INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: This summer went way too fast!

My chickens have discovered the wonderful treats that are in the barn

And the babies are enjoying being outside!

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cuties!

and the chickies are too!

For the last few days I have had second thoughts on chickens. I have four sick birds. The one that I got at a swap no longer has the mites or lice or whatever it was thanks to Sevin dust. She still has a respiratory thing. Even though I have kept that chicken away from the rest of the flock, I now have two girls and a Japanese bantam roo that are coughing and sneezing. One of the girls is almost gurgling. The other doesn't sound as bad, but her eyes are matted shut and her face is puffy. The little roo just sounds sad (his crow is always hilarious and I miss it!)

Right now all I have is VetRx and that is going into the water and I have been putting it under their wings and have rubbed some around the one's face. This chicken never lets me pick her up and I sat and held her for a little bit, helping her eat and drink a little.

I have those three separate from everyone else as well, but not in the same pen as the newest bird.

I am ordering some other med stuff today because our Rural King doesn't carry much and I don't have anywhere else to get stuff in my area (more crops than livestock).

My dad's only question was this: Will the two big laying girls still be good for chicken and dumplings? To which I said, Since your back and hip are bothering you and you didn't go to work today, will you still be good for.... I'll just stop there...

Anyway, it's frustrating to have to quarantine birds and have to do all this extra stuff. My dad started with the chickens and I have added several to his original birds. I brought the work on myself, so I shouldn't complain.

All the rain and humidity aren't helping.

You all are like therapy, I'll be fine later!

------------->

I am so sorry

There are a lot of up and down days keeping poultry and livestock.Rain & temp changes, and damp weather does bring on respiratory problems.
We all have days like what you are going thru, it gets better. Sounds like you are doing all you can,

hang in there and vent when you need to!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Well I have what is probably a dumb question but I candled the eggs under my broody hen tonight she's been sitting on them for a week. If they are fertile what should I be seeing? They all looked like they have a dark mass in them except for one it looked like it was clear. Does anyone candle with a flashlight, if so what type/size?
On a different subject I have a new layer today. I found this in the nesting box.The second picture is it compared to one of my other eggs. It looks like one of my banty eggs but they all lay white eggs so I know it wasn't one of them. It had to come from a slw, glw, bpr, rir or nh. Any idea which one lays an egg this dark? Thanks for any help.

NOPE never a dumb question! "pullet egg" or some people call it a "fart egg" odd sizes or shapes, its common for a new layer.

Went out and candled tonight. We threw 3 clear silkie eggs out, but the other 9 were all developing and moving like crazy!! We even saw a beak and a little foot through the shell. SO cute. Lavender hates it when we take her eggs, but now we know how many we have so far. Hopefully everything goes well until next tuesday.

A place in Pennsylvania will not let you keep chickens unless your property is at least five acres!?! They have a petition trying to get it changed:

http://www.change.org/petitions/low...tm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created

ugh!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I've got a question for those of you with both chickens and ducks. Do you let both kinds of birds hang out in the same run or fenced area? What about sharing coop space? We have 16 ducks (still figuring out how many are drakes) and about 40 chickens (only 1 roo). Our birds are in separate barn stalls, but wondered if they would get along if they co-mingled. I've searched some other posts & it sounds like they could get along, but I did read a number of references to roosters trying to breed the ducks & drakes trying to breed the hens. That makes me have second thoughts about them sharing space/a run. Any thoughts?

Its true. And a drake can kill a chicken hen if he mates her, internal injuries. Rooster to a duck is not as dangerous, but the spurs can harm the duck. I have my scovies/pekin in my big coop until my goose/duck coop is finished and 1 muscovy drake, but he is too slow and fat to catch a chicken

I am still looking for a pekin drake, but now it can wait til spring.

I had my first 'incident' tonight. We were out late at a family function, and when we got home, one of our dogs was out, one of the poultry fences was ripped down, and not a turkey in sight. All chickens were accounted for, but no turkeys.

I did a search, and found 7 turkeys on the other side of the yard perched on either a fence line or the leg bar coop roof. I found another perched on the gutter on our barn roof. One is still missing. I haven't found feathers or blood, so I hope she will turn up. I'm pretty sure our dog is the culprit, and he doesn't have any feathers or blood on him, so i wonder if he was just chasing and they got tangled in the fence netting. Guess the morning will tell. I've got all coops shut up tight, and just have to hope the turkeys are ok till tomorrow.

oh no I am so sorry. Hope you find your missing turkey.

On a different note, I had a bantam Cochin go broody about a month ago. After a weeks time I could tell she really wanted to sit on a nest so I gave her some eggs to attempt a hatch.

After 24 hrs another bantam hen decided to sit with her. I had given the first hen ten eggs (which in hind site was probably too many) and now they had the eggs divided between the two. The nest box was pretty good size to begin with and they seem to be perfectly content nestled up together. I put a food and water station in the corner of the coop close and they seem to be using it on their own, although i do usually check on them once a day or two and make them get up and stretch for a min. Sometimes one will have four eggs and the other will have six. Other times they will have three and seven. I even cought one girl sitting on all ten and the other just sitting beside her. I have know idea if this duel hatching method is the best idea but they seem to be doing a pretty good job so far.

