INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[nenebynature]

Was a pretty epic weekend in our yard. Thought a tarp was a great idea to keep the ladies out of the snow though winter so we put it up Saturday. Thought we angled it correctly for drainage and all my calculations were a lie. I basically nearly destroyed my run. We got a ton of rain over night from the storms and it all gathered in the center. Which pulled my walls in and began to collapse them.

Being the big girl that I am, I couldn't get in to make a hole in the tarp to drain it out. Luckily DH managed to squeeze in and we were slowly able to drain it out. One corner of the wall is slightly damaged, but the nice thing about wood and moisture is you can work to bend it back. [insert bawling embarrassed emoji here].

So we're back to the drawing board on how to afford to cover the run this year, and its looking like its not going to happen. So I'm trying to research solutions for all my winter worries of chickens and snow and

My Silkies are ever adorable, and Rhea my EE hen is laying double yolkers about once a week, I'll have to take a picture of the new one we have. The Marans aren't laying, but we put lights out finally hoping to help stimulate them. I wanted to get an LED light bar to put in the coop, but I couldn't find any outdoor safe ones, I found a nice florescent but I hate florescent lights. So we ended up buying party lights, they look almost like Edison bulbs. I'll have to try to get some pictures tonight after dark. Looks like a party patio.

Anyone have solutions for the wetness in runs? I've put in a few bales of straw, but it always manages to disappear into the dirt and we're back to a muddy mess again.

Also this spring when I had water-geddon in my run (mostly due to the tarp situation and being on the bottom of the slope) I coated the bottom with wood shavings and several bales of straw. But under that I had some pallets with plywood scraps on top until the dirt dried out. I can totally empathize with your water troubles. I know this is an older Post and my response may not be relevant. I hope things are going better.

 

[nenebynature]

@kanina

I've found that the best way to keep the run healthy and dry is a deep litter in the run. I've done several posts on this throughout this thread so you could search my name and "litter" in the search thing and find them.

The deep litter keeps the ground healthy and the water will soak right in like there hasn't even been a rain. Here are a couple of quotes from former posts. It is cobbled together from several of them so forgive any repatition.

You can use the wood shavings right from your coop. When you clean it out, put them right out into the run. The birds will have a great time spreading them out for you. Keep putting more on each time until you have a nice deep litter built up..


PS: I do not recommend sand. It has a good potential to be a vector for disease. I can comment on that more if desired. I've run into more people that have had coci and other medical issues with sand in the outdoor runs. Not to mention the work to keep it clean.

Also, please be aware that if you have wood chips delivered from outside your own home to use as part of your deep litter as I noted below, be sure that the tree trimmer will not bring any yew (poisonous). My tree guy also knows that I don't want any chips from yards that have had chemical input on them as well. You must let the wood chips "cure" and not use them right from the trimming. Note that I let my piles cure until they have worms and other life in them.


*******
From Prior Posts:
I use deep litter in the run. I primarily used wood chips from a tree trimmer but you need to let them cure in a pile - don't use them green. They will often bring them free for the asking.

Additionally, all of the litter from indoors goes right out onto the deep litter. It makes the most amazing, healthy soil under there that you'll ever see. Very healthy for the birds and they can scratch through the mulch and find tons of worms and bugs to eat.

Here is a photo from one of my previous posts. If you scroll to the top of this page and click on "search" you can put in my name, check mark "this thread" and search the word "chip" You can see several posts about the deep liter. It is absolutely the most healthy ground you'll ever see if you deep litter the outdoor run.


This is a photo of one of my wood chip piles from several years ago. The pile had set long enough that it was full of tons of redworms so on occasion I would put the electronet over there so they could dig through it to eat. To make the deep litter, I just wheelbarrowed it over to the kennel run.

If they dig through the piles, they will spread them all over the run. They love doing it, so don't spread it out yourself!








Here you can see them working to spread the chips in the kennel run. I don't spread chips ever. Just put them in a pile and put the helpers to work.




View attachment 1180547

You never have to clean it. You just keep adding more to it and what's inside your coop put right out onto it.
No more slimy, unhealthy, disease-breeding soil! And no more puddling.
Every once in awhile I'd go out with a shovel and the birds would come running. I'd turn over some of the soil - which is wonderfully composted and full of worms. They'd know there would be an easy feast if I had the shovel in my hand. Then they'd dig through and spread it all out again.
One year 2 of my daughters came and we spread back the topmost chips and they dug soil for new raised bed gardens. It was the best-smelling healthy soil I'd ever seen in person and made great garden beds. We took 2 pickup truck bed loads out and it was still left with healthy soil and wood chips afterwards.

I started the deep litter method right after water-geddon this spring. It has completely changed my run for the better! I will never go back to a bare floor run or any other kind of floor. Throwing in piles of debris keep the birds busy for hours. And chickens hate piles so they will smooth everything out for you. I throw scratch In for them to turn the litter themselves I almost never have to hit it with the rake. I'm still in early stages but I am a convert! I don't have to worry about heavy rains and the girls not being comfortable.

 

[nenebynature]

This is my first winter with my 7 chickens and I’m in the process of wintering my coop so I was wondering if i should add heat to my coop or not?

