INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

Oh my goodness, I just can't keep up in the last couple of days. I tried and you guys were so kind to be busy this weekend and then BAM. I was lost. I just wanted to post some pics of progress and other things. I hope you like them. When I was having a good time with our kids at the Indy Irish Fest, this is what my DH was doing. He finished all of the shingles on the roof (and posed like a goofball for me), put the door up on the run, added pergola boards to the top of the run, and finished the wire. WOW. I hope to NEVER see him up on a roof again. Gravity is not his friend. On Sunday I added all the hangers to keep the dirt out of the food, added roosts, and finished some details. As you can tell, I hadn't cleaned the coop up yet. Sorry about that. So I am not sure how I feel about the pergola-ish boards on top of the run, but I'm still thinking on it. My DH thought I'd love it, so I am working on it. Seems kind of busy, but now I can grow some grapes climbing roses on the coop ;-). As long as it also goes on the run extension, it should be good. I still need to bury that section of wire and plant some evergreens there. This is the waspinator thing I was telling you guys about. Its working to keep away the wasps and bees, but the hornets are not bothered at all. I might need to move it to the other side of the coop. This is the reason that I need to plant the wire!! His name is definitely MAX now and he wants my chickens BAD. I really like him though, so we are trying to figure out how to keep everyone happy. I know I have told you guys that a lady down the street has the cutest coop. It looks like a very large dog house, but its been modified. I stopped and talked to her today and she got the plans out of a gardening book. Its got big wheels on the back and it holds her 5 hens just fine. CUTE So, now that the roof is up and the trim is on, we decided that we hated the white paint because it showed too much dirt. Now the coop is light tan and dark burgundy/brown (ok, maybe purplish) trim. Its so much better. Once the paint is done, I have permission to start the extension. He just needs to finish the cupola and I think that's it...except for putting away the tools. That happens this coming weekend. I hope you are having a great week everyone! Cheryl

Your coop looks awesome!!

 

[bradselig]

Note to self- stop putting so many sets of eggs in the incubator so close to each other! It's not fun trying to fit them all into the hatcher! Thankfully I hav a 5 day window now to clear out the hatcher before I have to lockdown more eggs.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

CRSelvy Love your coop! Goof ball husbands are the best aren't they?

Everyone else.

About the shoe covers. Yes I am serious about them not being effective. At the risk of sounding uppity, please keep in mind I work in a laboratory research environment. So my chicken knowledge may be suspect, by when it comes to keeping germs and bugs at bay I am your girl. The shoe covers in the picture are cloth. That makes them porous. Basically, they are not a good barrier.

You can buy solid plastic covers, but they rip easily. There is the added problem that you have to touch the shoes in order to put the covers on. That contaminates your hands. Then you need to thoroughly wash your hands. Don't cheat and use hand sanitizer. I won't go into it, but that stuff is a waste of money.

So, can you use shoe covers? Sure.
Are they effective at controlling the spread of disease? Absolutely not.
Are they better than nothing? Debatable.

I say invest a few dollars more and get some cheap clogs or crocks dedicated just to the coop. Have your visitors switch shoes to enter the coop. Best case scenario, they also step into a foot bath of some sort before entering.

That is my buck fifty worth for you all.

Not cloth.

Read the description from the link.

Anti Skid Lab Safety Disposable PPSB Shoe Cover - 100 pieces size XL

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anti-Skid-L...097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f6104599

Item Description:
Spunbonded polypropylene anti-skid shoe covers may be used to protect against dirt, grime, and certain dry particulates in non-hazardous environments. Appropriate for industrial, pharmaceutical, food processing, construction, and certain environmental cleanup applications.

Product Features:

• Anti-Skid Bottom
• Lightweight
• Fluid Resistant

You are right that these are not 100% effective.

On the other hand, I am not suggesting that these are germ-warfare containment devices. Just that they might be better than nothing.

If I have neighbors "wanting to see the pretty chickens," I see no need for any precautions.

If someone who raises chickens visit, I will ask them to don the booties. I don't think I would insist that they change clothes or wear a "moon suit".

If someone who has had trouble with Marek's Disease visits, I will hand them a pair of binoculars and ask that they view from their car in the street.

If I visit somewhere, I'll wear the booties.
Don't like washing shoes.

If I go to a poultry show, I'll soak the shoes in bleach solution.

