INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Partitions for Cages . . . CCCHICKENS~ When my kids or I have needed cardboard in a certain weight or size (typically for art/school/PTA projects), we've gone to a grocery or Target type of store and looked at cardboard product displays. When the perfect example was found, we'd ask the store manager if they had some stacked up for recycling or if they could save a particular display to be pick up later in the week, etc. When you start scoping out all of the displays, you'll be amazed at all of the sizes and weights of cardboard. If you're lucky, you'll find exactly what you need, or you can always cut it to size with a mat knife. I've read that you can sterilize the cardboard by putting it in the oven on the lowest setting --around 175c--for 10 mins. or use a steamer or lay it in the direct sun. If you want to reuse the partition, you could cover the cardboard with cellophane package tape, adhesive vinyl contact paper, or have it professionally laminated. Then it could be cleaned with a white vinegar and water solution or another type of disinfectant.
Here are a few types of common displays, but you can find many other shapes and sizes.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Re Goshawk video: Oh great, MORE predators to worry about!

I hadn't heard of Goshawks either, and when I looked them up I found around 30 types! However, the Northern Goshawk is the common one. I love their patterns. This is a picture of a juvenile one.

Condors, North America's largest land birds, were recently in the news. California's first live-streaming solar powered condor camera just went live last week:
www.ventanaws.org/condor_cam/
They look scary! Nice scarf around its neck, though.

they both are stunning birds! I love looking up different species and breeds, just fascinating.

I dont know if they are actually thinking about doing this but I came across this article online and thought I would share. It is terrible, I cant believe they would do this, some animals are treated so horribly.

Some may not want to read this

http://farmwars.info/?p=7897

What is people's mindset becoming...This was horrible!
I do raise animals for food, but they have a real life, and are treated with love and compassion.
This was just sick.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Pipd I am so sorry to read about your EE. Having her with you so long, it is sorrow to see one decline. I do love your frou, she is beautiful!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I am a little excited here!!! Esther has been laying almost every day for about three weeks and then yesterday I got an extra dark egg also!!!! My little flock of four and I have two that are laying now!!!! Hopefully being the Delawares they are, they will continue through winter and won't go off until next fall when they molt the first time. But even if they don't I love those little crazy birds and don't really care. Just excited to have two functioning.

I think I will place my order with Meyers in Feb instead of April and get a Splash Maran, a New Hampshire Red, a Dominique and a surprise. My silly mother has already named them Lulu, Dottie, Stripes, and Orange. Guess which name goes with which bird?

I'll get more Delawares (10 or so) too if we can get our house sold and get moved to property. Otherwise I have to hold at 8 due to space.

I am going to have to catch up on posts over the weekend cause the week has been a nightmare for me. But welcome to any newcomers (human and new chicks) and have a good weekend!!!!

The first egg is soo exciting, and even more so when you get a perfect day. Meyer has done well for me too. I also like Mt Healthy.

Hi.. I have a month to catch up on :-/
We haven't had the best month but it's slowly getting better. Had a couple of hen beating roosters that Husband and I had to butcher. It's been a stressful time for our girls but they are all back to their pretty selves. We kept 2 roosters to keep them in line. Both are sweethearts and were being bullied as well. I'll be back after I catch up.

Great to see you back!

 

[danand]

 

[raisinemright]

Hello Hoosiers!! I'm between Fort Wayne and Warsaw. Just got into ducks and chickens this summer. Our animals are as follows
3 APHA horses
3 dogs (1-bloodhound, 1-pitbull, 1-yorkie)
1 fuzzy cat
8 ADGA nubian goats ( soon to be 22 this
spring, YIKES!!!)
3 Moskovy ducks
5 khaki ducks
6 Golden comet chickens!
I think that's it!?!?
Anyone from my neck of the woods?

