Texas

[ClovisMan]

Hope ya'll dont mind me posting my coop progress here. It enables me to upload the pics to the site so later when I am finished, I can make entire build thread and all the pictures will already be in my album....so any way...

Finished the roof framing and overhang framing. Also installed the sub-roof OSB. This took a better part of the day since every board had to be cut to fit and hoisted up by myself.



Also managed to get 3 of the siding ply up.



I'm considering leaving the top section open for ventilation and just cover in hardware cloth. What do ya'll think?



I'm going to cheat a little. Instead of building nesting boxes, I purchased some plastic ones from Tractor Supply. Should be easier to keep clean. Do you think 4 is enough for 15 hens?

 

[RachaelS]

Wow that is looking really good!

 

[GibsonChicks4U]

Will probably be fine 5 should be good also if you can get another

 

[LBejaran]

Just finished re-doing my coop. The dogs have been in the run since last summer. It was shortened so it did not meet up with the coop. So I had first CLEAN it out, then reconfigure it. So now they have a 10x30 run, that is for 7 smaller birds so they should be good. Yes the main coup is 10 foot tall, don't know what DH was thinking, I wish it were wider and shorter, like me

This is what they were in, it is 8x6, but only 4 ft tall, which is okay since I let them free range all day everyday. However, DH was not super happy with that, so with my new set up I don't have to feel bad. I will still let them out for few hours in the evening and more on the weekends.

You got a lot done today! I wish I was that productive with my garden. Instead, I did some stuff I'm not very proud of. I'll elaborate at the end of the post, haha!

looky what hatched early

So adorable! I'm such a sucker for ducklings, haha! I see their little bills and eyes and fuzzy bodies and I just melt into a puddle.

I did something really silly today. We went out for lunch and the plan was to go to the farmer's market to see if they had any tomatoes yet (sometimes they get them in early). Well, Mom and Nivia decided that they'd prefer to go to the feed store a couple towns over rather than look for veggies, so I conceded half-heartedly. I didn't want to bring home more chicks right now. I'm pretty weak about resisting and I'd already spent $20 for lunch and beads for painting eggs. I was torn.

Well, we went to one feed store (the Moreno's feed store in Weslaco, a part of a small chain) and they didn't have many chicks. Good, I thought, I can keep my word and not bring home any birds. It's okay.

Then Nivia said, "Hey, let's go to the other two feed stores! They always have more!"

Dang. So we went to Karl's Corner in Donna and I bought 2 bags of feed (I won't be going there again for awhile. The man helping me insisted that the Nutrena Nature Wise feed I wanted was medicated and I said, "No, it's not. It even says on the bag that there are no antibiotics. It has probiotics for digestion!" and I was trying to explain because I wanted the Nutrena but they were closing up shop. However, I made the mistake of saying I didn't want medicated feed and he insisted it was. He ended up giving me Acco brand feed that I didn't want and I had to take it. I was so frustrated, grrr! Not gonna buy feed from there for a long while. I hate dealing with people like that. I told him I wanted Nutrena brand and he should have given it to me. I was even willing to pay more for it and he just wouldn't listen. Gah!)

Anyway, frustrated, we decided we'd go the the other Moreno's feed store that resides in Donna. Mr. Moreno, the owner, was actually working there! He's kinda awesome. So we went inside and in the pens, they had full grown pheasants, a pair of peacocks, a couple roosters, fan-tail doves and a month old piglet! It was so cool and I loved the pheasants, but I knew I wasn't looking to buy. However, suddenly, I turned around and saw the chicks. They had actual Ameraucana pullets.

I gave up. I bought 5. I couldn't help it. The knowledge that they were actual Ameraucana (that were pullets) got me. Now they are with the gold-laced Wyandotte chicks and I'm such a loser for not fighting the urge, haha! They are so cute and I was super selective and made sure they tried to run away from me before choosing them. Mom was angry with herself for saying out loud for me to get the gray pullet because when I went to get it, someone else had taken it. It was my favorite, but it happens when you express excitement over certain colors. I still got a good set of healthy looking chicks, which is good enough for me!

 

[granthamkk]

Hope ya'll dont mind me posting my coop progress here. It enables me to upload the pics to the site so later when I am finished, I can make entire build thread and all the pictures will already be in my album....so any way... Finished the roof framing and overhang framing. Also installed the sub-roof OSB. This took a better part of the day since every board had to be cut to fit and hoisted up by myself. Also managed to get 3 of the siding ply up. I'm considering leaving the top section open for ventilation and just cover in hardware cloth. What do ya'll think? I'm going to cheat a little. Instead of building nesting boxes, I purchased some plastic ones from Tractor Supply. Should be easier to keep clean. Do you think 4 is enough for 15 hens?

