"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[kuntrygirl]

did you name him Elvis?

His name is Brownie. Original huh?

 

[catdaddyfro]

I've always heard you couldn't eat them - I'm sure not going to try & see if that's true or not.

Name that duck "Elvis" -- LOVE IT!

Just thought of something -- take your pics of the berries & email them to the Ag extension office -- they'll know -- I sent a pic of a very very ugly caterpillar a couple years ago & they told me all about it (it was the larvae of the black swallow-tail butterfly & it likes to eat my citrus trees & it's called a brown dog caterpillar - very scary looking)!

Found one of these critters once upon a time and sent it to show and tell with my niece when she was in pre-school. Her teacher looked it up. It's a Hickory Devil-horned caterpillar larva of the Silk moth. Pretty huh? pretty dadgum ugly if you ask me! LOL It had been devouring the leaves on Moms prized(?)

Sycamore tree. So it likes more than hickorys for sure.

Jeff

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I have no idea. I couldn't catch him. When I saw him he was on his back paws eating in the chicken feeder right there with the chickens and turkeys. I ran inside to get my phone to take a pic and he was gone after that. I looked for him and found him near the rabbit shed. I don't know what's going on at my place.

The last guest that showed up at my house was this fella. This was a couple years ago and he refuses to leave.

I posted ads on craigslist and asked around the neighborhood. No one seems to know who he belongs to. Someone just dumped him at my house.

This is the coolest Mohawk I have ever seen on a bird and ALMOST makes me want one like him!

Good luck on your bunny trapping. He was definitely a pet and lucky to have lived as long as he has running free. Then again, he must be a smart cookie to have decided your place was the best chance for free food!

On the homefront....I got my first goose egg out of one of my 9 month old Pomeranians on Sunday. None of the rest of the geese are laying yet, but a couple have made pretty nice nests, so my fingers are crossed. I have eggs ordered from two other breeders and 6 goslings from a third: It was like Christmas when I found that many breeders with good quality Buff Saddlebacks!

As to my turkeys, only my two oldest Beltsville hens are laying so far and every single egg they've laid has been fertile: I add at least one poult to the brooder every day. I may have convinced my husband that we need some Bourbon Reds before next year too. He said that once he has time, he will build a coop and then I can get the stock. When that happens, I will be getting a hold of you Kuntrygirl.

We've been doing a lot of garden related tasks lately. My son and I planted cabbage, lettuce, carrots, radishes, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, salsify, beets, and peas in the raised bed garden a few days ago. Also, preparing for the big garden I planted 8 trays of tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds on January 18th (4 and 6 cell trays with multiples in each) on my light stand in the house. I have over 220 tomatoes seedlings from 24 varieties, 48 eggplants from 5 varieties, and 184 peppers from 16 varieties (bell, italian sweet, banana, and hot). All the plants have at least their first two true leave and will need to be transplanted to bigger containers in another week or two. If I have good survival rates after transplant, I may sell half the plants, but I'm not sure yet.

I spoke with Danny Padgett of Padgett's Exhibition poultry in Florida yesterday: I have ordered a dozen eggs from his White Laced Red Cornish: The parent stock are bruisers! I am also getting a dozen Cornish eggs from Frank Reese of Good Shepherd Poultry, along with a dozen eggs from his Barred Rocks. I also emailed Jamie Duckworth to see if he has any of his Barred Rock eggs available. I don't know if I can afford them though...this is the line Skyline poultry has been selling on eBay: Six eggs for between $175 - $225.....OUCH.

Here are some of the plants on my starter stand.


Close up of a couple of the trays. Peppers on the left and tomatoes on the right.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Found one of these critters once upon a time and sent it to show and tell with my niece when she was in pre-school. Her teacher looked it up. It's a Hickory Devil-horned caterpillar larva of the Silk moth. Pretty huh? pretty dadgum ugly if you ask me! LOL It had been devouring the leaves on Moms prized(?)

Sycamore tree. So it likes more than hickorys for sure.

Jeff

Ewwwww!!! that is one scary looking critter!

 

[DHinton]

my cousin and i are, in theory, going to start work on a coop/hutch this weekend. i can only have 3 chickens. rabbits, i think i'll just start with like 2 does and a buck, like someone suggested previously.

having said all that. does anyone have advice on building this, in a fashion that we could easily expand it if needed later on? i'd much rather learn from other folks' experience than be tearing down and rebuilding things several times this year.

it'll be 4ish feet wide, and in total, i can probably have it about 20-30' long. i can also do it in an L-shape and put the coop part under a separated-from-the-house carport, for more distance in the run.

 

[DHinton]

my cousin and i are, in theory, going to start work on a coop/hutch this weekend. i can only have 3 chickens. rabbits, i think i'll just start with like 2 does and a buck, like someone suggested previously.

having said all that. does anyone have advice on building this, in a fashion that we could easily expand it if needed later on? i'd much rather learn from other folks' experience than be tearing down and rebuilding things several times this year.

it'll be 4ish feet wide, and in total, i can probably have it about 20-30' long. i can also do it in an L-shape and put the coop part under a separated-from-the-house carport, for more distance in the run.

and in case you guys noticed my thread in 'gardening' -- yes, if feasible, i'd like to try doing the framework (eventually) out of pvc, for hydroponic fun (in theory, eventually aquaponics).

