Texas

[Fentressfarmer]

Congratulations!

Thanks!

 

[yinepu]

Here is another one of my Wyandotte cockerels.

Here are some of my Wyandotte pullets.

sent ya a PM

Quote:
yeah.. if all you have is the one bar I would add at least one more a bit higher.. I think my highest one is at about shoulder height and we stair stepped them down from there

 

[yinepu]

Sitting here trying to read posts. My computer is starting to not work properly.

I accidently spilled water on the keyboard and it has been downhill from there. I miss my chicken folks with whom I share this love of chicken, ducks and other poultry. I might be able to read posts but soon won't be able to type back.

Darn touchy technology.

Question about my ducks, what age due they generally start displaying whether they are male or female? What age do they start laying? They are almost fully feathered now about a month old.

a lot depends on their genes plus what they have been eating... faster maturing bloodlines fed good food will feather out with their adult plumage much faster than others.

If I didn't vent sex...
what tells me first if I have a male or female is their voice.. the boys have a raspy type quack.. the girls have a much brighter clearer quack

tail feathers also work on most breeds (not on muscovys though)... but cayugas are like mallards where the boys will develop the little curled tail feather at the base of their tail on the top.

with other breeds you can go by bill and leg colour (greenish as opposed to orange)

Good morning everybody,
Well today my wife and I celebrate our 4th anniversary! Still can't believe she puts up with me!

Congrats!

 

[yinepu]

Quick question... I have a hen sitting on a few eggs. Once they hatch, should I take them from her and put them in my brooder or let her raise them?

that's entirely up to you and your hen... some hens make great broody moms... others... well.. not so much. Since it's spring, I would tend to leave her with them.. BUT that also depends on the coop setup you have.

is there a place where she can raise her brood that is protected from the rest of the flock?.. if not you may lose a few of the chicks .. so that's something to think about.


basically the decision is yours.. you need to see what you can provide for her as a pen / coop.. plus you'll have to watch and see how she is as a mamma hen...

 

[Fentressfarmer]

Thanks

 

[ShadowsFIAL]

Anyone know if there is a risk of blackhead in the Ellis county area? I called the extension service and they don't have anyone there at the moment who could answer, so I wanted to jump on here and see. I am wanting to pick up a few turkeys for the holidays and raise them myself, and hopefully keep a pair for breeding future dinners.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
basically... no.. and anyone who tells you they are.. is.. in my opinion (and in Paco's).. a liar

This is Paco after the neighbor's dogs paid us a visit one night

wound mostly healed.. was on the back at the base of his neck



same wound half healed


wound on his thigh mostly healed


scarring on his neck where the dogs had tried to rip it open



wound on his back after healing



the attack happened at night.. emus sleep at night.. so he was just as vulnerable as a chicken or a duck. He was covered in blood.. had lost half his feathers.. it only took the dogs barely 2 minutes to do this damage to him. When I went outside to see what was going on he came running to me with a dog hanging off his neck. Had I been a minute late... he would have been a dead emu. As it was I was amazed he was alive the next morning. To the best of my knowledge.. the other emus didn't come to his rescue.. it was dark and they had all bedded down for the night. He was the only one that came running towards me for help.. the others were still down in the back where they bed down.
the dogs suffered 0 damage...

Now, had the dogs tried to come in during the day the emus would have tried to band together in an attempt to drive them off or kill them. They are very territorial when they can see what's going on.

so emus are good during the day.. but not at night. As juveniles or babies they are just as vulnerable to an attack as a chicken.. so they don't even work well as a daytime guardian until they are yearlings.. and at that age you would need several. A lone emu could be killed by a pack of dogs or coyotes .. but in a one on one fight (during the day).. the emu would probably come out ahead.

 

[yinepu]

Anyone know if there is a risk of blackhead in the Ellis county area? I called the extension service and they don't have anyone there at the moment who could answer, so I wanted to jump on here and see. I am wanting to pick up a few turkeys for the holidays and raise them myself, and hopefully keep a pair for breeding future dinners.

I seriously doubt it.. but they could tell you for sure

when I called the one for Lampasas county they had never even heard of blackhead... so I think if it had been an issue in Texas they would at least have heard of it.

 

[ShadowsFIAL]

I seriously doubt it.. but they could tell you for sure

when I called the one for Lampasas county they had never even heard of blackhead... so I think if it had been an issue in Texas they would at least have heard of it.

Ok. I will wait for them to call anyway and keep in mind to build a separate pen for my turkeys unless it is in the all clear, but I am wanting to pick up 4 turkey poults to raise <3 I want to have a handsome tom and pretty lil hen to keep has pets and the other two will be for thanksgiving and christmas. I am going to have to build another shelter for them tho, doubt they will fit through the chicken door.

 

[ShadowsFIAL]

Yinepu, do you keep your turkeys separate from your chickens?