My run was not heated last year. And after doing a lot of reading online and in my chicken books, I decided it was not a good idea. My girls did just fine. And there's lots of tips out there about how to care for them when the temperature drops. Good luck! Welcome to the thread

 

[Indyshent]

Busy day for selling birds--mostly because of buyers canceling, then deciding they wanted to come over after all, so I was hanging around the house all day, getting a lot of mixed messages. Sold 1 CX pullet, 3 Barred Rock pullets, one hen, two Silkie roosters, two OE pullets, two Leghorn cross pullets, and one unsexed chick.

Got to get rid of more boys...

 

[Faraday40]

I have sad news to report:
@chickendreams24 's grandpa passed away yesterday. She grew up living with her grandparents, so they were very close. He had Alzheimers & she stayed with him until the end. She was even there when he died yesterday. For those who know her (Or even if you don't), please send her a PM with your condolences.

 

[chickendreams24]

Hello to the Indiana bycers

And a huge thank you to my close friend @Faraday40
You are such a blessing.

My whole extended BYC family is a blessing.

One correction and the full story.

My Grandpa has been a father figure to me as my own has not been the best. While we didn't always live with my grandparents my mother and myself moved in with them to care for my Grandpa, with his Alzheimer's, and Grandma, with her dementia, after my high school years. Although I spent much of my childhood over there visiting. We lived with them for over 4+ years and managed to keep Grandpa at home much longer than would have otherwise been possible.

It was a full time job for my mother and I that we didn't get payed for. Not easy at all but by far worth it to have the time with him and Grandma and the memories. If you are ever faced with this horrible disease I urge you not to give up on you loved one.

Grandpa was moved to an assisted living facility only after he began to wander and door alarms and constant supervision were not able to keep him safe. He did have a tracking bracelet for a time and it was a godsend. We love next to a creek and it wasn't safe for him. I moved out as the process of moving Grandpa began, to move in with my future husband.

This year has been a tough one including 5 moves to different facilities and 4-5 hospitalizations along with another ER visit for treatment of a gash on his forehead. MRSA Pneumonia he's had both those year. Most of these things have occurred in the last 2 months(except MRSA). Up until the last month Grandpa has been walking and talking very well although more confused as to be expected.

I has been over 15-16 years since my Grandpa has been diagnosed with the Alzheimer's.

A week ago today my mother, Grandma and myself went to visit him. We were met by hospice that were involved to try and get Grandpa to use a walker. They've been a blessing. We were shocked to be told Grandpa's seeming sleepiness and unresponsiveness were signs he was nearing the end. They didn't know but thought it could still be weeks or months, possibly. It was possible he would improve again for a time, called rallying. Still it was coming.

That night he told me he loved me and spoke my mother's and Grandma's names. It was also that night the I fed him sherbet and apple juice, which other than moistening his mouth would be the last food or drink he would have.

He continued to decline rapidly. Friday we brought him home to pass away there, unsure of how long it would be. Saturday he began having gaps in his breathing and the hospice nurse gave him about 24 hours, she thought. It ended up being less than that.

Everyone in the family was able to come see him and say goodbye between that Tuesday and Saturday except one of my cousins.

Sunday he stopped with the intermittent breathing and began breathing quite shallow and his pulse was weak. Everyone took turns telling him we loved him and that we would be okay here together and that he could go home.

I was second to last and my Mom was last. With my Grandma in bed with him and my Aunt, Mom, myself and DH2B and Uncles gathered around as my Mom finished and hugged him he breathed his last. It was incredibly quick and peaceful.

My family is reeling still as we prepare the funeral arrangements.

My Grandma's dementia is making this hard on her she keeps forgetting and asking and having to be told. Sometimes it's like she's learning all over. Sometimes she doesn't know that he died from the Alzheimer's. Please keep her in your special thoughts and prayers, I can't imagine if my family lost her too soon after Grandpa. I've been telling her she has to stay her to tell her future great grandchildren about Grandpa and their beautiful love story as they were high school Sweethearts.

 

[Indyshent]

@chickendreams24 I'm so sorry for your loss, and so glad that your granndfather passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. I'm especially glad that you were able to spend so much quality time with your grandparents and get to know them and appreciate them.

 

[Mary Galbraith]

I have a year and a half old black white crested polish rooster he will a year and a half. Giving away because I have to many roosters. If interested just message me.
Thank you for reading.

 

[kanina]

@chickendreams24 very sorry for your loss.

 

[chickendreams24]

@chickendreams24 I'm so sorry for your loss, and so glad that your granndfather passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. I'm especially glad that you were able to spend so much quality time with your grandparents and get to know them and appreciate them.

Thank you so much and thank you for the hugs everyone.

My grandparents have been another set of parents for me and I wouldn't trade a minute of even the worst of times with them. There are so many things I'll never forget and for that reason I have been having such a problem deciding what I would like to say at the funeral. There's just too much to say.

We were amazingly blessed to keep him for so long and I am blessed to have found a man so like my Grandpa bc he's who I judge all men by. Lol we are also extremely grateful to have been able to bring him home to the farm that he loved so much.

If anyone knows or would like to hear one of the songs that will be played at the funeral is "Outskirts of Heaven" by Craig Campbell. This song has touched me since I first heard it and I know Grandpa would have liked it and my whole family is certain that's where Grandpa would want to be and is now.