INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

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Is your friend in Indiana or nearby?

In Indiana he lives on the other side of my country block. (about a mile away as the crow flies) Why?

 

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You have some adorably fluffy animals!

 

[flyladyrocks]

With carpet pour it on cause it needs to soak into the carpet and padding. Pour on and let dry. RK or TSC may have it and if they do it will be cheaper than pet stores. I think we've gotten it at TSC before. Having trouble getting their sites to work on my phone to look it up! Oo just got RK to work. They have it but online only in n 16 oz. We usually buy gallon or gallon and a half. But RK is close enough to you that I'd check. Wish we were closer. I want to see your babies!

I had that problem with my son... whats up with that I wonder... lol Thanks will see if she has tried it. Do u use it a cleaner or spray on or just pour on? 

Never heard of it. Where do u get it? 

Thats what I ended up doing, I have 4 winter pens and 2 are covered with netting, and 1 has trees near the house and the other is next to the garage.
 Haven't lost a 1, once I got them done, and haven't see either hawk or falcon in about 3 weeks I think. So I guess they have moved on to easier prey. I have no free rangers anymore, the losses outweighed the free rang benefits for us. the chickens are not happy about it but..... they are alive.   

Love the pup, he is so cute!!!   

 

[flyladyrocks]

Thanks! I think so too!funny how drawn Obi is to the black fluff balls. Only one sibling wasn't black so i really think he thinks they are puppies!

You have some adorably fluffy animals! 

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Good to see so many returning users!

So proud of my Orpington roos today!  While I was outside cleaning up the yard, one of the roos made the predator alarm call.  The hens immediately ran into the coop/run & I saw the small hawk  flying low & fast.  The roo however did not go inside with the hens.  He remained standing out in the open 1/2 way between a pine tree & the safety of the run area.  "Dumb bird!" I thought.  Because the hawk was still nearby, I went to the garage & got a cap gun to make some noise.  When I returned, I noticed that our tiny Sebright was in the pine tree.  I didn't notice her before, but my roo did!  SHE was the reason the roo stayed outside.  He was actually waiting for her.  I put out my arm, she jump on, & I brought her into the run.  The roo ran along beside me.  For the next 2 hours, the roos kept the girls inside the run.

I found it strange that the roo would risk his safety for the Sebright.  She's too small for the roos to mate & they seem to view her as a little nuisance.  (They don't give her the attention & treats like their hens, but they won't let anyone peck at her either.)

Like others have said, it's their job. Good roosters will protect any hens no matter what they get in return. After all, up until my last post, my Silkie boy, Reuben, wasn't having any luck wooing the girls, and he's been nothing but stellar through all the hawk scares this year. Reuby did the same thing as your boy when we lost Kit to that hawk a couple weeks ago, too. The rest of the girls were hiding in the coop, but he was standing outside of it. I don't know if he was planning on defending the girls if that hawk turned on them next, or if he was trying to figure out if he could still help Kit, but he was certainly on high alert.

@kittydoc 's Cogburn absolutely has produced some pretty awesome fellas. My guy, Cogburn Jr went missing the 26th of january, we we not home all day. Just like last year, my most loved social roosters disappeared. Included in the group was my backup Dark Cornish rooster, Lurch. Loving, social sit in your lap roo. Made another report but our cop friend felt its kids. He is sitting in our barn drive at random times running radar again. If I am away a full day we seem to have losses in my free range flock.

I am so sorry this is happening to you! Some people! Have you tried setting up game cameras and seeing if you catch anyone in the act?

I too am making plans for more enclosed coops/runs. I have had my chickens for 5-6 years now and have lost more in the last 6 months to predators than I did in the first 5 years of having them. I unfortunately have an explination for the problems here. I had to put my old girl (Maggie, almost 15 yr old chocolate lab) down last June. Since then my predator problems have gone through the roof. She wasn't a guard dog but her presence near the birds kept predators away. I doubt she would have even attacked a predator but luckily I didnt need her to because they stayed away. Since she's been gone I lost birds to both coons and possums. I even lost some birds to a hawk this fall, which had never happened to me before.

So, im working on finishing a couple enclosed smaller tractors for rotating around the yard right now, they will double as breeding pens to separate some breeds. Im also working on trying to enclose or cover my main layer flock's run, as well as enlarging it some. Hope to get some work done this weekend with the slightly warmer temps

Sorry about your dog. They are so hard to lose, especially after so long... Mine was the same way, though. She was too lazy to ever go after predators, so it was only her presence that would keep them away, but it made her ideal to stay out with the hens because she was too lazy to go after them, either. Only dog we could ever fully trust with the birds.

I feel the same way, so many predator problems in the last year or so for me. There is literally no reason for it here, though. I hadn't had any problems with predators since I started closing the chicken coop at night years and years ago (something that only became necessary after we lost an old, outdoor dog who lived in what is now our chicken yard), and then this time last year we lost one to a hawk for the first time. Nothing changed from the year before and the only real difference to this year is how mild the weather has been. My coop's been the hot spot for juvenile Cooper's hawks in the wintertime ever since, though. :/ An enclosed pen has obviously become a necessity for my girls in the winter.

