Texas

[Ms Jellybean]

Ms. Jellybean this is for you to dream on:

Lisa

WOW!!!

 

[TexasLisa]

WOW!!!

Can't you just see him running in the fields!!!

Lisa

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Just checked my yard at 7pm. Out of 20 chicks in my brooder cage with lamp, 4 didn't make it. These are 2-3 mo. Orientals which doesn't have much feathers. Poor babies , still 1 more night of freezing !

That's a shame. Last night wasn't quite so cold here. I hope that the others make it through okay.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Good morningTexas! It's a chilly 33* here this morning but will be warming up nicely to the mid 50's. Sunday it will be 80*!!! I got two new cycling jerseys yesterday. Can't wait to were them over the weekend when it is warmer.

I want to start building my chicken coop and big run area, but I don't have any good tools or saws. I also have a Subaru Impreza and no truck for the lumber. I also need to work. Today is a two job day for me....

The weekend is coming!


OK, here is my first question of the day.

I was reading (on here I think) about chicken coops and the person who posted said they never cleaned out the run area of their coop and just added grass clippings and leaves to it every week. It was basically a big composter spread out in the run. Everything broke down naturally and the chickens loved all the grass and leaves to poke around in. His coop was supposed to be a tractor coop but ended up a little too big and was too heavy to move around so it stayed in one place.

How good an idea is this? I have a ton of leaves every fall and lots of grass I could put in my big run. There isn't much grass there right now.

I do plan on using deep litter in the smaller run area that is attached to the coop.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Just checked my yard at 7pm. Out of 20 chicks in my brooder cage with lamp, 4 didn't make it. These are 2-3 mo. Orientals which doesn't have much feathers. Poor babies , still 1 more night of freezing !

So sad. Sorry you lost them. Can you bring them in tonight? Or maybe add another heat lamp.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Can't you just see him running in the fields!!!

Lisa

Yep, and with me riding him!

I have wanted a horse since I was a little girl.

This is Red Coyote as a 1 yr old. Almost ready to go to training for racing.
This is him kissing me. We had an instant special bond that summer. I only saw him about 3 times at Valor Farm and haven't seen him since. I check on his racing stats every now and then. I really wanted him. Still do. He is an incredible horse.
Kind of funny side note. I named him Red so I could call him something when I was there. The farm had not named him yet. On my last visit before he was shipped off to train I was talking with the farm manager and told me they had named him Red Coyote. I said that is funny, because I named him Red. Ken thought that was funny too.

I need to go there this spring....

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Yep, and with me riding him!

I have wanted a horse since I was a little girl.

This is Red Coyote as a 1 yr old. Almost ready to go to training for racing.
This is him kissing me. We had an instant special bond that summer. I only saw him about 3 times at Valor Farm and haven't seen him since. I check on his racing stats every now and then. I really wanted him. Still do. He is an incredible horse.
Kind of funny side note. I named him Red so I could call him something when I was there. The farm had not named him yet. On my last visit before he was shipped off to train I was talking with the farm manager and told me they had named him Red Coyote. I said that is funny, because I named him Red. Ken thought that was funny too.

I need to go there this spring....

He's beautiful and that's a sweet picture of him giving you a kiss.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Can't you just see him running in the fields!!!

Lisa

With that mane and tail, no one is letting him run in any field!

 

[TexasLisa]

Yep, and with me riding him!

I have wanted a horse since I was a little girl.

This is Red Coyote as a 1 yr old. Almost ready to go to training for racing.
This is him kissing me. We had an instant special bond that summer. I only saw him about 3 times at Valor Farm and haven't seen him since. I check on his racing stats every now and then. I really wanted him. Still do. He is an incredible horse.
Kind of funny side note. I named him Red so I could call him something when I was there. The farm had not named him yet. On my last visit before he was shipped off to train I was talking with the farm manager and told me they had named him Red Coyote. I said that is funny, because I named him Red. Ken thought that was funny too.

I need to go there this spring....

Pretty lady with a pretty horse! My husband's name is Ken!!

Lisa

 

[jajeanpierre]

Good morningTexas! It's a chilly 33* here this morning but will be warming up nicely to the mid 50's. Sunday it will be 80*!!! I got two new cycling jerseys yesterday. Can't wait to were them over the weekend when it is warmer.

I want to start building my chicken coop and big run area, but I don't have any good tools or saws. I also have a Subaru Impreza and no truck for the lumber. I also need to work. Today is a two job day for me....

The weekend is coming!


OK, here is my first question of the day.

I was reading (on here I think) about chicken coops and the person who posted said they never cleaned out the run area of their coop and just added grass clippings and leaves to it every week. It was basically a big composter spread out in the run. Everything broke down naturally and the chickens loved all the grass and leaves to poke around in. His coop was supposed to be a tractor coop but ended up a little too big and was too heavy to move around so it stayed in one place.

How good an idea is this? I have a ton of leaves every fall and lots of grass I could put in my big run. There isn't much grass there right now.

I do plan on using deep litter in the smaller run area that is attached to the coop.

My original plan was to use a tractor set up but it really isn't very much space. They are much happier free ranging. I try to make it safer for the Silkies and Polish since they are not suited to evade predators because of a lack of flying ability (Silkies and frizzled Cochin) or vision problems from their top knots (Silkies and Polish) The Ameraucanas are free on two acres, the Silkies and Polish are close to the house in the back yard.

I want the benefits of free range, both for the birds' mental well being and from a healthier diet stand point. Leaving chickens in a small space with only deep litter is only a step above the commercial farming practices. Giving them long strands of clipped grass is an unnatural way for chickens to eat grass. They normally bite of bits of grass, not long strands. The long strands end up swallowed whole, since they are not attached to roots that hold it in place. The long strands can cause a blockage in their crop.