Texas

[Brookshire11]

I got mine at Tractor Supply, they also have either a 3 or 5 gallon one (sorry can't remember) for $20. They are easy to fill and hang, plus super easy to clean. Overall I really like them.

I have the 1 gallon ones too. They clean so easily and I haven't had any issues yet. I throw acv or garlic in there too

@Rachels Those are some good looking birds.

@lovingmyhens I'm glad your bunny is ok.

Well Bluebonnet and I made it through the bumblefoot surgery. The spot was actually on her toe. It seemed to go like all the videos show. I hope I got all the junk out. I will check on her foot in a couple days. I now have a chicken first aid kit.




The husband and I ran to Atwood's and got some hardware fencing to finish our big coop before we go on vacation in a few weeks. Our babies are in one of those kit coops from Sam's. It is designed for 4-6 hens and we have 12 9week olds in there now. They will quickly outgrow it. The husband is making me an automatic nipple waterer that hooks to a hose. I have to find the YouTube video again to show him how I want it. He is also making me a PVC feeder. That will make it easier for his cousin to check on them when we are gone. The best part is I plan on setting some eggs in the incubator when we get home. The babies can be moved to the little coop when they are a few weeks.

Glad it went well! I went and checked all of them after reading your post. Lol!


Here are the nest boxes! I put them in the yard, so they could get used to them, since they pretty much free range all day now. Easier for them to keep cool.


Before


After!



Got some dummy eggs!
There's hardwood looking laminate on the bottom.
It was sooo easy! Thanks for the tip @huggstaff13


Little Hawk and Freya, checking it out.

 

[sm2teach]

I think they like their nest boxes.

 

[SlipsWife]

I posted on here before but I LOVE this waterer. Our local TSC is usually out of them, I need to break down and order a couple more. I keep hoping to just catch them in stock. I feel a little embarrassed admitting I'm not really sure how the 'float', or what I believe to be the float, is suppose to go, so I left it out, and it works fine. I wouldn't want to lug it around full but our hose will reach it.

Our chickens will not eat flies if they have to catch them. They are ridiculously lazy. I found out today, if I spray the flies down with water and they are on the ground, the chickens go crazy.

We are also only getting about 1/3 of the eggs we had been, I think its the heat. Today and yesterday weren't horrible, so I'm hoping to see an increase tomorrow.

Our older Great Dane got ahold of both of our larger turkeys yesterday. One has an injured wing, the other a skinned/feathers removed back...It was 100% our fault, he's fine with the turkeys and chickens as long as we're out there with them but I forgot my daughter let the turkeys out and we let the dogs out. They had been out with them off and on all day, because again, I forgot the turkeys were out, and the attack happened at 7:30 last night...so frustrating...I think they will both survive, they made it through the night. I think the injuries appear worse than they are. I'm just a little worried after reading up on CornishX's and when they have injuries that the meat will be bad and green when you process but you can use the other parts. I'm not sure if we should feed them out and process them still or cut our losses now.

 

[winteree]

I posted on here before but I LOVE this waterer. Our local TSC is usually out of them, I need to break down and order a couple more. I keep hoping to just catch them in stock. I feel a little embarrassed admitting I'm not really sure how the 'float', or what I believe to be the float, is suppose to go, so I left it out, and it works fine. I wouldn't want to lug it around full but our hose will reach it.

Our chickens will not eat flies if they have to catch them. They are ridiculously lazy. I found out today, if I spray the flies down with water and they are on the ground, the chickens go crazy.

We are also only getting about 1/3 of the eggs we had been, I think its the heat. Today and yesterday weren't horrible, so I'm hoping to see an increase tomorrow.

Our older Great Dane got ahold of both of our larger turkeys yesterday. One has an injured wing, the other a skinned/feathers removed back...It was 100% our fault, he's fine with the turkeys and chickens as long as we're out there with them but I forgot my daughter let the turkeys out and we let the dogs out. They had been out with them off and on all day, because again, I forgot the turkeys were out, and the attack happened at 7:30 last night...so frustrating...I think they will both survive, they made it through the night. I think the injuries appear worse than they are. I'm just a little worried after reading up on CornishX's and when they have injuries that the meat will be bad and green when you process but you can use the other parts. I'm not sure if we should feed them out and process them still or cut our losses now.

i would try to keep the meat and just not use those parts of the turkey that got the injury when you process

 

[winteree]

ok i need some feed back from someone i want to get some BBW's for thanksgiving (they are the only breed that will get to size in time) but i think having eggs shipped to hatch in this weather is asking for it. And it is really expensive to buy the poults from a hatchery and i had a heck of a time finding a hatchery with a minimum order to fit my order needs (i only want like 5 turkeys). Almost hatcheries have a min order of 10-20 poults and i don't have space for that many. Should i bite the bullet and buy the poults from a hatchery or should i try with the hatching eggs?

