INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I'm not looking forward to hubby going back to work tomorrow, it's been nice to have him around for 4 days.

A few of my babies have figures out the roost with the big girls but not enough of them so I gave up tonight and closed off the neat boxes completely. Guess I'll head out there earlier than usual tomorrow to open them, not like I get many eggs right now anyway.

 

[racinchickins]

Can you also find out if cooking duck is the same as goose? We're considering changing the drake to hen ratio here, meaning a couple of boys may need to go. Christmas dinner might be a good time for them to make an appearance in the kitchen...

Ducks are not quite as fatty as geese, but they definitely have more fat than non-waterfowl. We've never actually cooked a whole duck, just breasts and legs. The breasts we usually salt and pepper and then put in an oven on the top rack fat side up. I'll need to dig up the recipe to tell you more details such as temp and cooking time.

As far as the duck legs go, you NEED to look up recipes for duck confit. It is my absolute favorite food in the whole world. Since you have several boys to process, it would be a perfect opportunity to make some.

 

[kabhyper1]

Babies!

 

[Mother2Hens]

I wasn't meaning her comb. Her comb is virtually nonexistant. I meant her head feathers, afro, crest.

CCCHICKENS ~ Same concept -- Oil repels water, so you could work a little oil into their crests as though it's hair gel.
I just did a little googling on the subject since I was curious and know nothing about the breed.
*If you don’t plan on showing your polish chicken, clip its crest feathers around the eyes so it can see.

*To keep those mites and lice away, mix some mitacide or lice powder with vaseline and apply a dob in the middle of the crest and under the wings. It works.

*Sometimes it”s a good idea to tie the crest up and out of the way of the bird’s eyes. They can scratch masking tape off as well as rubber bands. Try electrical tape. It holds well and not too sticky. Also, don’t keep the crest tied any longer than a month. Let it down for a while.

The above is from the Polish Breeders Club website under: Tips and Ideas
Hardy: Not very. Especially in the winter months water from drinking may freeze in their crests, so they may take some maintenance, and maybe a blow dryer in winter months once in a while. Their feathers are not very well suited for cold weather either.
The above is from: Pickin' a Chicken

It is extremely important to keep them in a very dry place during cold weather. If the crests become wet and freeze, it can be life threatening to them.
The above is from: Polish Chicken Breeder ND MN - Barn Of Angels

 

[Mother2Hens]

kabhyper ~ I loved the video of your fluffy baby silkies enjoying their dust bath! Sifting the coarse sand with a flour sifter is a great idea. I hope they have provided you some much needed humor during the difficult time you are going through from the unexpected deaths of two of your loved ones.
jchny/Janet ~ Hope you are feeling better!
This is my five year old grandcat, Rufus, who visited over Thanksgiving. He's used to exciting college life at IU, so he entertained himself at my house by trying to fit into boxes that were too small. My daughter got him as a Ragdoll rescue. Rufus demonstrated his 18 pounds of ragdoll flexibility. I couldn't believe that he fit in that plastic shoe box.





It dawned on me this evening that these two pics of Rufus were the only photos I took over Thanksgiving when our three kids were home and other relatives were also here. Oops!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Ducks are not quite as fatty as geese, but they definitely have more fat than non-waterfowl. We've never actually cooked a whole duck, just breasts and legs. The breasts we usually salt and pepper and then put in an oven on the top rack fat side up. I'll need to dig up the recipe to tell you more details such as temp and cooking time.

As far as the duck legs go, you NEED to look up recipes for duck confit. It is my absolute favorite food in the whole world. Since you have several boys to process, it would be a perfect opportunity to make some.

Thanks for the tips. Benji may have a hard time deciding which of the duck boys will go. I don't feel real comfortable about making decisions based on the Ancona breed markings and what to look for when culling. I've asked on the Ancona duck thread, but haven't got a lot of helpful info there -- kinda sparse discussion -- not like on our thread! I'm afraid of picking out boys that we should have kept instead in case any of the girls would go broody.

 

[toodlesmom]

Kabhyper - So sorry for your losses. Hope a little chicken therapy will help ease the pain.

JCHNY - Hope you are feeling better soon! You have so many responsibilities going on, it isn't too surprising that you would get a little run-down. Wish I could help ease the burden.

Peaceful Walls - Wow! How wonderful that your mother has made such a remarkable recovery from her seizure!

Pipd - There is light at the end of the tunnel! The semester will soon be over, and you will have a nice winter break. Good luck on your finals!

M2H - Love your pictures of Rufus! What a handsome fellow!

Bradselig - It sounds to me like you have been more than fair as an Ebay seller; you have gone above and beyond the call of duty. I would have left excellent feedback.

Everyone - Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving with their loved ones and enjoyed a good turkey dinner!

 

[gunchief25]

Morning all Cockadoodledooooooo!!!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

[COLOR=000080]CCCHICKENS[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]~ Same concept -- Oil repels water, so you could work a little oil into their crests as though it's hair gel. [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I just did a little googling on the subject since I was curious and know nothing about the breed. [/COLOR] [rule][COLOR=8B4513]*If you don’t plan on showing your polish chicken, clip its crest feathers around the eyes so it can see. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]*To keep those mites and lice away, mix some mitacide or lice powder with vaseline and apply a dob in the middle of the crest and under the wings. It works. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]*Sometimes it”s a good idea to tie the crest up and out of the way of the bird’s eyes. They can scratch masking tape off as well as rubber bands. Try electrical tape. It holds well and not too sticky. Also, don’t keep the crest tied any longer than a month. Let it down for a while.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]The above is from the Polish Breeders Club website under:[/COLOR] Tips and Ideas [rule][COLOR=8B4513]Hardy: Not very. Especially in the winter months water from drinking may freeze in their crests, so they may take some maintenance, and maybe a blow dryer in winter months once in a while. Their feathers are not very well suited for cold weather either.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]The above is from: [/COLOR]Pickin' a Chicken [rule] [COLOR=8B4513]It is extremely important to keep them in a very dry place during cold weather. If the crests become wet and freeze, it can be life threatening to them.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]The above is from: [/COLOR]Polish Chicken Breeder ND MN - Barn Of Angels

ok, thanks. I was try to avoid gels, thought there might be a type of spray. I am going to show, but she can see just fine. we just have troubles keepin her crest dry. No mites or lice problem yet chickens get regular check ups.

 

[bradselig]

ok, thanks. I was try to avoid gels, thought there might be a type of spray. I am going to show, but she can see just fine. we just have troubles keepin her crest dry. No mites or lice problem yet chickens get regular check ups.

what about putting a bowl, brick, etc in the middle of thw water dish so they can only drink out of the outer edge and their crests would just hit the middle obsticle you put in the middle? Just a thought