INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[teach1rusl]

The board under the roosting bars is something I'm thinking about.

Sally - I know a lot of folks use DLM, but I just love dropping boards! And deep litter can still be used with them, so they're not exclusive of one another. But my coops' bedding stays almost poop free thanks to those boards/shelves. I just keep a small bucket and 6" putty knife outside the coop and quickly rake/scrape the poop off each morning. About once a week I dump the bucket into my compost area. I have three coops, and it takes me less than 10 minutes to make the rounds. I'll usually grab a handful of litter and sprinkle about after I've scraped to absort runny/watery poos. Plus, the boards are removeable, so I can hose them off about once a month (during the warmer months). The only coop that gets pooped up is the one with my tiny seramas, because they're kept inside for most of the winter.

 

[cwaf]

I have the ustream going from cwaf, bottom right is pretty active. large piece of shells already off.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chick-hatching1

2 are out and all the rest are active. One of them is rocking now! correction---just popped the shell apart! The cam should be working

 

[teach1rusl]

oooh I have pictures! Almost forgot to share.
Here is my Australorps at 5 weeks:

This is the "free" chick that i got with them. Grey on back and wings. cream belly, barely feathered. No idea what she will be.



Rushing out to see mommy!


My littlest "runt" baby.



HEY wheres the mealworms mom?

My lead hen is an australorp - she is wonderful! Seeing your pics, I remember thinking she was SO homely as she was feathering out...lol. But they sure make beautiful hens. My girl is 3.5 yrs. old, and still lays pretty well - 3-4 eggs a week at this time of year. They're a nice breed. Congrats on your hatchling!

 

[cwaf]

2 are out and all the rest are active. One of them is rocking now! correction---just popped the shell apart! The cam should be working

well, 5 of the 6 are out. The two hatched in the wee hours of the morning have been moved to their new home under the light, basking in its warmth. #6 is working hard and will be out shortly. I am quite surprised that I will get 100% hatch rate this time. The first time was 5 of 8--but in a different homemade incubator. I was not planning on so many with this hatch, so I may be overstocked with chickens all of a sudden! I had 6 before, added 5 with the Christmas hatch, and now 6 more! YIKES! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chick-hatching1

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Sally - I know a lot of folks use DLM, but I just love dropping boards! And deep litter can still be used with them, so they're not exclusive of one another. But my coops' bedding stays almost poop free thanks to those boards/shelves. I just keep a small bucket and 6" putty knife outside the coop and quickly rake/scrape the poop off each morning. About once a week I dump the bucket into my compost area. I have three coops, and it takes me less than 10 minutes to make the rounds. I'll usually grab a handful of litter and sprinkle about after I've scraped to absort runny/watery poos. Plus, the boards are removeable, so I can hose them off about once a month (during the warmer months). The only coop that gets pooped up is the one with my tiny seramas, because they're kept inside for most of the winter.

I need to get me one of those putty knifes for cleaning the nesting boxes. Right now though I don't have to get into the coop if I don't want too. That would be the only drawback of the boards. Our coop is not tall and I don't prefer tight spaces. I guess I need to start making a list of ideas for our next coop. I'm sure our current one won't last forever.

Once I start getting fertile eggs, I may have to see about borrowing or renting an incubator. They just seem like so much fun to watch the eggs hatch. Still I don't want to buy one for a small amount of eggs.

 

[Birdylady3]

Hi Farmgirl2007! I live in Indy too! I wish I had the land you have. I don't think mine is even an acre. I live fairly close to downtown Indy in a "hood' that I would love to get away from. The country life is for me! lol! I may be a city girl by birth but I am a country girl by soul. I don't have any chickens yet but maybe around spring time I might be able to get some hopefully. Ashley in Indiana

 

[SallyinIndiana]

the girl chickens ran outside today but the roosters started prancing around each other when I opened the coop door this morning. Is it safe to leave the roosters together or do I need to find a way to separate them tonight? All three have been in the same coop at night since September. The two RIR roos grew up together in a garage before we re-homed them.

 

[CluckAcres]

the girl chickens ran outside today but the roosters started prancing around each other when I opened the coop door this morning. Is it safe to leave the roosters together or do I need to find a way to separate them tonight? All three have been in the same coop at night since September. The two RIR roos grew up together in a garage before we re-homed them.

I think they may be fine. All my roosters get along most of the time. But roosters can be like brothers have to pick on each other every once in awhile. LOL

 

[CluckAcres]

Well cwaf's babies are hatched! Congrats with the 100% hatch rate!!!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I think they may be fine. All my roosters get along most of the time. But roosters can be like brothers have to pick on each other every once in awhile. LOL

They (the 2 RIR) must have settled something because they were both out walking around like kings in the run. But they also both have blood on their combs and wattles so I locked the skinny fighter one out of the run for a little while. I'll ask my husband to put him on a roosting bar tonight and hopefully all will be well.