This all started two and a half weeks ago, so this Sunday will be 21 days. I randomly chose four eggs and took my first try at candling a couple days ago. I don't know what i was seeing for sure, but they looked a lot like the pics I saw on here of day 12-14 eggs. There was not much to see other than mostly darkness with a vein or two visible. There was definitely a clear bubble/air sac at one end of each egg. Fingers crossed this weekend will produce some new chicks.

Sounds like your ladies are doing it as a team! I do hear that happening a lot. The chicks will be well protected.

sending good hatching vibes!

 

[danand]

Wheezy- I had an EE go broody and everyone added to her eggs then my Cochin decided to help. Mine like yours would switch the eggs and even sides . Finally had 1 hatch and the others were starting to stink so I cleaned out the nest. Between them I think there were 20 eggs or so!! But both took care of the baby!! And both didnt lay for over a month!! This babie has been with the flock the whole time and none of the others have bothered her. She's about 3/4 grown now.

Dog saga- well I think tomorrow's the day! We've tried everything to get my Gracie to pass whatever she ate. So unless she passes it before 8:30 she's off to surgery!! After the recent horse issues and the dog attack and now this...... I'm just about worn out!!

Racin - hope you find your turkey. Let us know! We're your turkeys separate from your chickens now? How'd your dog get out!? Was he in a different yard area than we were at your house?

 

[Too Fast]

I had my first 'incident' tonight. We were out late at a family function, and when we got home, one of our dogs was out, one of the poultry fences was ripped down, and not a turkey in sight. All chickens were accounted for, but no turkeys.

I did a search, and found 7 turkeys on the other side of the yard perched on either a fence line or the leg bar coop roof. I found another perched on the gutter on our barn roof. One is still missing. I haven't found feathers or blood, so I hope she will turn up. I'm pretty sure our dog is the culprit, and he doesn't have any feathers or blood on him, so i wonder if he was just chasing and they got tangled in the fence netting. Guess the morning will tell. I've got all coops shut up tight, and just have to hope the turkeys are ok till tomorrow.

Hopefully your other turkey will show up.

Have you interviewed the dog? Or does he just look at you and wag his tail.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I've got a question for those of you with both chickens and ducks.  Do you let both kinds of birds hang out in the same run or fenced area?  What about sharing coop space?  We have 16 ducks (still figuring out how many are drakes) and about 40 chickens (only 1 roo).  Our birds are in separate barn stalls, but wondered if they would get along if they co-mingled.  I've searched some other posts & it sounds like they could get along, but I did read a number of references to roosters trying to breed the ducks & drakes trying to breed the hens.  That makes me have second thoughts about them sharing space/a run.  Any thoughts?

i no longer have ducks but i used to and they were housed and kept togetjer with my chickens. First off they were raised from hatchlings together. My female ducks always got along with my cjickens. Now they males ducks did try to mate the hens. But they were also cery mean to them. they would grab onto a clump of feathers and not let go. It would be to the point where the duck wouldnt let go and the chicken would be freaking out and we would have to thriw a bucket at it to get it to let go! the chickens avoided the ducks as much as possible. i had a mean rooster at the time that didnt even mess with them. I decided to completly get rid of ducks a little ubde a year ago. O and i did have a male call duck that never dared to mess with the chickens. the mallaed deakes would chase the call duck and his mate. if i ever get ducks again i am only getting call ducks, and dont see me doing that anytime soon. IMO i would not house them together.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

racin- i hope you find you missing turkey alive and in good shape

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

This summer went way too fast!
cuties! and the chickies are too!
I am so sorry There are a lot of up and down days keeping poultry and livestock.Rain & temp changes, and damp weather does bring on respiratory problems.
We all have days like what you are going thru, it gets better. Sounds like you are doing all you can, hang in there and vent when you need to!

i agree the summer went by too fast! It seemed like i was walking around county fair, then a week later state fair and then a week later it was fall!

 

[SkinNFluff]

Figured I would post a couple pics showing what I have been working on.

 

[pginsber]

I had my first 'incident' tonight. We were out late at a family function, and when we got home, one of our dogs was out, one of the poultry fences was ripped down, and not a turkey in sight. All chickens were accounted for, but no turkeys.

I did a search, and found 7 turkeys on the other side of the yard perched on either a fence line or the leg bar coop roof. I found another perched on the gutter on our barn roof. One is still missing. I haven't found feathers or blood, so I hope she will turn up. I'm pretty sure our dog is the culprit, and he doesn't have any feathers or blood on him, so i wonder if he was just chasing and they got tangled in the fence netting. Guess the morning will tell. I've got all coops shut up tight, and just have to hope the turkeys are ok till tomorrow.

Racin
What's the update? How does the situation look now that it's daylight?