INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Ol Grey Mare]

You're killing me, kabhyper, I have been itching to pick up a couple of cochin babies and have been resisting (even though I can actually hear them calling to me every time I pass TSC going to/from work, lol) - chicken math says I *need* them, unfortunately my husband doesn't understand chicken math..........

 

[kabhyper1]

You're killing me, kabhyper, I have been itching to pick up a couple of cochin babies and have been resisting (even though I can actually hear them calling to me every time I pass TSC going to/from work, lol) - chicken math says I *need* them, unfortunately my husband doesn't understand chicken math..........

Mine doesn't either. I got them anyway. He got ducks though, so he is happy. ;-) I have never seen large fowl Cochins at TSC. I get them at Big R. They go through Cackle hatchery, and have very nice Cochins.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Just checking in!
I've been trying to keep up with all the posts, but have been really ill the last few days. Some sort of stomach virus or whatever they consider it. Ive only been able to eat broth with a bit of egg, hot tea, and water.
I've been reading about everything, but haven't been able to bring myself to comment, until now.

Yesterday morning my husband was tending to the chickens when three teenage boys started to walk into the area where our coop is! As soon as they saw him they turned around and nonchalantly walked out of our yard and through our neighbor's back yard.

I can't wait to get my fencing up - to keep the chickens in, and the dogs and teenagers out!

Tiny says, "Hello!"

House Kat ~ Tiny is a cutie! She looks more unusual with blue/gray "accents" instead of tan like my red/orange EE has.

lilmizcareall and HouseKat ~ I feel for both of you about your neighbors. Our next door neighbors of two years are nice, and they love our chickens, but we refer to them as The Loud Family because their normal talking voices are LOUD! I'm sure they don't realize how loud they are, especially the mom who is constantly yelling across the yard at her kids. I normally am one to assert myself, but I'm not really sure how to approach it. The situation during the warm months has made me want to move, and we hope to someday, but it's such a huge undertaking to even think of.

lilmizcareall ~ Hope you're feeling better! Stomach flu is a horrible thing.

We're leaving Friday. Heading to a Ron Jon resort in Cocoa Beach, paid for by the in-laws. It's a much needed vacation based on what the last year and this year has handed up. Some things answered prayers, some things not so much.

I don't get attached to my chickens like that. If anything happens I look at it like a business cost. ''Oh man, I lost an egg layer..." etc...No emotional attachment, but a $$$ attachment. If that makes sense? BUT, I have been into showing APBTs for over a decade. Recently, my yard was stolen from me which screwed up a lot of things. 1) The thieves stole over 4.5yrs of my breeding program, including my brood female (whom I've found since), 3 of her offspring and another young male. 2) This event has thrown my own little ecosystem off. The dogs aren't there to keep predators at bay so I've had predator problems AND the chicks have been wandering into unknown pasteurs to get lost, eaten, or lay eggs in weird places.

To make a long story short, I feel ya on losing something that you have an attachment to. It sucks. Period.

lollipopguild ~ I understand that people have chickens and other animals for different reasons, and that's what makes this thread interesting. If I were raising chickens for processing, I wouldn't try to get to know them personally. lol Mine are for pets/eggs, and I enjoy their different personalities and breeds/colors. I'm so happy to have discovered chickens two years ago because I look forward to going outside every day with my six hens to do yard work. I've only missed a few days of the years when there's been too much snow or it's below 15 degrees.

Sorry to hear about your thefts! I'm guessing that installing cameras would be worth the investment.

What do you mean by foster home? Children?

I was wondering the same thing! jchny?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Mine doesn't either. I got them anyway. He got ducks though, so he is happy. ;-) I have never seen large fowl Cochins at TSC. I get them at Big R. They go through Cackle hatchery, and have very nice Cochins.

Our TSC has the most adorable bantam cochins.........which is where chicken math works to my advantage, because they're bantams, so each one is only really half a chicken..... lol.

