Texas

[TexasLisa]

I have an 18 going on 25 year old daughter, and 11 and 12 year old boys, as well as a husband who acts like a kid ...... Lol gotta love them.

I thought all husbands were 'kids'.

There's a link to the thread in my siggy.

It went from this: To this:

I just checked out your thread. What an awesome coop. I just happened to have a pole barn. I now need to wrest it away from my kid (husband).

You would think that a father would stop worrying so much about his 1 kid so much when she is the last of 6. I don't worry so much with all the others but she keeps me up at night. To be 25 she can cause me so much grief. To drive down to Huntsville this afternoon to see a friend off that is moving to Odessa. Now she is on her way home. So here I sit waiting for her to get here so I can go to sleep. It's not that I don't worry about the others as it is I know they can take care of them selfs and know better then to run that far out knowing they have to work at 6 in the morning. She is going to be the death of me yet.

Harley, she is the baby so you will worry more. I have a 27 and a 26 year old who aren't married yet. Both have good jobs and live on their own, but I still worry. Parents....

Good Lord Almighty this thread has gone to Hades!!! You women need to exchange phone numbers!!! How do you expect a man to post on this thread without checking his testosterone levels!!
Great Granny Grunt give us men a break!!

David

You need to learn to type fast!

Well, I had a major wake-up call this morning. I was sitting at my computer geting ready to logon here and my birds started going nuts. I looked out the window and saw a coyote trying to get at them. I grabbed my 9mm and went out the door and took 3 shots, he was on the run, maybe hit him, but don't know for sure. I went and looked for him, but no sign. All my girls are safe but a little shaken. They will stay in today, they will be mad, but better mad than becoming a meal for a coyote. I really need a drink, but will settle for coffee!!!

What a way to wake up! Hope you did get the varmint. Glad your flock is okay.

Lisa

 

[harley1975]

I should have added to my last post that is all Liza's fault!!! She is the biggest enabler of them all!!!

 

[Starfire669]

Well, I had a major wake-up call this morning. I was sitting at my computer geting ready to logon here and my birds started going nuts. I looked out the window and saw a coyote trying to get at them. I grabbed my 9mm and went out the door and took 3 shots, he was on the run, maybe hit him, but don't know for sure. I went and looked for him, but no sign. All my girls are safe but a little shaken. They will stay in today, they will be mad, but better mad than becoming a meal for a coyote. I really need a drink, but will settle for coffee!!!

Oh wow, that's scary. Good thing you were there to defend your girls. I'd get some traps and set them around the coop. I caught a really big tomcat that way and removed him from my area. Can get leg traps, since if you catch a coyote you will kill it anyway. Also I think coyotes are night hunters, I could be wrong though. Other options would be a guard dog, they hate coyotes and if they catch one they tear it up. Just make sure to get the dog rabies vaccine if its going to be tangling with coyotes. Motion activated lights are another method I have heard of that deters them and other night predators. A rifle and scope ensures you won't miss, but you have to be there at the time of attack. If none of the above are options for you, reinforce their coop and build them a secure tractor.

I hope you eliminate the treat to your girls and they can come out and be happy again soon.

 

[TexasLisa]

I should have added to my last post that is all Liza's fault!!! She is the biggest enabler of them all!!!

Harley, I am crushed.......NOT!

Lisa

 

[kenmlang]

I thought all husbands were 'kids'.

I just checked out your thread. What an awesome coop. I just happened to have a pole barn. I now need to wrest it away from my kid (husband).

Harley, she is the baby so you will worry more. I have a 27 and a 26 year old who aren't married yet. Both have good jobs and live on their own, but I still worry. Parents....

You need to learn to type fast!

What a way to wake up! Hope you did get the varmint. Glad your flock is okay.

Lisa

Thanks Lisa, I lost one of my RIR's to a hawk last week. She (Reba) was my best layers, gave me double-yolkers at least twice a week. The very next day I was sitting on my front porch and a redtail hawk flew over really low and circled. All my birds were right there at the porch. I pulled my 9 and took a shot. saw feathers fly (the hawks) but he kept on flying away. In fact, here's a pic taken just before the hawk showed up...

 

[Starfire669]

I should have added to my last post that is all Liza's fault!!! She is the biggest enabler of them all!!!

Oh dear, I think my hubby is going to kill me. I am bad all by myself, if someone further enables me I will be in big trouble! I already live in a zoo. Anyone have some good defense against irate husbands? I think I am going to need them, with 6 dogs and me wanting to rescue just about every nice stray I see, 6 cats and I'm trapping to spay/neuter/vaccinate the ferals so they don't have more babies but we have to feed the released cats, 6 geese, and 30 chickens and I already want more of both, my hubby really will strangle me!