 

[danand]

Raisemright- welcome. If you go to Jchnys post, 16494, at the bottom of her post there is a link to our members list. We have several people up north!!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

[COLOR=8B4513]Partitions for Cages . . .[/COLOR][COLOR=CC6633] CCCHICKENS~[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]When my kids or I have needed cardboard in a certain weight or size (typically for art/school/PTA projects), we've gone to a grocery or Target type of store and looked at cardboard product displays. When the perfect example was found, we'd ask the store manager if they had some stacked up for recycling or if they could save a particular display to be pick up later in the week, etc. When you start scoping out all of the displays, you'll be amazed at all of the sizes and weights of cardboard. If you're lucky, you'll find exactly what you need, or you can always cut it to size with a mat knife. I've read that you can sterilize the cardboard by putting it in the oven on the lowest setting --around 175c--for 10 mins. or use a steamer or lay it in the direct sun. If you want to reuse the partition, you could cover the cardboard with cellophane package tape, adhesive vinyl contact paper, or have it professionally laminated. Then it could be cleaned with a white vinegar and water solution or another type of disinfectant.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Here are a few types of common displays, but you can find many other shapes and sizes.[/COLOR] thank you

they both are stunning birds! I love looking up different species and breeds, just fascinating. What is people's mindset becoming...This was horrible! I do raise animals for food, but they have a real life, and are treated with love and compassion. This was just sick.

I know, at least they do get to live a happy life and be loved. It just looked colorless and lifeless i couldnt believe it. Poor chickens

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: Walmart has tons of boxes every morning fro the taking but it is really early. I think the one around me suggests coming at 5 am to get their stocking boxes. The last time we did that was when we were packing the house to move. All kinds of shapes thickness and different printings too so you could even keep your chickens pecking at pictures. The just toss and get more the next time. Sams has lots of left over boxes too but not good for transporting or packing as there is always a side or two missing. Most grocery stores also have various produce boxes that are free for the taking as they get emptied through out the day.

But the nice thing about getting something reusable is that you can hose it down, bleach it and rinse to reuse it. It is a toss up time and effort to clean or time and effort to make more from free cardboard.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Back to the hawks...

I don't think ALL hawk breeds are as agile as the breed in that video.

My first thought when I saw it was that all our chickens are doomed. But I've kept chickens here for a year and a half with no hawk incidents until this fall. During that whole time I saw hawks hunting in the area almost daily throughout the spring, summer and fall and still had no incident.

That is why I asked the question about whether hawks hunt in the woods as I had always been told to give them brush/woods or other places they could go to hide under when hawks are present.

The bird I lost this Fall was just at the edge of the woods. I imagine heading for cover. But that particular bird had 2 things going against her just naturally.

1. She was the bottom of the pecking order and she often stayed to herself on the outskirts of the flock. Rather than "pecking back" and holding her own, she was a "runner" who would run away at the slightest provocation. Kind of like that one kid on the playground that just can't take the harassment rather than the ones that dish it right back out.

2. She was the ONLY light colored bird in a flock of "reds", BRs, and EEs that are brown with the lacing on the feathers. She was light gray (blue) with a bit of mottling. From a distance pretty much a white blob on the horizon. Add that to her tendency to isolation.


Because I have 9 week olds right now with a broody mamma that are part of the flock, I have kept them mostly penned since I had the attack unless I'm physically outside with them.

But if I didn't have the little ones I would have only penned them a few days to a week or so just to discourage the hawk by changing dynamics and teach that bird that this isn't a place to go for a free dinner or to build a nest nearby. But then I think I would have let them out again. However, if I had seen this hawk perching (like Sally did) daily, I would not have put them back out until something changed with the hawk pattern.

I think that, for the most part, they are able to hide themselves if there is adequate cover.

For the open areas I'm all for devising whatever kinds of creative ideas to deter them...like the fish line, providing things like dog houses, little huts or covers like an over-turned chair, an old foot stool....get creative.... whatever kinds of things for them to run to for cover.