Good luck with your build! As always, I'd love to see pics of the progress.

 

[charleschicken]

new coup pics and pics of the flock.

 

[charleschicken]

the new coup door is a "pullet shut" with photo sensor and solar panel I am very excited that I no longer have to get up at the crack of dawn to let out the chickens.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hi guys, going to be away from the thread a few days. My oldest brothers foot was partially amputated, (diabetic) and 3 toes. Staff infection, so far he is out of recovery and doing ok.. Also learned my oldest DDs grandmother (Her dads mother) is in a diabetic coma. I will try to respond to messages but wont be able to do meet ups this weekend.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Got a question for everyone .... got a friend well someone I know anyway, that asked me how to get " goat pee smell " out of carpet? I guess she didn't get the memo about not letting your goat live in the house unless poddy broke.... yuk!!! Anyway she has tried shampooing with all kinds of pet oder remover stuff, mean green and mean green orange... and vinegar o and baking soda. I said maybe she just needed to rip up the carpet and start over. Anyone have any ideals???

Try oxy clean. Ive not had to get goat pee out...lol..but it works great with little boy pee who sleep walking thought the hallway was the bathroom! !

Boys!?!? Haha!
Originally Posted by ellymayRans
So my plan is i am absolutely building pens for every breed very soon, a layer pen and 1 for the turkeys and ducks. I wanted to do this last year and just didn't. This year is a must. Ive lost too many since this past summer. Very bad predator issues. Daytime hawks, coyotes and opossums killing chickens and a Tom, to nighttime predators owl and fox, juvie pea and female ducks!! I can't win!

@ellymayRans ~ That huge project sounds like a lot to take on, but we all know you are quite capable! I remember @Too Fast saying that the only way to protect your flock from predators is to build a Ft. Knox for them. That's true because our chickens are worth their weight in gold!

Industrious Indiana Thread Members: Quite a few of our members have shared plans for new secure pens, runs, or coops! Or houses (@racinchickins )

Originally Posted by@wheezy50 ~ I too am making plans for more enclosed coops/runs. I have had my chickens for 5-6 years now and have lost more in the last 6 months to predators than I did in the first 5 years of having them. I unfortunately have an explination for the problems here. I had to put my old girl (Maggie, almost 15 yr old chocolate lab) down last June. Since then my predator problems have gone through the roof. She wasn't a guard dog but her presence near the birds kept predators away. I doubt she would have even attacked a predator but luckily I didnt need her to because they stayed away. Since she's been gone I lost birds to both coons and possums. I even lost some birds to a hawk this fall, which had never happened to me before.

Sad to hear about your Maggie doggie, but her story is a good one to share for those who may be thinking about getting a guard dog.
Btw, a side note about my "used car lot style" of metallic pennant flags to scare hawks that I mentioned to @pipdzipdnreadytogo
I ordered these online in order to scare hawks since the metallic silver flags reflect sunlight and flap in the wind. Since they're attached to a long string, I can change the placement of where I want to hang them in the fenced-in part of the backyard. It dawned on me that I haven't seen any opossums or raccoons in that area since I started hanging up flags. I'm thinking that the random sounds that the flags make have spooked other predators besides hawks. After I first put them up and was outside at night, I heard noises that I thought might be animals creeping around. Then I realized that the sounds were coming from the flags rustling in the breeze. When the temps have been so cold, the flags have been even noisier. At night, the flags reflect the evening porch lights, which may further spook predators (and my neighbors!)



Originally Posted by funnyfarm mom

Happier news- we have baby bunnies! I havent disturbed the nest enough to take pictures or even get a count. Just noticed this morning mommy had pulled fur over the top of the nest so i stuck a finger in there and sure enough, there was a warm wriggly body smile.png. She usually has between 6 & 9 kits at a time. I love Spring!
@funnyfarmmom All baby animals are endearing, but I personally think that baby bunnies are the sweetest!

 

[funnyfarmmom]

Finally got pics of the new baby bunnies! They are so darn cute lol. These are Lionheads-purely pets and cuteness. Wish my New Zealands would kindle now!

Ds, age 7, asked me how come he didnt see the bunny eggs in there before they hatched hehehe.

Got to brag on Dd a minute. I homeschool her, she is in third grade. Tonight she placed second in our county's Spelling Bee competing against grades 1-5.

Im ordering seeds and meat chicks this week. Is it Spring yet? Lol

As for building, I need to build a rabbitry and 2 more coops/runs pretty quick. I have rabbits combined in cages that shouldnt be. I also want to build another brooder, something that will hold more chicks than my little metal box lol.

@jchny2000- praying for your brother! I hope he recovers soon!

Goodnight all-going to go to bed and dream of digging in my gardens