INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[AnnaPi]

Looked her over good and didn't see anything. I got some vitamin/electrolyte water in her, but couldn't get her to eat this morning. She's out and about this afternoon and must be eating again because her droppings look a bit better, still loose but not sticking to her feathers anymore. She's dozing a lot, but is otherwise okay and her comb has stood most of the way back up. I think she got into something she shouldn't've. We had a junk bucket filled with, among other things, nasty old sunflower seeds and oil from an oil change, and some of it was spilled accidentally yesterday. Well, it was cleaned up as thoroughly as possible, but there's still the chance that we missed some, and of course the girls wouldn't know better than to leave sunflower seeds alone, nasty as they were. I'm betting she found some sunflower seeds from that spill and it upset her tummy.

At any rate, it looks like she's passed it on through and is improving at this point.

Glad Sora's feeling better!!!

 

[EurekaChic]

Hello all.

I'm new from Bloomington area.

I've got a modest flock of a mix of birds. I've raised once and processed my first set of meat birds and getting ready to start another.

I don't know why, but I can't seem to figure out how I'm so fascinated with my chickens. ... but I am!

My wife doesn't understand...but she likes the meat.

Glad I've stumbled on tbis site, I'm sure I'll reap a lot of information.

Welcome!

I'm from Bloomington too. We haven't gotten our chickens yet (argh), but have found BYC and the folks on this Indiana thread in particular to be very helpful and welcoming. I've learned a lot about chickens (and other poultry, and goats and sheep and alpaca and cows and......) here.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Welcome!

I'm from Bloomington too. We haven't gotten our chickens yet (argh), but have found BYC and the folks on this Indiana thread in particular to be very helpful and welcoming. I've learned a lot about chickens (and other poultry, and goats and sheep and alpaca and cows and......) here.

If you want some practice chickens, message me and I'm sure I can find you a rooster or two that will stay on the smaller end of large fowl size. Can't say how loud they will get though. Only the top 2-3 roosters in each of my pens crow. The small ones I need to rehome well they are quiet as a mouse until I rehome them.

Next, I really need a buyer of eggs. My buyer from last year did not return this spring after the winter months of little to no eggs. I'm getting almost 2 dozen duck eggs a day as well as almost a doz chicken eggs. Some days I can manage using 3 dozen eggs but not every day. If anyone wants eggs or knows someone in the market for eggs, please let me know.

 

[MnMPoultry]

Your best bet for cemani is watching rarebreedauctions.com. While pairs are still going for $1500 or so, it's still cheaper than directly through greenfire. Greenfire lists on there as well. There seems to be many people selling fibro and cemani crosses as the real deal as well. If you really want to get into them, buy from a well known breeder and get documentation/proof the birds are from them to help retain value of birds.

So, yea, gonna pass on those for about 10 years. lol

 

[bradselig]

So, yea, gonna pass on those for about 10 years. lol

Haha. I have half a dozen eggs incubating right now. Once I get them going, I hope to be able to share eggs/chicks from them next year. But they still need to hatch before I get too excited! They go into lockdown tomorrow! Really getting nervous now.

 

[raisinemright]

I did not really think about it, but I paid more than $3 a pound for each of my female goats.  The ones I got from the Columbus breeder were larger between 40 and 50 pounds.  They cost $200 each.  So I guess I paid between $4 and $5 per pound.  I don't think I'm going to mention that to DH.


But consider the price of a breeder quality chick not sexed at $5 that would be a huge price per pound as tiny chicks weight hardly anything at all.

You've got me curious now.  How much does a 3 month old meat calf cost?  How much do they typically weigh at 3 months?    How old are the calves when processed for steaks and such not just ground beef?

Not sure if you can zoom in on this pic, but we will be butchering our calf at #1300/1400 pounds. I'm thinking the age is a little off. Hopefully it will be around 14/15 months

 

[Faraday40]

On the legs - assuming there is not an infection anywhere on the feet or legs, roosters naturally have redder pigment in the legs when they are sexually mature.

OHH. Good to know. My rooster had similar redness. I honestly thought he was just over-mating himself raw. I had to give him away to someone with more hens. He was making my poor hens bald.

 

[amwchickin]

1300 posts behind...work, chickens, dogs, repeat.

Hope everyone is doing well.

With this crazy weather my I've been noticing some sniffling with my peeps. I'm praying to the fowl gods that it's nothing.

Okay, catch up time!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Next, I really need a buyer of eggs. My buyer from last year did not return this spring after the winter months of little to no eggs. I'm getting almost 2 dozen duck eggs a day as well as almost a doz chicken eggs. Some days I can manage using 3 dozen eggs but not every day. If anyone wants eggs or knows someone in the market for eggs, please let me know.

Have you ever froze eggs? I tried it for the first time today. My peewee & small sized pullet eggs were piling up so I cracked them into ice cube trays and froze them. I did almost 4 dozen today and need to do another dozen or so tomorrow. Once they were fairly solid I popped them out of the trays and put them in a large ziplock bag. I figured I may need them during the winter if my girls decide not to lay as well. I also suggested it to one of my duck egg customers (her family can't have chicken eggs). I thought I should let her know now so she can start to prepare -- January & February the duck hens didn't lay at all.

