INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

Yes wolf lake is inly anout 10 minutes up the highway we live off of. You would have no issues getting your ducks while you are up here. You could even stop and see me !

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/grd/4346792811.html

does any one have a web site link for Wolf lake swap ???

 

[minmin1258]

Diamond is a natural Mommy!

My dog, Chickadee, is too. Lol if she'd just stop drooling all over the babies.

 

[racinchickins]

Hi, all. Just checking in. Enjoying your chick pics! (This is the only site on the web where that's not an off-color comment...)

M2H was kind enough to check on me today. I'm fine...kind of had the winter blues. That one day of Spring we had was fun. Did a lot of yard work and measured for the run. Definitely going 8x8x8x6 with it. Need to buy the lumber, I guess! And a nail gun and a jigsaw...

Did I read somewhere NOT to use treated lumber in your run?

Finally chose an EcoGlow instead of the Premier1 heatplate, mainly because I'm not thrilled with P1's website and I could order the other through Amazon. Getting stocked up on everything...hubby about died when I bought two rolls of hardware cloth (big rolls). Def. the most expensive part of the run. Going to put a corrugated roof on it. Now trying to figure out how to predator proof the door. How do you make sure nothing digs in under the human door to the run, if you're aproning your HW cloth? Do you just bury it for that section?

We got into our coop and it has a leak in the roof, so that's a must-fix. What else...just boring old "fix em up" stuff going on at my house. 68 days until my chicks get here! One of my friends locally got two chicks from the feed store and I'm so jealous. It's getting harder to wait!

I've been writing like a maniac. One book off to editing, two more on deck to finish. Kids are doing great. House is a total wreck as always.

Feel free to drop me a note anytime. I might not be online as much now that snow's melted and I can get my kids to school.

Hope you all have a good day.

The best way to prevent digging into the coop is to bury the wire. You can either bury it straight down for 6-8 inches, or lay it horizontally out from the base of the pen and bury that an inch or two. I found it is much easier to do the horizontal way. And it doesn't need to be expensive hardware cloth, you can bury 2x4 welded wire, and it will work just as well.

 

[leslea]

The best way to prevent digging into the coop is to bury the wire. You can either bury it straight down for 6-8 inches, or lay it horizontally out from the base of the pen and bury that an inch or two. I found it is much easier to do the horizontal way. And it doesn't need to be expensive hardware cloth, you can bury 2x4 welded wire, and it will work just as well.

Thanks. So, my plan is to apron the wire all around the run and then put raised beds on top of it. But you're saying right in front of where I put the human door, I can bury it flat, just an inch or two beneath the dirt? I guess that makes sense. It is basically same as aproning it, isn't it? And it's just for that one section. I have a few patio pavers I can lay over it, too.

 

[kabhyper1]

Diamond is a natural Mommy!
My dog, Chickadee, is too. Lol if she'd just stop drooling all over the babies.

Diamond adopted the chicks? Awesome! Are they sleeping under her? Your roo should be fine with them too, if you want to put them all together. Silkie roos love to be mommies. Yes I said mommies. sometimes they will sit on eggs like a broody hen. My roos have been very sweet with the babies. It's the hens I have issues with when introducing new kids to the flock.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks. So, my plan is to apron the wire all around the run and then put raised beds on top of it. But you're saying right in front of where I put the human door, I can bury it flat, just an inch or two beneath the dirt? I guess that makes sense. It is basically same as aproning it, isn't it? And it's just for that one section. I have a few patio pavers I can lay over it, too.

Okay...I have a question.

Are you locking the birds into the coop at night or will they be open to the run at night?

If they are locked into the coop at night that takes care of 99% of your issue and you really don't need to worry about night critters getting in the run as your birds will be secure.


So..
If they're locked in, put your effort into securing the coop itself. Then you can work on protecting the run from OVERHEAD preds (hawks). If you have neighborhood dogs running amok you would need to protect from them in the daytime and an electric net works wonders for that!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Didn't know about the medicated feed...uh oh!!! Had t run n take it away!!! What happens if they eat it??? And why brewers yeast? What's with niacin??? Oh dear!

Last year when we got our ducklings everywhere I read (including the care sheet from the hatchery) said not to use medicated feed as it could cause organ damage. I was searching around for more info this morning. One of the threads on BYC had a disagreement. A number of people said they use it with no problems as long as the med is amprolium. Apparently (it was noted in the thread) in years past arsenic was used and that was what would kill the ducklings (especially since they eat so much & could overdose on it). The posters discussing this said that most all medicated feed now is the ampro. So regular chick feed should be OK... We fed the Purina flock raiser (green bag) with no problems, even though we didn't supplement with extra niacin (maybe we just got lucky??) Lack of niacin can cause feet & leg problems.


About niacin...this is from the Metzer Farms website:
Are My Ducklings' Leg Problems Due to a Niacin Deficiency?


Originally posted by John Metzer on Wed, Dec 29, 2010 @ 03:22 PM

Niacin is a critical vitamin required for the correct development of ducklings and goslings. In fact, waterfowl have a higher requirement for niacin (also called nicotinic acid) than chickens. Niacin is formed from the amino acid tryptophan and waterfowl do not synthesize niacin well from tryptophan.
What do the birds look like if there is a niacin deficiency? If there is a lack of niacin in their feed, initially some birds are reluctant to move about. Eventually their hocks swell and their legs develop a bowed shape. It becomes very difficult for them to move about and they do not gain weight or thrive.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I am planning on hatching some BLRW and some Lavender Orpingtons. Anyone one have any of these breeds and any info would be helpful. I have buff orps and GLW and SLW didnt know if they differed much as far as temperment or egg production.

I have 2 BLRW hens I got from Brad and 1 rooster. They are very very pretty. Still on the young side so no eggs yet. Also I have not had them out much as the weather had been too cold for the most part to be out spending lots of time with the chickens. They have never tried to attack me though like a production red rooster. Still the rooster is on the young side to give a full opinion on how nice he will be.

 

[Primal Momma]

Just wanted to hop in and say hello! I live west of Indy and will have 20 Austrolourps by the end of next week!!!! Nuce to see so many hoosiers here

 

[racinchickins]

Just wanted to hop in and say hello! I live west of Indy and will have 20 Austrolourps by the end of next week!!!! Nuce to see so many hoosiers here

Welcome! If they are all hens, you will be swimming in eggs.