Louisiana

[craneman54]

I live in central Louisiana. Just outside a small farming town. I grew up here and moved back after retiring about 6 years ago. Wife is a city girl but loves it here. The only thing I miss about the city is my kids and granddaughter.

 

[goatgurl]

hey craneman, I'm up the hill from you on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border about half way up. i retired a couple of years ago too. i take care of me, a small (15) herd of dairy goats, a little flock of sheep, a couple of feeder pigs, an ever changing flock of chickens, a few ducks, a Maremma lgd, emma, the house dog and an old cranky cat named lewis. kids grown, grandkids grown and am expecting my first great grand. amazing for an old gal who is 39 again

 

[craneman54]

hey craneman, I'm up the hill from you on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border about half way up. i retired a couple of years ago too. i take care of me, a small (15) herd of dairy goats, a little flock of sheep, a couple of feeder pigs, an ever changing flock of chickens, a few ducks, a Maremma lgd, emma, the house dog and an old cranky cat named lewis. kids grown, grandkids grown and am expecting my first great grand. amazing for an old gal who is 39 again

Dang woman can't you find more to do?
I am about to turn 15 for the 4th time and I feel all of them. I am about to start raising some bunnies to eat. Have to make sure my 2 labs don't get too interested in them.

Wife is a city girl so I told her no naming the rabbits cause then she wont let me butcher them. I'm going to use a number system to keep track of things so she can't associate names to the rabbits.

Once I get the rabbit thing situated I might get some chickens. From what I have been reading raising chickens aren't as cost effective as rabbits,but then if things go wrong in this country I will be set up for meat at least.

I keep telling my kids I want another grand baby but they both no. Guess I have to wait till my 17 year old grand daughter gets married and has some kids.

 

[goatgurl]

I've given serious thought to raising rabbits for meat but just haven't yet. to me they are way more expensive and more labor intensive than the chickens. i have a small incubator (42 eggs) that i hatch out a couple of times a year and after the initial 2+ months of raising them with chick starter/grower i just turn them out free range with the older hens and God feeds them bugs and grass and all things that chickens eat. yes it takes a little longer for them to develop to eating size but it is free so i don't care. i have plenty of room for them to roam and the dogs keep predators run off so that works for me. i can't tell you the last time i bought lay pellets or whatever and with the bug protein and what not they lay well. plus my grasshopper and tick population are almost zilch. i throw them a scoop of corn chops about once a day and that's it. and let your wife name the mama bunnys, then she won't have to feel bad for eating a "pet". i learned the hard way not to name the things destined for freezer camp now the wethers are named things like soup, BB (burger boy) and things like that. they have a good life while they are here and then they are done.

 

[craneman54]

Wife will not be allowed around the rabbits. She will want to start naming them and I told her no matter what you name them they will be supper at some point.

I could never raise free range chickens or rabbits. I have to labs. The golden would be easy to teach to leave the animals alone. The chocolate lab is very rambunctious and only have 2 speeds,fast and faster. Plus he is hard headed. He has caught several squirrels and killed a coon and an armadillo on our property. I think he would go after anything that didn't chase him. When I am ready to start with chickens I will build a chicken tractor.

I will probably set up for chickens in the spring. I just started on the stand for my rabbit cages today. I get the wire for the cages Friday so I will make those and then make some nest boxes. Next will be setting up automatic watering system ( Just ordered the nipples)I have to get some feeders then I can go looking for some rabbits. I also have to set up a fodder system so my food bill for the bunnies will be low.