To be perfectly safe, you would have to never add to your flock. Or have a quarantine site hundreds of feet from your flock. Upon leaving the quarantine site, change clothes and shower at an intermediate site before coming home. Of course, you would have to come into the intermediate site through one door and leave through another door. It can be done, but is impractical.
We do the best we reasonably can. Not great, but better than nothing.

The problem I have with these covers is that I don't think they would last more than a few steps on gravel. There are cheaper ones ($5) that are VERY thin and likely not to last more than a moment on anything rougher than carpet.

Search ebay.com for "disposable shoe covers".

John

 

[racinchickins]

Can anyone tell me what breed these are?

It's very difficult from the angle and distance of these shots to figure out what they are. They also appear to be in that 'sparrow/crow' subadult stage where they haven't gotten their adult plumage yet, and their combs aren't showing much. I had a couple that looked like yours at one point, but as adults, they now look very different, and I had no idea what they were until they got their adult feathers. Sorry that wasn't much help. But I wanted to make sure you at least got a response from someone.

If I separate her, I will probably take her out for 15 minutes a day with the flock. I am told this helps. Since the babies stay with her for 4 weeks though I think she will be lonely won't she? When the chicks are getting ready to go outside with her? I really want to leave her with the flock, but I understand the risk for the chicks. Hmm decisions.

While setting on eggs and raising chicks, she will be 100% focused on her job at hand. Other chickens are now a threat and not a flockmate. Loneliness is not an issue at this time. My broody decided each day when she was comfortable leaving the nest to eat and do her business. I preferred to just let her be to do her job. If you want her near the flock, the best way to do it would be a separate small enclosure right next to the main enclosure. That way they can see and interact if wanted, but not interfere with the babies.

 

[bradselig]

Not cloth. Read the description from the link. Anti Skid Lab Safety Disposable PPSB Shoe Cover - 100 pieces size XL [FLOAT=LEFT]

[/FLOAT]
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anti-Skid-L...097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f6104599

Item Description:
Spunbonded polypropylene anti-skid shoe covers may be used to protect against dirt, grime, and certain dry particulates in non-hazardous environments. Appropriate for industrial, pharmaceutical, food processing, construction, and certain environmental cleanup applications.

Product Features:

• 
  Anti-Skid Bottom
• 
  Lightweight
• 
  Fluid Resistant

You are right that these are not 100% effective. On the other hand, I am not suggesting that these are germ-warfare containment devices. Just that they might be better than nothing. If I have neighbors "wanting to see the pretty chickens," I see no need for any precautions. If someone who raises chickens visit, I will ask them to don the booties. I don't think I would insist that they change clothes or wear a "moon suit". If someone who has had trouble with Marek's Disease visits, I will hand them a pair of binoculars and ask that they view from their car in the street. If I visit somewhere, I'll wear the booties. Don't like washing shoes. If I go to a poultry show, I'll soak the shoes in bleach solution. To be perfectly safe, you would have to never add to your flock. Or have a quarantine site hundreds of feet from your flock. Upon leaving the quarantine site, change clothes and shower at an intermediate site before coming home. Of course, you would have to come into the intermediate site through one door and leave through another door. It can be done, but is impractical. We do the best we reasonably can. Not great, but better than nothing. The problem I have with these covers is that I don't think they would last more than a few steps on gravel. There are cheaper ones ($5) that are VERY thin and likely not to last more than a moment on anything rougher than carpet. Search ebay.com for "disposable shoe covers". John

Good points. Id also like to mention that when I attended PU, we always used these when going to the farms. I'd think if they didnt have any benefit what so ever, I would have thought PU would have known and not wasted money (be it my tuition money, but still lol). Now you got me curious, Kiniska. Are you in the healthcare field or a mad scientist

 

[gunchief25]

It's very difficult from the angle and distance of these shots to figure out what they are. They also appear to be in that 'sparrow/crow' subadult stage where they haven't gotten their adult plumage yet, and their combs aren't showing much. I had a couple that looked like yours at one point, but as adults, they now look very different, and I had no idea what they were until they got their adult feathers. Sorry that wasn't much help. But I wanted to make sure you at least got a response from someone.

Thanks any way. These are some chicks that were given to my neighbor. I guess they were accidental hatches and they arent sure what they are.

 

[julie0477]

Thanks any way.  These are some chicks that were given to my neighbor.  I guess they were accidental hatches and they arent sure what they are.

they might be mixed breed then which would be why it's so hard to tell. They kind of look like they have Easter egger in them to me but I'm no expert, that's for sure.

 

[Kiniska]

Not cloth.

Read the description from the link.

