Texas

[Starfire669]

I'm sorry Starfire, didn't mean to interrupt. I hope you are feeling better, I have 2 herniated discs in my lower back. I know what that pain is like, especially if it starts to spasm.

Your good. Just sharing my chickens experiment, "how many of us can this dog crate hold? Let's find out." lol . Yesterday I discovered that yes, 6 geese CAN all fit into 1 kiddie pool, until the big dominant male starts biting butts that is. It's these kind of antics from my critters that I enjoy watching. Lol

Yeah, back pain is the worst. I have some minor permanent nerve damage, I can't feel anything along the outside of my right thigh. 10 years ago, when I was 25, my L5 S1 (the lowest lumbar vertebrae in your spine and the sciatic nerve that feeds down into your right leg) was being smashed between vertebra 4 and 5. If I didn't get the surgery I would be in a well chair now. 1 spinal fusion later, they placed a screw wrong and every movement I make rubs a sensory feedback loop, causing pain. To make matters worse, my L4 is now going, because of the increased pressure on it from L5 no longer moving as it should. The up side? I made it 10 years without a second fusion, I had been told 5-10 was how long the first fusion would buy me. The down side? The pain is much much worse, and soon i will have to get another fusion done. Everyday is painful, moving wrong can knock me flat. Sometimes my entire body, from heel to the base of my skull will lock up. I had to have an ambulance called once, I was arched backward and had to be given muscle relaxers immediatly or I might have broken my spine just from the muscles locking the way they did. Now, I take muscle relaxers, pain meds, and anti-inflamatories to control my pain and muscles. And all those meds gave me bleeding ulcers. I am just wanting to enjoy what I have left and live a simpler life. So I get kicks out of my family and animals doing silly things. I think I'd go mad if I didnt.

 

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
In Texas, most chickens starts losing feather when the summer comes. This will be visible mostly in July. New feather starts coming back in Sept-Oct and the moult normally finishes about Dec in time for winter.

 

[tiedyemommy]

We haven't figured out a set schedule yet. At first we cleaned the coop once a month but after a couple of months, we realized it was overkill. Right now we have 20 chickens in an 8x12 coop with a 10x20 run. It really doesn't seem like there's that many in there! There's another 10x10 run but we have it blocked off with turkey poults and 2 bantams that can still get out of the big run.

Anyways...back to cleaning the coop. We have hay and are trying the deep litter method. I know there are a number of great threads out there about deep litter and we're probably doing it wrong but so far, so good. The floor of our coop is wood and its on the ground, but there's a thin layer of dirt on the floor. We added a layer of hay all over the bottom of the coop, with a little extra under the roost. After about a month, it started to get a little stinky in there so we added another layer of hay. The smell is gone. We will just keep repeating the process for about 6 months (hopefully after the summer heat passes) and clean it out and start over. I read someone used their bagged leaves from their yard...I can't even begin to tell you how silly I felt for not thinking of keeping our leaves!

Did you keep any of the ducks? I think ducks are super crazy messy. Our coop/run is a lot less work with the ducks moved over to their own area. The ducks are constantly molting...ok, maybe not but it seems like it! I'm so glad we are back to just chickens in our coop/run, its a lot less work. The ducks still get their area nasty but I've noticed now that they have more constant 'play water' access, they aren't as bad as they were.

We didn't keep any of the ducks, but today's clean-up involved plenty of the ducks' mess too...I thought it was a good time to give the pullets a fresh start (pun intended), and so I cleaned the coop. Their coop just has pine shavings (for now) and the floor of their run is just bare ground. I might use sand so I can scoop as often as needed. We only have 5 pullets in a 4'x8' (my guess, I need to measure it and double check) run & 2'x4' (again, just guessing) coop.

- TieDyeMommy

 

[LBejaran]

Hello, everyone! Woo, what a day it has been! It's hot down here in the Valley, but the wind is strong and I was able to dry a couple thick blankets in thirty minutes on the clothesline! My dogs now have fresh blankets in their kennels and one of my hens is trying to lay an egg in there, haha!

I have a couple more chores to get to before Mom gets home, but I should finish before it gets too late. I just wish I had had time to start digging for the pond I was gonna put in.

