INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[barb s]

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.

Thank you for responding. I want to get into the heritage birds for basically the same reasons as you do. There are 3 or 4 breeds that I would like to try my hand at breeding. But what I mostly want to do is have a flock of pure breed heritage birds that will make pure breed heritage mutts. I know that you can't really call them pure breeds because they are mixed. But imo if the rooster is a pure bred heritage bpr and the hen is a pure bred heritage blrw then the chicks are going to be beautiful pure bred heritage mutts. Does that make sense to anyone but me. I don't know maybe my thinking is way off base.

Other than a few breeds that I know are definite I'm gonna have I can't make up my mind what I want to end up. Someday maybe I will have some of all the breeds that I have on my wish list.

I'm glad to hear the positive feedback on the breeders that I had mentioned. I did place a order for spring chicks from one of them. So come this spring I will be getting Isbars, Bredas, Light Sussex, Coronation Sussex and Swedish Flower Hens. I can't wait.

We live near Columbia City in Northern Indiana. I would be very interested in possible going in on a an order with you depending on when you are wanting to place it. I really need to wait until spring before I get anymore. I would be willing to meet you half way. Just let me know and maybe we can work something out.

I hope to be able to go to the Nationals in Ohio this year but don't know if we will be able to.

 

[barb s]

Barb S : i know a guy up around my way that has some iowa blues (i think he has 3 left) that he is looking to rehome to a good home - prob too far away tho as he's about 90+ minutes north of saginaw MI. If you are interested , send me a p.m. & ill contact him & send you phone # etc...... we got 2 nice deleware pullets from him recently - they are nice lookin birds

II would love to get the Iowa Blues that you know about. But like you said it is a little far to drive. And I was looking at getting them in the spring rather than right now. But thank you very much for the offer. And I was able to locate a breeder on line that I have contacted about getting chicks in the spring. Again thank you for your offer

 

[Old Salt 1945]

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

??

I have Indian Runner Duck eggs. I have 3 ducks and 5 drakes, so they are well fertilized. I get about 1 egg per day at this time. The ducks are about 5 months old. I don't care for the stronger taste of them. We use them in baking.

You can have (free) as many as I have, currently 10. Don't know if they would hatch well. They are usually laid in mud, so I wash them with clean water. If you want to hatch some, let me know and I will collect them without washing.

John

 

[pginsber]

Here's a picture of the first RIR chick hatching last night.


Aretha is fiercely guarding them post-hatch. This morning, all 3 chicks were warm and dry under her. I'll take some pictures of their cute & fuzzy faces tonight.

 

[Old Salt 1945]

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.

It never hurts to do a drain. Sort of like washing your hands; might not need to; couldn't hurt.

John

 

[julie0477]

I have Indian Runner Duck eggs.  I have 3 ducks and 5 drakes, so they are well fertilized.  I get about 1 egg per day at this time.  The ducks are about 5 months old.  I don't care for the stronger taste of them.  We use them in baking.

You can have (free) as many as I have, currently 10.  Don't know if they would hatch well.  They are usually laid in mud, so I wash them with clean water.  If you want to hatch some, let me know and I will collect them without washing.

John

thanks John. They actually aren't for me. I like to bake with them but my 9 year old turned out to have an allergy (seriously?!) so I can't use them. I put an ad on CL to unload them and a lady answered that wants them because she is allergic to chicken eggs. The irony. I'm pretty far for her though. She wants me to meet her half way and i just dont have the time to do it. I could put you in touch if your interested in selling a few.

 

[Webechickens]

Here's an update on the broody girls and their eggs. Was out in the coop today and thought I heard faint peep peep sounds. One of the girls sitting on 4 eggs stood up to position herself and I saw about a 1/4 inch hole in one of the eggs. They are 21 days today. The other broody has 4 eggs under her as well and she keeps positioning the eggs. Thinking we're on a roll now. Our first hatch! When my 4 kiddos get off the bus, they're going to be so excited. The other broody we have is still wishing those eggs were hers. lol Not now, girl. 8 is enough!

 

[Leahs Mom]

On the avacado - they can eat the flesh, just not the skin or seed. I often don't put the avacado in, but if I do, I cut them open. They only eat what isn't offensive to them.

 

[julie0477]

Btw My silkie with the babies started laying again. Looks like she's gearing up for round 2! I hope she waits til spring!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I hope you all find the heritage birds you want. I don't see why Heritage RIR would not get along with the BO's unless the BO's are mean. My HRIR are really as sweet as can be and don't fight other breeds for the top pecking spot. They barely squabbled among themselves to set up an order. There are 2 flocks that I mingled no problems. Plus I really had them in 3 small pens for most of their lives so they thought they were 3 tiny flocks. Then I went and added an EE rooster and he is currently the top rooster at night but the low one during the day, only because he is smaller and scared of the RIR size. But at night he has the favorite roosting spot and no one even tries to make him move.
I don't know if I will have Heritage RIR chicks this spring, but come fall 2014 I should have a few young birds depending on how my hatches go.

I just can't keep up with all of you. Been really busy round here. Glad the rain fAnlly stopped. this is pic of my back yard. It was ankle deep. Oh well the ducks loved it. !!!

My front yard looks like all of the mud every spring. So much so that now we don't mow the front yard until the rain season is past so at least the mud is hid by the taller grass.

Quote: We got rid of our gas hot water tank because of the gas company fees. I was looking into the tankless kind but the electric tankless ones are on a list of things the electric company is trying to charge extra fees for having and using. Something about the increase in electrical demand causing the electric company demand problems. I don't know if I fully believe the electric company but at least right now I don't have to pay the gas fees.