 

[kabhyper1]

That would have worked for me if I hadn't gotten 6 bantams the week before I got the Cochins. Whoops lol

 

[Mother2Hens]

Well I had two of my newly moved out babes hatched in November come up missing last night at lockup and realized this morning that the feather mess I found was from my lone Silkie boy! Omg I could cry! I hate losing babes but out here with hawks and such it never surprises me...but to lose him..ugh...he has made it through a lot and was such a good boy! Of course one of the babes I lost was a blue copper Marans pullet.
Pic in memory of him!

ellymayRans ~ I'm sorry! Just be thankful that a hawk didn't attack your other handsome boy! "They" always say that dark colored chickens blend in more that light ones, but I guess if you have "hawk eyes," it really doesn't matter. That's scary.

I was out in the back yesterday with my hens when they sound their "alarm." I looked around and finally spotted a red hawk standing on the ground across the backyard. I grabbed my shovel in case I had to wave it wildly, and slowly walked toward it. I got fairly close before it flew off. Meanwhile, my chickens did the run/fly/squawk procession up to the open door to the fenced-in backyard. The hawk seemed more interested in sunning that caring about my chickens. That's the first hawk I have seen in a long time. The strange thing is that I often saw all kinds of hawks before I had chickens, and since, I've rarely seen any. Turkey vultures, but not hawks.

 

[lilmizscareall]

*New Layer Alert*
Dita, my Birchen Maran has finally found the nesting box. Sadly, it's not as dark as I'd hope, but hey it's an egg and it's mine!

 

[lilmizscareall]

[rule][COLOR=008000]House Kat ~[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Tiny is a cutie! She looks more unusual with blue/gray "accents" instead of tan like my red/orange EE has.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=6699CC]lilmizcareall[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]and[/COLOR] [COLOR=008000]HouseKat[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]~ I feel for both of you about your neighbors. Our next door neighbors of two years are nice, and they love our chickens, but we refer to them as The Loud Family because their normal talking voices are LOUD! I'm sure they don't realize how loud they are, especially the mom who is constantly yelling across the yard at her kids. I normally am one to assert myself, but I'm not really sure how to approach it. The situation during the warm months has made me want to move, and we hope to someday, but it's such a huge undertaking to even think of.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=6699CC]lilmizcareall[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]~ Hope you're feeling better! Stomach flu is a horrible thing.[/COLOR]
[rule][COLOR=006699]lollipopguild ~[/COLOR][COLOR=8B4513] I understand that people have chickens and other animals for different reasons, and that's what makes this thread interesting. If I were raising chickens for processing, I wouldn't try to get to know them personally. lol  Mine are for pets/eggs, and I enjoy their different personalities and breeds/colors. I'm so  happy to have discovered chickens two years ago because I look forward to going outside every day with  my six hens to do yard work. I've only missed a few days of the years when there's been too much snow or it's below 15 degrees.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]Sorry to hear about your thefts! I'm guessing that installing cameras would be worth the investment.[/COLOR]
[rule][COLOR=8B4513]I was wondering the same thing![/COLOR][COLOR=A52A2A] jchny[/COLOR][COLOR=8B4513]?[/COLOR]

Darn teenagers!
I am much better, and it helped to be outside with the flock today.

 

[ChickCrazed]

*New Layer Alert*
Dita, my Birchen Maran has finally found the nesting box. Sadly, it's not as dark as I'd hope, but hey it's an egg and it's mine!

Woo hoo! My birchen marans should be within a couple months of laying and I can't wait! My welsummer's egg color fluctuates hugely, so maybe yours will get darker....you can hope! My welsummer seems to lay a couple super dark, then a slightly dark, then a normal brown with spots, then it repeats after a couple of days off. Not sure if that is normal or not, but it is her!

 

[chick rookie]

Well I had two of my newly moved out babes hatched in November come up missing last night at lockup and realized this morning that the feather mess I found was from my lone Silkie boy! Omg I could cry! I hate losing babes but out here with hawks and such it never surprises me...but to lose him..ugh...he has made it through a lot and was such a good boy! Of course one of the babes I lost was a blue copper Marans pullet.
Pic in memory of him!

Sorry for your loss, he was a pretty boy.