"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Ron Skekel]

Thanks Jennie! I saw your post in the feed thread, very informative.

I'm a geographical anomaly I guess, 30 mins from Iowa too.

From reading some of the other threads on feeding I am considering trying the Layena next, but if there is a mill in the area I wouldn't mind trying that either.

Has anyone gotten chicken feed from Petrus? We have friends up there and wouldn't mind traveling that far every month or so.

Pam, how much does your feed run? We're doing our best to keep chickens on a shoestring. Letting them out to range helps, but with so many new birds they've been in the coop/run until they figure out where "home" is.

It only takes three days to get them to know where their coop is. 50.00 a month. They have one organic brand that's 20 a sack its in pellet form. My girls were already used to whole grains so I use the others. I have 25 birds now. The freee range from dawn to dusk. I don't think I'm out when I re order. I've heard nothing but good things about Petra's. It's too far from me tho. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

Thanks for the welcome. I like this thread, everyone is sooooo layed back and not so serious...Guess that's just the south for you...Everyone is down to earth and pleasant. I have read most of the replies here and I don't recall and squabbles. How nice, some people get offended so easily, but I have not seen it here....

Life is too short for squabbles! Plus they don't call it southern hospitality for no reason. We love our birds and to laugh a long the way.

 

[mc1960]

Coop Phase 1 siding on outside replaced and junk removed from the inside.

 

[topdog24]

Coop Phase 1 siding on outside replaced and junk removed from the inside.

+Looks good so far, remember to add dig through protection, such as wire layed flat and burried about 2/3 inchs deep on the inside portions outsides look good from what i can tell

 

[topdog24]

Under reconstruction: I have started building permanent quarters for my colored egg layers, 7x8 ft, i took in the hip roof on the front of the big chicks house, I removed the front wall and moved it 7 ft forward and closed the ends with tin and some ventilation, i now have it partitioned down the middle with 1 in poultry wire so the whole house is basically open as far as air flow goes, i still have to build proper roosts and build a set of nest box's for the Ameraucanas, EEs and the other same age pullets, i still have a little time before they start laying.


This is how it did look

how it looks now

They will have their own seperate run inside of the main one,instead of in a corner which made it hard to move the main run as originally designed, now i can extend the main one front to back and side to side as my flock growth demands more room, i new in the beginning you just can never have too much room for the chickens to run in. I completed the pen today and turned them out, now i have to go make sure they went back in to roost., i will update photos once completed, winter is comming soon.

Updating post: i added my roosts today, you can tell from the photos i had plenty of help with the installation, excuse the mess, one thing at a time,lol






The open floor plan view from the new side


After dark: Now this is nice to see, all 19 birds have excepted and put to good use the new roosts in their new house
My roost testers inspecting the new improved roosts, I just can not for the life of my understand why some people have trouble getting their birds to use roosts, mine always try them out before i can get finished and get my tools picked up, i think it is the natural meterials IE small tree trunks cut to length, after all, it is in their genes to roost in trees, not on boxs,2x2 and 2x4s, as soon as these pecan trees drop their leaves, i will be adding them to the floors for the chickens to scratch and play in this winter.

 

[Cody A]

Good evening all.

Well this is what I've gotten done the past few weeks. I've been working my tail off as you can see.
The building grew on me as I built it. There is 32'x20' under the roof. I just finished the metal skirt today.
It is buried 14" deep around the coop except where the posts are.
The gable vents and rear vents in the eaves are all covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. There is also cloth
between the roof tin and 2x4 lathe. The second hand windows came off a job years ago. They were perfect for this project.
I still need to make hardware cloth screens for the lower half of them but I believe it can wait till next year.


From this view there is 8' between the posts.

Rear shot.

Ok. I ordered 30 Barred Rock chicks from Ideal and hopefully have 12 Buckeye chicks coming this next week also(fingers crossed).
Since I won't have time to build a run and get the rest of the house completely pred proof(my body can't handle it right now) My plan is to build a temporary brooder.
I'm going to pred proof this 8'x20' section V and use the back half were the ladder is as a brooder, and give them more room as needed. Will use a circular shield to keep them corralled to prevent the chicks from wandering into the corners. I can use plastic to cut the drafts. Basically plastic off 1/2-3/4 of the rear of this section and with a low plastic ceiling. Will put sand or pine shavings down. I have a Brinsea 50 bird chick warmer coming. Can also add extra brooder lamps if it gets to cool to soon.
Does this sound like a good plan? Would like to get everyone's input and opinion on this.
I would hate to have to cancel my order Thank you.
Cody

 

[LindaB220]

Good evening all.

Well this is what I've gotten done the past few weeks. I've been working my tail off as you can see.
The building grew on me as I built it. There is 32'x20' under the roof. I just finished the metal skirt today.
It is buried 14" deep around the coop except where the posts are.
The gable vents and rear vents in the eaves are all covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. There is also cloth
between the roof tin and 2x4 lathe. The second hand windows came off a job years ago. They were perfect for this project.
I still need to make hardware cloth screens for the lower half of them but I believe it can wait till next year.


