INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Thank you to everyone for your compliments on my new babies. They are doing great. I went out this morning and bought the a 2 x 4 stock tank for their brooder. It was on my buy list I just hadn't planned on getting it until spring. But that's okay they have room to grow and I have room just in case I need it for more babies.
On the subject of more babies I am looking into getting more babies in the spring. I am looking to getting heritage birds rather than hatchery birds. I would really like to get chicks from breeders on here. But I would also like input from any one on any breeders they have dealt with and liked or didn't like. A couple places that I have inquired about spring chicks is Dick Horstman's Poultry and Walt's Ark Ranch. Any information on either of these two would be appreciated. One last thing. Does anyone know of someone who is breeding Iowa Blues? Thanks in advance for any information

I have used Mt Healthy in OH as well as Meyer for meat birds and basic layers.
I don't have anyone local.. and hope more in our area will join in the reality of chicken keeping.
If no one here has a link, try a new thread on byc asking about iowa blues.
Looks like both you mentioned are reputable breeders with good credentials!
Both are quite impressive.

Quote: My korean sis in law had so many unique thoughts (to me) on animals used for food. We talked often but with the language barrier, both of us struggled to understand.
The little language dictionaries sure helped! I got us a set for her welcome gift to the states.
It is just amazing how different cultures look at what is considered acceptable food animals.. insects ugh.
I really loved spending time with her, she had a sweet soul and tried hard to raise her 3 children as American but also to retain their culture too.

Quote:

and our thread, if I haven't said so already

Off, but on subject...
Do any of you Pinterest? Specifically pin, on a coop and chicken, board! I'd love to follow...

My kids keep wanting me to join. I may do it come winter when things are quieter. I do love the site!

Any one fairly close to the Indy area have duck eggs for sale? Like closer than brown county

??

jsummers and I both do but we are in madison co.

 

[toodlesmom]

Great idea on the bees, thanks AM! My Sis in law had the same thing done. She is getting in touch with the guy that came and got hers.
She is over in OH but she said its like us chicken keepers, we all know everyone that suffers from chicken math...
Just waiting to get a name & number to get them gone! I told Dad to NOT go look at the chicks until they remove the bees.
I will bring him in who he wants to see. He is not happy with me right now, he loves the tiny quail chicks, and just sits by the brooder watching them.
I may bring the small brooder in so he can enjoy them inside away from the bees altogether.

You're a good daughter! You take really loving and thoughtful care of your parents. I only hope my own kids take as good care of me one day. All you need now is a therapy chicken or turkey!

 

[toodlesmom]

Thank you to everyone for your compliments on my new babies. They are doing great. I went out this morning and bought the a 2 x 4 stock tank for their brooder. It was on my buy list I just hadn't planned on getting it until spring. But that's okay they have room to grow and I have room just in case I need it for more babies.
On the subject of more babies I am looking into getting more babies in the spring. I am looking to getting heritage birds rather than hatchery birds. I would really like to get chicks from breeders on here. But I would also like input from any one on any breeders they have dealt with and liked or didn't like. A couple places that I have inquired about spring chicks is Dick Horstman's Poultry and Walt's Ark Ranch. Any information on either of these two would be appreciated. One last thing. Does anyone know of someone who is breeding Iowa Blues? Thanks in advance for any information

Are you wanting to get into Heritage birds to breed or for your home flock? I am wanting to have all Heritage birds for a healthy, diverse, old-fashioned home flock that will lay over a longer number of years (though fewer per week).

I went to the Heritage Chickens thread on BYC and connected with a breeder from PA who specializes in English Light Sussex. She has non-breeder pullets now available. They are really regal looking. I also met a breeder from SC who breeds English Buff Orpingtons. They are gorgeous! She has breeder stock available now and also has a person she has been mentoring who may have non-breeder stock available.

I want a mix of types of hens, feather colors, and egg colors. I had thought about RIRs and BRs, but my SC contact was concerned that their personalities would not be a good mix with the BOs. Not sure what choices I will make. I'm not particularly interested in breeders or show birds at this time, and I don't want roosters.

I looked at the two sites you mentioned. Their prices were comparable with other sites I have looked at and with the breeders I have talked to. There are a few breeders here in Indiana, too, and Sally from Indiana on this Indiana BYCers thread breeds Heritage RIRs. Where do you live? Maybe we can go in together on some hens. Are you going to the National Poultry Show in Ohio in November? That is an excellent place to buy quality chickens.

