# Virginia



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

So we are now in VA. Moved here this past Saturday ( been here a week already omg time is going tooo fast)
All the critters did the 8 hour ride good. Cats are locked in my office for 2 weeks so they settle in. 
I am going to get chickens again but since I have a whole family of hawks living in our front yard il have to enclose a pen. We are on 7 66 acres in the Blue ridge mountains about 35 minutes past Roanoke.
I see the forum layout changed


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Congrats on the successful move, and welcome to Va! I hope you are very happy in your new home. 
Boo on the hawks- I have a similar problem, but they’re not quite as.... hospitable as your bunch is! They live about a quarter to half mile away as best I can tell. Ugh. You could always look into attracting crows to the area, if you don’t mind the crows that is. Lesser of two evils in my book!


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Hi ME. I'm glad you safely made it to Virginia. Everything is fine with us. Do you have any idea how many chickens you're going to get? Starting out with chicks? I hope you can find inexpensive lumber when you start building coops. Everything has gone up in price and not just lumber. 
Hawks here are a dime a dozen and I keep my birds penned. It's good to hear from you, stick around.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Are you enjoying the adventure? 

I loved living in the BR Mountains. Being that close to Roanoke is a big plus. 

Yeah, we were all shocked at the new forum layout. Seems no one thought to tell us that it was happening.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*Hello from Tennessee. I'll bet you're glad the moving is done. I hate moving; we moved here about 5 years ago from WI. It has been culture shock ever since. Good luck with all you do.*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, shoot, Dan. You don't know Maryellen. She's been around for quite a while. She's been super busy the past couple of years. Hopefully, she'll have more time to hit the forum.

Hint, hint, ME.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Well, shoot, Dan. You don't know Maryellen. She's been around for quite a while. She's been super busy the past couple of years. Hopefully, she'll have more time to hit the forum.
> 
> Hint, hint, ME.


*I saw that from her avatar and the info under it. Just introducing myself.







*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What a sweet pic. Do you think it will keep that white chest?

She also has goats.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

robin416 said:


> What a sweet pic. Do you think it will keep that white
> chest?
> 
> 
> She also has goats.


*Yes, he should keep the white chest. Goats? What kind?*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If we can drag her back here in some timely manner, she can tell you because I don't remember.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> What a sweet pic. Do you think it will keep that white chest?
> 
> She also has goats.


Nice pic!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Sorry been getting somewhat settled and back to work ugh. 
Dawg we got a 10x20 shed and the goats have half and when I get chickens they will have the other half. I'm going to get kennel fencing to keep them enclosed due to the hawk family in my front yard . They will only be out free ranging when the dogs are outside.im going to keep a low amount,between 6-12 with one rooster. Probably gonna get easter eggers. I'm not getting chicks, the new house is smaller and there is no where for me to incubate or put a brooder up. 

We have a mini lamancha male and a oberhasli male goat.( pets).both wethers.

I plan on setting 2 nest boxes for 2 pairs of my cockatiels. Fall I'll set boxes for my lovebirds. I already have a wait list of 5 people for cockatiel chicks which is good.i put an ad up on craigslist and got a good response so far.
Working full time with all these hours limits me to unpacking more , so will work on that on the weekends. 
The husband is still trying to get a contractor here to clear some land to get a pole barn up.(and I want to out up a small above ground pool up like what we had in nj).
See Robin im back 
Now I gotta figure out how to add pictures


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)




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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

The cats are locked in my office for 2 weeks to get settled


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Ooh I think I figured out the pic part


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Goats looking out the trailer glad to arrive


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Goat and chicken house,chicken side not done yet


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Dogs are settling in


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)




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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Bird room when we got here. Took me 4 hours to set up all my cages and get all the birds settled. Lots of natural light and they are settled now and breeding like crazy so they arent stressed anymore


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The goats are big! It's been a long time since I've seen pics of them. They all look like they've been there forever. It helps when the human part of the pack sleeps in the same place for everyone to adjust quickly. 

I think it actually takes the humans longer to settle in. 

You can also drag pics from your folder on your computer to the forum too. That's if you're using your computer and not your phone.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I only use my cell, it's much easier.
Yeah the goats are now almost 4 years old .time sure does fly


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, that's rather eye opening. It really doesn't feel that long to me. But when I look back at that time period a lot was going on in my life so it time did get away from me.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Maryellen said:


> Sorry been getting somewhat settled and back to work ugh.
> Dawg we got a 10x20 shed and the goats have half and when I get chickens they will have the other half. I'm going to get kennel fencing to keep them enclosed due to the hawk family in my front yard . They will only be out free ranging when the dogs are outside.im going to keep a low amount,between 6-12 with one rooster. Probably gonna get easter eggers. I'm not getting chicks, the new house is smaller and there is no where for me to incubate or put a brooder up.
> 
> We have a mini lamancha male and a oberhasli male goat.( pets).both wethers.
> ...


