Texas

[amandat]

Hey Texas Chicken woman, I am in the big city of Coldspring, on Lake Livingston, and yep that deep east Texas.  60 miles north of the big city of Houston.  Just wanted to say Howdy and keep your chicken feed dry.

bmarshall

 

[wilded]

Candled the guinea eggs in the incuview today and ten were clear which is not uncommon for Jumbo French Guineas. So twenty eggs continue on towards the hatch date. Since chicken eggs incubation period is about six days shorter I added five chicken eggs to the incubator from this morning and yesterday evening, lockdown should work for both. Will keep you updated as we go.

We started our very own catfish farm today on a half acre pond on the place we lease for the sheep. I stocked 100 channel cats and 250 blue cats which will be on a regular feeding program. We are very excited to be raising our own fish along with poultry, sheep and beef. ET

 

[TherryChicken]

It's roach time again. What can we use to keep them out of the house. I'm dead afraid of roaches

 

[Briza]

Candled the guinea eggs in the incuview today and ten were clear which is not uncommon for Jumbo French Guineas. So twenty eggs continue on towards the hatch date. Since chicken eggs incubation period is about six days shorter I added five chicken eggs to the incubator from this morning and yesterday evening, lockdown should work for both. Will keep you updated as we go.

We started our very own catfish farm today on a half acre pond on the place we lease for the sheep. I stocked 100 channel cats and 250 blue cats which will be on a regular feeding program. We are very excited to be raising our own fish along with poultry, sheep and beef. ET

Are you raising the fish for your own consumption, to feed some of your animals, or both? I'm curious.

It's roach time again. What can we use to keep them out of the house. I'm dead afraid of roaches

I've figured out how to get my chicks to eat them(train them on freeze dried grasshoppers and crickets). The sorry pests are attracted to the mess, feed, and water in the brooder and get torn apart within a minute. I no longer stomp them as I've found out they play dead and crawl out of the trash can later. I catch them and feed to the chicks. We've got the giant ones and I have not seen a full grown adult in the house since the chicks figured out they were tasty. The brooder is the only source of food in the house so most of them end up there on their own without my help.

I'll probably have to figure something else out when the chicks go outside because I probably shouldn't get consecutive batches of chicks to deal with the problem.

 

[TherryChicken]

Are you raising the fish for your own consumption, to feed some of your animals, or both? I'm curious.

I've figured out how to get my chicks to eat them(train them on freeze dried grasshoppers and crickets). The sorry pests are attracted to the mess, feed, and water in the brooder and get torn apart within a minute.  I no longer stomp them as I've found out they play dead and crawl out of the trash can later. I catch them and feed to the chicks. We've got the giant ones and I have not seen a full grown adult in the house since the chicks figured out they were tasty. The brooder is the only source of food in the house so most of them end up there on their own without my help.

I'll probably have to figure something else out when the chicks go outside because I probably shouldn't get consecutive batches of chicks to deal with the problem.   

Lol I do that but chicks n ducklings stay clueless and stay afraid of them n no grown birds aloud in. My cat used to catch them n bring n drop them alive at my feet :/.. but I turned around n this one was running between my legs on the floor

 

[kenmlang]

I had a brainstorm,(or brainfart) today, and am putting it to the test. I need some honest feedback from y'all, as to whether this is a good idea or bad. Whether it will sell or not. Keep in mind, this is only a prototype, will tweak to perfection, if found worthy.

This is a portable chicken swing. I realize that it cannot be used in smaller runs, but it can be used in the larger runs, and if you freerange at all, you can easily move to a different location. I am trying it out on my birds, to see how it works out.

Please tell what you think, and be honest, I can take it.

 

[Briza]

Lol I do that but chicks n ducklings stay clueless and stay afraid of them n no grown birds aloud in. My cat used to catch them n bring n drop them alive at my feet

.. but I turned around n this one was running between my legs on the floor

Yeah, the first two roaches hung around in the brooder for weeks before it clicked for my older chicks that it was just like the yummy treats I'd been giving them. It grossed me out having them in there a ton because I HATE roaches but I kept telling myself that they would get it and thankfully they did because I was about to dispose of the disgusting crawlies myself at that point. Now, it's their favorite food and they will all drop everything when they see one.

The second batch of chicks in the other brooder(3 week difference between batches) ate their first roachy visitor on their second day out of the shipping box without having to be taught by me. I always assumed that animal communication was learned from the mother animal but now I wonder as they were afraid of the thing for half an hour after noticing it and then suddenly seemed to collectively change their minds and go for it.

I had a brainstorm,(or brainfart) today, and am putting it to the test. I need some honest feedback from y'all, as to whether this is a good idea or bad. Whether it will sell or not. Keep in mind, this is only a prototype, will tweak to perfection, if found worthy.

This is a portable chicken swing. I realize that it cannot be used in smaller runs, but it can be used in the larger runs, and if you freerange at all, you can easily move to a different location. I am trying it out on my birds, to see how it works out.

Please tell what you think, and be honest, I can take it.

Is it a portable chicken perch/swing?

 

[kenmlang]

Yeah, the first two roaches hung around in the brooder for weeks before it clicked for my older chicks that it was just like the yummy treats I'd been giving them. It grossed me out having them in there a ton because I HATE roaches but I kept telling myself that they would get it and thankfully they did because I was about to dispose of the disgusting crawlies myself at that point. Now, it's their favorite food and they will all drop everything when they see one.

The second batch of chicks in the other brooder(3 week difference between batches) ate their first roachy visitor on their second day out of the shipping box without having to be taught by me. I always assumed that animal communication was learned from the mother animal but now I wonder as they were afraid of the thing for half an hour after noticing it and then suddenly seemed to collectively change their minds and go for it.


Is it a portable chicken perch/swing?

Yes it is!! Please tell what you think about it.

 

[Briza]

Yes it is!! Please tell what you think about it.

I think the concept is good and would provide something interesting for birds that are kept in enclosed runs to do. I notice that at petstores they sell all sort of recreational items to keep pet birds mentally healthy in confinement. I was actually wondering if anyone made such a thing for chickens since it might keep them from using other chickens as entertainment. They also make puzzles for dogs that resort to destructive behavior out of boredom and they've definitely been a big help with the puppy. So far, I've managed to reduce the bullying between my chicks and the frequency of brooder escapes(happen no matter how I try to contain them... next brooder will be fully enclosed and have access doors) by hiding treats in the litter for them to dig for and giving them live insects to hunt.

Edit: Now that I think about it, a lot of us are diy folk. Maybe you could make some money offering the plans for sale too once you've perfected it.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I had a brainstorm,(or brainfart) today, and am putting it to the test. I need some honest feedback from y'all, as to whether this is a good idea or bad. Whether it will sell or not. Keep in mind, this is only a prototype, will tweak to perfection, if found worthy.

This is a portable chicken swing. I realize that it cannot be used in smaller runs, but it can be used in the larger runs, and if you freerange at all, you can easily move to a different location. I am trying it out on my birds, to see how it works out.

Please tell what you think, and be honest, I can take it.

It looks well built. I am going to play the ignorant card. What is it meant to do?