INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Faraday40]

Sooooo, guys I did it. After having these Copper Maran chicks again I miss keeping them as a permanent flock. Forgot how social they are and so robust. I have one little girl jumping out of the brooder as soon as she sees me open it. Already adore her! She really likes a cuddle and a chip chip chat. There is a big rooster from my friend @Tabi, first hatch that's very social too. The sweet little pullet I've named Tabi already. Hey lady that's for you !

I found a fella in KY several years ago that my first Copper Maran and my Blue Maran came from, David Prather. He mostly sells hatching eggs on eBay, David is NPIP. I've had a few shipments from him, one was 100% hatch! That's the breeder I don't forget. I looked him up from my favorite sellers list, there they were for bid. I missed the first auction but got the next one! David emailed and said eggs will arrive by Thursday. I'm not going to keep hundreds of birds again like we did 5 years ago, LOL! I am going to replace the breeds I enjoyed most.

He's the same fellow I got some eggs from! I did not get 100%, but the Chicago PO sorting facility is known to be rough on eggs.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

He's the same fellow I got some eggs from! I did not get 100%, but the Chicago PO sorting facility is known to be rough on eggs.

I've got eggs from him 3-4 times now. Blu my Blue Maran was from his eggs a few years back. He has gorgeous English orps, Coronation Sussex and a few other breeds I really like. I'm making myself not buy a lot of eggs Since I have goslings coming in May.

 

[Nyla]

So it's been made official! I will be picking up my new puppy Stella from the O'Hare Airport March 29th!

 

[oldrooster]

So it's been made official! I will be picking up my new puppy Stella from the O'Hare Airport March 29th!

So if she gets out and runs away from you are you going to run into the street yelling her name? lol

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

DH is doing better, still has a lot of discomfort in his neck. Went to VA last Tuesday for more tests. Wound up off all week, thankfully works slow and gave him time to recoup.
Got my hatching eggs from David Thursday, set them Friday afternoon. Set more EE eggs with them also. Aside from EE's this will probably be the last eggs this year I incubate. We have new goslings coming in May so I'll be planning around when they arrive.
Garden, I've got over 250 plants started now! I never grow enough tomatoes and peppers, so I've doubled what I normally plant. I'm also growing some different flowers to help the bees out, and 2 variety of milkweeds. I only saw 1 Monarch butterfly last year . From what I understand they are on a sharp decline. I'm growing a few things I haven't tried before too, and have grapevines and blackberry bushes on the way. Loved trellis gardening last year doing that again.
Goats, 1 more Oberhasli to kid, and the 2 Nubian does hopefully. Cows will be late fall to calve.
Campground opens soon! We can camp now, technically its open year around. We want to get the annual inspection on the camper 1st to comply with the warranty. Ready to catch some catfish and stripers!

 

[oldrooster]

Ready to catch some catfish and stripers!

Thanks for reminding me I need to renew my licenses... Fishing and hunting, I used to joke with some at work who liked one or the other and I told them I was like bond I had a license to kill, just fish and critters tho, no people....

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Thanks for reminding me I need to renew my licenses... Fishing and hunting, I used to joke with some at work who liked one or the other and I told them I was like bond I had a license to kill, just fish and critters tho, no people....

I love Brookville lake, we know all the spots and so many other folks at our campground love to share. I need to renew fishing license too. Love my critters but I sure love my summer weekends. Dad will come down some, my nephews and brothers. I love the lake. So much wildlife to enjoy seeing. Whole lot of nice fish for my freezer.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thought some of you might enjoy watching this 13 year old "chicken whisperer" interview. It's on till the end of today as part of a grow summit.

https://www.homegrownfoodsummit.com/savannah-brown-chicken-whisperer/

 

[Indyshent]

I never had marrans, but love the color of the egg, I had someone that breed them at one point tell me when he had them as a teen, he learned that the birds actually "coat" the egg that color unlike all other chickens, he found one that was wet and the straw in the nesting box stuck on a couple of eggs and when he pealed off the straw he was shocked to see it was white underneath and he asked an "old timer" who got him started in the breed that yes they are white as they are going thru the "pipes" and get colored on the way out and if he had to put down a bird or wanted to butcher an old hen and found an egg that hadn't come out yet and he cut it out it could be white if caught before it got it's "paint job"

All brown eggs are like that. Shell color is either white or blue, but brown is just a coating that can go over the outside of the egg. Different breeds and species apply varying degrees of coating and even different types of coating. Brown eggs aren't brown on the inside of the shell, and green eggs are just brown coating on blue eggs.

 

[Indyshent]

That's one of the things I tried and it didn't work! And this bird only picked when everyone was more active. It was winter and when it was nice enough to be let outside, I guess she felt happy enough to enjoy her favorite bad habit, but only on one bird. Another bird was starting to copy her, on just this one victim. I tried separating too.

On another bird I tried putting feather snacks out (I save all feathers from butchering), and she ate those, and still picked at other birds' rumps. This same bird also started attacking a broody muscovy hen, and mating with other hens.

I've heard it's more common in breeds like Leghorns.

Cull her. Don't take chances with neurotic behavior. Some birds have OCD, basically. It's not always a boredom or nutritional thing, and even if it is in some instances, bad habits are hard to train out (when it's possible at all), you don't want her weak genes messing up your breeding lines or ruining morale for your other layers.

I haven't seen it as much in Leghorns, but I did see it a hatchery Australorp. She went crazy for blood and picked at every injury she saw--including picking human scabs and wounds.

The Blu-kote spray can work, so always try it if you have a bird with blood frenzy. Feather picking can sometimes be helped by sticking molted feathers out. You can try switching them to a diet higher in protein. You can try Peepers/chicken blinders. But from the sounds of it, you've tried most of this, and nothing's worked, so I'd cull her if you don't want to sell her. She sounds more neurotic than simply nutritionally deprived.

Also, even if an illness or condition might be treated, there isn't necessarily a good reason to do it because by training this one and constantly working with her, you're ensuring that you'll get more of these defects in your flock. Why not spend the same time and resources on easier-going, healthier birds who don't make you or each other miserable?