Texas

[lindsey8980]

The company installs them . there's some other electrical things they install as well. We use almost nothing during the day.

 

[bnjrob]

The company installs them . there's some other electrical things they install as well. We use almost nothing during the day.

Interesting. We would like to get some on our house at some point.

Just an FYI for the wood you're planning on heating with....stock up on it if you can. The prices in the DFW area are outrageous for wood. We don't have central ac/heat and use our fireplaces - we go get wood from places in E. TX because folks jack the prices up so bad close to Dallas. And when there is a real cold snap, all the city folks with fire places get scared that they will be too cold, so they buy up the firewood and cause the people selling it to jack the prices up even higher. It's very frustrating to try to get affordable wood so close to the city.

 

[winteree]

Lost my best girl today

she was like a dog, followed me around, clucked with delight when I came out to the coop, and if I sat down would run and jump into my lap to be held. She was a blue silkie hen a little over 1 year old named Scarlett, my best chicken in over 8 years of raising chickens, I balled and am balling my eyes out just thinking of her. I found her under the coop(the coop is on little legs) all sprawled out with no obvious signs like blood, feather loss, foam at the mouth, or any sign of injury; which makes this harder not knowing what happened to her, if she was in pain, or if I was at fault

. any ideas of what happened to my baby girl?


(her in the blue towel)

(her in the back)

im very sorry or your loss we just had to put down Watson my bantam hen about two weeks ago thanks to a horrible rooster. I would send her for a necropsy no bird should die without warning. but with chickens it could be a number of things. is her vent clear, could she have a bound egg, or swollen crop?

 

[chickieluver26]

im very sorry or your loss we just had to put down a hen about two weeks ago. I would send her for a necropsy no bird should die without warning. but with chickens it could be a number o things. is her vent clear, could she have a bound egg, or swollen crop?

she did have a swollen crop but no signs of bound egg or choking. I already buried her under a big apple tree we have in the backyard, I know that it is unnormal for a chicken to dielike this but I just wanted to put her to rest so she can be peaceful

 

[winteree]

Interesting. We would like to get some on our house at some point.

Just an FYI for the wood you're planning on heating with....stock up on it if you can. The prices in the DFW area are outrageous for wood. We don't have central ac/heat and use our fireplaces - we go get wood from places in E. TX because folks jack the prices up so bad close to Dallas. And when there is a real cold snap, all the city folks with fire places get scared that they will be too cold, so they buy up the firewood and cause the people selling it to jack the prices up even higher. It's very frustrating to try to get affordable wood so close to the city.

yeah i'm almost glad my neighbor cut down all three of his trees I miss the shade but we have enough wood for the winter easy

 

[winteree]

she did have a swollen crop but no signs of bound egg or choking. I already buried her under a big apple tree we have in the backyard, I know that it is unnormal for a chicken to dielike this but I just wanted to put her to rest so she can be peaceful

a swollen crop can mean a number of things she could have had a "sour" crop, a crop infection, crop cancer of some kind or she could have just eaten to much it really is hard to say one of my grams chickens broke her own neck once my grams at the time used that really large chicken wire you get at the feed store (2inch holes) and she thought she was going to get at some leafs of a tree branch over the top of the coop she stuck her head through the hole and slipped on the tin roof and was dead. of course we didn't find out she had done it to her self until months later her neighbor let her see his camera footage but it was insane at the time.

 

[NickyPick]

My electric bills were crazy high to so I did some research and got solar panels on our home. We love them! Er went through a company called solar city.

Were the panels expensive? I'm looking to start building my home in about 4-5 years and I'm seriously considering solar panels. How did you figure out how much you needed for your house size?

 

[lindsey8980]

Here is my number text me any time I will give you all the info and send some pics. 2149099882 _

 

[magpiesing]

Hey magpie! Were getting a wood stove insert this week excited to start hearing our house this way! My electric bills were crazy high to so I did some research and got solar panels on our home. We love them! Er went through a company called solar city. I just got my first chicks about 2 weeks ago. Only 4 because we live in the city with a medium size back yard. I'm hoping to teach my self how to start canning soon. ! Nice to meet you.


Lindsey
In Wylie tx

Hi lady...sorry about the computer malfunction...happens when we all try to use the link. We are doing alot of things to conserve. DH's folks are putting in a hot water heating system. It uses an outside boiler and pipes run thur the attic with a fan to help heat their house as supplement to central heat. We are converting some of our lighting to 12 volt LED too. Solar is next. We'll probably always have to have some grid power because of our well. Maybe if we win the lottery we could get one of the big generators LOL.

As for fire wood...we are blessed as we have woods all around us and drought killed trees for the harvesting. Still have to cut and split but thats ok, we got equipment for that.

Try cold pack canning to start out...like tomatoes and other acidic stuff and jelly. Making jelly is easy and very rewarding. Then get ya a pressure cooker. 16 qt will do pints but if you want to do quarts a 22 qt one is the way to go...about $80 on line...can't do most veggies or meat without one. If you're not comfortable using a pressure cooker inside, get a propane burner and do it outside..we do so the house doesn't heat up so much and if anything goes wrong,,,well you won't be scrapeing beans off the ceiling. Good link to check is the National Center for Home Food Preservation...lots of good info there.

Four chickens are good...still get eggs! And they are so much fun and relaxing and entertaining too!
Here's a pic of the new fireplace..and I can cook on it too if power faiIs. The cord is for the blower fan on the back.


Have a great day....Magpie

 

[ChicKat]

Hi to people in Texas,

specifically the more south eastern part and Houston area.... I have a question for chicken people:

Anyone planning on attending the Poultry show for the FFA Alumni at Klein ISD on December 6th.?? And on Dec. 10th in College Station the Brazos Valley Poultry Club is a pretty big show--- anyone planning to attend ? Participate??