Texas

[ABlackDogRanch]

. It's not so bad once you get started. That coop/run has a very basic idea to it. Nice and easy. No arches, no leans. Predator proof is virtually impossible when it comes to bobcats. They're pesky little critters. Hardware clothe will be your best friend but it can be pricy, I'd only use it on exposed walls. I.e. walls on the exterior of the coop. I use hardware cloth on all my breeder pens. My layers aren't as lucky. They just get welded wire... But its harder to get to the layer area. Its got a double fence and electrical wire and its completely in closed. Have you narrowed down your breeds? How many are you planning on getting? Build for more than you intend... Chicken math will get to you.
And gnomes.

My fiance could say the same! His first wife, although they were married less than two years, totally ruined him. But I've known him since we were kids... We were 15 when we met, and our friendship eventually turned us into a couple. My DF is still learning that chickens are a part of me.. Haha. He will learn.

I'm thinking Rhode Island Red and Australorp. I'd like to build my run as big as the example photo. How many can fit in that comfortably?

 

[A1momof3]

Quote:

Hey how is your son doing?

I ordered mine through Meyer Hatchery before the mad Easter rush. Now its hard to get chicks until summer through the mail order hatcheries. If you are felling adventuresome, you could make the drive the Ideal hatchery in Bryan/College Station. They have a huge assortment. In fact NB Feed and TSC get their chicks from Ideal.

Has anyone else been having trouble with Ideal's web site? It hasn't been working the last couple of days.

Thanks for the links, I will check them out this afternoon. So sorry to hear about your day. Hope he is ok. Sending prayers your way!

Thanks for the prayers!


Finally got home, I think I am caught back up here. My dad is doing ok. He is never sick and the NEVER runs fever and two nights ago my mom called me and told me what was going on and I told dad he needed to go to the dr first thing in the morning. Being a nurse I told him what all to look out for as bad symptoms and to MAKE SURE YOU GO TO THE DR. Well, lets just say I get my hard head from him because he thought he felt a little better so he didn't need to go to the dr....... 12 hours later he is in the ER and now tied down to the bed with an IV in his arm.
I am a SUPER BIG DADDY'S GIRL! LOL So to see him down like this, is hard. The man is tough as nails .... anyway Thank Ya'll so much for the thoughts and prayers. He is responding well to the ABT so maybe they will let him go home Saturday!

 

[A1momof3]

You need to get together with Ms. Jellybean! She has been posting pictures of some mighty cute coops. Watch out for her....she sure makes mighty fine desserts!

Lisa

REALLY.... hey Jellybean you holding out on us! I have been on a diet since the first of the year and I have lost 25 pounds but I can take a day off!!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

You need to get together with Ms. Jellybean! She has been posting pictures of some mighty cute coops. Watch out for her....she sure makes mighty fine desserts!

Lisa

I decided to do the Blue Grass Coop, with a few changes to make it work for Texas. I just got a news letter form Premier 1 today and it has an article on building poultry fences in it and what is best to use. I'm glad it came before I bought anything for my big run. I may change up how I want to build it.

Hey how is your son doing?

Has anyone else been having trouble with Ideal's web site? It hasn't been working the last couple of days.

Thanks for the prayers!


Finally got home, I think I am caught back up here. My dad is doing ok. He is never sick and the NEVER runs fever and two nights ago my mom called me and told me what was going on and I told dad he needed to go to the dr first thing in the morning. Being a nurse I told him what all to look out for as bad symptoms and to MAKE SURE YOU GO TO THE DR. Well, lets just say I get my hard head from him because he thought he felt a little better so he didn't need to go to the dr....... 12 hours later he is in the ER and now tied down to the bed with an IV in his arm.
I am a SUPER BIG DADDY'S GIRL! LOL So to see him down like this, is hard. The man is tough as nails .... anyway Thank Ya'll so much for the thoughts and prayers. He is responding well to the ABT so maybe they will let him go home Saturday!

Glad to hear he is doing better.

REALLY.... hey Jellybean you holding out on us! I have been on a diet since the first of the year and I have lost 25 pounds but I can take a day off!!

