"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[sssharon]

Very cute picture!

 

[Cody A]

Linda, pictures are worth a thousand so thought I'd take some this morning.

I'm planting in the runs. The plastic bird netting is from TSC.
I took 1/2" rebar cut it into 6" lengths. Heated it in a forge, bent the ends over to form hooks and made stakes.
It's all trial and error this season with the netting.

This is cucumbers. To the left in the other run is rye grass and a turnip/collard mix.
The grass I planted back in the fall. The greens are where the previous birds turned the run to mud with all the rain we had over the winter.

To the right is greens. In the row to the left I planted spinach which hasn't done well.
Had I known I'd have planted it all in greens.When the greens get a little bigger I'll pull the netting back and let the birds have at it.
This run is 80 feet long the other end tomato's.
There's over 70 plants in the ground. Three varieties.

There's Early Girl, Celebrity, and Cherry.
The netting is suspended by long hooks I made out of 14 gauge wire
to make it quick and easy to take down to access the plants.
I'm going to train them up strings hanging from the top of the run.

To the left is a row of corn that I picked up at a local feed store.
It was already started in 4" pots. Kind of pricey to buy started, again trial and error.
The birds will definitely gobble it down if they could. They get what they can through the netting.
I figure when it gets tall enough I can take the netting down.

I planted greens here also but it's been grazed pretty hard.

Here's the little food mongers. CX 3.5 weeks old

These Bieles are from my 2nd hatch. They're 4.5 weeks.
5 cockerels 2 pullets(4 pictured)

These are the first hatch 10.5 weeks


You ask about the Bieles. I'm not so sure they're the right bird for me as far as free ranging is concerned.
The older 10.5 week olds are still very scared of crows and vultures and when a fly farts. When one sounds the alarm they're all back in the coop.
I leave the gate open to the run all day and they don't venture out much if at all. Usually only in the early mornings and late evenings do they leave the run or coop and that's if I pull out my chair and sit with them.
This morning a blue jay scared them back in the coop.
The older birds above were in the brooder till 5 weeks old. The 4.5 weeks old I put in the coop at 1.5 weeks with a hutch and heat lamp to see if would make a difference and it has.
The younger chicks go to the end of the run whereas the older it took them a few weeks out of the brooder before they were brave enough to venture deep into the run.
Compared to the rocks I had before these birds are wimps. At 10 weeks the rocks were all over the place in and out of the coop and run throughout the day.
Presently I don't know if it was worth the trouble and cost to acquire both strains, hatch them and grow them to this point. I keep up with the Bielefelder thread and lately have been reading negatives and where others are done with this breed.
Maybe they're still too young to be out scratching for themselves. I leave their food with full access. I've thought about restricting the food to see if they'll get out more but I don't want a bird that I have to do this.
I think they're lovely birds don't get me wrong. A few of the pullets and cockerels are very sweet and will jump in my lap. Others don't want anything to do with me.
I'm still a green chicken keeper but if the way these birds are now is an indication of what they'll be like when they mature then they aren't for me. As of now they'd make some nice pets for someone.
I'll also be watching to see how they take the heat. I've seen them panting at 80 degrees.

 

[LindaB220]

Linda, pictures are worth a thousand so thought I'd take some this morning.

I'm planting in the runs. The plastic bird netting is from TSC.
I took 1/2" rebar cut it into 6" lengths. Heated it in a forge, bent the ends over to form hooks and made stakes.
It's all trial and error this season with the netting.

This is cucumbers. To the left in the other run is rye grass and a turnip/collard mix.
The grass I planted back in the fall. The greens are where the previous birds turned the run to mud with all the rain we had over the winter.

To the right is greens. In the row to the left I planted spinach which hasn't done well.
Had I known I'd have planted it all in greens.When the greens get a little bigger I'll pull the netting back and let the birds have at it.
This run is 80 feet long the other end tomato's.
There's over 70 plants in the ground. Three varieties.

There's Early Girl, Celebrity, and Cherry.
The netting is suspended by long hooks I made out of 14 gauge wire
to make it quick and easy to take down to access the plants.
I'm going to train them up strings hanging from the top of the run.

To the left is a row of corn that I picked up at a local feed store.
It was already started in 4" pots. Kind of pricey to buy started, again trial and error.
The birds will definitely gobble it down if they could. They get what they can through the netting.
I figure when it gets tall enough I can take the netting down.

I planted greens here also but it's been grazed pretty hard.

Here's the little food mongers. CX 3.5 weeks old

These Bieles are from my 2nd hatch. They're 4.5 weeks.
5 cockerels 2 pullets(4 pictured)

