"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[TerriLaChicks]

those are cool. but if they're babies, you have to keep them indoors with a heat lamp? like, how old before they go roaming by themselves in the coop/run?

They have to be fully feathered out before they can go outside - I hatch my own & they start out in a big cardboard box w/a heat lamp in the utility room. At about 5-6 weeks of age -- when their heads have feathers - that's the last part to feather out completely - they go into an outside brooder also w/a heat lamp (esp this time of year). This brooder is off the ground - I am a big believer in keeping my young chicks & peachicks off the ground - esp. the peas -- it is almost always fatal to them as they are delicate - they can pick up worms & stuff & get chilled too easily if they are down on the ground, and esp. if it's an area where poultry have been kept before. Diseases can stay in the soil for years and years. You can't be too careful.

When they get about 3 months old, they go into our chicken tractor and they stay there until about six months of age when they are finally integrated into the main laying flock. They are wormed at 3 months of age & again before going into the main flock.

We started out with the chicken tractor & 3 hens originally, which we bought as chicks from Meyer hatchery. We built our tractor in a weekend & moved it about once a week. We still use it.

 

[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.

First catch the rabbit and THEN take the picture, Kuntrygirl, Not the other way around! LOL

Where there's food, they will stay. It's that way with dogs around here. Frustrating.

Stray dogs are the worst predators to a farm and my pet peeve! I never had a rabbit dust bathe, maybe he wants to be a chicken?

ug, i can't read... the title mentions watson, but it's actually in ponchatoula

I got notified, too. Know a couple people in it. Carrie is very knowledgable on rabbit, too!
NEW LOCATION AND DATE WATSON POULTRY SWAP MEET

Date: 2013-01-18, 8:54AM Sunday, Febuary 3 nd 9:00am until 12:00pm I- 12 Flea Market 18080 S I-12 service RD Ponchatoula LA 70454 Buy/Sale/Trade Bring your chickens, ducks, geese, guinea, turkeys and peafowl. Rabbits welcome as well . Only healthy animals please! Setup will begin at 8:30 AM . Bring your own chairs, tables, canopy, cages, pet food and boxes or cages to send your animals home with the new owners. Tap water is available. and public rest room . The actual sale/swap/trade will begin at 9:00am til 12:00pm. For more information contact Carrie LaBoyteaux 225-235-3764

• Location: Ponchatoula
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL: [COLOR=0066CC]http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/grd/3554302859.html[/COLOR]

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..........

Great find! You found a perfect brooder already built for you !!!!!

LOL. I"m so excited when I see the rabbit, I have to take the pic first. He must have been hanging around the chickens a lot, because he knew EXACTLY what to do. I'm so happy about my new brooder. I can't wait to move the babies in there.

 

[ssterling1776]

Love the tractor Terri!

 

[kuntrygirl]

If anyone is looking for rabbits (he has some babies as well), this guy has some and nesting boxes and cages. I talked with him today. I hope to go over there after work and get a few nesting boxes and possibly some babies. He has GOOD STOCK/Blood lines.

http://lafayette.craigslist.org/grd/3579857701.html

http://lafayette.craigslist.org/grd/3579870718.html

tHE RABBITS AND NEST BOXES ARE A GOOD PRICE, BUT THE CAGES ARE OVERPRICED! a USED CAGE SHOULD NOT RUN MORE THAN $20 PER HOLE AND i MAKE CAGES THAT ALL OPEN IN! oNE LIKE THESE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR RABBITS TO GET LOOSE. That's just my opinion. Carrie had some for $15. each a while back, you can ask when you see her at the show in Ponchatoula!

Ok. I will get some of the nesting boxes this weekend. He said something about the type of "galvenized" wire that will never rust, blah, blah, blah, etc. Who is Carrie?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Good morning La-yers. WOW, you all have been busy busy busy chatting. I have missed A LOT. I"m trying to catch up on the posts. WHEW. Welcome to all new La-yer's. Congrats to all who have new hatches. Sorry for any losses (Twiley). Good luck to anyone putting eggs in to hatch. I had my NPIP re-certification this morning and I passed. It gets easier as the years go by. The vet said that I have some of the healthiest birds that he has ever seen. I'm good for another year. If anyone is missing a white rabbit, he found his way to my house. This little fella has been roaming around the neighborhood for about 3 months now and he is still alive. I found out why he is still alive. He is coming over to my yard during the day and eating the chicken feed. After the vet was done testing, I looked over and saw something that didn't belong in my chicken yard. He was sitting along side the chickens eating from the feeder. :/ I was like, "HUH". The things that happen at my place. :/ Have a good day everyone.

Thanks Julie. Your place is a refuge for lost animals. If ever I get lost I'm going to your place. I know I'll get fed. That really is a cool mohawk on that muscovy. Also, I see that you've still got the knack for finding the neatest things on the side of the road. I started watching for opportunities for goodies after learning my crafty skills from you. Last fall, I found a dog house, a medium kennel, and a small pool. I put them in my Trailblazer and brought them home. I had to laugh at myself as I thought about you.

