"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Chuck Mc]

Very nice coop!! I think you did a great job. Yours gives me many useful ideas I will need when I do mine. Will you have an attached run for your girls?

 

[campingshaws]

Alright, I don't mind telling y'all that I have MAJOR coop envy right now! I'm just going to have to keep tweaking mine a little along. Here's a picture of a few girls on the inside:

The roost I have on wires now so I can slide it back and forth when I need to get in and clean. There are too many nesting boxes, but I haven't decided which to leave. I'd like to leave the ones on the opposite end and empty the space nearest the access door to use for a ladder roost on hinges. I'd also like to add hardware cloth around the top for extra ventilation, but I haven't figured out how to get the roof off. I'm actually having quite a bit of trouble taking the boxes apart. Sweating and swinging a mallet got me nowhere.

This is the view from my little canopy gazebo. Not too shabby!

 

[Ron Skekel]

Alright, I don't mind telling y'all that I have MAJOR coop envy right now! I'm just going to have to keep tweaking mine a little along. Here's a picture of a few girls on the inside:

The roost I have on wires now so I can slide it back and forth when I need to get in and clean. There are too many nesting boxes, but I haven't decided which to leave. I'd like to leave the ones on the opposite end and empty the space nearest the access door to use for a ladder roost on hinges. I'd also like to add hardware cloth around the top for extra ventilation, but I haven't figured out how to get the roof off. I'm actually having quite a bit of trouble taking the boxes apart. Sweating and swinging a mallet got me nowhere.

This is the view from my little canopy gazebo. Not too shabby!

Looks good! You just need predator proofing.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Omg. I found a dead peep yesterday. One, first one in a looong time. It was on its back, guts set next to it. I thought it died and the others ate at it, ew I know but saw no breech on wire run, netted from top and these 50 peeps are 3 ft off the ground in a brooder inside the protected run!

Today I go out and 5 are dead, upsidedown and partially eaten only now all survivors are scared to death. They've been secured but what's eating them and not taking whole peep? Leaving it there after a few bites

Whoa, Angel. Did you figure it out? BTW, did you ever find out why your pet hen died?

 

[Cody A]

Raymond. Thank you for posting the pics and the thorough description on your coop. The chicken TV is most intriguing. So you can watch the birds in your home?
I'm guessing the blue tarp is to keep the bedding from getting between the framing and the tin? The hens on the bench are good looking.

That's an interesting history lesson you gave on the commercial chicken operations down there.


You mention the heat on the roof...1"x4'x8' Styrofoam insulation cut into strips and placed between the rafters will cool it off significantly. It's light and easy to cut with a utility knife. Would be quick to do. It would only take small wood strips to hold it in place.

Again, thank you for posting your setup.

@ Everyone. Thank you all for the help thus far. It's nice to be able to connect with LA folks.

I'm looking forward to keeping in touch here in the future.

I'm off to work on the bird house. Ya'll have a good day.

Cody

 

[campingshaws]

Good morning everyone! Here are the girls enjoying some breakfast.

Today is the auction and we're taking five: two of the speckled sussex, one of the australorp mixes, the little red pullet, and the black-tailed cockerel. The cream hen is going too, but a private buyer. That leaves me two SS, one australorp, one black copper marans, and one sassy little barnyard pullet. I'm hoping to pick up 2-3 of a different breed. I'd really love a giant orpington bouncing around.

 

[Angelicisi]

Blondie died of heat stroke we assume no injury, clean necrocropsy and intact neck (look like her neck was snapped when I picked her up but LSU said wasn't broken. I had always thought the ameraucana had better heat tolerance but I lost both to heat

As far as the chicks...lost 5 more this morning and they were moved into a coop, in a brooder :'( it was carnage. Whatever it was skinned the heads and sucked brains of 5 chicks and left the rest I have never seen anything like it. Put 2 traps out with tuna and catfood. Thinking of live baiting I'm losing so many to this....ug family forum....this....Bahhhh! Thing.