I would say yes. If they are like mine, they will all choose the same one! My girls completely ignore any other nest box except the first on the right. All eggs go in there, and ihave four hens. So four hens per box = 20 hens. My own version of chicken math. Lol

 

[RachaelS]

You got a lot done today! I wish I was that productive with my garden. Instead, I did some stuff I'm not very proud of. I'll elaborate at the end of the post, haha!

Anyway, frustrated, we decided we'd go the the other Moreno's feed store that resides in Donna. Mr. Moreno, the owner, was actually working there! He's kinda awesome. So we went inside and in the pens, they had full grown pheasants, a pair of peacocks, a couple roosters, fan-tail doves and a month old piglet! It was so cool and I loved the pheasants, but I knew I wasn't looking to buy. However, suddenly, I turned around and saw the chicks. They had actual Ameraucana pullets.

I gave up. I bought 5. I couldn't help it. The knowledge that they were actual Ameraucana (that were pullets) got me. Now they are with the gold-laced Wyandotte chicks and I'm such a loser for not fighting the urge, haha! They are so cute and I was super selective and made sure they tried to run away from me before choosing them. Mom was angry with herself for saying out loud for me to get the gray pullet because when I went to get it, someone else had taken it. It was my favorite, but it happens when you express excitement over certain colors. I still got a good set of healthy looking chicks, which is good enough for me!

I would have been tempted to get the piglet also

they are so cute!!!! To bad they grow up. Congrats on the new babies, you must post some pics!

The funny thing is I am 5'2, those panels are 10x6, and I did it alone in the WIND! Then put up the shade clothes that were acting like sails, my arms don't "hurt" but I can hardly move them...tried to open a bottle of beer and sit back and enjoy my work, almost could not do it, but don't worry I pulled through and got that top off, I will be okay

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Hope ya'll dont mind me posting my coop progress here. It enables me to upload the pics to the site so later when I am finished, I can make entire build thread and all the pictures will already be in my album....so any way...

Finished the roof framing and overhang framing. Also installed the sub-roof OSB. This took a better part of the day since every board had to be cut to fit and hoisted up by myself.



Also managed to get 3 of the siding ply up.



I'm considering leaving the top section open for ventilation and just cover in hardware cloth. What do ya'll think?



I'm going to cheat a little. Instead of building nesting boxes, I purchased some plastic ones from Tractor Supply. Should be easier to keep clean. Do you think 4 is enough for 15 hens?

Looking good. I would leave the top open for ventilation. Good idea.

You got a lot done today! I wish I was that productive with my garden. Instead, I did some stuff I'm not very proud of. I'll elaborate at the end of the post, haha!
So adorable! I'm such a sucker for ducklings, haha! I see their little bills and eyes and fuzzy bodies and I just melt into a puddle.

I did something really silly today. We went out for lunch and the plan was to go to the farmer's market to see if they had any tomatoes yet (sometimes they get them in early). Well, Mom and Nivia decided that they'd prefer to go to the feed store a couple towns over rather than look for veggies, so I conceded half-heartedly. I didn't want to bring home more chicks right now. I'm pretty weak about resisting and I'd already spent $20 for lunch and beads for painting eggs. I was torn.

Well, we went to one feed store (the Moreno's feed store in Weslaco, a part of a small chain) and they didn't have many chicks. Good, I thought, I can keep my word and not bring home any birds. It's okay.

Then Nivia said, "Hey, let's go to the other two feed stores! They always have more!"

Dang. So we went to Karl's Corner in Donna and I bought 2 bags of feed (I won't be going there again for awhile. The man helping me insisted that the Nutrena Nature Wise feed I wanted was medicated and I said, "No, it's not. It even says on the bag that there are no antibiotics. It has probiotics for digestion!" and I was trying to explain because I wanted the Nutrena but they were closing up shop. However, I made the mistake of saying I didn't want medicated feed and he insisted it was. He ended up giving me Acco brand feed that I didn't want and I had to take it. I was so frustrated, grrr! Not gonna buy feed from there for a long while. I hate dealing with people like that. I told him I wanted Nutrena brand and he should have given it to me. I was even willing to pay more for it and he just wouldn't listen. Gah!)

Anyway, frustrated, we decided we'd go the the other Moreno's feed store that resides in Donna. Mr. Moreno, the owner, was actually working there! He's kinda awesome. So we went inside and in the pens, they had full grown pheasants, a pair of peacocks, a couple roosters, fan-tail doves and a month old piglet! It was so cool and I loved the pheasants, but I knew I wasn't looking to buy. However, suddenly, I turned around and saw the chicks. They had actual Ameraucana pullets.

