Texas

[Coopmom56]

Hi coopmom. I grew up in Dumas.

As for sleeping in the nesting boxes, mine have been doing the same thing. They were born around may 1. I was hoping this was something that they would outgrow, but I'm doubting that now after reading many of the threads about this issue on the forum. I took the advice from countless threads and blocked the nesting boxes. The first night (night before last) they were very confused and flustered. I had to take each one and put them up on the roosting bar. I was prepared to have to do this for a couple of weeks, but they did it on their own last night. I will keep the boxes blocked for a few more weeks to completely break them of going in there to sleep, but I'm hopeful that one night of retraining did the trick

Hahaha, I spent my wedding night at the Kona Kai Inn in Dumas, en route from Borger to Colorado Springs. A looooooong time ago - 38 years this week. We live between Amarillo and Canyon now.

Thanks for the advice. In true Newbie fashion, I worried too soon. They were all on the roost tonight when I went to put them up, but I put some 2 gallon buckets for nests in the nesting spaces today, so they couldn't sleep on top of those. All is well. Now if they will just figure out where to lay!

@Orumpoultry, thanks for the encouragement

@RoosterCogburn, that's a great commercial.

 

[Olandskchick]

Quote:
First off, hi everyone. reindeermama is my mother so, Hi mom!

 

[hensfortherapy]

I am in Princeton TX.
I have 11 chickens and 6 Guinea Fowl.

welcome from Liberty Hill.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I am in Princeton TX.
I have 11 chickens and 6 Guinea Fowl.

Greetings from Livingston with 42 Chickens, soon to be 48. Though, soon there is a PBR rooster that is about decrease the population by one.

 

[orumpoultry]

Welcome from Trinity!

 

[Eliza1313]

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Do you get LOUD sound out of your baby monitor? I've been using one for years. About 6 months ago it needed replacing and couldn't find the same "Safety 1st" I'd bought at Walmart so brought home a "Graco" which I don't like. It isn't loud enough and doesn't pick up all the quieter background sounds. If yours is working well can you please share the brand and model you bought so I can get one.

I'm about 30 miles north of San Antonio. Rebecca Creek flows all year. We're theres water theres critters. We have more then our share of predators and I have no choice but to stay on top of controling them. A decent baby monitor is a must. Thanks in advance! (-:

Using a vtech DM111, about $20 from Walmart.

I usually have it on the 2nd volume setting of 5, unless I'm working in the kitchen instead of the living room, then I turn it up to 3. It is loud enough for me. "Baby" unit is about 50 ft from the coops/run under the roof of the pole barn and I can hear alarm calls, egg songs, and some chatter from them. If I forget to turn it off at night I can hear the crickets and critters in and around the pole barn, but not out near the coops. It has a very limited range to the "parent" unit or sensitive to interference. Units are about 25' apart, with metal wall of pole barn and exterior wall of house between them. When I had it about 35' away on an easier to reach outlet it would beep at random times saying it lost the link.

It serves my purpose for it, but there are probably better ones out there.

 

[orumpoultry]

Using a vtech DM111, about $20 from Walmart.

I usually have it on the 2nd volume setting of 5, unless I'm working in the kitchen instead of the living room, then I turn it up to 3. It is loud enough for me. "Baby" unit is about 50 ft from the coops/run under the roof of the pole barn and I can hear alarm calls, egg songs, and some chatter from them. If I forget to turn it off at night I can hear the crickets and critters in and around the pole barn, but not out near the coops. It has a very limited range to the "parent" unit or sensitive to interference. Units are about 25' apart, with metal wall of pole barn and exterior wall of house between them. When I had it about 35' away on an easier to reach outlet it would beep at random times saying it lost the link.

It serves my purpose for it, but there are probably better ones out there.

We just go look if the dogs bark. They live outside. I need to get a baby monitor out there and a few more cameras.

 

[Mavabird]

My handsome 13-week-old cockerel is trying to crow and is bullying the girls, so it's time for him to go. If anyone knows anyone in the DFW area who wants a roo, please let me know. I don't really want him to become someone's dinner.

 

[Eliza1313]

We just go look if the dogs bark. They live outside. I need to get a baby monitor out there and a few more cameras.

No dogs yet, and maybe not ever. Rule is in place of no more animals unless they are for food or produce food, the only exception is for those that will protect the feed or animals. Also I have never been much of a dog person, but I can see their value on a homestead or farm. I have looked at a few of the breeds that I have been told make good livestock guardians, so maybe in the future. I know a lot of it is training instead of breed, and I have never trained a dog so that would make things more difficult. I also have learned enough from friends with dogs that I don't want one with a wet-mouth, being slobbered on just grosses me out.

Main daytime predators are hawks and neighbor's dogs. So not sure I would want to deal with the aftermath of a dog fight anyways. Planning on improving fences to try to keep the dogs out. Will be a lot of work and cost.

 

[Eliza1313]

Took a trip last week, was lucky enough to have friends that were willing to make a 30 minute drive to take care of the menagerie. Unfortunately lost one cockerel during that time period, pretty sure it was a pecking order dispute. One of the Cubalayas, he was always challenging the bigger boys, so it was either them or the other Cubalaya that has finally started to crow.

Needed to get feed yesterday. So I went to the local growers coop. They have a nutritionist on staff, so he is looking into a combination of their incomplete feed stuffs that I can combine to have a soy-free and corn-free feed. Won't be entirely non-gmo, but by eliminating the corn it cuts out a good portion of it. Ultimately I am ok with some gmo in the feed if I am supporting local farmers. If enough people ask for crops that aren't genetically engineered they will eventually quit growing them. In the meantime I picked up some H&H feed. Definitely not in the budget to use it long term, a total of 60# for a little more than what I was paying for 100# of the TX Nat.

One realization I came to was that the nutritional problems started a few weeks after I stopped feeding the scratch. Which is a bit strange. I ran out and even after picking up another bag it was no longer part of the routine so I never opened the new bag (also didn't have another bin for it).

Will let y'all know how they do on the blend of feed stuffs once I have that up and going.