"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[PrimroseMom1]

As you know, I built my chicken shelter first. Then I built the coop under the shelter. With the winter panels up, there is about a3" venilation area at the top of the sides and door in front. I plan to hang shower curtains on the shelter all around the inside of the frame coop high. That will leave air passing into the area above the coop and around the area inside the curtains. There will be NO AIR flowing through the coop at all. If you can follow this mess, is that enough venilation? Or maybe the best question is: specifically, how much air and air flow do they need?
The coop under the shelter.

Winter Panels only leave about 3" at the top open.

 

[campingshaws]

You should add raw honey to the water it will give her added nutrition with the dropper. Do you have experience with tube feeding chickens? I would try to keep getting her to drink on her own. I would also get the 3 packets of electrolytes and probitiotcs. This will help establish the good bacteria which is killed when on meds. If you don't get her to respond soon you will lose her. Cook her an egg of you can try raw. This is some of the things we did to save primrose. With out these other things she would have died. Pam

I have never tube fed a chicken but I have read the tutorial by kuntrygirl and the advice from casportpony on other threads. I do have the 3-pack if vitamins, I picked that up Saturday. I just realized I should put that in the water, because I bet they could all use a boost. I have one egg left so I'll try that. With my RIW that wouldn't eat over the weekend I tried egg and she wouldn't eat it. I finally put in her mouth right at the back of her tongue, and she would swallow on her own.

No tubes yet, so I'm feeling desperate.

What was wrong with Primrose?

 

[Ron Skekel]

Thank you Pam. I'll certainly keep your offer in mind.

It leads me to the question I've been wanting ask for advice or what would you guys do?

First, my goal is for eggs and meat using a dual purpose breed to free range. From what I've read the barred rocks are a good dual purpose bird. 
Since I've started with the rocks albeit not my first choice but pickins are slim this time of year. I'm considering another order of rocks from a different hatchery to prevent inbreeding.
Right now I have a straight run of 32 from Ideal. I could order another straight run of 30 from another hatchery. I know I will have to do some heavy culling on the cocks and some of the hens will become table fare also. In other words I guess I'm trying to build a good base to work towards breeding. I've read that hatchery stock can be improved upon by introducing better blood lines(which I could do in the future).
I've also read that if breeding hatchery birds your just gonna have hatchery stock. I don't want to show the birds but I'd like to have good quality genetics to produce healthy, egg and meat producing birds. I've certainly got a lot to learn when it comes to picking out what I would want to breed for and understanding the different types of breeding methods.

Anyone have some input for what I should do? Or what would you guys do?

Cody

I agree the breeder has breed for the dule purpose . The hatchery has breed for egg production. They breed the cx for meat birds. So ofcorce they want to sell you 2 birds instead of one. They breed the layers to lay almost everyday for approximately 2 years then you eat them or let them retire . The breeder has breed a dule propose bird to meet both eggs and meat. They May not lay everyday but will lay for many years. So I agree with Linda and Terri. I just got 2 RIRs x with New Hampture Reds. As for breeds their are several heritage dual purpose breeds.right now my hen's have almost stopped laying even tho they aren't molting. The few still laying are SLwyandotts, my Easter eggers,my cc legbars ,and the G l Wyandottes. My Biefeleders haven't started laying yet but I've read they are great for both. Now you have a lot to think about and resurch. Keep us informed on your choices. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

I have never tube fed a chicken but I have read the tutorial by kuntrygirl and the advice from casportpony on other threads. I do have the 3-pack if vitamins, I picked that up Saturday. I just realized I should put that in the water, because I bet they could all use a boost. I have one egg left so I'll try that. With my RIW that wouldn't eat over the weekend I tried egg and she wouldn't eat it. I finally put in her mouth right at the back of her tongue, and she would swallow on her own.

No tubes yet, so I'm feeling desperate.

What was wrong with Primrose?

She just noticed she wasn't up to snuff so she started to watch her. She quite eating and drinking. She was weak and would lay down. If you tried to get her to walk she would fall over. So just guessing it was a virus. But it was touch and go for a while. You would see a grown women cry if she lost primrose. I just glad all is well. Pam

 

[Cody A]

Sorry, that's one of the things I had to put on the back burner. Until spring, that is. Yes, we definitely will get with you on those. CackleJoy in Ca is selling them $30 + $15 or so shipping. Cheap at the price because it's a breed that came over several years ago and she has the new breed rooster that comes directly from Spain. No inbreeding at all. We need to both do these and occasionally swap chicks to diversify the strain. Sandhill Preservation sells them in the spring but you can only get 10 at one time and make up the 25 ct order with other birds. I'm thinking about doing this as another strain. They also have very good New Hampshires and Delawares. But it's not one of the instant order places. I ordered in Feb. last year and set a delivery date of maybe May. But I cancelled it. This time I'm ordering when I get the money in December or so. Contact me PM if you want to split an order. I'll gett NH and Delawares and you get the Marraduna.