 

[chickenbelle]

my cousin and i are, in theory, going to start work on a coop/hutch this weekend. i can only have 3 chickens. rabbits, i think i'll just start with like 2 does and a buck, like someone suggested previously.

having said all that. does anyone have advice on building this, in a fashion that we could easily expand it if needed later on? i'd much rather learn from other folks' experience than be tearing down and rebuilding things several times this year.

it'll be 4ish feet wide, and in total, i can probably have it about 20-30' long. i can also do it in an L-shape and put the coop part under a separated-from-the-house carport, for more distance in the run.

More room in the run is more important than the coop. Several hens will share one nest. As long as your coop has room for one or two nests and a roost, you will be fine. The run size you described is plenty big for 3 chickens. Poop clean up is a biggie for me--we installed a "poop hammock" under our roost so I can just scoop it up and dispose of it. Their coop stays much cleaner that way. I rake out the run as necessary. Think also about feed/watering. I have found the 4" PVC with the angle to be the best feeding system and it stays clean. For waterers a 5 gallon bucket with the water cups attached is best for keeping the water stocked fresh and clean. Some people use the pvc with chicken nipples for waterers, too. Look into it.

Rabbits.....well, someone will give you better advice on that than me. I only raised rabbits for a short time.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have no idea. I couldn't catch him. When I saw him he was on his back paws eating in the chicken feeder right there with the chickens and turkeys. I ran inside to get my phone to take a pic and he was gone after that. I looked for him and found him near the rabbit shed. I don't know what's going on at my place. The last guest that showed up at my house was this fella. This was a couple years ago and he refuses to leave. :/ I posted ads on craigslist and asked around the neighborhood. No one seems to know who he belongs to. Someone just dumped him at my house.

This is the coolest Mohawk I have ever seen on a bird and ALMOST makes me want one like him! Good luck on your bunny trapping. He was definitely a pet and lucky to have lived as long as he has running free. Then again, he must be a smart cookie to have decided your place was the best chance for free food! On the homefront....I got my first goose egg out of one of my 9 month old Pomeranians on Sunday. None of the rest of the geese are laying yet, but a couple have made pretty nice nests, so my fingers are crossed. I have eggs ordered from two other breeders and 6 goslings from a third: It was like Christmas when I found that many breeders with good quality Buff Saddlebacks! As to my turkeys, only my two oldest Beltsville hens are laying so far and every single egg they've laid has been fertile: I add at least one poult to the brooder every day. I may have convinced my husband that we need some Bourbon Reds before next year too. He said that once he has time, he will build a coop and then I can get the stock. When that happens, I will be getting a hold of you Kuntrygirl. We've been doing a lot of garden related tasks lately. My son and I planted cabbage, lettuce, carrots, radishes, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, salsify, beets, and peas in the raised bed garden a few days ago. Also, preparing for the big garden I planted 8 trays of tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds on January 18th (4 and 6 cell trays with multiples in each) on my light stand in the house. I have over 220 tomatoes seedlings from 24 varieties, 48 eggplants from 5 varieties, and 184 peppers from 16 varieties (bell, italian sweet, banana, and hot). All the plants have at least their first two true leave and will need to be transplanted to bigger containers in another week or two. If I have good survival rates after transplant, I may sell half the plants, but I'm not sure yet. I spoke with Danny Padgett of Padgett's Exhibition poultry in Florida yesterday: I have ordered a dozen eggs from his White Laced Red Cornish: The parent stock are bruisers! I am also getting a dozen Cornish eggs from Frank Reese of Good Shepherd Poultry, along with a dozen eggs from his Barred Rocks. I also emailed Jamie Duckworth to see if he has any of his Barred Rock eggs available. I don't know if I can afford them though...this is the line Skyline poultry has been selling on eBay: Six eggs for between $175 - $225.....OUCH. Here are some of the plants on my starter stand. Close up of a couple of the trays. Peppers on the left and tomatoes on the right.

Thanks. His name is Brownie. LOL YOU GOT YOUR FIRST GOOSE EGG!!!!!??????????? I"M JEALOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on that. I have been waiting for my girls to start laying. Nothing yet though. Sure, when you are ready for turkeys, let me know. Nice starter plants!

 

[kuntrygirl]

My new brooder...............


I picked this up about an hour ago on my lunch break. As I was driving by this mechanic parts shop, this shipping crate was calling my name, so I had to turn in and answer. I went inside and asked the guy if they had any shipping crates that they wanted to get rid of. He said that he just got 1 in and if I wanted it that I could have it. So, he pointed to the shipping crate that was calling my name. He told me to back in and he would load it in my truck. It is PERFECT!!!! I was looking for something taller for my baby poults and this will make the perfect brooder. It's very light, so I can move it where I need it with no problems.

I love recycling..........

 

[kuntrygirl]

I've always heard you couldn't eat them - I'm sure not going to try

Found one of these critters once upon a time and sent it to show and tell with my niece when she was in pre-school. Her teacher looked it up. It's a Hickory Devil-horned caterpillar larva of the Silk moth. Pretty huh? pretty dadgum ugly if you ask me! LOL It had been devouring the leaves on Moms prized(?) Sycamore tree. So it likes more than hickorys for sure. Jeff

LOL @ Moms prized(?) Sycamore tree I think it is BEAUTIFUL !!! I love it!!!