Thanks for the update, keep us posted on the other birds.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Awesome ME! I’m glad everyone is getting settled in now. Love the pics! Looks like a beautiful spot!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Cats are loose now and not locked up. My cats are strictly indoor cats


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Overmountain1 said:


> Awesome ME! I’m glad everyone is getting settled in now. Love the pics! Looks like a beautiful spot!


Thank you!!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

All the parrots are settled, I set up 3 nest boxes for 3 cockatiel pairs. Should have chicks hatching end of april


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That last pic. Is someone stuck between the cats? It's funny to see these big ol' dogs when it comes to crossing the line in the sand the cats put out there.

I keep forgetting, you're not totally birdless right now.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Duke is terrified of the black and white cat Sylvester ( Sylvester has no issues using his claws to keep the dogs in line ). Timmy the other cat is super sweet.. Sylvester... not so much.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

One of dogs growled at Sissy years ago. She never forgave them and would hiss at any of them if they came too close according to her personal space.

None of mine were intimidated by the cats. I'll bet Duke got his fanny handed to him when he was doing his puppy routine around the cats.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Sylvester is just an old cranky cat, but Duke didnt like him at first. I had to keep them seperated for 2 months. Then when Sylvester realized he could bully Duke he took full advantage of it and still does.
I think if duke wasnt such a jerk to Sylvester last year they would have been friends


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Nice pics ME!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

All it took was one dog growling and the rest was history so I get Sylvester being able to put him in his place even when he isn't doing anything to antagonize things.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Sylvester is a jerk to people too. He has no issue biting or scratching us too so it's not just a dog issue. I dont know if it is cause he had one owner who gave him to the shelter last year at 15 or if it's his nature. We have had him a year and I am not sure which it is lol. His previous owner had him for 15 years . He is just a quirky cat


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Some are just like that. Be all loving one moment and want absolutely nothing to do with you and have no problem showing you how much they don't want you near them. 

I had forgotten how you got him. 

You know, he looks really good for his age.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Nice pics, thanks!


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Ha! I cat-sit for a Siamese like that- she is so mercurial!! 
One time I come and she hisses at me from 3 feet away, the next she sniffs my hand and allows me to pet her, but only once or twice. Then I get swatted and hissed at again!  
Apparently she’s just the same with her owners so I don’t take it personally.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Siamese cats are notorious for being that way lol. My cousin had one and he was Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde all the time. If he sensed you were afraid of him he would sit next to you and stare at you and yowl until you got up and moved


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*Our goats are Nubian and Nubian-Nigerian cross does. We're hoping to get a buck kid this Saturday. Beautiful pictures and wonderful set-up! I raised cockatiel and budgies (and a lot others) for many years. A very interesting project. Dogs do not stop hawk attacks for long which I found out last summer when a hawk repeated dived and took birds with the dogs right their barking their heads off.*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Heck, I've had hawks go after my birds with me standing there.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Heck, I've had hawks go after my birds with me standing there.


Yup.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Heck, I've had hawks go after my birds with me standing there.


*And me too; just a couple feet away. Dogs are no protection for predators from the air.*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL It happened again this morning. I was out there doing stuff about 50 feet from the Guineas when they alarmed. I looked up just in time to see a hawk swoop over their heads. It wasn't a Red Tail, too small.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> LOL It happened again this morning. I was out there doing stuff about 50 feet from the Guineas when they alarmed. I looked up just in time to see a hawk swoop over their heads. It wasn't a Red Tail, too small.


Some years ago, a hawk took one of my guineas right in front of me. One year I had a mama hawk who would sit on the horse arena fence everyday which is only a hundred feet behind the house, and watch the guineas. She took seventeen guineas that year to feed her babies, one a day.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Dang, I don't think I could handle that emotionally. Luckily I'm set up that I can keep them up if I had one like you had just waiting for a target.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Dang, I don't think I could handle that emotionally. Luckily I'm set up that I can keep them up if I had one like you had just waiting for a target.


That was probably a dozen years ago and everything was free range. The chickens had roosts in the barn and that got pretty messy. I was always hatching Eastern Wild Turkeys and they would all take off with the local wild flocks. My current setup is better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The life of someone who keeps poultry. There is always fine tuning to do. Or in some cases total reworking.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*The smaller hawks are the ones that I usually have problems with. They can't handle the adult birds, but will wipe out chicks and youngsters in a short time. I no longer let birds free range that have young until the young are near full size or as big as a grown bantam in the case of poults. When there's a large hawk around, all the birds stay in the poultry yard. For whatever reason hawks are leery of diving on birds in the poultry yard; also, the birds can make it to the coop for safety and the yard is difficult to sneak up on without being seen.*


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