INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

It has been snowing all day, plus some last night. We have 3 or 4 inches.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Lavender was only 6 months and I never saw evidence of her laying any eggs before. Now she is the overprotective mother of 3 giant 3 month olds, that she won't cut the cord with. So it is possible Bonbon is going broody. Give her a plastic eater egg, or a golf ball for a little while, if she hangs in, and gets determined, give her some real eggs. Orps and cochins are equally broody I hear.

I thought of Lavender when Bonbon did that. I didn't realize that Lavender hadn't laid yet. It was really weird because it was like she had a mission. Luckily, she didn't complain when I moved her. Adeline would be really bummed if Bonbon wasn't her buddy.

Oh and the foam is a great idea, but I do think my alpacas would pull it off and chew it. They like to rearrange their food dishes, but won't play with the blueberry flavored horse toy I got them. Go figure.
You may not want your chickens roosting there anyway, but I've found that foam pipe covers make nice perch covers! Nene would like the blueberry horse toy since blueberries are her favorite and she's just weird enough to like a horse toy.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I do notice the adult hen with the tom is much quieter. My 2 jennies, snoodles and snickers still make some of the trills and baby chatter sounds.
I will introduce the 2 younger hens this spring, probably very soon.

Quote: No worries...
I was hoping to see more! She is a beautiful little lady now

I have chosen Exchequer Leghorn for my first white layers, now looking for a good breeder.
After seeing yours, I just love their looks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jchny2000
M2H are you thinking bantam, or large frame cochin?
I am back and forth myself. DH wants LF and I love the bantams. Egg size is about the same!
He saw jsummers blue roo last summer and hounds me nonstop about that rooster!
I told him go talk to Jess! So I promised they are the next breed to add.

jchny~ Either one. If bantams lay close to the same size then I'd rather have bantams. I've always like large animals-- large cats, dogs, -- and my Jersey Giant! But, we fell in love with our little bantam Bonbon. And, like I mentioned before, bantams have little poop! lol I like blue-gray, lavender-gray, blue-black splash colors. So is jsummers breeding them? I put in an order with bradselig at one time for two guaranteed female chicks in those colors with one frizzle

, but he ignored me. I guess he's into the modern birds now.

Hehe~ Jess is having a slowdown on their laying, like most of us. She was hatching them last we spoke but very few and far between.
Whats other member's experience, are the LF cochin's eggs bigger than bantams? I have not raised either myself yet, just going off what others have told me.

 

[goodb]

Due to the exceptional cold tonight, I caved and put a heat lamp (red brooder light) out with the birds. My plan is to do this only when the temperatures are to get below zero which is tonight and forthcoming Monday night. Is there a reason why I shouldn't give them a heat lamp? Will doing so spoil them? Either way, they will be cozy tonight.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I also got some pictures of the Cochins!!! They are so pretty in the sun with the green sheen! One of the pictures is of them "helping" me tack up my horse for a ride They are so sweet and friendly - mostly I think because they are sure I am a human treat dispenser. For birds that weren't overly socialized they sure warmed up fast and I am always tripping over them because they are under foot! They also are hilarious when they run - they actually gallop because of their huge feathery legs. They are not super coordinated!

Lovely birds!

Quote:
I have seen corrigated plastic sheets relatively cheap, and it did well for my DDs duck brooder. Very easy to remove, clean and replace. she used zip ties just at the top corners and the bottom sat in a box frame. I would take a picture but she repurposed the materials for another critter project.. sugar gliders.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I do notice the adult hen with the tom is much quieter. My 2 jennies, snoodles and snickers still make some of the trills and baby chatter sounds.
I will introduce the 2 younger hens this spring, probably very soon.
No worries...
I was hoping to see more! She is a beautiful little lady now

I have chosen Exchequer Leghorn for my first white layers, now looking for a good breeder.
After seeing yours, I just love their looks!

Hehe~ Jess is having a slowdown on their laying, like most of us. She was hatching them last we spoke but very few and far between.
Whats other member's experience, are the LF cochin's eggs bigger than bantams? I have not raised either myself yet, just going off what others have told me.

I have both LF and bantam cochins. The LF lay medium sized eggs, my bantam hasn't started laying yet.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Its horrible outside, but the silkies are nice and warm inside with us. Only four left outside to come in when it gets really cold out.
Getting big!

Hi!

Miss Bell (she has leakage, but she is still pretty to me.)

Gracie, now Grayson I think

Photo bombing Lumi

Gray(son,cie)

Henley

Henley
Momas on broody break eating dinner and dropping terrible broody bombs

All too adorable!!! Love your Henley the most

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Anyone else's hens lay from the roost when they get upset or too cold? I have two hens that are missing their 3rd. Then it was cold last night. This morning I found both eggs under the roost. I have moved the hens in preparation for the cold so I'm not even sure when they will start laying again as these hens have been picky for the past 2 months. I checked my records and it looks like they lay from the roost when I upset them by adding a roo to the breeding pen or taking their beloved roo away a couple of days later.

My younger girls do, rarely the mature girls. And of course the shell less ones are often off the roost too.
I have a bunch of new/newer pullets starting to lay now, so seeing a lot of the usual weird stuff new layers do.

Okay, I am now both frozen and dripping with sweat. My fingers have swollen from getting too cold, and my face can't decide if it's frozen stiff or overheating. Here's a little story from this evening.

