Texas

[jajeanpierre]

I like this comparison. Your avatar of a firzzle is marvelous.

Maybe Laurie needs to try some little Frizzles

No, she is not a frizzle. She is a smooth feathered Polish. Frizzle's feathers curve away from the body. Her feathers follow the contour of her body.

Yes, they really are dinosaurs. That's the latest science.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I am planning on a coop/run area inside a much larger run area - like the size of a one car garage. I plan on landscaping inside the big area and putting things in for the chickens to 'climb' around on and 'play' on. Due to the location of my house I don't think I can leave chickens out unattended all day. I live across the street from a busy park and there are a lot of hawks and even some falcons around. My back yard is fenced but it is only a 4 foot chain link fence. My biggest concern is the chickens getting out and getting run over, lost or taken.

Flighty=spook easily. I've also read bantams like to fly into trees.

The puppy comment is because I want to also get a puppy. No, there is no comparison between chickens and dogs.


How many bantam eggs equals one large chicken egg?

I doubt falcons are going to be a problem unless you live near a tall building or a cliff AND there are falcons around (they are very rare). They sit high and wait.. They specialize in flying birds. In a city, they will tend to rely on pigeon. I can't see them going to ground after a chicken in a small back yard. Birds of prey are always looking for how to leave, and falcons are not the most agile birds of prey. A Coopers hawk is more likely to be the hawk that will do the most damage and they will go to ground. They can be quite brazen. Just remember, hawks are everywhere. If there is food, they will come. If the resident predator leaves or is killed, another will fill the spot. You can make your yard unfriendly to hawks. Provide cover for the birds in the open areas and don't give the hawk a good approach for landing or leaving the area. They are not helicopters--they need some room to get airborne. How much will depend on the species and the bird's condition.

Your most worrisome predator will be dogs. I would worry a lot more about your puppy than any hawk.

Why would you think bantams would be spooky? Each breed has a "typical" temperament with a lot more individual variation within the breed than there is between the breeds. Silkies are famous for their docile temperament and friendly nature. I had a few of the nastiest, bitiest, most horrible young Silkie cockerels you can imagine.

Chicken don't tend to play, although I have to say my Polish are quite playful. Play for chickens is scratching and hunting for goodies--nothing will make them happier than foraging for food. My Polish do like to climb trees, but in general they don't go over the 4-foot fence and if they do (twice), they are frantic trying to get back in. If you wanted to give them great toys, give them a great big compost heap full of bugs.

Most of my Silkie eggs are around 35 to 37 grams, some bigger, some smaller. Large eggs are 57 grams. I tell the people who get my little eggs that three of my Silkie eggs equal two large eggs.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I just watched my oldest graduate from college, summa cum laude, with a teaching degree. About to burst with pride

Congratulations! I was really surprised at how big a milestone it was for me when my oldest graduated. The next milestone was when he landed a good-paying job at Google, another biggie emotionally.

 

[Texasmja]

texas mja are you showing some of those slw? they are beautiful.

I am. I have been trying to decide which ones to take, I have so many good ones to choose from this year. I just can not wash and prepare all of them by myself. I wish I could take everyone

 

[Texasmja]

I just posted some important information that you all need to see on my farm page on FB. That is all I am going to say on here.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I doubt falcons are going to be a problem unless you live near a tall building or a cliff AND there are falcons around (they are very rare). They sit high and wait.. They specialize in flying birds. In a city, they will tend to rely on pigeon. I can't see them going to ground after a chicken in a small back yard. Birds of prey are always looking for how to leave, and falcons are not the most agile birds of prey. A Coopers hawk is more likely to be the hawk that will do the most damage and they will go to ground. They can be quite brazen. Just remember, hawks are everywhere. If there is food, they will come. If the resident predator leaves or is killed, another will fill the spot. You can make your yard unfriendly to hawks. Provide cover for the birds in the open areas and don't give the hawk a good approach for landing or leaving the area. They are not helicopters--they need some room to get airborne. How much will depend on the species and the bird's condition.

Your most worrisome predator will be dogs. I would worry a lot more about your puppy than any hawk.

Why would you think bantams would be spooky? Each breed has a "typical" temperament with a lot more individual variation within the breed than there is between the breeds. Silkies are famous for their docile temperament and friendly nature. I had a few of the nastiest, bitiest, most horrible young Silkie cockerels you can imagine.

Chicken don't tend to play, although I have to say my Polish are quite playful. Play for chickens is scratching and hunting for goodies--nothing will make them happier than foraging for food. My Polish do like to climb trees, but in general they don't go over the 4-foot fence and if they do (twice), they are frantic trying to get back in. If you wanted to give them great toys, give them a great big compost heap full of bugs.

Most of my Silkie eggs are around 35 to 37 grams, some bigger, some smaller. Large eggs are 57 grams. I tell the people who get my little eggs that three of my Silkie eggs equal two large eggs.

We have a family of 5 falcons that live in the park across the street. I see them all the time. We have tons of hawks and owls too.

I read bantams tend to be flighty and like to fly (into trees) somewhere.

My dog will be alright and when we get a puppy she will be trained to leave the chickens alone.

I plan on using a variation of the deep litter method in the big run. It will basically be a flat compost pile for them. Leaves and grass clippings to scratch through. I am going to grow oat grass in a raised bed covered with chicken wire so that they can eat the grass and not destroy the bed and I will plant some bushes so they have some cover. I am also getting a large branch that they can hang out on .

I think most of the chickens I want come in a bantam style. Not all though.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I just posted some important information that you all need to see on my farm page on FB. That is all I am going to say on here.

What is your farm fb page?

 

[Texasmja]

What is your farm fb page?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lazy-A-Ranch/136316438075

 

[gameandmore]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lazy-A-Ranch/136316438075

so?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Ummm, so how do I delete some of my photos I posted?


If I post a link to my photobucket account the photo remains mine, right?