Texas

[RustedOak]

Howdy!
I'm in Copperas Cove. That's on the west side of Fort Hood. I have Welsummers, Blue, Blue Copper, and Black Copper Marans, Marraduna Basque, Lavender Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Wheaten Ameraucanas, and Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. I'm a hatch-a-holic, and always have chicks around! I also have hatching eggs for most of these breeds right now.
I am NPIP tested and TAHC registered.
Laura

Welcome! Glad to have you! Do you ever sell pullets or just chicks? I'd love to get my hand son a few lavenders but dont have the time or space to dedicate to chicks.

 

[NickyPick]

Is anyone else having hawk issues? We usually have a red shouldered hawk hanging around and he's never been a problem. He just hangs out on the fence posts and waits for the hens to dig up something he thinks is edible. Lately, thought, a Cooper's hawk has shown up and has been taking my hens. I've had to keep them completely locked up and they are NOT happy about that, but I'm really tired of losing good hens the this cursed bird. How long til this hawk migrates out of here??

 

[sbarab]

You can always order from ideal.

 

[sbarab]

Woo Hoo! My husband built me a digital thermostat for my bator. Tested it all day yesterday and it works great! Hope that we get a better hatch for the Easter Hatch-A-Long than we did in January.

Here is a link to the thermostat that he bought. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KVCPH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

He used an outdoor electrical junction box and mounted the thermostat and a 110 2 plug outlet in the box. Just plug the bator into the outlet and the thermostat turns the outlet off and on depending on the temperature reading from the probe that came with the thermostat.

 

[lauragutknecht]

Welcome! Glad to have you! Do you ever sell pullets or just chicks? I'd love to get my hand son a few lavenders but dont have the time or space to dedicate to chicks.

I am not selling any lavenders right now, as I'm trying to build up my lavender flock. If I have extras later on, I will sell some.

 

[Tmoorie]

You can always order from ideal.

Thank you! I tried but they won't have any until the end of May.

 

[lauragutknecht]

Is anyone else having hawk issues? We usually have a red shouldered hawk hanging around and he's never been a problem. He just hangs out on the fence posts and waits for the hens to dig up something he thinks is edible. Lately, thought, a Cooper's hawk has shown up and has been taking my hens. I've had to keep them completely locked up and they are NOT happy about that, but I'm really tired of losing good hens the this cursed bird. How long til this hawk migrates out of here??

I have had a couple of Cooper's hawks around here for years, but they are usually too small to carry off a full-grown chicken. I have plenty of roosters about, though, that sound the alarm when a hawk is about, so everyone scatters to safety. I would be worried if one of my juveniles were caught off-guard, but I have not lost any juveniles in over a year.

 

[Cowpoke]

Is anyone else having hawk issues? We usually have a red shouldered hawk hanging around and he's never been a problem. He just hangs out on the fence posts and waits for the hens to dig up something he thinks is edible. Lately, thought, a Cooper's hawk has shown up and has been taking my hens. I've had to keep them completely locked up and they are NOT happy about that, but I'm really tired of losing good hens the this cursed bird. How long til this hawk migrates out of here??

Hi Nicky...

Yes we are too. About 60 miles south of you. How long...I don't know when they may leave. It seems to me that they are here year round. Just a little worse lately.

 

[Belott]

There is a pair of Red Shouldered Hawks that I see or hear daily. You just have to provide cover of some sort for the chickens to escape to. Just the way it is.

David

 

[WldFlwrs]

I have had a couple of Cooper's hawks around here for years, but they are usually too small to carry off a full-grown chicken. I have plenty of roosters about, though, that sound the alarm when a hawk is about, so everyone scatters to safety. I would be worried if one of my juveniles were caught off-guard, but I have not lost any juveniles in over a year.

Storey's book on raising chickens shows a very simple lean to you can make for your chickens to hide under. We plan on building a few to sprinkle around the acreage the chickens get to range on so they have protection if they can't make it back to the coop. Plywood and a couple of 2x4s to prop it up...very simple. Even *I* could do them