INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

The parrot documentary that recently upset me so much can now be watched online:
Video: Parrot Confidential | Watch Nature Online | PBS Video

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

The parrot documentary that recently upset me so much can now be watched online:
Video: Parrot Confidential | Watch Nature Online | PBS Video

Thanks M2H! It is very well worth the watch for anyone considering a parrot breed.
I love the greys but doubt I will ever have one.
When my mom took charlie in, it was a guaranteed return if it didn't work. After 2 years it didn't.
Its a long term permanent commitment. Parrot breeds are like adopting a child.
They will outlive you, and need future planning.

 

[leslea]

leslea ~ My apologies! I just noticed your post about vent picking, which is what popped in my head about an hour later!

I also looked at the Chicken Chick's site earlier-- great minds thing alike! I think that I accidentally overlooked your post because pictures in the following post were of bradselig's silkie chicks, which distracted me.

I've "been meaning to" (unfortunately, that's my catchphrase

) make some nest box curtains since I first saw some in kabhyper's photos. At that time I thought she was just really into decorating her coop, --lol-- but she explained the reason for curtains.

I've also been meaning to say that your explanation for waiting until May for your chickens is just too logical and sensible for you to be a member of this thread! lol -jk! I need to add this to our Indiana Thread information: Must be willing to go off the deep end and let your chicken-loving emotions make decisions for you.

Btw, you had said that you like to watch Animal Planet's Brooder Cam. I've had this one bookmarked for a long time, but I always forget to look at it until evening after her hens have gone in.

HenCam | A Chicken Keeping Life

No worries! I don't feel neglected. I enjoy this thread but it can be tough to keep track, can't it?

I've been "meaning to" unpack the new house since October 1st...somehow I have managed to design an addition to our coop and spend hours researching hens, instead...meanwhile, I have rooms full of unpacked boxes... Who doesn't want to live with rooms full of cardboard? It's a fashion statement, right?

Hey! I think I might have just qualified for the thread!!!

OOH, off to check the chicken cam!

I hope you solve the Mystery of the Bloody Nest Box soon. (I'll turn you into a fiction writer, yet.) Seriously, though, I hope you do. It would be nice if these extreme temps would let up. It can't be easy on the birds.

 

[leslea]

Over the weekend I found what I think was someone's attempt at an egg...

Coming out of one end was what looked like albumen.

Here's the new-used coop:

The previous owner was a teenage boy who named several of his hens after Jersey Shore characters, hence the Snooki and J-Wow painted on it.

The Jersey Shore theme is funny. Are you going to paint it?

 

[leslea]

O my. I saw on facebook a little bit ago that someone had some puppies and parrots they were selling on an indiana livestock and pet sale page.. I sent them a PM interested in the parrots, asking type of parrots and location. I got a long story about there puppies that I have no interest in at all and no location. I said I did not want puppies, I was interested in the parrots that they claimed ot have in their post. I got back I have pics. Do they not know the names of the types of birds they have? once again no location they just offer to send a pic, okay whatever. Then they say o ya, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Then why in the world post on an indiana page! They then proceeded to tell me they can ship the puppies. I am not interested in the puppies! Actually not interested in anything now. Then they send a picture. They are african gray congo parrots. I say I am not interested. They say they can ship them. I am not interested anymore!

people kill me. They finally left me alone.

Well, clearly it's that person's world you're just trying to buy parrots in it.

So, when can we expect to see new puppy pics?

Sorry, can't help but tease. That sounds like a scene out of Seinfeld or something.

 

[racinchickins]

One of my "little kiddos" (who are really "mid-sized" now rather than "little") Laid an egg today!

ETA: 21 weeks old

So small it didn't move the scale but she laid an egg! I noticed there was finally a nest in the "temporary nest box" on the younger kids side and there in the middle was a tiny egg.

I "think" it's this kiddo. (She's a SFH/BA mix...thus the silly crest.) (Photo is from a couple weeks ago and she's a bit larger and much redder in comb and wattles now.)


I still get excited about first eggs! And it's only 1F right now!

I love the smaller crests. The polish with the big crests look funny, but it causes so many visibility problems that I'm steering away from them. But I love the smaller SFH/CCL type crests. Still gives a distinctive look without causing issues seeing.

Last winter, almost this exact time in January, I saw some blood spots on the landing bar in front of the nest boxes.

I began trying to figure out what was going on and I finally came to the conclusion that one of the chicken's had an injury to a comb that had dripped a bit of blood. I never noticed any active bleeding anywhere....just saw those spots. And they were in close quarters for the winter with some younger birds housed with the olders which caused a squabble from time to time. I did see a little scab on one of the combs.






ETA: I'm not 100% sure it WAS a comb...the little scab I saw was so miniscule that I wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't been looking really hard.

I'd also check combs. I've been seeing some blood in a few of my pens, and it has almost always ended up being a comb issue. I've also had a few eggs here and there with blood smears. From what I can tell, it has usually been with either new laying pullets, or with older birds coming back into lay after taking some time off. I've never had it continue long term.

racinchickins ~ I'm not challenging your views since I personally don't know anything about Heritage breeds. I just want to tell you about a recent discussion when I brought Jersey to the vet the other week. I talked to the veterinarian's wife about their farm where they raise all kinds of chickens and livestock. She mentioned that they raise a lot of Heritage breeds, especially cows. She explained Heritage by saying, "You know, endangered breeds." She also said that they raise sheep, which multiply like rabbits. I thought that was interesting, and it probably explains why I never hear about anyone on the thread raising sheep!

I agree that most endangered breeds fall into the 'heritage' category. It can definitely apply to any type of livestock. And one of my favorite soapboxes to climb on is the need to preserve as much genetic livestock diversity as we can. The trick for me is controlling my instincts to try to work with too many breeds that need help.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Sounds like a scam.

I wasn't interested anyways

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Well, clearly it's that person's world you're just trying to buy parrots in it.

So, when can we expect to see new puppy pics?

Sorry, can't help but tease. That sounds like a scene out of Seinfeld or something.

lol, no more puppies! My dog had some a while ago and I would of loved to keep some of them. But enough is enough lol. They were very persistent on the puppies.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

The parrot documentary that recently upset me so much can now be watched online:
Video: Parrot Confidential | Watch Nature Online | PBS Video

There is a sad reality to the whole parrot world. Many neglect them. There is a lot put into the care of a parrot, that many just do realize before they get one.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Here is my view on the whole Heritage thing. I don't exactly see it as endangered breed. I see it as the purest form of that breed, if that makes any sense. We will use Plymouth Rocks as an example. A rock from a hatchery, not heritage.Hatcheries throw a little bit of leghorn and such to make an overall "better" production type bird. They make them look like a rock, but in reality aren't. A breeder that breeds Rocks and works hard to preserve the breed,get everything right, follow the SOP, that is heritage. I view it as every breed has a heritage form and a commercial form. Some breeds are still around in abundance, but the "heritage" form is becoming scarce. Now that made sense in my head, not sure if it made sense when it typed it lol!