Do you know if Cackle joy is selling hatching eggs at the present?
I looked at the XW Ranch barred rocks. Very nice looking birds. I will message them.

Thank you for the info. Will definitely get back with you on this.

Cody

 

[Ron Skekel]

As you know, I built my chicken shelter first. Then I built the coop under the shelter. With the winter panels up, there is about a3" venilation area at the top of the sides and door in front. I plan to hang shower curtains on the shelter all around the inside of the frame coop high. That will leave air passing into the area above the coop and around the area inside the curtains. There will be NO AIR flowing through the coop at all. If you can follow this mess, is that enough venilation? Or maybe the best question is: specifically, how much air and air flow do they need?
The coop under the shelter.

Winter Panels only leave about 3" at the top open.

You are fine heat is more of a problem than cold our winter isn't cool enough to worry about it. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

Okay did some research and got a farm bulk price for scratch and peck organic non GMO later feed. For a ton it brings the price if a #40 bag down to $19.91 per bag. It would take quite a few of us to make it work though. I'm in the Covington area and we can meet there after it is delivered. Let me know if you are interested.

I'm totally in. Do you have to get a ton? I know a few people that would buy some. P m me the info. That's great news! Will they let you mix an order like grower, starter? Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

I have never tube fed a chicken but I have read the tutorial by kuntrygirl and the advice from casportpony on other threads. I do have the 3-pack if vitamins, I picked that up Saturday. I just realized I should put that in the water, because I bet they could all use a boost. I have one egg left so I'll try that. With my RIW that wouldn't eat over the weekend I tried egg and she wouldn't eat it. I finally put in her mouth right at the back of her tongue, and she would swallow on her own.

No tubes yet, so I'm feeling desperate.

What was wrong with Primrose?

Now I remember primrose had sour croup. Pam

 

[topdog24]

Thanks PrimroseMom1. Yes, still bothered by the loss, and probably will be for a few days each time I count them to make sure all are there, and come up with 7 instead of 8. I raised them from day old biddies. Hope I scared the hawk enough that it won't be back, but doubtful. Anyway, I'm scanning the trees and skies more than I have been for a while. Hopefully, I'll spot it while it's scouting out it's next victim and can scare it off before that happens. Also, maybe my girls and Rudy will be a little more diligent. Come on Rudy, man up, or....rooster up!

I hate to hear about the loss of a bird, any bird, i have lost a couple to accidents but none actually due to predators, i have so many, unless i saw it happen, i wouldn't know it for days probably, i have to use a calculator to add them up.

 

[topdog24]

Thank you Pam. I'll certainly keep your offer in mind.

It leads me to the question I've been wanting ask for advice or what would you guys do?

First, my goal is for eggs and meat using a dual purpose breed to free range. From what I've read the barred rocks are a good dual purpose bird.
Since I've started with the rocks albeit not my first choice but pickins are slim this time of year. I'm considering another order of rocks from a different hatchery to prevent inbreeding.
Right now I have a straight run of 32 from Ideal. I could order another straight run of 30 from another hatchery. I know I will have to do some heavy culling on the cocks and some of the hens will become table fare also. In other words I guess I'm trying to build a good base to work towards breeding. I've read that hatchery stock can be improved upon by introducing better blood lines(which I could do in the future).
I've also read that if breeding hatchery birds your just gonna have hatchery stock. I don't want to show the birds but I'd like to have good quality genetics to produce healthy, egg and meat producing birds. I've certainly got a lot to learn when it comes to picking out what I would want to breed for and understanding the different types of breeding methods.

Anyone have some input for what I should do? Or what would you guys do?

Cody

My advice would be to go to your local feedstore and find out what breeds they can get, if they can get what you want, then order them from there, and only order hens for eggs, it is a lot cheaper because you aren't paying shipping costs, plus you will only get maybe 1 or 2 duds out of a 100, where as straight run chicks can be as high as 100% roosters, for eggs and a bunch of them, i would go with the Red Sex Link, They lay an extra large dark brown egg, the RSL eggs are in the front, the Barred rock, BSL, Dominique eggs are assorted in the back 3 rows, We sell the RSL eggs and the larger of the others in a mixed assortment dz, 6 xl and 6 reg size, my costomers want more eggs, so i talked to the hens to see if they could lay a little faster, so far, i am not convenced they heard my plea's, we are going to add more RSL in the near future

This is a days gather for 11/7/14 This is a gather from a few days ago
We get a steady 26 + 1 green egg about 5/6 a week, I did a lot of research before deciding on the RSL, they have a good feed to egg covertion ratio, one of the most efficient, they only lay prficiently for about 2/2.5 years, so they are still young enough to make quality food use when culled. I have 10 and i can not remember a day when i didn't get 10 eggs from them, they lay great in the winter without putting a light in the coop at night. I bought my cartons from Vicksburg and they are extra large size, i print my lables at home and lable them as i need to.

For meat birds, order one of them broiler specials or cornsh cross's, or order throgh your feedstore and save the shipping. Be ready to process them at about 6/8 weeks after reciept of them.