 

[tiedyemommy]

I don't have any but there are a BUNCH on Craigslist, starting around now through September they seem to be listed at rock bottom prices. I guess it has to do with the heat and people not wanting to spend so much time on them.

I've been keeping an eye on Craigslist, but most of the listing we are interested in are located a little farther than we'd like to travel to pick up new birds. Guess I'll keep my eye open for that "perfect" listing. Thanks!

 

[LBejaran]

@lbejaran Hey Laura! Been wondering what you have been up to! Can't wait to see the dresses you and your mom create!

Oh, you know me, always getting up to stuff, haha!

Mom, Nivia and I went to the flea market today to look for some old chests or boxes that we could turn into brooders for any chicks that hatch out of the new incubator (by the way, guess who just spotted some tiny hearts while candling the eggs?

). Well, I didn't know that coming to Rio Grande Valley flea markets was a bad idea because they really have NO FURNITURE. Everywhere there were electronics, DVDs, music, stuff for practicing some weird type of Mexican voodoo, plants, live animals, and even food. No furniture or wooden boxes to be seen. We spent hours searching and only succeeded to convincing Mom to get a manicure and buying some Mexican sodas. That was a waste of time and energy, honestly.

As we left the area, we were driving down a road in Weslaco when we came across a storage sale. It's essentially people who purchase old storage lockers and sell the contents for a profit. Inside, we found the boxes! Two big solid wood tables that were hollow were in one of the lockers and the lady said she'd sell us both for $6, so we paid and told her we'd be back for them once we got the truck. We also got this!



This big three gallon jug actually came with a spigot, but Dad removed it so I could clean it out. As it turns out, it's pretty gross (and bugs had lodged themselves in there like a tiny little tomb) so we are going to search at the local hardware store for a new spigot to stick in there. It was only 5 bucks (and retail price for a 2 gallon jar with spigot is about $24), so making a tiny purchase won't be too bad. We really need one for Stevie's graduation party. One of my Tia's normally makes the tea, but I'm gonna bring my own little surprise beverage this year. After all, who can say no to fresh squeezed lemonade (and if I make a couple bottles of chilled whiskey sours on the side, I'll just say I was already squeezing lemons, mwahahaha!)?

So yeah, we spent all morning looking at the flea market only to find what we needed on the side of the road. Life is funny that way, isn't it, hehe!

 

[LBejaran]

ok i need some feed back from someone i want to get some BBW's for thanksgiving (they are the only breed that will get to size in time) but i think having eggs shipped to hatch in this weather is asking for it. And it is really expensive to buy the poults from a hatchery and i had a heck of a time finding a hatchery with a minimum order to fit my order needs (i only want like 5 turkeys). Almost hatcheries have a min order of 10-20 poults and i don't have space for that many. Should i bite the bullet and buy the poults from a hatchery or should i try with the hatching eggs?

If I had a better idea of where you live, I think I could tell you a little more about where to get poults. Sometimes, if you find someone locally, you can get some BBW or BBB poults for about the same price as a hatchery but you won't have to order a minimum. Sometimes it just takes a little more searching. I know I have to look on different places like Facebook or Craigslist to find specific birds. If you try and hatch turkey eggs now, you will likely still have a decently sized turkey by the time Thanksgiving comes around, but it is cutting it just a bit close.

 

[sandiTX]

Can anyone tell me how to keep chicken snakes away? I have my cochin chicks and several other breeds of chicks in cages on the back deck, all feathered and a chicken snake got in one of the pens and ate 4 of my smallest black cochin chicks And he got a bullet!! It was 4 1/2 feet long, and about made me have a stroke!! We have Cats (Barn/Wild), dogs, road runners, Game Roosters & Chickens running loose. Just makes me sick loosing my babies!

 

[tiedyemommy]

The Guessing Game is over! I just walked in on Goldie (Rumpless Easter Egger) laying her blue/green egg.

Shed is squatting, but Olive is not...but I don't see them too far behind in the laying game.