Texas

[Belott]

I feel so blessed that I found this site and have done the research that I have done before getting my first bird. A little history here: my neighbors started with ~15 birds rooster included. She free ranged her birds completely. Over the course of about nine months she lost all but six to predation. The birds spent more time foraging on my property than hers. I returned one day to find dog tracks and blood all around and under my bldg. awning. Turns out feral dogs killed five of the six remaining birds. I forgot to add the neighbors no longer live on their property.

I have every Texas predator there is here thus I am building a 10X25 Fort Knox Open Air coop before I get my first bird. So I love seeing all the different breeds!! But y'all are killing me in trying to decide what to get!! Lol. And don't tell me some of each!!! My plans are ~20 birds!!

David

 

[Belott]

Here's the pic I promised. Sorry took so long. I am pretty much technologically retarded.

Oh fine!! Now I find out about it after I already cut my cloth to size!!! JK David

 

[bnjrob]

Ok Question what are you using to cut your hardware cloth.

After putting up the wire in the coop and cutting it with hand cutters...... I want more POWER. LOL Also what are you going to use to nail it up?

Tin snips.

For some applications we use screws and 1 1/4 inch washers to hold the wire into place, other times we use nail - in fence staples.

 

[kenmlang]

Oh fine!! Now I find out about it after I already cut my cloth to size!!! JK

David

Sorry, I got the info on here as soon as I could. If you know how chicken math works, you might as well go get one, you will be needing it. LOL

 

[bnjrob]

Though some one would find this funny.

 

[orumpoultry]

This week on what presents did my cats bring me... One shrew, two sparrows, a house wren, a bull frog, and a field mouse. - Guess they don't think I'm a very good hunter. LOL!! At least they "feed" me so I won't starve. Silly creatures.

Total count on snakes found this season is now twelve. Found a den while burning logs. Talk about excitement when a group of unhappy grass snakes bolts from a pile of wood as you light it!! DF wanted to kill them, I said let them be. Grass snakes aren't harmful at all.

Now that all the grow out pens ( I might add they are inside a shed, but we forgot to shut the door that night... ) are predator proof, I feel safer at night with my babies in there. I just KNEW something bad would happen as I went to bed... Oh well.

Harley, I see a golden sebrite in there. Cutter little birds. I also see a OEGB of some sort.

DF felt so bad about Donna, Clyde, and the rest if the girls he said I am allowed to replace them. One of the pullets I found yesterday in the teenager pen, not sure where she his out or how she survived out there alone... Thankfully the teens are bantams, so four week old Lucky ( now dubbed ) wasn't picked on to badly. Unfortunately she's got a nasty bite mark on her chest. Vetericyn and antibiotics have been her friend this weekend. But its not healing very well...

Thanks to the rain the fire I've been burning non stop for a month went out. Can't complain though, we desperately needed it.

Clovis, how are your birds liking their new play area?

 

[SlipsWife]

I feel so blessed that I found this site and have done the research that I have done before getting my first bird. A little history here: my neighbors started with ~15 birds rooster included. She free ranged her birds completely. Over the course of about nine months she lost all but six to predation. The birds spent more time foraging on my property than hers. I returned one day to find dog tracks and blood all around and under my bldg. awning. Turns out feral dogs killed five of the six remaining birds. I forgot to add the neighbors no longer live on their property.

I have every Texas predator there is here thus I am building a 10X25 Fort Knox Open Air coop before I get my first bird. So I love seeing all the different breeds!! But y'all are killing me in trying to decide what to get!! Lol. And don't tell me some of each!!! My plans are ~20 birds!!

David

If you don't know what breeds you want, you might start with a hatchery assortment. Most offer a number of different options, so you can find one you like. We started with the Cackle Hatchery Surprise last year. The 'extra' chicks sold quickly, I listed them on craigslist, then after we let the others grow out a little, once we knew who we wanted to keep, we sold the extras, again on craigslist, no problem. I really like having a mixture of breeds and breeds we never would have bought on our own, we love! I will always have at least 1, or 10, turkens!

I never would have ordered the little naked necks on my own. I also do not plan on ever having polish again, I love looking at them but they weren't our favorites.

If you don't want any cockerels/roosters, there are a lot of pullet/layer assortments. I'm sure you've seen that sexing is only a 90% guarantee. If there's a specific breed you want, just order a few to go with your special. A number of hatcheries have a minimum of 5 of each breed but if you are ordering a special, you might be able to call in and see if you can get just one or two. The worst thing they can say is no...then go ahead and order the extras!

 

[Belott]

Sorry, I got the info on here as soon as I could. If you know how chicken math works, you might as well go get one, you will be needing it. LOL

Yeah, I have already put it on my grocery list!

David

 

[jb300zx]

Alas! My first batch of hatching eggs was a no go. Guess I'll perform an egg-topsy to see what happened. Hard to say. The PO scrambled and/or crushed most of them. My incubator is all digital and calibrated. Had three nights the temperature got down to 98.8. That could be it. Air circulation is plenty good with two fans. No high temperature spikes to speak of(100.3 one time). Humidity was relatively stable except for two evenings when it got a bit (5-7%) low. Oh well. We'll see what happened as best we can.

 

[Belott]

If you don't know what breeds you want, you might start with a hatchery assortment.  Most offer a number of different options, so you can find one you like.  We started with the Cackle Hatchery Surprise last year.  The 'extra' chicks sold quickly, I listed them on craigslist, then after we let the others grow out a little, once we knew who we wanted to keep, we sold the extras, again on craigslist, no problem.  I really like having a mixture of breeds and breeds we never would have bought on our own, we love!  I will always have at least 1, or 10, turkens!  I never would have ordered the little naked necks on my own.  I also do not plan on ever having polish again, I love looking at them but they weren't our favorites.

If you don't want any cockerels/roosters, there are a lot of pullet/layer assortments.  I'm sure you've seen that sexing is only a 90% guarantee.  If there's a specific breed you want, just order a few to go with your special.  A number of hatcheries have a minimum of 5 of each breed but if you are ordering a special, you might be able to call in and see if you can get just one or two.  The worst thing they can say is no...then go ahead and order the extras!

I started out knowing what I wanted but then I keep seeing other breeds that I would like too!! I only have 63 acres so I don't have room for all of them!! Lol

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!!

David