I post all kinds of recipes for yummy things. Main dish to dessert. I love to bake and cook. Good thing I'm a cyclist! It really helps keep the pounds off. Look back just before St. Patricks Day at the brownie recipes I posted links to.



I'm at T-5 (days) and counting!

 

[ClovisMan]

Quote: I'm gonna guessitmate that the coop is 10x16 so that gives you 160 sq foot of floor space. Divide 160x4 and you get 40 so I'd say 40 to 45 chickens. I'd even venture to say 50 if you have a large free range or run area.

 

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
I was so busy with work lately. Also, health was not good, got a cold and now suffering with an ear infection. All the sudden, one ear got swollen and clog up, can't hear. Hopefully will be ok in 1 week with all the antibiotic I am taking. Just got loaded with new pix of Charlie sent from my wife today. Will upload later.

 

[orumpoultry]

For those of you asking, Mama is an all american Nakota mustang. She's all white except a few spots on her eyes and chest thatcan only been seen when she's wet. She's the love of my life, my DF knows he comes second to her... Haha.

@ablackdogranch
If I remember that coop design correctly, I think about 30 or so birds would be fine in it. Especially with time to free range or get time outside.

Outside.... Yeah I haven't been there all day. Darned rain keeping me in the house. Can't risk being sick at all for the next few months.

 

[TexasLisa]

Quote:
HUNG!! CAN YOU HEAR ME??? I am sorry you aren't feeling well. There has been a lot of illnesses going around.

Can't wait to see pictures of Charlie and your wife!

I know you won't miss work, but please get some rest My Friend!

Lisa

P.S. For those of you who are new to this site, I am not being insensitive. I have a severe hearing loss and don't mind being teased.

 

[GaryDean26]

That's great. I would take his 8 or 9 color with bit of a grain of salt. I just went to a poultry show that was a Marans meet, so a HUGE Marans entry plus a Marans egg contest. I think all the eggs were a 4 or a 5. I don't think I saw a 6, and yes, I have a Marans egg chart. A 9 is almost purple it is so dark. Once a hen starts laying eggs, her eggs lighten up--they run out of the pigment to "paint" the eggs with.

I was at the Regional Marans meet. My BCM's Cockbird took first place out of two entries, and my BCM Hen took 4th out of 6 entries. There were over 100 Marans in all (multiple color varieties and the Pullets and Cockerel categories are where the bulk of the entries are) Out of 15 entries in the egg contest I was scored 3rd place over all, 2nd & 3rd places out of 6 entries in the BCM variety, and Champion for the people's choice award. I too have a Marans card too and would agree that the eggs were only around #5 +/- at the show and that that the photo of Marans in Oklahoma did not look to be more than a No 5.

Here are the eggs from the hen that won the people's choice when she was at the beginning of her laying cycle 4 months ago. They are #12 on the bottom row they were a 7-8 at the time.



These are not the best photos I could get of the eggs at the Region Marans Meet from two weeks ago. Note: I think I go the people's choice ribbon on the wrong set of eggs, but I like them both. I enter a set from each of my breeding lines. The big darker eggs are from the Kostas line and the other set (No. 12 on the middle row in the first photo and the ones with the multi-colored ribbon in the 2nd set of photos) is the Cottage Hill line.


And a few more of my egg photos for education. #6 Marans eggs from my Cottage Hill pen (no they are not always this dark that was at the beginning of the laying cycle)



Drats...I can't find my photos of my #9 egg that I got from the Cottage Hill pen. I will add it on a new post later.

 

[harley1975]

That's awful!
I'm sorry...
Hopefully you're MUCH happier now
You live and learn....I know.

It is like night and day between the 2. I thought that it was suppose be fighting and all the bad stuff all the time until I married the wife I have now looks like I will be with this one until I am no long on this world. I look back and the only good thing that came out of the 16 years was my 3 kids that I raised cause she left us. My new wife helped me raise them and I help her with her kids. She has 3 also I am close with her youngest the other 2 do not care for me to much. Her youngest calls me daddy and her real dad is just the sperm donor.