Texas

[007Sean]

Speaking of power outtages, I cannibalize an old Little Giant, made it adaptable to work off a vehicle cigarette lighter socket.
You take a chance in breaking or cracking the eggs when moving them to a vehicle but at least you can save them if the power is out for days.

 

[NickyPick]

Plastic buckets have a similar issue. The 5 gallon hardware store buckets last outside for a couple of years. If you get the food grade buckets and use them outside, they don't last nearly as long.

I use the smaller 2 gallon Fortiflex horse buckets for my chicken's water. Got 5 of them set up around the area. They've lost color, but are still strong and not leaking after 10 years. I think they are a little thicker than the 5 gallon hardware store buckets.

 

[Matejka]

Winter came back wicked

 

[Derangedplanet]

I use the smaller 2 gallon Fortiflex horse buckets for my chicken's water. Got 5 of them set up around the area. They've lost color, but are still strong and not leaking after 10 years. I think they are a little thicker than the 5 gallon hardware store buckets.

So they make a mess with them?

 

[NickyPick]

So they make a mess with them?

Not so I've noticed. Unless the level gets down to the last inch and a shorter hens perches on the side to get to it and knocks the bucket over. They work just fine.

 

[007Sean]

Winter came back wicked

Not that wicked here, just the damn near gail force wind!

 

[Matejka]

Cold wet windy and nasty

 

[oldhen2345]

Its raining......live oak leaves.
I truly hope freeze didn't kill em. There is a good 2 inches of leaves and still falling. Swept sidewalk off 2 hours ago....View attachment 2547429

My neighbor has a bazillion trees in their yard- I only have tall bushes. I raked up 20 leaf bags and still not done in the front yard alone- I feel your pain

 

[Aklady318]

Howdy Texans!! I'm new here on byc and have been in Texas for about a year and a half. My husband and I are down from Alaska. We are in Glen Rose. We have about 50 in our flock including 4 Midget White Turkeys, Leghorns, Easter Eggers, Black Australorpes, RIR, Speckled sussex, BCM and 3 generations of their hatchlings. In fact, I just got 3 new blue eggs from my 17 week old hens Perhaps breeding easter eggers and leghorn roo made the "super blue layer"? Very exciting!!
I just wanted to reach out to my neighbors and ask...now that I have all of these birds..other than eggs, can I sell the chicks or eggs at a farmer's market or what is a good way to make a small income from my flock?

 

[oldhen2345]

I miss our fig tree (and lemon tree -167 lemons one year!!). Never even thought to take come cuttings when we sold and moved. Now, I'm starting over with everything green. One thing we learned with our fig tree - early spring, wrap a black or soaker hose through the tree and you'll get your harvest. Take the hose out afterwards. If you leave it up there all year, then next years squirrels and birds know it's harmless and you'll lose every fig the second they ripen.

Great idea. I have a couple small dwarf fig trees- birds and squirrels love figs. My hens would jump straight up to get a fig off a branch. Had to move my chicken yard parameters to exclude the trees