Howdy, First post to the TX Thread here at BYC! Name's Allen and I'm basically full time retired and just bought a property in pretty much the deepest southern part of Texas, I can tell you that "Down here it is like a whole other Country"! I would have 0 chance of scoring a job in the service sector as I am Bilingual, but don't speak spanish. I do kinda like this part of Texas for the nice breakfast tacos, but hate seeing how animals are treated. However, it totally fits my choice of lifestyle, no homeowners association, 1 acre lot, and outside city limits on an unincorporated property. I live in a colonia and they aren't at all like what you would expect after reading about them in the Dallas Morning News or Austin Statesman. They do have running water and eventually we will be connected to a sewer system, but I don't have any issues with my septic system at all.
I am currently a couple to a few months into chickenship. Raised 10 pet quality(straight run) Sumatras from hatched 1 days. They were shipped from I assume Meyer's in Polk, OH as that is what the tracking said their origination was even though I ordered from another site. My Sumatras are now at the 2.5 month stage and really lazy as we are experiencing the Caterpillar Apocalypse my 2 pullets don't even run them down they just lay down and eat the ones that come their way. The 6 remaining boys do run them down but after 5 minutes they are getting full crops and then retire to rest in either the tall grass away from the sun or in the coop. Fortunately I was able to unload 2 cockrels on a neighbor who was surprised I was giving these beautiful guys away for free, but with an 8:2 ratio I'm sure that would be the death of my girls. My wife believes we were taken advantage of by the breeder, but I'm willing to give them credit that this was an honest Straight Run(first major chicken keeping mistake).
So long story short.....If anyone from BYC wants 4-5 Black Sumatra pet quality cockrels, and I am willing to drive as far as Austin(5 hour drive for me), please let me know because I have yet to buy an axe, but I can make a nice working height tree stump.
edit-corrected typo.