Texas

[lovingmyhens]

This is the prototype for my new coop, 8x12, not including the roost area. The part that hangs off the left is where the roosts will be. The lattice work at the bottom will be lined with hardware cloth on the inside and hung on hinges to provide ventilation and easy poo clean out but also keep vermin out. I have a similar (but smaller) design now only with a shed style roof that goes from the front and slopes back toward the roosts. It is a little fancy compared to what I have now, but my current coop is almost 18 years old and only holds about 40 comfortably. This Spring I want to hatch some Olive Eggers which will put my count around 50.

Very sweet!!

 

[ChelseysChicken]

I may have been using the "this is helpful" button as the "LIKE" button on facebook..
Sorry bout it

 

[RanchHens]

I'm out of Central Texas, about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Currently, I'm the Ranch Mom to 6 horses, 1 Mule, 1 Donkey, 4 Goats, 3 Dogs, 4 Cats, 1 Goose, 2 Guineas, 9 Ducks, and 80+ Chickens.

As if that weren't enough, we just ordered 20 chicks to arrive next May, and 9 Cream Legbar Hatching Eggs, which will be my early Christmas present if all goes well.

My dilemma, besides the fact that I have way too many **** chickens, is that I really only need/want a trio of Cream Legbars. I'll keep any additional pullets, but is there anyone local who would be interested in the cockerels once they're about 3-4 months of age?

I would probably ask about $30 a piece for them at that point to cover all the costs associated with growing them out (and the new incubator I bought just for them.

) OR I would be willing to trade for a French Marans Pullet, any color besides Cuckoo/Gold Cuckoo.

This is all assuming that they hatch healthy and there isn't a chicken miracle of only one rooster with eight pullets, or, as my luck would probably run, 9 pullets, when I really want the roo to cross onto my Spitzhaubens and Ameracunas for crested/bearded/muffed, blue/green egg layers. The good news is that I would be able to tell at birth what my roo to hen ratio was.

 

[jockeyeba]

I'm out of Central Texas, about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Currently, I'm the Ranch Mom to 6 horses, 1 Mule, 1 Donkey, 4 Goats, 3 Dogs, 4 Cats, 1 Goose, 2 Guineas, 9 Ducks, and 80+ Chickens.

As if that weren't enough, we just ordered 20 chicks to arrive next May, and 9 Cream Legbar Hatching Eggs, which will be my early Christmas present if all goes well.

My dilemma, besides the fact that I have way too many **** chickens, is that I really only need/want a trio of Cream Legbars. I'll keep any additional pullets, but is there anyone local who would be interested in the cockerels once they're about 3-4 months of age?

I would probably ask about $30 a piece for them at that point to cover all the costs associated with growing them out (and the new incubator I bought just for them. ) OR I would be willing to trade for a French Marans Pullet, any color besides Cuckoo/Gold Cuckoo.

This is all assuming that they hatch healthy and there isn't a chicken miracle of only one rooster with eight pullets, or, as my luck would probably run, 9 pullets, when I really want the roo to cross onto my Spitzhaubens and Ameracunas for crested/bearded/muffed, blue/green egg layers. The good news is that I would be able to tell at birth what my roo to hen ratio was.

from Selma looks like you have too many critters like we do. What kind of chickens do you have? 80 sounds like a lot of chickens but I just counted ours in my mind & we have around 60

 

[RanchHens]

All of them. We have all of the chickens.

Once we get our spring order in we will have a chicken of every shape, size, color, and creed, imaginable. I'm excited, but it is a little daunting.

 

[hungnguyen]

Gu't Mo^ Ninh 1 more time.

It's 3am Fri. By this time tomorrow, I will be on my way to Houston to fly out at 6am. Thanks all for your farewell wishes. My wife is touched. We sincerely wish all of ya a wonderful holiday season.

Another batch hatched 2-3 days ago. And another one should hatch before i come back. Wishing them a warm X-mas/NY too, hope they all make it.

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
This is Hung Nguyen
saying Merry X-mas to You

PS: That was the very first poem I learned in US, from a young girl named Susan. Since then, I had modified to many versions.. and sent to ..so many girls.

 

[lovingmyhens]

Safe travels Hung!

 

[TammyTX]

All of them. We have all of the chickens.

Once we get our spring order in we will have a chicken of every shape, size, color, and creed, imaginable. I'm excited, but it is a little daunting.

Well, that would be a lot more than 80!!

I think we all have multiple breeds of chickens, what breeds are your favorites?

 

[TammyTX]

If you have any inkling of electrical stuff, solar stuff is pretty easy. And a lot these days is just "plug and play" if you can afford it, otherwise to go a little more cheaply, you need to have some understanding of electricity to rig stuff together that wasn't meant to just plug into stuff.   If you need ideas and such, Mother Earth News is a good resource for solar ideas and help.  Was there something in particular that you were having an idea/problem with when thinking about solar panels? 

I'm thinking of putting lighting in the coop. Something really basic like a shop light. We don't need large battery storage. Our gate is solar but it has a pretty big battery.

As a side: I used to get Mother Earth but got tired of their left leanings. My dad wrote an article for them many years ago on carbide lanterns. Most people don't know what they are. http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/carbide-lamp-zmaz80sozraw.aspx#axzz2o1XCxuHS

 

[RanchHens]

My favorite hens are a bantam, blue birchen Oeg hen, named, Dove, and a LF, Salmon Favorelle hen, named Rose.

I'm hoping to start crossing Legbars, Spitzhauben, and my EE/Ameracaunas to get some very fancy crested, bearded, and muffed EE's.

I also just ordered some Lavender Orpington hatching eggs.