"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[topdog24]

My first post - I was waiting until my 8 RIRs are far enough along (now 12 weeks old) to share observations and ask questions. Its been a long time since I had chickens, and I didn't have the time or interest then to have them as a hobby. I'm now at 72 years old, retired, and having a ball watching them.

I've built a large coop for them, and they have a small but dense stand of trees, as well as an open grassy area in which to "free-range in each day. All of it is surrounded by an electrified fence.

I'm starting to see some "personalities" develop. There's one that has made it obvious that she likes to be held. There's one that squats most of the time when she if feeding. And there's one that's very independent and doesn't come into the coop with the others in the evening when I feed them and lock them up for the night. We are looking forward to getting fresh eggs, as well as our neighbors.

Anyway, hello from Lake Charles, Louisiana!

Hello from Jena, glad to see you here

 

[LindaB220]

Great defense against dogs, bores and large predators! Darted tazers would indeed work best for distance against an attacking dog...as long as the distance is there to discharge darts you're safe. A tazer *should* bring down a large dog easily. Just be aware its a stun...they'll get back up and either high tail it outta there or turn on you...

And where do you find them. Amazon hasn't heard of darted tazers. Thanks

 

[topdog24]

Welcome Doodler!!
I am new also. No chickens yet, but have some eggs being set and I am going to get some RIR cockrels at the end of this week. 11 weeks old. Trying to get my own small flock started. Can't wait to be able to share my own experiences.

I have 3 RIR roos that have to be rehomed, to the freezer, just have too many roosters to deal with these, they are always causing problems, they attack eachother, the smaller hens and anything else they can bother, all they are doing is eating feed that can go to a better purpose, like my egg layers, i have 1 large Barred Rock Roo that runs the daily operations in the pen, just as gentle as a summer breaze, i can't find anything bad about him, never fights, never pulls a feather out when mounting, just all together the best rooster i have ever seen.

 

[LaDoodler]

Thanks for all of the welcomes and comments!

I usually start my day by dropping in here. Then, my mixed Shih-Tzu and I go feed the girls. (He's still trying to figure out why I won't let him chase them.) Some of them are so anxious to get outside the coop that they pretty much skip "breakfast". But, with the variety of areas inside the pen, I don't think they are going hungry!

Regarding feeding them, I've found that I must remove the food from the coop as soon as they are finished feeding. Otherwise, rats soon appear. Joel Salatin in his book "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock" warned of this problem, and advised of removing the feed. It's common sense, but sometimes it's nice to get a confirmation.

Ok, back to work. I totally neglected my large garden when working on getting the coop and pen chicken-ready. Now, I'm faced with the best weed crop anyone could want!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

You want a tazer with darts.
I also have the flashlight tazer. It requires contact but the amazing cracking sound it makes...is nuff to make any attacker think again from a distance too.

The darted tazers fire one or two darts with wires that then charge the darts. Some places consider them a firearm if darts are fired from the tazers "gun" so double check!

Police supply store carries them as well as places online. I will forward the place I got mine. You order online. I've met the owners, great people.

I wanted the darted tazers for the fact that I wanted distance between me and the bad guy. I changed my mind after training with both darted and handheld.
Darted are more dangerous. You can get the same POWER from both but darted has wires and one needs distance to fire at bad guy or those wires could very well take you down too.
Handhelds require contact but in all honesty if attacked its usually a lil late to gauge distance and aim darts properly, not to mention people panic and aim/thought goes out the window. With the right the hand held you are grounded so you won't be zapped even if zapping bad guy touches you.
With wired tazers you are grounded to the gun but not to the wires so there's a slight higher risk of danger to yourself if it doesn't go as planned.

Remember, tazers can kill. Hit a man in the face instead of center mass, aiming wrong due to fear. Could kill him...so treat it like a firearm. Use only when life is in danger.
I want to know that I harmed someone who was really going to get me, not that I hurt someone that made me nervous but meant no harm. If they're close nuff to be zapped by a handheld they're in my space, I feel justified after the fact. If one panics and shoots darts from 25ft at a "threat" that turns out not to be a threat...legal implications can follow. Obviously violent attackers one wouldn't worry as much about "after math" but not all bad guys look like bad guys..So use caution!

I'll send you the Site shortly where you can get both. They're like guns...to each their own in what makes them feel safe.

Excellent analysis, Angel. It has made me think. Thanks.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Thanks for all of the welcomes and comments!

I usually start my day by dropping in here.  Then, my mixed Shih-Tzu and I go feed the girls.  (He's still trying to figure out why I won't let him chase them.)  Some of them are so anxious to get outside the coop that they pretty much skip "breakfast".  But, with the variety of areas inside the pen, I don't think they are going hungry!

Regarding feeding them, I've found that I must remove the food from the coop as soon as they are finished feeding.  Otherwise, rats soon appear.  Joel Salatin in his book "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock" warned of this problem, and advised of removing the feed.  It's common sense, but sometimes it's nice to get a confirmation.

Ok, back to work.  I totally neglected my large garden when working on getting the coop and pen chicken-ready.  Now, I'm faced with the best weed crop anyone could want!

On a thread recently I saw a great homemade mouse trap/killer. It's a bucket with a bar accross the top. You bate with peanut butter and they fall into the water and drown. Try the DIY thread. Or get a cat. I never have mice or rats. I guess my cat gets them or the smell of my cat keeps them away. The only time I ever had mice was when I didn't have a cat.

 

[gidget106]

On a thread recently I saw a great homemade mouse trap/killer. It's a bucket with a bar accross the top. You bate with peanut butter and they fall into the water and drown. Try the DIY thread. Or get a cat. I never have mice or rats. I guess my cat gets them or the smell of my cat keeps them away. The only time I ever had mice was when I didn't have a cat.

x2 on the cats. We have four and I have yet to see a mouse.

 

[LaDoodler]

Well, a cat sounds good. Hmmm...the coop is some distance from the house (we live on 8+ acres). So, poor kitty would have to find someplace to bunk until a stinking old rat appears. Nevertheless, you've given me the idea that I should add a place for him/her to sleep. (There's no access to the coop at night.) And thanks for the confirmation that they are a workable solution. Time for me to visit the animal adoption center! Given the way the girls took off after a rat when it make an early appearance, I guess I better make kitty's resting place safe from them until s/he gets big enough to fend for himself/herself.

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks for all of the welcomes and comments!

I usually start my day by dropping in here. Then, my mixed Shih-Tzu and I go feed the girls. (He's still trying to figure out why I won't let him chase them.) Some of them are so anxious to get outside the coop that they pretty much skip "breakfast". But, with the variety of areas inside the pen, I don't think they are going hungry!

Regarding feeding them, I've found that I must remove the food from the coop as soon as they are finished feeding. Otherwise, rats soon appear. Joel Salatin in his book "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock" warned of this problem, and advised of removing the feed. It's common sense, but sometimes it's nice to get a confirmation.

Ok, back to work. I totally neglected my large garden when working on getting the coop and pen chicken-ready. Now, I'm faced with the best weed crop anyone could want!

Came across this yesterday. In the mood for a little trapping?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Came across this yesterday.  In the mood for a little trapping?     

That's the one that was on DIY thread. People that use it swear by it, but I like having a cat. BTW, my cat sometimes jumps into the chicken yard but not at all interested in the chickens.