Texas

[jockeyeba]

I've been using H

Awesome - I hear that a lot, that the hens love it. I think I'm gonna do it. I see you're in the San Antonio area - me, too. Where do you get yours? PJ Feed?

- Ant Farm

Silvers Pet & Feed in Cibolo

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I did try the H&H starter when the original feed store I was getting TX Nat from was out. The chicks gorged on it (I now know why, TX Nat doesn't have everything they need in it). I didn't stick with it because the starter is more powder than crumbles. The feed store I currently get the TX Nat from is in the works of stocking Hugelland, but I am looking for other alternatives still. The way they label the ingredients make me a little wary of their product.

Oh, I would love to hear anything about Hugelland as well. My favorite farmers market eggs are from Parker Ranch, which uses Hugelland. I tried to look them up, but locations are pretty limited around me.

I think I am going to switch to Coyote Creek. I kept getting weevils in Texas Naturals. My husband said when they use plant products and protein products in the label that means you don't know what they are using and they can switch ingredients that way to what they can get or what is cheaper. He was worried about Hugelland for that reason also. We were looking at Scratch and Peck also, but more expensive. I think Texas Naturals is labeled the same way. We are just learning more from people as we go.

I get weevils in Coyote Creek - I would suppose that you can with lot of organic/natural feeds. Once I bought a bag that was REALLY bad - mostly powder and bugs - the feed store took it back and gave me another, but said that eggs may hatch in that one. No worries, I put it all into gallon ziplocs and freeze it right away for a while (I have a commercial freezer). A pain, but then I don't have to worry about the bugs during storage (I don't go through it as fast, with only three half grown pullets right now).

YMMV, but my girls don't like the Coyote Creek all that much, and it can get badly stinky very fast when using for fermented feed. And I got lots of fines that I finally had to sift out. I decided I wanted to try something different. Also, I don't know if this means anything, but I ran out of farmers market eggs (my pullets aren't laying yet) and got some Coyote Creek eggs at Whole Foods (presumably their hens eat their feed). Shells seemed noticeably weaker and eggs weren't as good - while I'm sure there is a lot more to that than feed, it tipped me over into trying to switch.

Thanks for the shared experiences everyone - keep em coming!

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Silvers Pet & Feed in Cibolo

Thanks! I'll check that out...

- Ant Farm

 

[hensfortherapy]

My chicken yard

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

My chicken yard

Awesome - look at all that shade!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[wilded]

The guinea and chicken chicks from the first incuview hatch are growing like weeds. Our Muscovy ducklings are also growing very fast. I hope to have an all chicken hatch start on Friday night or Saturday and will update.
Ed
Lampasas, Texas

 

[TheNeonPanther]

So.Much.Shade.
CanWeTradeHouses?

My chicken yard

 

[bnjrob]

The guinea and chicken chicks from the first incuview hatch are growing like weeds. Our Muscovy ducklings are also growing very fast. I hope to have an all chicken hatch start on Friday night or Saturday and will update.
Ed
Lampasas, Texas

How come those guineas you've been working on seem to have fertility issues? Is it physical because of the way they are shaped, or genetic, or temperament? Or has anyone come up with a reason yet?

 

[wilded]

How come those guineas you've been working on seem to have fertility issues? Is it physical because of the way they are shaped, or genetic, or temperament? Or has anyone come up with a reason yet?

It is because they are the French Jumbos and size keeps them from breeding properly. Just like double breasted bronze turkeys most French Jumbo Guineas are bred by artificial insemination of which I know nothing. Also the fact that we find their nests out in open fields of high weeds in 98-103 degree temps with a hen on top of the eggs does not help them. I bought two normal size guineas to add to the flock hoping to get a cross bigger than a normal guinea but able to breed on their own.
Ed
Lampasas, Texas

 

[hensfortherapy]

So.Much.Shade.
CanWeTradeHouses?

In this heat it does make it a lot easier to keep them from over heating. I still put ice cubes in a shallow tub of water in case.