Texas

[orumpoultry]

Thanks everyone. John says Titan was able to follow him while he fed the animals. Slowly at a distance, but, he went. Monday we're going to tractor supply to say goodbye to my coworkers. Some of them have known him five years. Then off to Houston to see my mother and grandmother.

 

[Eliza1313]

orumpoultry - Sorry to hear about your companion. It is always hard dealing with the loss of a pet. Be thankful that you have the time to say goodbye.


bnjrob - I can admit when I am wrong. Thank you for pointing out the issues you had with the Texas Natural Feeds. It appears that the problems I had thought were unrelated to each other might be vitamin deficiencies. Not sure just yet, will be switching feeds as soon as I can find a better product that fits my needs. For the meantime I am supplementing with alfalfa, since it is a good source for each of the vitamins that are lacking (and recommended as a source in the poultry book I have).

Had a pullet get a cut on her leg, originally believed it was much worse do to the scab that went all the way from the joint down the shank. Led me to realize she was most likely vitamin k deficient. The problem with the wobbly turkey poults appears might be a vitamin e deficiency. They were much improved after adding Nutri-Drench to their water, which does contain vitamin e.

 

[tjo804]

Delurking to share - My three cream legbar girls (now 3 months old) had their first ant feast!!! I swap out the waterers in their run every day when I let them out (adding ice), and some had spilled onto the ground the day before, attracting a little ant mound underneath, complete with larvae. I made my "food is here/treat" noise and they totally tore into it. It was fun to watch, some of the ants would run up their legs and they would run off for a little bit like they didn't know what was going on, but then they would come right back and keep eating (I guess they were too yummy to resist - not sure if they were the horror imported fire ants or just the other, milder types, possible the latter). They DECIMATED that little patch of ground, just in case one or two were left over. A massacre.

I'm TOTALLY going to systematically tote them around to my ant hills on my property, especially in my raised beds...

- Ant Farm (the name says it all...)

Edit to add a photo of Lissa, chillin' out with her feet in a pan of ice water. The watererer in question (where the ants were) can be seen on the right. They are getting so big!

you have the right idea for the Texas heat. I use the plastic cat litter pans for my ladies they are bigger and clean up nicely. It also allows me to use less water than I would in one of those small kiddie type pools.
Welcome from Cedar Creek / Bastrop area.

I'm going to be coming south on 59 in east Tx Aug 4th. If anyone wants to convince me I need your hatching eggs or chicks, please PM me. That day is also our 13th Wedding Anniversary, so I may have a little extra leeway

Happy anniversary have a safe trip!

After thirteen years of loyalty and love. Never faltering protection. Devotion. Companionship. After thirteen years of being the best chicken herding dog and quail catcher. Thirteen long years, Titan has come to a point where we are having to make the decision to put him down. He's in so much pain every day it's just not fair. Half the time his back legs don't work. When they do he's up and going. Those days are fading fast. This will be our last few days with the big lug. We're going to fill them with love and steak dinners.

It will be hard. He was my last childhood dog and my longest companion. Here he is yesterday debating the stairs to the house. See his squat. I'll post more pictures later this week. He's the big red hound.

My whole family is making trips to see him.

The old man is just in to much pain to be selfish anymore. Took me several hours to get him up and going this morning. Ended in me getting bit because he hurt to bad to stand. I left him in his bed with breakfast and water.

I have found alot of comfort on this web site for loss of family and friends both human and not.
I feel your pain and will say a prayer for your family. God be with you at this time.

Quote:
VERY WELL SAID!

 

[Sunflowergirl]

bnjrob - I can admit when I am wrong. Thank you for pointing out the issues you had with the Texas Natural Feeds. It appears that the problems I had thought were unrelated to each other might be vitamin deficiencies. Not sure just yet, will be switching feeds as soon as I can find a better product that fits my needs. For the meantime I am supplementing with alfalfa, since it is a good source for each of the vitamins that are lacking (and recommended as a source in the poultry book I have).

Had a pullet get a cut on her leg, originally believed it was much worse do to the scab that went all the way from the joint down the shank. Led me to realize she was most likely vitamin k deficient. The problem with the wobbly turkey poults appears might be a vitamin e deficiency. They were much improved after adding Nutri-Drench to their water, which does contain vitamin e.

I too have gone off the TNF! I am thankful others posted their experiences so I could take proper care to get things back on track!!!

 

[wilded]

Incuview update 8/2/2015: Heading into the last week with 22 chicken eggs. Will lock down on Tuesday and up humidity. Will keep you posted.

PS: Found a guinea in a brush pile on about 30 eggs. We have had up to 103 degree heat in the last month and many days at 98-100 so I don't know if any are viable. We also have such poor fertility with the French Jumbos. My plan is to take the eggs and candle them after this hatch if she is still on the nest and if any are good place them in the incuview for the rest of the hatch term. If we let the guineas hatch them they lose the chicks in just a few days. They are not the best of mothers for some reason.
Ed Thomas
Lampasas, Texas

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I too have gone off the TNF! I am thankful others posted their experiences so I could take proper care to get things back on track!!!

Could anyone share their experiences with H&H Feed? (And I'm curious - has anyone tried Hugelland?) I'm actually planning to switch off of Coyote Creek once my pullets are ready to switch from grower to layer...

- Ant Farm

 

[jtn42248]

Could anyone share their experiences with H&H Feed? (And I'm curious - has anyone tried Hugelland?) I'm actually planning to switch off of Coyote Creek once my pullets are ready to switch from grower to layer...

- Ant Farm

I don't know anything about H&H Feed. I have been using MFM (Martindale Feed Mills) layer pellets for some time now and am happy with it. My ducks and chickens love it and even my geese, who are a bit picky, are not put off by it. They are local (to Texas) from a town called Valley View south of Gainesville. Price is lower than Purina and Dumor and my local feed store carries it which is better than the 50 mile trip to the nearest TSC. When you use 800 pounds of feed a month price and distance are decision makers.

http://www.martindalefeed.com/MFM/poultry/poultry_feed.html

 

[orumpoultry]

Since Dumor has switched to Purina, I've switched to Lone Star Feed. It's local and cheap, but, my birds do well on it. The only issue I've had has been supplier related. The trucks have weavles and I'm getting it in my feed room. I go through to much feed to quickly to deal with it. I've made complaints to no avail. I'll be switching supplier if this continues because I like the feed.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I don't know anything about H&H Feed. I have been using MFM (Martindale Feed Mills) layer pellets for some time now and am happy with it. My ducks and chickens love it and even my geese, who are a bit picky, are not put off by it. They are local (to Texas) from a town called Valley View south of Gainesville. Price is lower than Purina and Dumor and my local feed store carries it which is better than the 50 mile trip to the nearest TSC. When you use 800 pounds of feed a month price and distance are decision makers.

http://www.martindalefeed.com/MFM/poultry/poultry_feed.html

Alas, nearest retailer for MFM is 130+ miles away... H&H is closer for me. (Texas is big!

) I've heard good things about H&H, and can get it relatively nearby, just wondering if anyone else had experience. It's cheaper than what I'm using now, and I do fermented feed (along with lot of sprouts and BOSS), so the amount used isn't as high as it was when the messy girls were wasting so much dry feed.

Lots of local feed mills (which is good!!!) Love hearing about the options.

(Now I have to go and read about raising Black Soldier Flies...)

- Ant Farm

 

[TheNeonPanther]

Anyone's yard drying up yet? Mine is.