I released the chicks. They are ranging now with the other 50 - 3 week olds. The brooder was located in the coop, 3ft off the ground with 50 loose chicks (3 week old) in same coop. I feel like I served up a box of can't escape peeps to a predator. They're safer obviously loose with the ther chicks
I'm so frustrated. We don't have loses now THIS thing is wasting them even. How big could a brain be? If they're going to kill a chick they need to eat the whole thing :/ what a waste all around. So mad.

Whoa, Angel. Did you figure it out? BTW, did you ever find out why your pet hen died?

 

[topdog24]

Blondie died of heat stroke we assume

no injury, clean necrocropsy and intact neck (look like her neck was snapped when I picked her up but LSU said wasn't broken. I had always thought the ameraucana had better heat tolerance but I lost both to heat

As far as the chicks...lost 5 more this morning and they were moved into a coop, in a brooder :'( it was carnage. Whatever it was skinned the heads and sucked brains of 5 chicks and left the rest

I have never seen anything like it. Put 2 traps out with tuna and catfood. Thinking of live baiting I'm losing so many to this....ug family forum....this....Bahhhh! Thing.

I released the chicks. They are ranging now with the other 50 - 3 week olds. The brooder was located in the coop, 3ft off the ground with 50 loose chicks (3 week old) in same coop. I feel like I served up a box of can't escape peeps to a predator. They're safer obviously loose with the ther chicks

I'm so frustrated. We don't have loses now THIS thing is wasting them even. How big could a brain be? If they're going to kill a chick they need to eat the whole thing

what a waste all around. So mad.

sounds like a mink, maybe a snake, the evidence points to mink or something of that nature, snakes hunt day and night, just a few images of mink kills

 

[Ron Skekel]

Blondie died of heat stroke we assume no injury, clean necrocropsy and intact neck (look like her neck was snapped when I picked her up but LSU said wasn't broken. I had always thought the ameraucana had better heat tolerance but I lost both to heat

As far as the chicks...lost 5 more this morning and they were moved into a coop, in a brooder :'( it was carnage. Whatever it was skinned the heads and sucked brains of 5 chicks and left the rest I have never seen anything like it. Put 2 traps out with tuna and catfood. Thinking of live baiting I'm losing so many to this....ug family forum....this....Bahhhh! Thing.

I released the chicks. They are ranging now with the other 50 - 3 week olds. The brooder was located in the coop, 3ft off the ground with 50 loose chicks (3 week old) in same coop. I feel like I served up a box of can't escape peeps to a predator. They're safer obviously loose with the ther chicks
I'm so frustrated. We don't have loses now THIS thing is wasting them even. How big could a brain be? If they're going to kill a chick they need to eat the whole thing :/ what a waste all around. So mad.

Sorry angelisi!
have you read the Post about what it could be. Mink, Weasel, or Rat? You said you haven't seen this before. We've never had those come up before.The other thing not mentioned before was a ferret. I know you'll catch it. may be live bait will do the trick. Hate to lose another one but better than alot more. Pam

 

[Angelicisi]

Sorry to see the loss you had mine feels so minimal now. I've only lost the peeps in brooder even with easy loose week olds even easier to get so probably a rat? I found POOP! 2 spots so I know How it got in. Poop looks like a rats but much bigger than rat poop I've seen. The chicks are small tho, I'd think a mink would eat more? Dunno but since you posted pics heres the 2 specific in all dead chicks way they were found. I also have 4 injured chicks with bites on side/back and legs treated by cleaning and a honey wrap. They're alive but probably going to cull tomorrow 5 like this

Rest this morning like this...only the heads skinned and brains missing. zombie rats? C'mon what creature wastes such food

sounds like a mink, maybe a snake, the evidence points to mink or something of that nature, snakes hunt day and night, just a few images of mink kills