 

[kenmlang]

Oh wow, that's scary. Good thing you were there to defend your girls. I'd get some traps and set them around the coop. I caught a really big tomcat that way and removed him from my area. Can get leg traps, since if you catch a coyote you will kill it anyway. Also I think coyotes are night hunters, I could be wrong though. Other options would be a guard dog, they hate coyotes and if they catch one they tear it up. Just make sure to get the dog rabies vaccine if its going to be tangling with coyotes. Motion activated lights are another method I have heard of that deters them and other night predators. A rifle and scope ensures you won't miss, but you have to be there at the time of attack. If none of the above are options for you, reinforce their coop and build them a secure tractor.

I hope you eliminate the treat to your girls and they can come out and be happy again soon.

Thanks Starfire, we are in the process of gathering materials for a tractor. My coops are very secure, I think that is why my birds are OK. See for yourself...

 

[Starfire669]

Henless
Can you give details about your open air coop? I'd like to know more as this is the coop design I am wanting for my flock.

 

[Starfire669]

Thanks Starfire, we are in the process of gathering materials for a tractor. My coops are very secure, I think that is why my birds are OK. See for yourself...

Very nice coops!

 

[Belott]

Yeah. My parents had some chickens, ducks, and geese when I was a child and I used to got look for their eggs, feed, and care for them. I loved the geese best, my pet gander Lucky was just awesome, and the chickens were cool, I didn't much care for the ducks though, those suckers were mean, we had to cull a mallard due to his bad attitude. My parents taught me how to cull and process chickens, my mother was raised on a farm. It's been years, since I then, but I wanted chickens and geese. My parents had Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. So I went on a search for chickens, I had originally planned for a small flock of a dozen chickens and 3/4 geese to start with. I just couldn't say no to all those cute, adorable chicks and goslings. After I cull and process our extra Roos for the dinner table I will have about 18 pullets, if I am right on sexing. I purchased 6 of BO and 9 BA pullets, and 6 each of BR, RIR, and SLW straight runs, and was given 1 extra SLW chick by the feedstore. 1 BR chick died, the rest all made it, I think I have 3 BR pullets, 3 RIR pullets, and 1SLW pullet (either that or the SLW pullets grow combs and wattles like a Roo). I had 9 goslings, 1 died from the feedstore switching their feed to medicated without telling me, I gave a pair to my brother -in- law as an early birthday present, he is also getting 3 BA pullets once they get bigger. My BR are my most outgoing, curious, and friendly chickens, they like to perch on my shoulder and talk to me when I'm cleaning their coop, . My RIR are the next friendly, the SLW Roos are a pain in the butt, really don't care for them and they are gonna taste so yummy after all the grief they have given me, the 1 SLW pullet I like. The BO are about 5 weeks old and have already been integrated into the flock of my 8 week olds. I put the brooder box in the coop, fenced off from the others until they were 3 weeks old, then turned it on its side, put a dog playpen layered with chicken wire, in front so they could see each other but not peck for a week, then let them mingle. My BA pullets are 3weeks old and are currently in the brooder, on it's side with the dog playpen in front. I think I could have let them mix already, (I flipped the brooder over when they were 2 weeks old because of heat) but there are 2 3 week old African goslings and 2 2 week old Chinese goslings in there with them. My 8 week old geese attacked the goslings when I first introduced, so I have been slower to integrat this time. But, the dog pen is not up flush against the box anymore, I moved it away to give the babies more room, those goslings grow fast and big. The chickens fly over to visit the babies, they don't peck or bully them, just visit and steal food, greedy pigs. I have been working on the geese manners for over a week and while the geese do let everyone know who is boss, its more of a (pardon the pun) goose to the behind to remind everyone than grabbing the neck now. I have placed cinder blocks and other things in the cage, these are for the chicks to be able to hide when I remove the playpen, which I hope happens real soon.

Eventually, I'd like to add more chickens, some that I already have, some other color Orpingtons, I'd love some EE at some point. At this time I am going to let my flock mix breed, so am trying to stck with large, dual purpose, brown egg layers. But the Amarcaunas are simply adorable and I may get some anyway. I also already have plans to enlarge my geese flock, a lady on here will sell me hatching eggs for brown chinese and pied chinese next year. And I know someone who has white African geese I could probably buy eggs from. Oh dear, i think I'm obsessed with chickens/geese after only 8 weeks! Help!

Did you ladies stay up all night gabbing like little girls?
I do hope you realize my post was in jest!!

Oh and by the way Ladies; Welcome to the Texas Thread!!!!


David