Really? in freestone county? damn....

I'm probably in the only neighborhood in the entire county that doesn't allow it......

Good stuff right there.....

left over 1000 year old shingles











Tin 18" deep

That is a good looking setup east. only thing I wish is that our coop was bigger so that I could build a small room inside to keep the feed. We keep it in 55 gal drums but they crap all over the lids so we started keeping them behind the coop.

Walter

show offs

Great lookin coop's y'all. No chickens here. Yet. Fortunately we're pretty close to Mahard egg farm. $1.00 for a dozen of their super jumbo's.

SHOW OFF!!!!

Got the real fence started today for the run. Wouldn't you know it when I want to bring the welder home its rented out. So I got the post driven and the top rail cut and laid out. Also got the gate hung. I zip tied the panels up until I can get it all welded up.






We lost another chicken this morning. Not sure what they are getting into that is killing them but we need to figure it out. Got some lumber tonight to start a small raised garden so that is on the list for tomorrow.

Walter

How does one clip wings? Can you do it or do you need to have a vet do it? The clipped wing thing is one of the main reasons we don't have chickens....yet.

Hold them upside down and cut off a few inches of the long feathers. Very easy to do.

Thanks. Might have to see if I can watch that a time or two first.

Only 10 or so feathers to cut. Real easy.

Thanks. Do you do that while they're little, half grown, or adult?

From what I heard is that you'll have to redo it every so often. Some one smarter than me shall know, but I have a four foot fence on one side of property and five foot on the other and they stay in the yard for the most part.

Walter

I had over a 100 roosters and stags at one time. I loved breeding and fighting chickens before it was outlawed in the US. It was a great sport. It's a shame game chickens can no longer do what we bred them for so many years. It was a big money business that will never come back legally.
I think it would be cheaper to just buy your eggs and poultry at the store if that's all you wanted them for. That's what I tell my wife, but she wants some to mess with. She is a city girl transplanted to the country that's never had any to take care of. I may give in and get a few. They would have to be game and it would be tough not to find a fight if I had an interesting prospect. That's why she doesn't have chickens to play with.

Thanks, again. Back at the house in Val Verde County it wouldn't hurt for them to roam a little, But, we get lots of hawks and Kara-Karas that are always looking for an easy meal. Owls too, had one good owl that came and got a cat we had that I hated, so a chicken might not be too much of a problem.

If you have birds of prey and the chickens are free ranging, expect to lose some.

If you can keep them around trees or even cover an area with net, the hens will have a better chance. A dog out there helps too (not sure if you still have a GS or not).

I have not had an owl or hawk take any yet but most of mine have been large hens. Their "run" is 50x50x5' fence with 3 willows and a dog on the perimeter. A neighbor has lost 3 recently. His hens have zero protection though.

Here's the Coop I built with my daughter for her 4 hen's. I am surprised how low maintenance they have been. She has had them for a couple of years now. Average 3 eggs per day. Many days 4.

very nice coop

GREAT THREAD! Thanks for posting, Walter. Wife and I want to do this when we retire in a few years, so how do they do in the Panhandle with the pretty harsh weather conditions, etc.?



I was just about to ask about this as well. Lots of hawks, harriers, and owls in the Panhandle and I want to keep my chicks from getting smoked. Totally enclosed run, I guess?

I would if you can, I lost two flocks before enclosing the run. Besides the birds I had raccoons killing them, haven't lost one since. Just had the t posts holding the 4x4 panels and chicken wire on the panels. Welded some rebar on the t posts, ran the chicken wire on the sides & top then used j clips on overlapped chicken wire.

+1

Here is most of my flock. They'll be "free range" on 1/2 an acre until winter.