seeds in that that time, not seedlings. I've got my little seedlings inside now (they go outside in a mini-greenhouse on warm days), waiting for the end of March. Last year, I lost too many plants to late frosts so I'm being more cautious. 

Hi neighbor.
I am in Liberty Hill too. I am in High River Ranch off 284, are you close? I would love to hear more on your neighborhood's rules changing. I am being harassed by our POA's board and lawyer. We'll see if it goes to court. I am not worried though, the POA's lawyer wrote a book and in it states that the Federal ADA guidelines on therapy pets trumps city, state and HOA restrictions. My chickens are and have always been my therapy animals. We'll see. I can't do anything but trust common sense and human kindness will keep it out of court. None of my neighbors have ever complained and our property is 4 acres.

 

[lovingmyhens]

Hi neighbor.
I am in Liberty Hill too. I am in High River Ranch off 284, are you close? I would love to hear more on your neighborhood's rules changing. I am being harassed by our POA's board and lawyer. We'll see if it goes to court. I am not worried though, the POA's lawyer wrote a book and in it states that the Federal ADA guidelines on therapy pets trumps city, state and HOA restrictions. My chickens are and have always been my therapy animals. We'll see. I can't do anything but trust common sense and human kindness will keep it out of court. None of my neighbors have ever complained and our property is 4 acres.

Oh geez. Why can't people just leave well enough alone? I've got my fingers crossed that common sense will prevail.

Melanie

 

[hensfortherapy]

So this weekend was a wash. Not conducive to chicken coop- building at all!!!!at the stage where I need to pre-paint stuff before hanging/installing it. Yesterday was foggy/misty UNTIL 2PM!!! Today, it has already started raining!!! I nknow we need the rain, but the weekends are my only real days to finish this darn project. I had to get something done so I framed and skinned the door and the window shutters. I also installed my nesting boxes from TSC. Boxes are about 18 inches off the coop floor. That seemed to be the consensus of standard height. Guess I could go out and fab some roosts. I figure they need to be staggered height of 3, 4, and 5 foot? I'd also like to get my brooder in this building as well. We will see. My birds aren't getting any smaller and they need to be relocated here now!!!!

Wow it is really getting close to being done. Nasty weather shouldn't last too long and then on the 9th we go on Daylight Savings time so you'll get an extra hour of light in the evening. Can't wait to see the finished coop.

 

[jockeyeba]

Some new pictures of our white Ameracauna stag, new Ameracauna pullet that started laying last week width: 350px; height: 233px">
[/URL]


 

Jockeyeba, this bird does not look like a purebred Amemeraucana at all.  He has the wrong comb.  Ameraucanas have a pea comb.  The Ameraucana Breeders Club has pictures of examples of the breed.  www.ameraucana.org

Here's a link to the Ameraucana Breeder's Club FAQ page which deals with Easter Eggers: 
http://www.ameraucana.org/faq.html#TWO

There is another article on that web site somewhere that goes into a great deal of discussion of what is a purebred Ameraucana and what is an "Easter Egger" but I was unable to find it.


The hatcheries continue to sell Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas, Araucaunas and Americanas, passing them off as purebred Ameraucanas.  Easter Eggers are often better egg layers than purebred Ameraucanas because they have crossed a blue egg layer with a breed that produces larger/more eggs.  A blue egg gene does not make an Ameraucana.  There is a lot of misinformation on the breed and many in the breed are really hysterical over the issue.

 

I don't know anything about Ameracauna's, the lady that had him bought him & others as chicks out of CA from a supposed breeder, the pullet I bought from a local breeder that called her an Ameracauna I don't care if they are EE's I just wanted a blue egg to go with my colorful egg basket I will read up on them, thanks for the links