 

[toodlesmom]

M2H - I know you were concerned that your English orps have not produced any eggs yet. I was reading on the website for Waltz's Ark Ranch, which breeds LF Jubilee Orps and Bantam Chocolate Orps, and saw the following:

Please be aware prior to your purchase that these are mostly exhibition lines of Orpington. The focus of most of the show breeders "across the big pond" is on exhibition, not production. These birds are generally not fantastic layers, so if you are seeking high egg production, you will want to stick with the American Orpington, or choose one of our more prolific dual-purpose breeds. These English varieties tend to start and stop on egg production throughout the year, have fertility issues (see more info at the bottom of this page) due to their thick feathering (we do fertility trims on all of our breeders), and take longer to go through the molt cycle. They also require a high-protein diet from hatch to lay, and they eat plenty of it. Still, they are worth it all!

So your girls may just be acting true to breed.

 

[toodlesmom]

John,

My agent dropped DDDH off; gagged, blind-folded, and hog-tied; in front of the Purdue Memorial Union Sunday night.

I disguised raccoons with small suits, sunglasses, and luggage; purchased 37 1/4 train tickets for Washington D.C.; bid raccoons adieu this morning.

Scrubbed raccoon footprints off porch wall this afternoon, followed by performance of Happy Dance.

Mother-in-law spun in grave.

Sally

 

[Too Fast]

First off do you have city water or well water?
Do you have a water softener?
I suspect the yellowing to be rust. Did the plumber have to change any pipes during the bathtub replacement?
I am on my phone so I can not type a huge reply. Let me know the answers to the two questions and we can go from there.

We are on well water here, it's about 70 feet deep. Never have any water supply issues, even during the drought in '12. We don't have any problem with the iron content either, it's plentiful lol. And the sulfur smell, sometimes. Our water softener from Aqua Systems has been reliable for 13 years now, but we still have the iron on the hot side, I suspect build up in the water heater from all those decades of never doing any maintenance.

Yes the water heater is on the softened side of the softener, ha.

An electric water heater has 2 heating elements. Upper and lower. There is a cover over each for access. They are 220 volt, which is a killing voltage. Shut off the power at the breaker box before messing with it, unless you want curly hair (and toes).

When the heater is working, scale will build up on the heating elements and occasionally flake off. This will build up in the bottom of the tank until it covers the bottom element, causing the bottom element to burn out. You will suddenly notice that you don't get as much hot water as before.

To avoid this, you should drain the tank occasionally. I do it once every few years or thereabouts.

There is a drain faucet at the bottom of the tank.

Step 1. Connect a garden hose to the drain faucet at the bottom of the tank and turn the faucet on full blast until it runs clear. You're done.

John

Would you drain a water heater as old as ours? Like 37 years old?? It is gas, at least, not electric. I've thought of going with an 'on demand' tankless if the tank one dies.

Haven't read all the posts yet, we were away for the weekend again and I'm behind 172 posts.

 

[gunchief25]

All new members

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

wellll of course they do!
Mine overflowed ugh so over six inches by 7pm tonight. what a muddy mess. I am so glad your baby girl has improvement!
Almost sounds like a hernia. Speedy recovery and lots of hugs to her.
My goats wont either unless I quarter them. They can't get a good bite into it with those tiny front teeth.
Its been an excellent bonding tool with my doeling sophie, she loves thin slices and prances when she sees me now
Please tell him thank you so much!

I never really though if cutting them up. I will try that maybe then the litttle stunborn brats will eat them. I have 3 weathers and one doe. My boys are bery well behaved. ocassionally i get a jead butt in the leg but that only happens when i feed them. there are a bunch of pine tree with them and theey ate all the pine needles they can reqch.

 

[vickichicki]

We are on well water here, it's about 70 feet deep.  Never have any water supply issues, even during the drought in '12.  We don't have any problem with the iron content either, it's plentiful lol.  And the sulfur smell, sometimes.  Our water softener from Aqua Systems has been reliable for 13 years now, but we still have the iron on the hot side, I suspect build up in the water heater from all those decades of never doing any maintenance.

Yes the water heater is on the softened side of the softener, ha.


Would you drain a water heater as old as ours?    Like 37 years old??   It is gas, at least, not electric.  I've thought of going with an 'on demand' tankless if the tank one dies.

Haven't read all the posts yet, we were away for the weekend again and I'm behind 172 posts.

We are on well too, even with the option of city water. I was rather suffer iron then the chlorine smell.
We removed the ironide rod, and just do a yearly drain and rinse. The softener drain is close enough that we do as old salt said and attach the hose pipe to the bottom and snake the pipe down the drain.
Recently changed from a gas to an electric. Using less than $5 a month on gas but the fees on the gas means each bill was almost $20. Kinda felt ripped off.

We thought our well dried up about two years ago, that was on my list of least fun jobs I have done (drywall sanding being number 1 of course). Turns out it needed around 10ft of extra piping. Dealing with all the junk that stirred up was awful. Several weeks before we had potable water in our house.

Well if you need a gas water heater let me know, we have one that has become a piece of furniture in my dining room.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I also have well water. I have blonde hair and it turns my hair orange so i get malibu treatments every couple weeks. City water literally makes me sick if i drink it.