These are the first hatch 10.5 weeks


You ask about the Bieles. I'm not so sure they're the right bird for me as far as free ranging is concerned.
The older 10.5 week olds are still very scared of crows and vultures and when a fly farts. When one sounds the alarm they're all back in the coop.
I leave the gate open to the run all day and they don't venture out much if at all. Usually only in the early mornings and late evenings do they leave the run or coop and that's if I pull out my chair and sit with them.
This morning a blue jay scared them back in the coop.
The older birds above were in the brooder till 5 weeks old. The 4.5 weeks old I put in the coop at 1.5 weeks with a hutch and heat lamp to see if would make a difference and it has.
The younger chicks go to the end of the run whereas the older it took them a few weeks out of the brooder before they were brave enough to venture deep into the run.
Compared to the rocks I had before these birds are wimps. At 10 weeks the rocks were all over the place in and out of the coop and run throughout the day.
Presently I don't know if it was worth the trouble and cost to acquire both strains, hatch them and grow them to this point. I keep up with the Bielefelder thread and lately have been reading negatives and where others are done with this breed.
Maybe they're still too young to be out scratching for themselves. I leave their food with full access. I've thought about restricting the food to see if they'll get out more but I don't want a bird that I have to do this.
I think they're lovely birds don't get me wrong. A few of the pullets and cockerels are very sweet and will jump in my lap. Others don't want anything to do with me.
I'm still a green chicken keeper but if the way these birds are now is an indication of what they'll be like when they mature then they aren't for me. As of now they'd make some nice pets for someone.
I'll also be watching to see how they take the heat. I've seen them panting at 80 degrees.

Wow, buddy, what a set up. Run envy.

This reaffirms that I don't want Bielefeldrs. CCL and Lt Sussex along with my white rocks. That's the ticket.

 

[Cody A]

I have to ask what it is that I posted that drives it home for you about not wanting this breed.

 

[LindaB220]

I have to ask what it is that I posted that drives it home for you about not wanting this breed.

I was already iffy on them. The idea that others are not impressed on the other thread is a teller. Like the Marraduna. I wanted them so bad and I have 2 now and they aren't much. Don't look at all SOP. Mostly white with some speckles. I wish we could have gotten some good ones to pass around in the south. One of these days I'll learn to post pictures. Too much on my plate right now.

 

[birdman55]

hello everyone...hope everyone is enjoying this nice day out..its like 55 here in michigan so i can imagine how it is by you peeps...moved the quail to their temp home until the big breeding pen shows up

 

[Cody A]

I was already iffy on them. The idea that others are not impressed on the other thread is a teller. Like the Marraduna. I wanted them so bad and I have 2 now and they aren't much. Don't look at all SOP. Mostly white with some speckles. I wish we could have gotten some good ones to pass around in the south. One of these days I'll learn to post pictures. Too much on my plate right now.

Oh gotcha. What I've learned and am learning is stick to a well established breed. One that is tried and true. After this no more imports for me. Hopefully I'll get the XW rocks that come from free range stock and can then make a side by side comparison to see the differences. My Bieles are young perhaps if they had older birds to show them the ropes they'd do better. Or a different breed that they could run with. You know how when some go most follow. I don't know if that would work with chickens or not. Will the Biele timidity rub off on the rocks? I have one Legbar cockerel that was hatched with the Bieles. He definitely marches to his own drum and seems to be more intelligent and outgoing though more flighty. Honestly I think the Bieles hold him back because he's the only one of his breed so he sticks with them. Any thoughts?

Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

[LindaB220]

Oh gotcha. What I've learned and am learning is stick to a well established breed. One that is tried and true. After this no more imports for me. Hopefully I'll get the XW rocks that come from free range stock and can then make a side by side comparison to see the differences. My Bieles are young perhaps if they had older birds to show them the ropes they'd do better. Or a different breed that they could run with. You know how when some go most follow. I don't know if that would work with chickens or not. Will the Biele timidity rub off on the rocks? I have one Legbar cockerel that was hatched with the Bieles. He definitely marches to his own drum and seems to be more intelligent and outgoing though more flighty. Honestly I think the Bieles hold him back because he's the only one of his breed so he sticks with them. Any thoughts?

Wishing you a speedy recovery

Yeah, your CCL will jump to the forefront pretty soon. Can't wait for your Barrs to come in. Maybe Pam will show us some more pictures of her new ones. Exciting times!!

Rehab is no fun, let me tell you. I usually take a pain pill 30 minutes before a session to keep it a little easier. So I took it the other day when the occupational therapist came. and then the home health nurse came. Fine. Everything going well. After they left, I get a call from the Physical therapist that he's also coming and shows up after the pill has worn off. I can't take another pill for a couple of hours and he did a total number on me. I'm pretty stoic but it took me until the next afternoon to recuperate. Whining big time.

But I don't hold a grudge and even sent one of my little egg baskets with eggs with him. To be honest, I like him better than any of the others. Very skilled. Going to my Drs appt tomorrow.

 

[campingshaws]

Sold more SS eggs yesterday. The guy wants 3 dozen, but no more than 6 days old. So he got half yesterday, and he'll get the other half in a little more than two weeks.

My feet are really acting up today. I looked at shoes a week ago and decided to wait until I had visited a doctor, but I think now I don't have a choice. I couldn't even stand for the stand-up parts in church.

 

[reptone30]

Here's my bundle of cheeps. They have been chirping up a storm since I got them last week. I'm not too sure on the breeds specifics of some of the black chicks. I have black anaconas, black giants, barred rocks. I guess time will tell. All in total there are 2 turkens, 2 RIR, 3WLH, 2 buff laced polish, 2 ameraucana, 2 ideal 236 white. 4 BG, 3 BR, 1 BO, 3 Black anaconas. I have had a few losses this year sadly. But 25/29 living isn't bad so far.