I gave up. I bought 5. I couldn't help it. The knowledge that they were actual Ameraucana (that were pullets) got me. Now they are with the gold-laced Wyandotte chicks and I'm such a loser for not fighting the urge, haha! They are so cute and I was super selective and made sure they tried to run away from me before choosing them. Mom was angry with herself for saying out loud for me to get the gray pullet because when I went to get it, someone else had taken it. It was my favorite, but it happens when you express excitement over certain colors. I still got a good set of healthy looking chicks, which is good enough for me!

I would not have bought food I didn't want. I would have just left. Good decision to not shop there again for awhile.
Congrats on the chicks! Where are the pictures?? What does making sure they try to run away have to do with choosing them?

 

[LBejaran]

I would have been tempted to get the piglet also

they are so cute!!!! To bad they grow up. Congrats on the new babies, you must post some pics!

The funny thing is I am 5'2, those panels are 10x6, and I did it alone in the WIND! Then put up the shade clothes that were acting like sails, my arms don't "hurt" but I can hardly move them...tried to open a bottle of beer and sit back and enjoy my work, almost could not do it, but don't worry I pulled through and got that top off, I will be okay

Hahaha! So long as you could open that beer, that's what matters.

Nivia cried when we got home because Dad made a big deal about her wanting to get a piglet and said she wasn't allowed to get one. Mom really wants to get her one for her birthday, but Dad will probably never let her get one. It's a shame, too, because these weren't a huge breed. I think it was a pot belly that was young enough that it could be house-trained.

The new chicks are all sleeping under the older wyandotte chicks, which is so adorably cute. Unfortunately, you can't really see them that well from beneath others, haha! I'll see if I can take pics soon. I actually asked more about muscovies at the feed store (Mr. Moreno has a ranch where most of the birds come from) and guess what he told me? He said that no one wants to raise muscovy ducks anymore! And there I was thinking, "Bu-bu-but, but I want to raise them!" To think that a man has all sort of ducks, pheasants, peafowl, miniature donkeys, pigs and he doesn't even have muscovies. So sad.

That's impressive! I wish I had more experience with building things. I have decent ideas, but most of the materials we have around here belong to Dad. When things start to disappear, he doesn't notice. Once he does, though, he is not a happy camper. Of course, if I were to utilize these things and, at the same time, do some otherwise awful chores that he has been wanting someone to do....he might let it slide. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky, haha!

 

[RachaelS]

Quote: Yep, I have my priorities stright!

Growing up we got a pot belly pic, her name was Vicky. She was potty trained and super smart, the problem was, she was, well a pig and ate anything and everything she could. She would get into both dog food and cat food by ripping apart the containers, when she got over weight mom tried to put her on a "diet", by putting all the food up out of her reach and she then TORE UP the back yard, I mean destroyed it. So we found a nice farm for her to go live on. My fav trick of her, was when I said "Vicky, give me love" and she would sit down (which is funny for a pig) and stick her snout as high as she could then wait for me to kiss her nose, she was so sweet!

 

[LBejaran]

I would not have bought food I didn't want. I would have just left. Good decision to not shop there again for awhile.
Congrats on the chicks! Where are the pictures?? What does making sure they try to run away have to do with choosing them?

I had told the guy which brand of feed I wanted and even asked if he had the non-medicated Nutrena chick starter. He confirmed and I went to pay. He was supposed to load it into the car and when I went out to open it up, he had Acco brand chick starter. I told him it wasn't the right one and he said they didn't have the non-medicated. Then I said I'd be willing to the pay the difference, requested the Nutrena feed, and went back inside. They were the same price, so I just got a confirmation on the receipt and went back outside. He brought out Acco brand layer feed and the other employee closed up the store. It was too late and I wanted to scream because he just didn't get it. I doubt I would have been given a refund. I would only go there again to buy guinea fowl and there is another ranch that I could get them from instead.

The two other feed stores are much more knowledgeable and though the feed is more expensive, I'd pay more for better customer service.

Chicks that are aware and active enough to run away from you are generally going to do better. I pick out my own chicks now and am super selective. There are some chicks that look okay when surrounded with other chicks, but when in the box, they start losing balance or they don't look very active. So far, the ones I picked are looking pretty good. I think having the older chicks with them is helping because they are able to keep warm better. They still have a light, but it's nice to be snuggled into a warm bird.

You can see in this pic that they are hiding in between the wyandottes. It's so funny and the larger birds are just using the chicks as little cushions, haha!