Anti Skid Lab Safety Disposable PPSB Shoe Cover - 100 pieces size XL

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anti-Skid-L...097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f6104599



Item Description:

Spunbonded polypropylene anti-skid shoe covers may be used to protect against dirt, grime, and certain dry particulates in non-hazardous environments. Appropriate for industrial, pharmaceutical, food processing, construction, and certain environmental cleanup applications.



Product Features:

• 
  Anti-Skid Bottom
  
  
• 
  Lightweight
  
  
• 
  Fluid Resistant
  
  

You are right that these are not 100% effective.

On the other hand, I am not suggesting that these are germ-warfare containment devices. Just that they might be better than nothing.

If I have neighbors "wanting to see the pretty chickens," I see no need for any precautions.

If someone who raises chickens visit, I will ask them to don the booties. I don't think I would insist that they change clothes or wear a "moon suit".

If someone who has had trouble with Marek's Disease visits, I will hand them a pair of binoculars and ask that they view from their car in the street.

If I visit somewhere, I'll wear the booties.
Don't like washing shoes.

If I go to a poultry show, I'll soak the shoes in bleach solution.

To be perfectly safe, you would have to never add to your flock. Or have a quarantine site hundreds of feet from your flock. Upon leaving the quarantine site, change clothes and shower at an intermediate site before coming home. Of course, you would have to come into the intermediate site through one door and leave through another door. It can be done, but is impractical.
We do the best we reasonably can. Not great, but better than nothing.

The problem I have with these covers is that I don't think they would last more than a few steps on gravel. There are cheaper ones ($5) that are VERY thin and likely not to last more than a moment on anything rougher than carpet.

Search ebay.com for "disposable shoe covers".

John

Good points. Id also like to mention that when I attended PU, we always used these when going to the farms. I'd think if they didnt have any benefit what so ever, I would have thought PU would have known and not wasted money (be it my tuition money, but still lol).

Now you got me curious, Kiniska. Are you in the healthcare field or a mad scientist

Not a mad scientist, well unless I have been up set.

I work in medical research and mice are involved.

All the points being made about these shoe covers are appreciated. As for a facility using them well... Hospitals use them, research facilities use them, and chemical plants use them. Just because everyone does something does not mean it actually works. Really depends on situation, but in the application you all want to use them everyone needs to be aware that they won't be effective. It would be awful if someone thought they were protecting their flock and instead infected it.

I hate that shoe covers are used at some of our facilities at work. Shoe covers, in many instances, are more a liability than a help. Shoe covers are one of those things that have been used for so long without testing to prove their worth that they have become a fixture. Recently testing has been done that has shown how ineffective they are. Where I work the vendors take the guy who does our protective equipment purchasing out to eat and they give him tickets to shows etc.... So even though we all know they are useless and half of us don't use them the facility still buys the things.

Take this example. The first surgeon who decided all medical equipment should be sterilized in between patients was thought a mad idiot by his colleges. He knew he was right, he had concrete numbers to back it up, but it took years for the medical community to acknowledge it and thousands of people died from secondary infections until his findings were acknowledged. Now if a doctor came at you with a dirty needle or crusty scalpel any of us would loose our minds on them. It is considered "common" knowledge that things have to be sterilized.

If you guys want to use shoe covers that is your choice, just be aware that they may not do what you hope they will. What will be very effective is dedicated shoes, like rubber crocks, that can be bleached and sanitized regularly.

Forgive me, I really hate shoe covers.

And like John said, if they have a known disease where they are coming from, give them a pair of binoculars.

 

[Quinstar]

The cichlids probably wouldn't last long in the salt water.

640 watt lights for the coral. You would love my light bill.

John

What kind of filtration are you running. I'm hoping to get rid of my store bought filter and build a sump/fuge for my 50 gallon.

I think we need a closed group fb page. It would be a lot more organized. Individual posts would have spaces for their own comments. I have a farm page if everyone wants to use it. But I think It would have to be set up as a group. It is really nice having you all on here though. You all have helped us through a lot of chicken issues.

I think this sounds like a great idea! Though then I have to place to keep up on posts, but it would be nice for everyone who is on FB.

