Texas

[007Sean]

Good morning all

Hope everyone has survived the latest artic blast. It's 16°F, right now, sunny, still windy at 18mph.
To keep my well pipes from freezing, I turned the sprinkler on last night to keep the well pump cycling. Here's the results!!!

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Good morning,
right now it’s 17* and according to the weather channel it’s “Breezy” 18 mph winds.
granted nothing like last nights Breeze!
‘These are the only times that I regret open air coops! Granted not too many days like this! Anyone on here have a source for clear plastic tarp that lasts more than one season?
Right now I am using the cheaper blue tarp, and hate the fact that it blocks the light. I have a pretty large coop, so I assume I may have to special order it.
I have used the clear stuff from Joann fabrics, but with out the necessary rivets I have to staple it, and that doesn’t seem to last past a few days with our winds.

I have seen a lot of people say they buy heavy duty clear shower curtains, and that they lasted several years. They will only have holes in one side so you will have to add grommets to the other sides.

My chooks seemed ok in camera last night, just snuggled a little tighter together than usual. My husband got called into work at 3 am so didn’t get a chance to check them or their waterer. Fingers crossed it is working properly. The girls seem to be walking around acting normally on camera. But we had no water it the trailer this morning (we live in a fifth-wheel trailer), so despite our best efforts and preparations it is frozen somewhere. Shut it off at the street, will have to deal with it when we get above freezing. I have at least 15 gallons in jugs I can use for the chickens until then, and the 6’ round trough is full for the llamas. Fingers crossed the pipes either thaw and are fine, or that if anything has burst it is in an area easy to repair.

 

[Matejka]

Good morning all

Hope everyone has survived the latest artic blast. It's 16°F, right now, sunny, still windy at 18mph.
To keep my well pipes from freezing, I turned the sprinkler on last night to keep the well pump cycling. Here's the results!!!
View attachment 3356696

I wondered/worried about leaving faucets dripping with the well/septic. We survived, still have water.....
You have your own winter wonderland-snowman? Ice cream?

 

[007Sean]

I wondered/worried about leaving faucets dripping with the well/septic. We survived, still have water.....
You have your own winter wonderland-snowman? Ice cream?

Yeah, after the last time, I didn't want busted pipes, again, if the power went out, so that's the results.

 

[electrycmonk]

Good morning,
right now it’s 17* and according to the weather channel it’s “Breezy” 18 mph winds.
granted nothing like last nights Breeze!
‘These are the only times that I regret open air coops! Granted not too many days like this! Anyone on here have a source for clear plastic tarp that lasts more than one season?
Right now I am using the cheaper blue tarp, and hate the fact that it blocks the light. I have a pretty large coop, so I assume I may have to special order it.
I have used the clear stuff from Joann fabrics, but with out the necessary rivets I have to staple it, and that doesn’t seem to last past a few days with our winds.

Forgot the correct terminology… the plastic roofing panels that are clear, green or just translucent will be your only realistic options for multi year use in Texas sun/heat.

/Edited typo to clarify POV.

 

[electrycmonk]

G'mornin
I moved to Tool, TX. a couple years ago from Reno, NV. In Reno I had RIR, Barred Rocks and Leghorns. Very prolific layers and handled the cold winters well. I'd like to start another flock this next spring and was wondering if the same breeds will be alright for the hot humid summers down here. If not, what are some good heat hardy birds that are also good layers?

We have a place on opposite side of the lake from you. Our flock is up here on the NW side of Denton. You will do fine if you take heed the humidity and shade wisdom we have all shared over the last several years here in Tejas….

 

[electrycmonk]

Just took the water containers & food out to the flock… now to see how quickly it freezes to not drink from them… in the temperature/48 hours chart… that drop inside of an hour yesterday was something fierce to experience in the morning.

Wind gusts above 35-40MPH until about 3-4PM was not any form of fun.

 

[RUNuts]

Thanks, I really like the temperament of those birds so I’m hoping I can stay with them. It’s been about 10 yrs or so since I had leghorns, are there newer, more prolific layers that have taken their place, or are they still the good ol standard they always were?

Ideal Hatchery supplied my birds. As long you don't demand pure white leghorns, the Ideal 236 are great layers. I lost several of my first flock to lash eggs. Not breed specific but Leghorns, Ideal 236 (close to leghorns), Barred Rocks and Red Layers. I've been hatching backyard mixes since then and the lash eggs aren't as prevalent. Most of these girls are ideal descendants. Smaller, brown eggs and healthy.

I used an Ayam Cemani rooster and the skittishness increased, but you use what you have or in my case, what my neighbors had. Hatching is great. But you will get surprises.

 

[The Chick Addict]

Well I didn't expect my babies water to freeze, but it did! They have three 7qt waterers and I have been getting the water from inside since it is wayyyy too cold to do it from the hose. I brought in the waterers to thaw and I used a black rubber pan with hot water for them. I put a ping pong ball to keep it from freezing. Well the thawing inside didn't work so I had to do it from scratch . I believe its maybe 15 or 20 degrees warmer in their coop. I put some straw extra straw from my goats and put in their coop, they had a lot of fun with that. About 20 degrees today, 19 degrees tonight.

 

[Matejka]

15⁰ this a.m.
I have electric heater in kitchen, cabinet door open....nothing frozen