INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

I am, but want to start with a pup that I train myself.
Originally Posted by Kiniska

That looks like an Australian Cattle Dog. If so you really don't want a puppy. 1.5 years old is perfect. They don't grow their brains until they are 4 years old.
All my dogs are great with my goats and chickens. The Lab was 3 or 4 when we got her, the Shepherd was 2. I like getting older dogs because you can tell quickly what their personality and train-ability are. With a puppy it is a huge gamble.

Kiniska ~ Yip, that's what it is --just click the link. IMO, jchny should go ahead and get it. It looks very sweet and trainable (that's a scientific fact --lol!)

M2H: i want to graduate high school but i cant they want me to go back 2 extra years cuz they didnt want to help me freshman and sofmore year. my dad doesnt like cats that much, 1 hes kinda alergic to cats 2 he doesnt like cleaning litter boxes out and 3 they annoy him sometimes.
jchny: those ducks i see them wild and there so weird ugly but cute. do all muscovy have those weird wattles? on there face??? and would they eat plants if my dad put plants in his house??

animal lover~ That's a problem when neighborhood or small town schools are made into one huge consolidated school where kids "fall through the cracks." I bet GED classes would be a good solution. There should be a lot of free tutoring with Purdue students nearby. You have such talent in taking care of animals. You even performed surgery! You're a smart girl who has had some rough patches, but I'm sure that you can get your GED so you can work towards being a vet tech or work with poultry.

jchny said that muscovy get the weird red stuff on their faces when they're mature. I agree that it takes a little getting used to!

 

[ChickCrazed]

OH NO ...Are you trying to get me killed...... sorry but you are not getting him back... lol we love him and he is DH's pick and says he will build him his OWN house and get him some of his own ladies if he has to but forbids me to get rid him. said we will bring him in until he gets him his own place if we have to...

and he couldn't understand why I wanted chickens in the first place.... He is getting hooked now!!!!!!
He held him the other day so I could trim his but up a bit, he had dried poo in his feathers, think he was stressed after the move, cause he is fine now, but that was the day he started falling for Big Man's charms... lol

Ha ha love it. I never thought I'd get attached to a rooster but I have stars in my eyes when I see my Cochin roo too! He comes over to the fence to talk to me when I am with the horses. It is why I am beside myself trying to find a female Cochin! If the roos are this great how fantastic must the hens be? I know Kab's Lavender looks awesome! I can't even imagine what my chicken math will look like if I get a few Cochins....I may have to burn all my storage stuff so they can have the whole shed.....or give them the horse barn.....or maybe they should have my house (they would like it).

 

[chick rookie]

Ha ha love it. I never thought I'd get attached to a rooster but I have stars in my eyes when I see my Cochin roo too! He comes over to the fence to talk to me when I am with the horses. It is why I am beside myself trying to find a female Cochin! If the roos are this great how fantastic must the hens be? I know Kab's Lavender looks awesome! I can't even imagine what my chicken math will look like if I get a few Cochins....I may have to burn all my storage stuff so they can have the whole shed.....or give them the horse barn.....or maybe they should have my house (they would like it).

right there with ya... this keeps up Big Man IS getting our house... lol

 

[Mother2Hens]

Originally Posted by ChickCrazed
chick rookie: Maybe try multiple feeding stations for the Cochin? I always have at least one for every five birds so the timid ones get enough to eat. I have a couple bossy oldies who guard the food otherwise.

ChickCrazed ~ I agree! I was going to mention that to lilmizscareall who had a chicken death possibly from not getting enough food. There have been a couple of other members who've had similar issues. I also use multiple food and water stations during the day, and it's also helpful if at least once a day, depending on time allowed, to supervise eating to make sure the lower ones on the pecking order get food. When I bring out treats like fruit and greens, I put them on a few plates and supervise as they all rotate from plate to plate making sure they aren't missing something better on another plate!

Originally Posted by CCCCCCCCHICKENS
M2H- that turkey is thee cutest thing! I want one! I don't want to pay shipping from Australia though, it would probably be a little pricey lol.


CCCHICKENS ~ They are cool! Here's some basic info:
The Australian Brush-turkey, also frequently called the Scrub Turkey or Bush Turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird.
Despite its name and their superficial similarities, the bird is not closely related to American turkeys.
I also ran across this interesting post from someone from South Africa: brush turkey - Backyard Chickens
It shows a picture of one with pretty blue wattles!
There's interesting info about Galliformes (chicken-like birds) and continents that they originate from.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: LM, its much easier with an 8 month old and up. I haven't had a puppy in years, but more I think about it.. UGH do i really want one?

Quote: It is, I am going to call later today. I trained police dogs, so I know a young adult is easier usually! We may bring our pug with to make sure they click.

M2H: i want to graduate high school but i cant they want me to go back 2 extra years cuz they didnt want to help me freshman and sofmore year. my dad doesnt like cats that much, 1 hes kinda alergic to cats 2 he doesnt like cleaning litter boxes out and 3 they annoy him sometimes.
jchny: those ducks i see them wild and there so weird ugly but cute. do all muscovy have those weird wattles? on there face??? and would they eat plants if my dad put plants in his house??

The hens only have a small amount of the red caruncles, mostly the knob.
Scovies are more an insect eater, but will eat some plants also.

 

[Kiniska]

LM, its much easier with an 8 month old and up. I haven't had a puppy in years, but more I think about it.. UGH do i really want one?

It is, I am going to call later today. I trained police dogs, so I know a young adult is easier usually! We may bring our pug with to make sure they click.

If you have trained police dogs then you know the score and things will be just fine. The only thing you have to be willing to do is let the dog go to a new home if their prey drive is too strong. I had a cattle dog and she was amazing with all my live stock. We got her at 2 years of age untrained. I did have to strongly explain to her a few times that they were family, but once she figured that out all was great. We do a lot of obedience training with our dogs, the bond the training creates helps them understand what is expected of them and makes the dogs fantastic pack members. The fact that you have training in your background bodes well for how this will work out.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Something I would likely use if I were training a new adult dog to be around my chickens or other livestock...

A shock collar.
One thing about them is that they don't associate the shock with the person. You can keep an eye on them from afar and if they start to exhibit behavior you don't want you can let it give a quick shock. Kind-of puts the "fear of god" into them and helps train them for times when they think you aren't watching.

Now that would only be a small part of the training routine, of course. But it would be part for me.

 

[hanakimi]

I couldn't find the deal online for the sale on the garden planner. Was there a specific website offering it as I'd like to try it out at $10 instead of $25?

 

[Kiniska]

Something I would likely use if I were training a new adult dog to be around my chickens or other livestock...

A shock collar. 
One thing about them is that they don't associate the shock with the person.  You can keep an eye on them from afar and if they start to exhibit behavior you don't want you can let it give a quick shock.  Kind-of puts the "fear of god" into them and helps train them for times when they think you aren't watching.

Now that would only be a small part of the training routine, of course.  But it would be part for me.

Utilized properly shock collars can be wonderful training aids for many dogs. I used one on my lab to great effect. I would not suggest them on a cattle dog. It could cause them to attack the animal you are trying to get them to leave alone. Cattle dogs are categorized as sensitive aggressive. That of course varies from dog to dog.

 

[kabhyper1]

My hens wing feathers are getting torn up by Gus. He only mates 4 of them. They have aprons on due to their bald backs. This weather needs to getbetter so he has better things to do than mount those poor girls. My other girls are fine. Not sure what to do for those poor hens.