Texas

[LBejaran]

Have you tired looking on Facebook for a group?

The one feed store near me sells Bryant feed and it is supposed to be as close to organic as you can get without being organic. You could look into that. It's non-gmo and doesn't have antibiotics in it. It is in crumble form, not sure if it comes any other way.

I'm currently looking on Facebook, but I'm pretty far down south (Harlingen, to be exact). Most of the people around here just don't seem to be wanting to invest in the good feed and those that do have smaller flocks (or focus on other animals). It's hard to find people who care about that kind of thing. In fact, I sold a rooster to someone recently and I found out later that he mostly fed corn. I just made a small recommendation about investing in layer feed instead and he responded a couple weeks later that his hens were laying too many eggs, haha! He had loads of hens, but because of their diet, he wasn't getting as many eggs as he should have been getting. It's kinda funny, actually. I think he's a lot happier with his laying hens now.

I'm going to check and see if maybe anyone is ordering this feed locally. I know Tractor Supply is a franchise, but do they ever order specialty feeds? My local TSC doesn't sell any organic feeds, but I'm sure 4-H and FFA groups would clear them out if they did.

 

[hensfortherapy]

Just saw a hawk in the backyard. He might have flown down on the girls if he had seen chicks or smaller pullets. Hawks are showing up every day.

 

[LBejaran]

Just saw a hawk in the backyard. He might have flown down on the girls if he had seen chicks or smaller pullets. Hawks are showing up every day.

Yup, they are everywhere lately! I'm gonna have to keep all my younger birds in the coop instead of letting them free range, at least until they are big enough to not be prey. Until then, they will stay safe and warm in the kitchen where I can coddle them and watch them grow.

I do hope all those rats that have been popping up will be eaten up, though. Those hawks better start doing a good job or I won't be pleased, haha!

 

[8isenuff]

Anyone near Austin....what is your successful lockdown humidity level? I'm so nervous that I'm second guessing everything....It's been mostly between 62-64, but there have been a few spikes to 68 after I add water...then I open a vent hole to lower a percent at a time slowly...worried thats not a good thing to do?

 

[mi2bugz]

Anyone near Austin....what is your successful lockdown humidity level? I'm so nervous that I'm second guessing everything....It's been mostly between 62-64, but there have been a few spikes to 68 after I add water...then I open a vent hole to lower a percent at a time slowly...worried thats not a good thing to do?

I am still a newbie but I was given the tip of leaving water in the run and not in the coop. The person said chickens don't eat or drink after dark because they can't see so that convinced me and my humidity level went down. I am not in Austin so I can't help with the successful level.

Edit --- oops! Such a newbie I didn't catch that you were trying to hatch. Sorry...slinks back to her lurking corner .

 

[hensfortherapy]

Anyone near Austin....what is your successful lockdown humidity level? I'm so nervous that I'm second guessing everything....It's been mostly between 62-64, but there have been a few spikes to 68 after I add water...then I open a vent hole to lower a percent at a time slowly...worried thats not a good thing to do?

Fingers crossed for a great hatch. I have never hatched eggs.

 

[gameandmore]

The non-gmo non-soy organic feed is pretty cheap over here.... And since the company is in Texas I thought it was the same everywhere in the state.

 

[LBejaran]

The non-gmo non-soy organic feed is pretty cheap over here.... And since the company is in Texas I thought it was the same everywhere in the state.

Most of the producers of non-GMO or organic feeds are up in Central or Northern Texas. Sometimes, shipping costs are passed onto the customers, so it can raise the price a bit. I have to find out later whether or not that is the case tomorrow when I call a local feed store I just found out about. If not, then I can afford the $23 price tag for a 50 lb bag of feed. If it is closer to $30 per bag, I might have to rethink my plans...or earn more money, haha!

 

[lovingmyhens]

Ooooh yeah--heart throb of the year!! That movie was definitely a classic! Lisa )

Totally!!!

 

[lovingmyhens]

I had a clean patio last night. 

It didn't last long. 

I do know, however, that my chickens have pretty good digestion.  The ducks are just gross.  And I really wish Dad would get a move on and enclose the patio.  I woke up to find out that it had rained and my brother texted me before he left for school, saying that it was raining and that the quail were getting wet.

Really?  You couldn't just pull the tarp over them?  What the heck, man?!  I didn't wake up until an hour later when my alarm went off and it had already stopped drizzling.  It was too late to cover them.  Luckily, they have a little hut in there where they can lay (if they aren't actually all boys) and they were hiding under it. 

So it was a frustrating morning.  I'm just gonna sit back, wait until a reasonable time to call one of my clients, and paint eggs.  I need to calm the flip down. 

Yea that's pretty typical of a teen age man/boy/child. He hasn't had the time for a good woman to train him right. (Moms don't count cause we are all just dumb woman put on earth to cook, clean, etc.)
By now I'm sure you have recovered from this and had yet another crisis and probably recovered from that!!!