From this view there is 8' between the posts.

Rear shot.

Ok. I ordered 30 Barred Rock chicks from Ideal and hopefully have 12 Buckeye chicks coming this next week also(fingers crossed).
Since I won't have time to build a run and get the rest of the house completely pred proof(my body can't handle it right now) My plan is to build a temporary brooder.
I'm going to pred proof this 8'x20' section V and use the back half were the ladder is as a brooder, and give them more room as needed. Will use a circular shield to keep them corralled to prevent the chicks from wandering into the corners. I can use plastic to cut the drafts. Basically plastic off 1/2-3/4 of the rear of this section and with a low plastic ceiling. Will put sand or pine shavings down. I have a Brinsea 50 bird chick warmer coming. Can also add extra brooder lamps if it gets to cool to soon.
Does this sound like a good plan? Would like to get everyone's input and opinion on this.
I would hate to have to cancel my order Thank you.
Cody

Cody, Cody, Cody, I'm so impressed.

This is an outstanding project of yours. The Brinsea might be enough. You might have another lamp available if it gets really cold. But I don't think you will need it. Check in more often with pics to give us an update. I've got a fellow coming tomorrow to finish my 2nd coop Smaller of course. 12' x 12' with sides 4' tall and the middle of the A frame is 6' tall. It is framed up now and he will do the nest boxes and roosts. I don't have a camera yet and can't get pics. But soon.

 

[campingshaws]

Thanks everyone for the help and info! I'll definitely make some calls to Petrus when this bag gets low, and at the rate the RIWs are eating it may not be long. If anyone else from LC-area wants in we can work that out.

Coops look great mc and topdog! You've inspired me to share my little tractor:

It's not totally finished (need to add roosts and better door to the coop) but I'm really proud of it. The tractor isn't totally predator proof but I'm sure that the coop is secure. They're right in front of the house where nothing comes up during the day. Anyways, fingers crossed.

I used almost total scraps for this; we bought staples, locks, and hinges. The rest we had on hand! The tin came from a big stack I found in the woods on the property. The forest is full of treasures.

I never got my peas and beans started; still worth trying for sprouts for the chickens? I was given several pots of day lilies that I'm going to put in the ground tomorrow, if I can get out before the rain. Today I finally got the back porch cleaned from all the quarantine coops (dog kennels) and I let the sussex out to free range for the first time. The roo is very relaxed, but still alert. He ate out of my hand today, which was awesome. He met my housecat, which was uneventful; the roo mostly followed around behind the cat and sounded a constant alarm. The cat didn't care.

Only one egg today. I let them out before the sussex laid, so either she hid it or skipped today. I searched a little before dark, but nothing. I added in my poor mystery pullets to the main flock today and they're much happier! They don't run from me and even approached (through the fence) a few times. I managed to get some better I pictures that I'll post to the "what breed is this?" thread.

 

[campingshaws]

Great coop CODY. You posted while I was writing.

You guys, I have serious coop envy. Whenever we leave this place and settled somewhere else, I'm going to have a glorious chicken mansion.

 

[Ron Skekel]

Good evening all. Well this is what I've gotten done the past few weeks. I've been working my tail off as you can see. The building grew on me as I built it. There is 32'x20' under the roof. I just finished the metal skirt today. It is buried 14" deep around the coop except where the posts are. The gable vents and rear vents in the eaves are all covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. There is also cloth between the roof tin and 2x4 lathe. The second hand windows came off a job years ago. They were perfect for this project. I still need to make hardware cloth screens for the lower half of them but I believe it can wait till next year. From this view there is 8' between the posts. Rear shot. Ok. I ordered 30 Barred Rock chicks from Ideal and hopefully have 12 Buckeye chicks coming this next week also(fingers crossed). Since I won't have time to build a run and get the rest of the house completely pred proof(my body can't handle it right now) My plan is to build a temporary brooder. I'm going to pred proof this 8'x20' section V and use the back half were the ladder is as a brooder, and give them more room as needed. Will use a circular shield to keep them corralled to prevent the chicks from wandering into the corners. I can use plastic to cut the drafts. Basically plastic off 1/2-3/4 of the rear of this section and with a low plastic ceiling. Will put sand or pine shavings down. I have a Brinsea 50 bird chick warmer coming. Can also add extra brooder lamps if it gets to cool to soon. Does this sound like a good plan? Would like to get everyone's input and opinion on this. I would hate to have to cancel my order Thank you. Cody

Cody,LMAO! You thought mine was over kill. Looks great good job. I think you have a full blown fever. Chicken fever the systems cause you to catch chicken math! HAHAHAHAHA!!!