 

[chick rookie]

That's a good point, my husband was looking for his snips and couldn't find them, but I'm hoping he finds them soon, and then he will fold down the edges. I haven't seen them having any difficulty walking through the "tunnel". But that was just last night. Thank you for the thoughts.

you could also line the edges with ductape or maybe that gray form stuff they put around pipe for insulation, forget what they call it at the moment... lol

You don't need to add heat. The mamma will keep them warm. I had a broody hatch in the hen shed on New Year's eve, temperatures between 13 - 19 F. and raised them there outside with no added heat.



On the legs - assuming there is not an infection anywhere on the feet or legs, roosters naturally have redder pigment in the legs when they are sexually mature.

Thats good to know, I am a worry wart. And her sister is driving me nuts, I have to take eggs away from her every day, dont know how she gets so many under her, and from OTHER nest boxes as well.

keep telling her she can be a momma in the spring.... but does she listen????

This is the start of my second year.
I just bought some more Cornish rock today to raise for the freezer.

I like my chickens.

Fun to watch!

I wish I could find someone to process chickens local and I would raise some for us too, would love to know where my food comes from, but I just cant do it myself.

Sorry to hijack the thread with a bunch of cattle stuff. Feel free to skip if cows aren't your thing

Thanks for the info! Leah's Mom that's an AWSOME price for grassfed beef! We've bought our freezer beef from a friend for the last 6 years and have always paid live weight to him and then our butchers bill. I was curious as this is the first year I've raised my own and was just wondering how other people paid for theirs

That stinks! Defiantly be careful with the auction!! If I hear anything different I'll let you know.
So it REALLY depends what you're buying and who from but...
I'm getting ready to buy some weaned 3 month old red angus heifers for $2/lb they'll be about 300 lbs. It looks like feeder steers are going for about the same at auction right now. Beef breeds usually are finished between 12 and 16 months old.

I think it's going to be really hard to find cattle for a while. Beef prices are rising quickly and grain prices are finally coming down so most people are hanging on to what they've got.

I got to hear an ag economist speak at the conference I was attending this week, very interesting!!

I talked to DH's brother that was at the auction last week and is going again this week, he said the bottle calves went for 50,00 up too 100.00 depending on what breed. but it gives ya a range anyway.

Looked her over good and didn't see anything. I got some vitamin/electrolyte water in her, but couldn't get her to eat this morning. She's out and about this afternoon and must be eating again because her droppings look a bit better, still loose but not sticking to her feathers anymore. She's dozing a lot, but is otherwise okay and her comb has stood most of the way back up. I think she got into something she shouldn't've. We had a junk bucket filled with, among other things, nasty old sunflower seeds and oil from an oil change, and some of it was spilled accidentally yesterday. Well, it was cleaned up as thoroughly as possible, but there's still the chance that we missed some, and of course the girls wouldn't know better than to leave sunflower seeds alone, nasty as they were. I'm betting she found some sunflower seeds from that spill and it upset her tummy.

At any rate, it looks like she's passed it on through and is improving at this point.

glad to hear she is coming around.

Beautiful young ladies!

Poppy's far from laying, just starting to get some color in her little comb, but that's interesting about your OE! My Poppy's about 18 weeks old now, I think? 4 months by the day (I got her at 3 weeks, but she was hatched around May 12 if I remember right). She and the other babies slept in the addition since they were about 2 months old, but I guess Poppy just decided she wanted to perch with the big girls. Who knows what they think?

Poppy's a bit reserved when it comes to my attention, doesn't much like me touching her or anything. I think it's because of her age when I got her, she didn't get the chance to bond as closely to me as the other babies that I got as day-olds. I'm not sure if I can comment on friendliness, but she's a very durable and clever young lady and I like her very much.

Agree (on both points). Momma's all the heat that the babies will need.

I don't know about how young is too young for Ivormectin, but I've used it on as young as 4 or 5 month old babies. The dose is 1/2 cc for LF and 1/4 cc for bantams and youngsters, but since Silkies are usually pretty large, I'd go somewhere in the middle for them.

thanks

If you want some practice chickens, message me and I'm sure I can find you a rooster or two that will stay on the smaller end of large fowl size. Can't say how loud they will get though. Only the top 2-3 roosters in each of my pens crow. The small ones I need to rehome well they are quiet as a mouse until I rehome them.

Next, I really need a buyer of eggs. My buyer from last year did not return this spring after the winter months of little to no eggs. I'm getting almost 2 dozen duck eggs a day as well as almost a doz chicken eggs. Some days I can manage using 3 dozen eggs but not every day. If anyone wants eggs or knows someone in the market for eggs, please let me know.

I'm having the same problem, went from "when are my grils going to start lying"? to "OMG I don't have enough customers"!!!! lol So I am taking about 12 dz to the traders fair today, along with some roosters I need to get rid of before winter.


Just incase I missed anyone I want to thank everyone that replied to my questions and concerns, I'm not as confidante as I would like yet, but hey I am getting better... lol I found myslef helping a neighbor out the other day, so you guys must be rubbing off on me... ( in a good way )