Texas

[jockeyeba]

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. 

from Selma-outside of San Antonio

 

[hensfortherapy]

What a great find! The wire is usually the most expensive part. There was no way these things would "slid right out". The hair and skin and dried and stuck to the metal tabs. I had to use my fingernails to pry the skin loose from the tab. I put ointment on the wound since prying the skin loose caused all but one of them to bleed. Welcome to the Texas thread! I just got my babies, but hopefully someone can help you or point you in the right direction. Welcome to the Texas thread! I live near Longview. It was such a nice day today. Hard to believe tomorrow is going to turn so bad. I did get some work done in my coop. I primed the back wall to get ready to put up the roost and build the in coop brooder. It was 78 in the shop today. Too warm for my babies to get under the heat plate, so they did the next best thing. The decided to keep the heat plate warm for tomorrow when they will need it, lol I hope ya'll don't mind me posting chick pics. I'm just so glad I finally got some!

Love the pics henless with chicks

Please continue posting.

 

[jockeyeba]

So this weekend was a wash. Not conducive to chicken coop- building at all!!!! I'm 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!!!!

Looking very nice

 

[hensfortherapy]

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

from Selma to
therarebreed, The Duckdaddy, MandiB, AMPonderosa, huggstaff13, shallowaterchic, jb300zx, Boss247365, oweirdo,Silver Silkie & ThackerArryKKa

Those animals are beautiful. Are they pets, used to clear land, raised for meat????

 

[jockeyeba]

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

Wow, so pretty!!!!!

Thank you

 

[topdycke]

Welcome to all of the folks new to the Texas thread! The winter storm looks like it is sitting on a line from Georgetown to Texarkana. It has been 72 and light rain all day. Very dreary. I did my garden work yesterday in putting in 30 sacks of black mulch on the landscape beds. Still need around 20 more to finish...next weekend. Avg last frost here zone 9A isn't for another week. Have learned to live by it or weep over freeze burn plants. On the chicken front I am putting some fabulous Wyandotte eggs from txmja into the incubator and will see if I am able to put all my reading from BYC to the test.

 

[jockeyeba]

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

from Selma to
therarebreed, The Duckdaddy, MandiB, AMPonderosa, huggstaff13, shallowaterchic, jb300zx, Boss247365, oweirdo,Silver Silkie & ThackerArryKKa

Those animals are beautiful. Are they pets, used to clear land, raised for meat????

All of the above,lol. We raise registered Painted Desert sheep, sell for meat, to other breeders, we have 2 at the butchers right now to put in our freezer & they have done too good a job clearing what little land we have We do have 1 ewe that was a bottle baby so she can be petted but generally speaking PD's are a little flighty for pets.

 

[ClovisMan]

Since the weather is keeping from working on my coop, I decided to take the DW and kiddos into Wimberley to piddle around. I picked up a rooster for all my single ladies. Best rooster ever! He doesn't crow, eat, or poop anywhere. Anyone take a guess at the breed? I think I will call him "The Colonel".

 

[hensfortherapy]

Since the weather is keeping from working on my coop, I decided to take the DW and kiddos into Wimberley to piddle around. I picked up a rooster for all my single ladies. Best rooster ever! He doesn't crow, eat, or poop anywhere. Anyone take a guess at the breed? I think I will call him "The Colonel".

I think he is a "Painted Metal" breed.

 

[jockeyeba]

So sick of winter

We were in the 20*s 2 weeks ago & lost all of our tomato & pepper plants even trying to cover them. Woke up to 70* this morning, it's now 40* & dropping, the wind is blowing like crazy