"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[KimmyIsRad]

Thanks for the Tractor Supply tip, too. We might pass by tomorrow.

Hi, welcome!  I have seen some cute ones at Tractor Supply.  Probably on sale now too since its getting later.  They were on sale at our store here last time I was in.  You could look on their website to get ideas of what they have.  We got a rabbit hutch from there for our Bunny, last year.  Its very sturdy.

 

[KimmyIsRad]

I sure know how to party. Staying up late on a Friday night in chicken forums! I better go to sleep now. Goodnight everyone!

 

[Ron Skekel]

Oh!! Hahahaha I misunderstood your question! Sorry. Yes, we want eggs from our chickens.

For a first timer I would suggest the following. 1 they are cheap it won't be a big loss if something would happen. Roade Iland reds are cheap and good layers of brown eggs large eggs, Easter eggers are mix breed chickens that lay large bule to green large eegs they are pretty and cheep. Black Austrlorpe they lay large cream color eggs. My last suggestion would be wyandotts they come silver laced, gold laced, white etc. they lay large cream to brown eggs mine started laying at 4 months thats pretty early. I would stick with these for your first ones should you lose some to preator you don't lose much money plus you get maxium egg output. Everyone likes blue to green eggs too. hope this helps. Pam

 

[LemonMeringue]

Linda, I am following the thread by hellbender as well. VERY good reading! I also am eagerly looking forward to the video!

Where did you get your Chinese kit from? I have scalpels coming and I have a great headlamp.

I did read through the other thread as well, a few months ago. I need to try to refresh on that one. I need to find the links to the dental tool that some use for a rib spreader and also the little cauterizing tool.

I was encouraged to learn this if we are going to breed our own birds for meat......by the vet that we are planning on buying a roo from. And I have read a LOT about it in the last year. I mentioned caponizing the other day in front of someone. I was called a few names, including "sadistic". Uhm, ok. That coming from someone who won't even neuter their dog and keeps it locked up so it won't pee everywhere in the house. A good amount of space, but still. Sometimes excessive "kindness" with animals does them a disservice (like not wanting to get it fixed because he doesn't want to put the dog "through that") We want to provide for our family and that includes not wasting little roos. We do not even have 1 acre......so there is no way we can have a bunch of roos running around until they are big enough for the pot. What if I hatched out 8 chicks and 5 of them happened to be roos?! Ugh! I am being a duck, being a duck (let it roll off my back). Sorry for the mini rant!

 

[mschicklady]

For a first timer I would suggest the following. 1 they are cheap it won't be a big loss if something would happen. Roade Iland reds are cheap and good layers of brown eggs large eggs, Easter eggers are mix breed chickens that lay large bule to green large eegs they are pretty and cheep. Black Austrlorpe they lay large cream color eggs. My last suggestion would be wyandotts they come silver laced, gold laced, white etc. they lay large cream to brown eggs mine started laying at 4 months thats pretty early. I would stick with these for your first ones should you lose some to preator you don't lose much money plus you get maxium egg output. Everyone likes blue to green eggs too. hope this helps. Pam

X2

 

[Angelicisi]

It gets worse
Watch out for O.C.D. (obsessive chicken disorder) and chicken math!

...

Is that Happy Acres Farm? I just added them on facebook yesterday and sent them a message to see if we could visit. I pretty much think about chickens non stop lately. Lol[/q

 

[CackedNut]

Non-stop busy around here.

The entire flock has been spending time together every day. I am so glad that the harmony is coming along. In the youngest group there are bantams and 2 Buff Orpingtons. The 6 littles hang together and have learned well to dodge any cranky biddies. The whole lot of them are taking NO GUFF from the cat or little doggies (not that I have EVER seen them behave in any way unacceptable). If they come too close to any of them they get a good high spirited chasing. Tonight it was from one of the youngest Buff Orpingtons! Pretty amusing to see since the cat is 3 times the size of the fluffy pullet.

Lots of garden and food work. Its wild blackberry season. We did a quick pick last weekend and got close to 4lbs. Made blackberry jam. Saved the seed mash. Mixed part of it into white vinegar for some blackberry vinegar. Used the remaining mash for some blackberry/grape wine (I am attempting anyway). Its going good so far. There were plenty of green berries left that we are going to check on next weekend.

We are nowhere near where I would like to be with the garden. Mainly because we bought the composite raised bed kits, and my muscle mans ridiculous schedule. They are 4x8ft. Our previous layout was 3x10ft beds. Previous layout had aisles that were too narrow for comfortable work space. So doing a complete revamp of the entire garden, plus adding more beds has been a lot of work. We have had to bring in a lot of new garden soil as well. So many details! Studying more companion planting and adding a lot more variety of herbs that are perennial. Gearing up for the rush of canning season. Got a food mill to help process some of the veggies. Trying to eliminate any possibility of waste. Already harvesting some herbs, drying and storing them. Using rabbit, organic Jobe's fertilizer, organic Jobe's bone meal and Epsom salts (for the appropriate veg) to give lots of food for the veg to grow on. BTW I got many bags of the Jobe's fertilizers on a very cheap clearance last fall at TSC. I love that stuff! I couldn't believe the price. Tomorrow I am going to be double planting the potato bed since we are done filling it in. I think I will go with bush beans planted between a few of the potato tops. I have never done that. But since they are a good companion plant it will encourage me to leave the potatoes alone and let them get bigger. We also have been reading that the beans repel ants. Hard to believe anything repels these dumb fire ants, but its all fun to see what works.

All my chicken Nuggets were not able to continue on. I would say that I sent them to freezer camp, but they didn't make it that far. Delicious BBQ.

We've missed you. Figured you had been crazy busy. I love to hear about what you are up to. I want to be YOU when I get organized!! Or at least have a couple less jobs. I have stuffed 4 smal 3x3 raised garden beds full of plants. I got the raised beds at Sams, just to have something this year. I want MUCH bigger next year.
I will have to look for that fertilizer at TSC.
I'm glad you enjoyed your BBQ! LOL...There is NOTHING like fresh chicken.
You reminded me about the blackberries. I will have to take my youngest today and go look at our "spots" and see what's left.
Keep us posted on your adventures.

 

[CackedNut]

Oh and yes I believe the husband counts. You do feed him right? And make sure he is bathed?

I'd ovate, but "they" cut me off! LOL...

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Thanks! I was hoping to get some pretty eggs too. I'll definitely check those out.

For a first timer I would suggest the following. 1 they are cheap it won't be a big loss if something would happen. Roade Iland reds are cheap and good layers of brown eggs large eggs, Easter eggers are mix breed chickens that lay large bule to green large eegs they are pretty and cheep. Black Austrlorpe they lay large cream color eggs. My last suggestion would be wyandotts they come silver laced, gold laced, white etc. they lay large cream to brown eggs mine started laying at 4 months thats pretty early. I would stick with these for your first ones should you lose some to preator you don't lose much money plus you get maxium egg output. Everyone likes blue to green eggs too. hope this helps. Pam

 

[LindaB220]

I don't have chickens yet. We can't wait though! We are trying to buy or have someone build a coop first. My three year old has already named one Rapunzel and we haven't even bought them yet. I joined here because I want to learn a lot. We have two cats, a dog, and a husband (that counts as a pet, right?). We have two daughters, a 3yo and a 6mo.

If you notice I have over 2000 posts and my chickens are under 8 wks old.

I did a lot of research and talking. I love fermented feed threads and also look into deep litter if you are doing an on ground coop.