INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Old Salt 1945]

I really hope we get some good news on Sesame today.

John, thank you for that advice. We have been really careful with the wire except for that one incident. Just a few minor scratches here and there. I will definitely consider gloves for the rest.

Don't consider cloves. GET leather gloves. Your husband shouldn't have to find you by following the blood trail.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Very good advice and reminder on bio-security. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Whenever I go anywhere that has animals I have a different pair of "barn shoes" that I only wear when visiting and then wash in the washer when I get home. (Also don't wear any of the clothing I had on .. change into different clothing before going back to my own birds and sometimes even that a full bath/shower as well.

It is for my own flock's health, but it is also courtesy to the other chicken owner. So if I ever come to visit your place, you will know that I'm not bringing something from the soils that my birds may have immunities to - but yours may not. I think that is a matter of respect for the other owners.


I don't let folks go near my chicken area if they have their own flock - unless I know that they have come with clean, unused shoes for the same reason.

I have to admit...when y'all talk about going to the swaps I have a little "cringe" sensation. I was even nervous about going in the poultry barns at the 4H fair this year as I didn't want to bring anything home. It was obvious that were sick birds there.

Even worse, people will bring sick birds to the swaps and sell to unsuspecting people just to get rid of them and make a little money. (Perhaps like the person that sold John those cockerels as pullets - there are just some people that don't seem to have a conscience.) It is unthinkable, but I know SEVERAL people that has happened to before they were educated enough to be able to spot a sick bird. And some sicknesses you couldn't tell just by looking any way.

I hope everyone is quarantining new birds before introducing into the flock! And...washing clothing and shoes before re-entering your own flocks after going to the meets. It is very important!

I never gave it much thought before, but I will now.
John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Yay, something easy and relatively cheap! Let's see, I have on hand olive oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil - any thoughts on which would be better to use?

It blocks the mosquito larvae from breathing at the surface of the water. Use whatever is cheapest.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Younger legbar pullet. Shows the cream pretty well.

You posted these just to aggravate RacinChickins and me.

You're despicable!

Nice birds.

John

 

[Mother2Hens]

I gave the location in Evansville a call and told them I had 23/24 sand and they said it was the same as State Sand. Its a little bit of everything. When I was trying to figure it out, I just went over for a quick look before getting someone to deliver it to me. They said its about $8-$9 per ton picked up at the site. I was going for a 4" layer in the 6x8 coop and 8*14 run. I had five tons delivered but I have walkways and other uses for it if I don't use it all in the coop (it can help my clay garden drain better ;-) ). I really like it but I need to get the right sized mesh for cleaning faster. The mesh I put on my pitch fork was just too small and caught all the bigger rocks. I'm still using a giant kitty litter scoop. Its been the most effective so far. You could probably get 2-3 in a truck, but I'm guessing.

Also, I was going to send you a message this morning but I got sidetracked with a tetanus shot. My Cochins from John are the buff...he couldn't part with any of his lovely blues, lol. They are full sized and so sweet. I was lucky enough to bring home one of his GLWs too. They don't all appear to be friends on closer inspection, but they still won't hang out with my Ameraucana. I was waiting for you to steal some of his blues while he's out at the poultry shows. I'll show you where they are

. It will just make room for him to get even more pretty birds for his future in showing.
Little Ameraucana Mom- I'm just curious, is Bella supposed to lay blue eggs or could they be something else?

The thumb is much better and gloves are a great idea! I just never think of them until after the fact. Instead, I drove to Plainfield to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics Rx. The doctor said I punctured the tendon and it will start bending again soon. YEA!!!

CRSelvey~ That was most kind of you to call my local Mulzer stone!! I had just assumed that "State" sand meant that it was a generic product used on State projects, like I69. HaHa! Made sense to me. I will have to pay for delivery because I don't own a truck. I realize they will dump it in a big heap and we'll have to move it. From your description, I think three tons should do it (and we have clay soil, too!) Thanks so much for your advice!

I'm glad you had your hand checked out, got meds, and a tetanus shot. We wouldn't want you to get lockjaw although I suppose you could still type.