I did my usual head count this evening and came up 36. Well, that would be normal, except Mr. Po is bunking with the hens, so my head count should be 37. Instant panic mode.

So after counting and counting again, I determined that my little Sebright Rosie was missing. I looked between all the big fluff butts, in the nests, behind the nests, in all the corners. No little Rosie. At last, I went outside and looked up and there she was, easily 20 feet up in the big walnut tree that grows next to the coop.

I ran inside for help, but my sister was the only one around. She suggested that I use the duster. See, we have an extendable duster because the ceiling in our living room is the height of the first and second floor. I didn't consider that even so, the duster is not quite long enough to reach the ceiling and we have to use a step stool to reach the ceiling. Out I run, duster in tow, to knock little Rosie out of the tree.

The duster was probably 3 feet too short.

So outside, in the dark, I'm climbing up on things and swinging with little success. She was just out of reach. I don't like to say this, but I'm just a little OCD, and since I could see her, I had to get her down.

Back to the house I went, but on the way, I spotted the step ladder and it was absolutely perfect. With it, I climbed up onto the roof of the coop addition, covering myself in snow and filling my sleeves as well. Oh, and on the way up, my flashlight, which hangs on a lanyard, hooked on one of the rungs of the step ladder and broke off, disappearing into the snow.

From atop the addition, the duster reached little Rosie. Man, can that bird fly! She flew all the way up to the house, and I had to quickly climb down and get her before she hid again. With Rosie under one arm, I dug through the snow--bare handed, I might add, because I didn't think to grab my gloves--but the flashlight is gone. So I had to run to the house AGAIN and get another.

I put Rosie on the perch and counted again, just to be safe. 36 again. I am literally on the verge of tears at this. Count again. Who is missing? And then I remembered Marge in the nests because she's broody. UGH! So I dragged her out and perched her as well, got everyone situated, just about to leave, and then I hear poor Frou-Frou fall off the perches. She is constantly trying to force her way under the other hens and ends up falling off because of it. Had to help her back up onto the roosts. Count again. 37. I can sleep now.

So here I am now, exhausted like I haven't been in a while, legs heavy, arms aching, hands frozen, ready to collapse. Anyone else ready for spring yet?

Glad you found them all safe and well! My serema Kate is a stinker, and occasionally does the "tree ordeal" with me.
First few times I was so angry and upset! I never dreamed a chicken could fly like a wild bird

Oh you can believe & count on it, I hate winter and cold! This is the shortest time I have even spent outdoors since last winter.
I usually spend at least 6 hours a day outside. With the wind today, not happening!
Even my wild bunch group were actually roosted IN the coop and not on tonight!
I did have to pluck Charles, my sebright roo off the porch, and put him back in the goat pen.
He is a very low pecking order roo, and very docile, he has stayed with Sugar and sophie for months.
Don't understand why he wasn't with the goats, guessing the walk in the deep snow was too much for him.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: yes, all of the roosting bar eggs are early morning eggs, before 7-8 am when I get out there but after 5:15 am when DH gets out there for the duck eggs.

Due to the exceptional cold tonight, I caved and put a heat lamp (red brooder light) out with the birds. My plan is to do this only when the temperatures are to get below zero which is tonight and forthcoming Monday night. Is there a reason why I shouldn't give them a heat lamp? Will doing so spoil them? Either way, they will be cozy tonight.

Issues with the heat lights:
fire hazard is many different ways, everything from dust getting too hot and starting a fire to a chicken or rodent eating the cord causing an electrical fire. The fixture can fall down or part of the fixture can break and fall if hot enough and they do get hot once the hot part or lamp falls into wood bedding filled with dust, it is not long before smoke. And where there is smoke there is fire.

increase in electrical bill

dependence on the heat, what happens if the electricity goes out when the chickens are used to a 32F degree coop and there is no way to get the coop above 0F. Chickens seem to do well with a gradual change in weather but drastic changes in temps upset them. once upset if too cold they pile and suffocate or hide and freeze. If too hot they stop drinking and eating (strange about the drinking but once too hot my chickens would not even move their necks to get to the water)

Benefits of heat in the coop:
less frostbite
less issues with frozen water
can still feed wet feed
egg laying is said to be better if the coop stays warmer (not sure as I would not heat a coup to 45F for eggs)
heat is almost always needed where ever young chicks are brooding either the basement or a blocked off area of a coop

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I was hoping to see more! She is a beautiful little lady now I have chosen Exchequer Leghorn for my first white layers, now looking for a good breeder. After seeing yours, I just love their looks!

Rangi is actually an Ancona. My dear, sweet Roha is an Exchequer Leghorn:

Due to the exceptional cold tonight, I caved and put a heat lamp (red brooder light) out with the birds. My plan is to do this only when the temperatures are to get below zero which is tonight and forthcoming Monday night. Is there a reason why I shouldn't give them a heat lamp? Will doing so spoil them? Either way, they will be cozy tonight.

I hope you don't mean a 250 watt red brooder bulb! Those guys should not even be sold as brooder heaters--they are very much excessive even for a brooder! I have posted time and time again the reasons why one shouldn't give their adult chickens a heat lamp. First and most notable is that the adults do not need supplemental heat, much less a 250 watt bulb! Those guys are a big fire hazard! Sorry, I don't mean to scare you, but just be aware that those bulbs are dangerous.