Texas

[bnjrob]

Wow, I just saw an amazing thing. A Cooper Hawk, probably the same one that showed up last week, just perched on a telephone pole across the street in front of my yard, my flock is free ranging in my front yard. I heard the hawk calling and grabbed my non-lethal BB gun and a broom. I see that my weak BB can't make the shot so i shoo my flock in under the rose bushes, and just keep an eye on the hawk. Then I see a pair of grackles perch on the telephone wire right in front of my yard staring at the hawk. Then a couple mockingbirds joined them, then at some invisible signal the grackles, mockingbirds and some sparrows I didn't know where there all took off after the hawk and started dive bombing and chasing it together! I knew some birds would defend their nests from hawks but didn't know they would join forces with other species to do it! I almost feel sorry for the hawk, it had to dive into some dense tree cover to escape, the birds were too persistent to let the hawk gain altitude. But I don't feel so bad I'd let him make a meal of my flock. I think I'll buy some wild bird seed and feed the wild birds, low cost hawk defense, lol.

Just an FYI to those that are not familiar with the laws: killing and even harassing most bird species, including hawks/owls, is against the law. Just having the feathers from a hawk killed by a car is illegal. A neighbor can turn you in for shooting near a hawk even when you don't intend to kill it - that's harassment of the bird. Thus it is not a wise idea to discuss online anything that hints at the fact that you are using weapons/poisons against these predators, even if you don't get the shot anywhere near the birds. The fines can be quite large and jail time can even be given. Some things are just best left unsaid and sometimes what happens in the country at your house should stay there.

 

[lovingmyhens]

Popping in to introduce myself over here! I started out on BYC last year when we got our first little flock of 5, then I got pregnant and distracted from the site. We lost that flock due to dogs but we're back at it and alot smarter this go around and so far we've got 6 very happy girls! I'm north of Houston over near The Woodlands/Magnolia area.

Welcome from Katy!

Melanie

 

[Starfire669]

Just an FYI to those that are not familiar with the laws:  killing and even harassing most bird species, including hawks/owls, is against the law.  Just having the feathers from a hawk killed by a car is illegal.  A neighbor can turn you in for shooting near a hawk even when you don't intend to kill it - that's harassment of the bird.  Thus it is not a wise idea to discuss online anything that hints at the fact that you are using weapons/poisons against these predators, even if you don't get the shot anywhere near the birds.  The fines can be quite large and jail time can even be given.  Some things are just best left unsaid and sometimes what happens in the country at your house should stay there.

Wow. OK, thanks for the tip. I knew better than to kill it (which I wouldn't have tried to kill it anyway), but I thought running it off from your flock/property was allowed, as long as you didn't cause injury to the bird while doing so.

I am very lucky all I did was watch then.

 

[Texas151]

Hi from San Antonio!! I just joined and I'm new to raising chickens but loving it so far! This site is sooo informative!

 

[Starfire669]

Hi from San Antonio!! I just joined and I'm new to raising chickens but loving it so far! This site is sooo informative!

. From south San Antonio!

 

[ABlackDogRanch]

Happy Monday, all!

Prior to getting my first chickens, I built an open air coop with dreams of my girls eventually just free ranging after they figured out their coop was home. Now, the intensity with which my dogs circle their coop leads me to believe free ranging...not such a good idea.

So that leads me to having to build an additional run for the chickens. Like many other open-air-coop-builders, I'm a little confused on how much more I should build. I looked through the "Hot weather coops" thread and some others, but cannot find good consensus on how much space to add.

Current dimensions: 12' x 8'
Base: sand
Chickens: 15 hens, 1 rooster, 6-8 weeks of age

Conventional calculations are:

• 4 square feet per bird in coop (64 square feet for 16 chickens)
• 10 square feet per bird for the run (160 square feet for 16 chickens)

I am currently at 96 square feet per bird. Am I correct in discounting the recommended coop calculations and only using run calculations, therefore aiming for the 160+ square feet? For instance, if I added another 8' x 8' section would the ladies be comfortable?

• 96 sq. ft. existing + 64 sq. ft. addition = 160 sq. ft. for 16 birds

I know this question is asked pretty often, but I want to make sure I'm doing right by the girls (and roo)!

 

[tiedyemommy]

I already did that. Thats how our dog and cat population got so large. When I found Mittens (a black and white female) he told me NO! I brought her home anyway, she had just been thrown out of a moving truck right in front of me! It made me sick. So I brought this cat home that had no hair on her back legs, and broken teeth. For a year I took care of her, then her remaining teeth started falling out. So I asked the cat rescue to help me. She now lives with an older lady who was a vet, dang cat has a very spoiled life, lol. When I found Kairi freezing to death in my tree, I did it again. I bottle fed this kitten and had her tucked under my shirt for 3 days cause she was severely hypothermic and couldn't stay warm without help. Well I couldn't give up the cat after that kind of intensive care, so she is my baby and still searches for me every night for bed. She sleeps on top of my chest, my own personal heater.

I already had 3 female kittens from my outside cat Patches last litter and 1 female kitten with my 18 year old daughter from an older litter from Patches. (Patches is now spayed, thank the Lord, and so are all 4 of her daughters and Kairi). Then I rescued Sasha, 1 of our Siberian Huskies while he was overseas, he didn't say too much about that. Rascal he can't say anything about as I rescued him before we got married. (we have been best friends for 12 years, but didn't marry till 2 years ago for a lot of reasons). The Rott he can't complain about, he really wanted a Rott, so I rescued her and gave her to him,

so she is his. I also talked him into trapping/neutering 3 tomcats and releasing them back. I have been pushing his limits with my dog/cat rescues, and now I am doing chickens, geese, and soon to be ducks.
I have to watch my step, don't wanna really make him mad.

How ticked off is he going to be about the ducks?

- TieDyeMommy

 

[tiedyemommy]

My kids wanted to make pets of all the chickens and geese. They are finally accepting that the chickens are off limits as pets. I let them have female geese if they want, don't want them tangling with a gander during mating season! We are also getting some ducks at the end of this week, told them they could make pets of the girls.

The ladies are hard to catch, but once you get 'em they snuggle. Keep 'em close & they'll stay friendly.

- TieDyeMommy

 

[tiedyemommy]

Wow, I just saw an amazing thing. A Cooper Hawk, probably the same one that showed up last week, just perched on a telephone pole across the street in front of my yard, my flock is free ranging in my front yard. I heard the hawk calling and grabbed my non-lethal BB gun and a broom. I see that my weak BB can't make the shot so i shoo my flock in under the rose bushes, and just keep an eye on the hawk. Then I see a pair of grackles perch on the telephone wire right in front of my yard staring at the hawk. Then a couple mockingbirds joined them, then at some invisible signal the grackles, mockingbirds and some sparrows I didn't know where there all took off after the hawk and started dive bombing and chasing it together! I knew some birds would defend their nests from hawks but didn't know they would join forces with other species to do it! I almost feel sorry for the hawk, it had to dive into some dense tree cover to escape, the birds were too persistent to let the hawk gain altitude. But I don't feel so bad I'd let him make a meal of my flock. I think I'll buy some wild bird seed and feed the wild birds, low cost hawk defense, lol.

Awesome!

- TieDyeMommy

 

[Starfire669]

How ticked off is he going to be about the ducks? 

- TieDyeMommy

He isn't. I got him on a phrasing technicality. So I can get the ducks, but kinda backed myself into a corner now, I am allowed no furry or feathered living animals of any kind for at least a month now!

He did not say anything about scaled animals though, could go get a pet snake next! . Or fish!