Enemy At The Gates

wow that is great Cowpea

Cowpea I have never seen watermelons growing before,our growing season is so short we can`t have anything like that.Sure wish I could come there and get a fesh watermelon they look so good

The chicks are beautiful, the coop is excellent, and best of all I love seeing those who build from used and donated lumber. That coop is really going to look great. The watermelon!!! Well I just never liked it so no comment there...Great pic's and thanks for sharing...Hay

I like to see "re-purposed" materials, as well. I try to leave indications of thet where I can, just for me. One of the doors on a coop was made from a shipping crate sent to me, and has my name scrawled across it. I left that unpainted, at least for now. We had a big pecan limb come down, and miss the coop, so I'm going to try to get that turned into rough boards. Wouldn;t that make a nice coop? What part of it doesn't become something for me, that is :)

Hey there Cowpea, I hope you don't mind? I just wanted to post a new pic of my Pheasant. He has finally reached his full color after two long years...Hay

Second and last. I have five new babies that are now two months old and thriving...Hay

Oh Wow! Haystack! That is a beautiful bird! Just wow!

Thank you Shelly, and thanks for visiting the forum. I hope you know we welcome you with open arms.

I have raised chickens for quite a few years but, I think I enjoy the pheasant even more. They only require such a small amount of attention. They eat very little and I just love the color. This summer I want to add at least two more species. Thanks again Shelly...Hay

Really colorfull,the babies are they pheasants also?

Like living art Haystack! I wish i could raise them here but I think it's to hot. That was a close one catmad. Pecan makes great smoking wood to.Green04735 here is another watermelon picture. If your ever in north Louisianna during the summer stop by and get one. That goes for everyone too.I love to share.

Not only bane to chickens, I have lost 12 ducks this year to a fox.

Thank you for the warm welcome Haystack. I lurk mostly, and wish I could have chickens. I only want two LOL, it's really not asking much. ;o)

Cowpea! That watermelon looks perfect! Nothing better on a hot summer day than a cool watermelon. Thank you for starting this thread!

I t looks so good ,bought one at the store today.

Now if only I can keep the coons, deer and coyotes from eating the watermelons. Everything I grow in my garden something likes to eat except summer squash.I put some new feeders and waterers out and my chickens did not like them at all.They just stared at them.They don't like change.

Green, the babies are pheasant as well. If you move slowly when in the pen, or sit calmly in a chair while in the pen, they will come right up to you and watch you. You can't pet them like a chicken and quick movement is really a no, no, but given their beauty and mating calls I really do enjoy them a lot. I generally feed them once every three weeks and give them fresh water once every two weeks. They don't foul their water and food like chickens. They probably eat at the most ten percent of what chickens eat. I only have one mature hen and she has given me to date forty-seven eggs since very late March. Reliably one egg every two days.

Shelly, is there a personal reason you can't have chickens? I mean, it's been legal in Denver for a whole week!! I'll send you the twenty bucks, if that will help....

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/28306885/detail.html

Oh no, I don't enable anyone.....

LOL catmad! Thank you for the kind offer!
It's a little silly that the actual city of Denver can have chickens, but I am in one of the few suburbs that DON'T allow chickens in Colorado (Thornton). Gosh there is more "country" in this suburb for sure than there is in the big ol' city.

Hello everyone. Caught a possum lastnight in my trap.It had been eating my figs tomatoes.Anyone know of a good white egg laying chicken that is a calm bird and not flighty like leghorns? Lastnight was a long one.I spent seven hours in the emergency room with a kidney stone.And boy do they hurt! Just pasted it at five.It was as big as bb.Here is a picture of my heirloom corn i'm raising for my chickens. I was told yesterday not to feed my chickens any corn or other grain because they are bad for them and only feed them chick starter and grower and laying crumbles or pellets. What it everyones opinion on this?

In my opinion, that is nonsense. corn is very good for them in the winter, as it helps to keep them warm, and its a great treat. It does not have much nutritional value but it is great as a treat and as I said winter time it really helps them to stay warm... I really feel for you about the stones, they are terribly painful. I have not had them but have taken several family members to the hospital with them and they could hardly move...Hay

I agree with Hay

I have some confined hens that get mostly commercial foods, mostly becuase I don't think I could offer everything they need if they don't get to choose for themselves from nature's bounty. Everyone who free ranges gets scratch in the mornings, and that's it. So no, I'm not a proponent of feeding just formulated foods.
One does wonder how chickens survived before they were "kept"....

My chickens also get corn as a treat. It is high in calories but not much else, and they love it.

Haystack will disagree with this suggestion (!) but I rather like Minorcas for white eggs. I got some by mistake and they have turned out to be excellent layers. Although they are not as calm as the Orpingtons or any of my brown egg layers, they are great foragers and not as brainless as the leghorns.

To the contrary my dear, your assessment is most excellent. I just would never have them again, great egg layers, just way to brainless and flighty for me. Of course my wife says anything I can't charm I don't like...LOL...Hay

Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting lately work has had me very busy. All quiet on the chicken front no hostile activity to report.Very hot here! Just picked one hundred and fifty watermelons today for a peddler in Natichitoches and I'm hot and tired.Coyotes have found my watermelons and have been raiding my field. Got some new pics to post of my chicks and watermelons.

Some of the watermelons I kept fo family and friends.

My ameraucana chicks.

Here are four pictures of what coyotes do to watermelons.

Number 2.

Number 3.

number 4.

I would never have guessed that coyotes would eat watermelon,You need to get some of those night eyes and put around your fields to keep them away.They are solar so you need no electric.Makes my mouth water to look at your pics.

This message was edited Jul 3, 2011 8:35 PM

This message was edited Jul 3, 2011 8:36 PM

Cowpea, you gotta quit tempting my wife with those watermelons...LOL...I am shocked that coyotes like watermelons...Hay

The coyotes are probably just as hot and thirsty as the people. I'm sorry you have to provide their thirst-quenchers, but I do understand it. Most of my dogs love all melons, and the cats are often begging for cantaloupe.

if you read up on coyotes they eat fruit and berries too

Yes, we had to put up electric fencing for the veg garden. At my place, once the coyotes have found the melons, the feral hogs move in to clean up. And they leave such a mess!