I decided not to pilfer John's poultry since it might be tainted since he likely never washes his shoes.

racin chickins & gunchief~ beautiful eggs!
bradselig~ Sorry to hear of your silkie loss! Your pictures are great-- I love the wild frizzled tolbunt polish, too.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

I decided not to pilfer John's poultry since it might be tainted since he likely never washes his shoes.

Shoes? What shoes? The ones I wore to RacinChickins were rentals.

John

 

[Mother2Hens]

Shoes? What shoes? The ones I wore to RacinChickins were rentals.
John

Oh . . . That explains why they looked like bowling shoes.

 

[Too Fast]

Quick question about free range birds and egg laying. I know that some of my girls have to be either laying or close to laying. They are between 20-23 weeks old and I have seen a few of them squat as well as heard the "egg song". However, they are out and about from about 8am-8:30pm and don't really hang out around their coop and run as they prefer the front yard which has more protection and as well as being close to my neighbors coop and chickens. They have some temp nesting boxes in their coop, but I'm just not convinced that they will use them. Do you think I should leave them in the run/coop for a few days to see if they are laying? I'm kind of wondering if they aren't either laying around the yard (which is a good 2 acres that I don't want to search) or even hopping into my neighbors coop and laying there.

Thoughts?

Do you have a fake egg or golf ball in the nest boxes? Are the nest boxes in a dark area? I put our nest boxes on the north side of our rectangular coop, so it'd be cool and also a dark area. We did have one rogue layer, but she came around after keeping her 'all cooped up' for about 5 days, until she figured out where to lay.

Neighbor's coop, not likely. Around the yard, under shrubs, among weeds, any hiding place, very likely.

Leave them cooped/run up for a couple of days. That will tell the story.

They can find the darnedest places to nest, but if you are going to free range and want the eggs, you will have to do the "search and enjoy" routine.

John

Don't want to do the 'search and enjoy', you could find things you might not want.

I bought 2 2-month pullets of the Crested Cream Legbar persuasion.

I invite knowledgeable comments, good or bad, on their adherence to the CCL standards and their suitability for breeding.

Too Fast, that's for KNOWLEDGEABLE folks...........Oh, OK, go ahead, if you must.

To my eye, the one on the right has no cream color on the neck. Also, I thought it was to extend down the chest.

They are young, so it may develop, but I don't see it.

John

I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Where are their tinfoil hats? You should extend those down to the chest.

Mereks can be brought in from wild birds , so can be every where. The vaccine does not prevent it, it just prevents the tumors from forming, so your birds can still get it.

I can't get an egg from my roosters , they lazy slackers !!

I don't know what the standard is for them, but I think they are very pretty.

Yeah, Little helped with your standards, John, lol.
Crazy thing around here. We have no roosters, but I still get a double yolker once a week or so. I think one sneaks over from the neighbors to lay.

 

[toodlesmom]

Who is a good source to buy HRIR from? Are the chicks from Meyer and My Pet Chicken heritage birds?

CRSelvey - Hope you received good news about Sesame!

bradselig - So sorry for your little silkie! I do love the looks of your frizzled Tolbunt Polish. Are frizzled feathers a mutation that you can breed for? Do they occur in all breeds? I have only seen them on bantams; can LF have them, too?

 

[Too Fast]

Oh well. I enjoy watching the little guys running around the chicken yard. Cute as h*ll.

John

Cute, I agree. Unti they start crowing too much. Don't want the noise.

My 4 month old Red Sexlink Goldie started laying 6 days ago and she has done me proud.

Great looking eggs! Yours, too, Racin! Love the size variety.

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of this young guy. He's my oldest Rhodebar cockerel. The Marans roo was NOT happy with him out there. He came charging at him. Guess my time of adding roos to the flock are now one lol.

You can tell he isn't happy, look at him pacing around the outside of the cage lol.

Younger legbar pullet. Shows the cream pretty well.

And my favorite, frizzled tolbunt polish

And the smooth feathered. Starting to lose all the black.

Great looking chickens. The crested still look funny to my eye. Not polite to laugh, I know.