This morning my lil guy had taken a turn for the worse. He was completely covered in maggots this morning. I thought I was going to die. He was in my walk out basement but apparently a fly made it in. I bathed him in warm water and wrapped him in a towel. Since he was wet I could get a better look at him. He had a laceration on his under belly near his vent that I could not see before because of all his fluffiness. It wasnt deep, but it was there and I missed it. My vet was awesome. I went to Hillview in Franklin. She has her own flock and I think that helps. She took a full flock history and then a history on my individual little guy that was down. After all was said and done and after looking at X-rays it did appear he had trauma to his spinal cord, probably from my other silkie roo. I had him put down. I feel horrible for it but I think I did the right thing. My vet made a call to purdue and they will do a necropsy free of charge (its normally $125 now, I don't know how she got this deal for me) to rule out other causes. I have a friend that wants one of my birds but I'm not bringing any birds in or letting them leave until tests are back. Better safe than sorry. I'm pretty sad. I never get used to losing a bird.

So sorry about the loss of your bird. Seems like members are losing birds left and right lately.

I brought my first chicks home this April and now have 3 girls who are around 5 months old. One of them, I think the Andalusian has laid 2 eggs. The first was on Sept 7 and the second was Sept 16. Is that pretty normal for when they first start laying? She laid both in the same spot and I have searches for hidden ones. Just wondering.

Our oldest girl just started laying and we've gotten 5 eggs in the last 7 days.

If anyone tried to watch this and couldn't I adjusted the privacy settings so it can be watched now. Sorry about that.

You better put her under lock and key because you live quite close and I fully intend on kidnapping her. Just too cute!

Quote: I love the "drapes". This is a fantastic idea! I will definitely be giving this a try in our coop. Also, where you the one asking for pictures of our setup. I know someone asked earlier in the thread, but I can't quite find it.

Oh my goodness, I just can't keep up in the last couple of days. I tried and you guys were so kind to be busy this weekend and then BAM. I was lost. I just wanted to post some pics of progress and other things. I hope you like them.

When I was having a good time with our kids at the Indy Irish Fest, this is what my DH was doing. He finished all of the shingles on the roof (and posed like a goofball for me), put the door up on the run, added pergola boards to the top of the run, and finished the wire. WOW. I hope to NEVER see him up on a roof again. Gravity is not his friend.

On Sunday I added all the hangers to keep the dirt out of the food, added roosts, and finished some details. As you can tell, I hadn't cleaned the coop up yet. Sorry about that.

So I am not sure how I feel about the pergola-ish boards on top of the run, but I'm still thinking on it. My DH thought I'd love it, so I am working on it. Seems kind of busy, but now I can grow some grapes climbing roses on the coop ;-). As long as it also goes on the run extension, it should be good. I still need to bury that section of wire and plant some evergreens there.

This is the waspinator thing I was telling you guys about. Its working to keep away the wasps and bees, but the hornets are not bothered at all. I might need to move it to the other side of the coop.


This is the reason that I need to plant the wire!! His name is definitely MAX now and he wants my chickens BAD. I really like him though, so we are trying to figure out how to keep everyone happy.
I know I have told you guys that a lady down the street has the cutest coop. It looks like a very large dog house, but its been modified. I stopped and talked to her today and she got the plans out of a gardening book. Its got big wheels on the back and it holds her 5 hens just fine. CUTE

So, now that the roof is up and the trim is on, we decided that we hated the white paint because it showed too much dirt. Now the coop is light tan and dark burgundy/brown (ok, maybe purplish) trim. Its so much better. Once the paint is done, I have permission to start the extension. He just needs to finish the cupola and I think that's it...except for putting away the tools. That happens this coming weekend.

I hope you are having a great week everyone!
Cheryl

Coop/run looks fantastic! Great job!

Can anyone tell me what breed these are?

Thanks any way. These are some chicks that were given to my neighbor. I guess they were accidental hatches and they arent sure what they are.

You may try some closer shots and posting them here https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this. Just thought you might have better luck than on this thread to identify them.

 

[strssdmom]

It's great to see you posting again!~ Strssed Mom (My hens have had a summer of irregular laying, but have been back in a routine the past couple of weeks), Backyard Bitten (loved the cartoon!!) and Country Hen (still trying to change your husband's chicken names- Haha!)
HouseKat~ I agree that renting chickens may not be a good idea, but as CCCHICKENS mentioned, renting a goat would be really handy and the goat would probably enjoy it as well. Maybe jchny will rent one of hers out-- probably Bo, her buck who needs to leave the mama and baby goat alone. He needs a hobby.

Thanks Mother2Hens! It has been a while. Homeschooling is in full swing, volleyball is a full-time job, and basketball is just starting. So, I am on here, but just barely. It is nice to be able to check in and ask a question when needed though. I love to see all the pics and get "caught up" so to speak. Hope all is well with you and your flock!