GREAT SCORES !!!!! LOL @ you had to laugh at yourself as you thought about me. I'm glad that I am rubbing off on people. Too funny!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

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!

Thanks! Well, I only have one of 8 laying right now. I had to block another set of geese that live in with my ducks into their section of the house tonight: The gander was getting aggressive with the ducks like he did last season.
Keep the faith....your girls will start laying soon. If they go too long and more of mine start laying I could always send a couple eggs your way. I mean what kind of enabler would I be to leave you in a lurch like that....

LOL @ enabler Thanks for the offer on the eggs. I will keep you posted.

 

[kuntrygirl]

how should i start? aside from dogs, cats, and a quaker parrot - i haven't had any other types of animals for decades. what should i begin with? peeps, poults, or hens about ready to start laying (i think i have the terminology correct). are there any of the 5-7 eggs/week breeds, which don't get sick easily, and are possibly exotic looking, which do well in Baton Rouge? same for rabbits - any breeds that are good meat-wise, don't get sick easily, and exotic (i guess like lionmane, or whatever else), which also do well in Baton Rouge? we'll start building stuff this weekend. i guess what/how much depends on how young the chickens and rabbits are that i start with? soooooooooo, i guess that's also a question. would it be better for me to get real young animals, because i'd learn more? or what stage of life should the critters be in? i don't have to start having eggs and babies next month, i can wait a few months if needed. plus, it'll give me time to get more built and experimented with.

All I can say is what I did. It was my first time with anything but dogs and cats. I bought 2 RIR babies at the feed store. One died, I bought another, and the other original died. Later I found out my Mom was unplugging the heat lamp when I was at work. So, I had one baby left. When that baby was 2 weeks old, I bought 2 three week old black stars at another feed store. All of these are production chickens, I think they're pretty, but they are definately not as pretty as the ones I see on this site. The Black Stars can be sexed, the feed store claimed the RIR was vented to determine sex, too. So, I did end up with 3 hens. One problem is being sure you have hens because some breeds you can't tell until they are older. My girls are very tame, very healthy and they lay 2 to 3 eggs a day (three chickens). They come very close to one egg per hen per day. I have been very happy with them. This is my RIR This is one of my Black Stars

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

those are cool. but if they're babies, you have to keep them indoors with a heat lamp? like, how old before they go roaming by themselves in the coop/run?

They have to be fully feathered out before they can go outside - I hatch my own & they start out in a big cardboard box w/a heat lamp in the utility room. At about 5-6 weeks of age -- when their heads have feathers - that's the last part to feather out completely - they go into an outside brooder also w/a heat lamp (esp this time of year). This brooder is off the ground - I am a big believer in keeping my young chicks & peachicks off the ground - esp. the peas -- it is almost always fatal to them as they are delicate - they can pick up worms & stuff & get chilled too easily if they are down on the ground, and esp. if it's an area where poultry have been kept before. Diseases can stay in the soil for years and years. You can't be too careful. When they get about 3 months old, they go into our chicken tractor and they stay there until about six months of age when they are finally integrated into the main laying flock. They are wormed at 3 months of age & again before going into the main flock. We started out with the chicken tractor & 3 hens originally, which we bought as chicks from Meyer hatchery. We built our tractor in a weekend & moved it about once a week. We still use it.

Terri, I love the tractor. It looks like it should be featured in a Country Living Magazine. I want a tractor so bad but I won't push my luck with my "builder". I gotta get the next Pea Aviary/Flight Pen built before I get a tractor. And I can't forget about the plucker. But the Pea Pen is priority.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

They have to be fully feathered out before they can go outside - I hatch my own & they start out in a big cardboard box w/a heat lamp in the utility room. At about 5-6 weeks of age -- when their heads have feathers - that's the last part to feather out completely - they go into an outside brooder also w/a heat lamp (esp this time of year). This brooder is off the ground - I am a big believer in keeping my young chicks & peachicks off the ground - esp. the peas -- it is almost always fatal to them as they are delicate - they can pick up worms & stuff & get chilled too easily if they are down on the ground, and esp. if it's an area where poultry have been kept before. Diseases can stay in the soil for years and years. You can't be too careful.

When they get about 3 months old, they go into our chicken tractor and they stay there until about six months of age when they are finally integrated into the main laying flock. They are wormed at 3 months of age & again before going into the main flock.

We started out with the chicken tractor & 3 hens originally, which we bought as chicks from Meyer hatchery. We built our tractor in a weekend & moved it about once a week. We still use it.

That is so cute! You should post it on the coops thread!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS!!!

Thank you Julie!

BTW, I called Rusty in Carencro and he has plenty of babies of the type my granddaughter wants.

We are going to see him on Saturday with the intention of buying two female bunnies. Thanks for the info, he sounds really nice.