INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

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

Wow, interesting! and what a cutie!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Thats great news! Glad all the birds are ok.

Quote: I get the TSC brand starter "dumor" no one carries actual game bird starter in my area. I don't use medicated feed, but I ferment everything. You are exactly right on that kind of weight, All 7 of my BBW see that food bucket and it looks like small airplanes coming at me LOL!
Yes, the brooding is pretty much the same as chicks. I watch them close the first week, they chill easy, and shipped chicks are never as strong as your own hatches, IMO. I start them on electrolytes and grow gel.
Otherwise, just handle them often after that first week, and they get very friendly. FYI don't let them start to perch on your shoulder! not good with a 25# poult

 

[gunchief25]

Good news. Once the Turkeys started waking up and calling this morning, the missing one showed up. No idea where she was, but when I started banging around metal cans that I keep food in, the whole flock came running across the yard back to their run and it had all 9 birds in it. One thing I noticed that is different from the chickens is the flock order. With my chickens, my rooster is in the lead. With the turkeys, my two jakes always hang back and let the hens lead the flock.

So I did an official count this morning, and everyone was there: All 51 chickens and 9 turkeys. I also determined how the poultry netting got tore up. found the clip that attaches the netting to the electric charger on the ground. It looks like something was going around the perimeter of the run, and when they went by the charger, they snagged on the cord that runs from the charger to the net clip and pulled the clip off. This meant no charge on the net. I'm going to have to think about something to elevate the charger so that I don't have that vulnerability any more. I still think the culprit was my dog, especially cause there were no casualties. I can totally see him wanting to chase the birds, but not really be interested in killing them, since he has been around them for months now. I would think anything else determined enough to go through the netting would kill at least a chicken. They had access to the coop, since the auto door hadn't shut yet, but none of the birds have a scratch on them.

Bottom line, this was probably good for me because it pointed out some vulnerabilities and issues with my housing and protection without me actually losing a bird.

Good news

 

[pginsber]

Where is the best place to get a good deal on hardware cloth? I am wanting to use it behind the windows in our new coop. Since the windows will not be open in the winter it is not a high priority but I do want to get a good deal.

And am I correct to assume that a raccoon or another animal can climb up to a 5 ft window?

Of course you KNOW there is not a single answer for your hardware cloth question.
Price depends upon how wide you need it to be, how long of a roll you want, how big of squares you will tolerate and the guage of wire you want. We wanted 4' wide, 1/2" squares, and no smaller than 20 gauge. I found Menard's to have the cheapest price--BUT, I printed off the screen shot of their price and Home Depot matched it. Home Depot was closer to us, so it worked out great.

 

[julie0477]

SkinNFluff - I am not sure what that is, but it is ADORABLE and I love it!

 

[Old Salt 1945]

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 have 8 Indian Runner ducks, 3 Guineas, and about 30 chickens that all occupy the same run, coop, roost. There is the occasional squabble, but for the most part, they all get along.

The Guineas hang with the ducks because they were the same age and I put them together in the same brooder.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Hurray for the turkey! Last night my khaki Campbell did NOT want to be put up and I finally gave up chasing her. I had a dream a giant dog sized hawk came down and I had to fight it off lol. Morning came though and the duck is fine. She sure is stubborn.

Use a couple of brooms. It gives you a 10 foot arm span. Invaluable for herding animals.

John

 

[amwchickin]

SkinNFluff - I love that chicken!!

 

[amwchickin]

Thanks to everyone who gave me ideas on meds for my chickens. I am hoping the rain clears up (just a little, please

) so I can go out and spend some time really checking each one and making sure I have all the sickies quarantined.

Was it the new bird I brought in or the turkeys passing something along (because they're hacking a lot ((I think they just forget to take a drink once in awhile, but still concerns me)) I will probably never know. I do know that I will probably not get anymore birds from someone at a trade outside TSC or the like again. I should have looked those chickens over a little bit better before I bought them. I was just too excited to find some Marans!!

I'll keep ya'll posted as to how they're doing.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Claiming post # 15000

John