By the way, are there any ways to build a duck pond that won't need to be cleaned as often? I thought maybe having some algae eaters and some plants in there would help counteract the effects of the duck waste, but I don't know where to look first.

 

[harley1975]

Your good. Just sharing my chickens experiment, "how many of us can this dog crate hold? Let's find out." lol . Yesterday I discovered that yes, 6 geese CAN all fit into 1 kiddie pool, until the big dominant male starts biting butts that is. It's these kind of antics from my critters that I enjoy watching. Lol

Yeah, back pain is the worst. I have some minor permanent nerve damage, I can't feel anything along the outside of my right thigh. 10 years ago, when I was 25, my L5 S1 (the lowest lumbar vertebrae in your spine and the sciatic nerve that feeds down into your right leg) was being smashed between vertebra 4 and 5. If I didn't get the surgery I would be in a well chair now. 1 spinal fusion later, they placed a screw wrong and every movement I make rubs a sensory feedback loop, causing pain. To make matters worse, my L4 is now going, because of the increased pressure on it from L5 no longer moving as it should. The up side? I made it 10 years without a second fusion, I had been told 5-10 was how long the first fusion would buy me. The down side? The pain is much much worse, and soon i will have to get another fusion done. Everyday is painful, moving wrong can knock me flat. Sometimes my entire body, from heel to the base of my skull will lock up. I had to have an ambulance called once, I was arched backward and had to be given muscle relaxers immediatly or I might have broken my spine just from the muscles locking the way they did. Now, I take muscle relaxers, pain meds, and anti-inflamatories to control my pain and muscles. And all those meds gave me bleeding ulcers. I am just wanting to enjoy what I have left and live a simpler life. So I get kicks out of my family and animals doing silly things. I think I'd go mad if I didnt.

i know how back problems are. I broke 2 vertebra in my back 11 years ago and the hospital did not find it when I was took in. I had a car wreck and some how they missed my back. I was in a wheelchair for a year. I thought all the pain was from my legs being broken so I took pain meds. It healed up in that year and I never knew it. That is until about 3 1/2 years ago when I dropped my motorcycle at a rally and I picked it up I ended up in the hospital for 4 days and the dr did a ct and told me he found the brakes. They wanted to do surgery on my back cause I am having pain that runs down my right leg to my foot. Been that way from day one from the wreck I told them no that I did not want to have the surgery on my back until I had no choice to do so I just live with the pain.

 

[Starfire669]

i know how back problems are. I broke 2 vertebra in my back 11 years ago and the hospital did not find it when I was took in. I had a car wreck and some how they missed my back. I was in a wheelchair for a year. I thought all the pain was from my legs being broken so I took pain meds. It healed up in that year and I never knew it. That is until about 3 1/2 years ago when I dropped my motorcycle at a rally and I picked it up I ended up in the hospital for 4 days and the dr did a ct and told me he found the brakes. They wanted to do surgery on my back cause I am having pain that runs down my right leg to my foot. Been that way from day one from the wreck I told them no that I did not want to have the surgery on my back until I had no choice to do so I just live with the pain.

If I had any other choice I would have said no to the surgery. But I didn't have a choice and so now I deal as best I can. But it has cost me many things I used to love, like dancing, horse back riding, and I always wanted to bungee jump and skydive, but I will never get the chance now. It took me 6 months of physical therapy to learn to walk again after surgery. But at least I am on my feet again and somewhat able to keep up with my kids and animals, lol.

 

[Heidisgran]

This is my "Blue Wheaten Ameraucana" Supposed to lay blue egg. She has a pea comb and a beard just cant see them in this pic. Green legs. This was 3 -4 weeks ago.


This is my "Brown Ameraucana" Suppose to lay green eggs. Pea comb no beard. Green legs. 3-4 weeks ago



I call the both EE's because I am sure neither is really what they say but just mutts.

sometime they take awhile to get their muffs...but!!! your blue wheaton isn't blue!

 

[Heidisgran]

Not a problem! @lovingmyhens
They're sweet little girls

Quote:

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
Ameraucana's are a recognized breed...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameraucana

 

[Tjack101]

sometime they take awhile to get their muffs...but!!! your blue wheaton isn't blue!

Blue wheaten ameraucana hens arent blue. They are white/tan/gold. As I said though, I am sure she is an EE so wont have the true characteristics necessarily.