INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
All the more reason to get those birds that came from the other guy out of there.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

All the more reason to get those birds that came from the other guy out of there.

Totally agree

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I have a hen that has been sleeping and laying her eggs in a corner where I throw the empty feed bags lol

 

[FlockMaster-614]

Does anyone here use nipple waterers? Horizontal or vertical? How well do they work for you? I'm interested in installing some when I redo my coop and make new ones because they seem easier to maintain than the waterers I've got. But I was just wondering what you're guys's opinions were.

I've got 18 eggs in the incubator on day 20! I've got a sort of theory too, if they make it. Its that I can incubate successfully hatch eggs from my own backyard flock but when it comes to eggs from someone else, with good stock birds that I want it doesn't work in my favor. Does anyone else have this issue?

CCChickens: that is cute! I guess she finds it cozy!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

oh my goodness -- can't believe it -- just picked some fresh asparagus! yummy!!!

 

[Mother2Hens]

So sorry to hear about the egg! You do still have eggs left that she's sitting on? I remember some others talking about taking their hens off the nest for a break every day. With both of my broodies I left them alone and they were fine. I figured they were coming off to eat and drink, so they would take care of their other business at that time as well before returning to their nest. My buff orp broody left her nest to wander the barn so often I figured her eggs wouldn't even hatch, especially with the cold weather, but they did! I wasn't out in the barn often at the same time my australorp left her nest to eat & drink, so it made my wonder how often she left it. But I did see her enough to know she was taking care of herself.

Peaceful Walls ~ Yes, Bonbon is still sitting on 1 Mille Fleur and 3 OEGB eggs. This is what I had read on a BYC thread, but apparently I missed the part about being careful!:

To make sure she’s staying in good health, just make sure she’s getting off the nest each day to eat and drink. I have sometimes had to physically remove a broody from her nest each to eat and drink, she was so committed. You may do this if necessary; it won’t affect the incubation as long as you’re careful not to damage any eggs while removing her. She will stay off the nest for up to half an hour, and that’s fine. It won’t hurt the eggs to cool down during this time.

In hindsight, I should have left her alone because she could've figured out how to exit and re-enter her new coop. I also have little bowls of water and food next to her in the coop and she is eating all the special stuff like scrambled eggs, blueberries, watermelon, sunflower kernels, etc. When I've taken her out in the evening around 7pm, she screeches at the other hens except for her "sister" my Jubilee Orp Adeline. She cuddles up with her in the dust bath, and it's pretty sweet!
hoosiercheetah ~ "IMO" If the chicken(s) just have a fungal infection, I'd rather treat them than return them to the evil person. However, if the health issues are more severe, I'd return them. Either way, he should be contacted to let him know that you aren't a happy customer.
Does anyone know what can be done in these cases?
hoosiercheetah is certainly not the only one on this thread who has purchased unhealthy animals. These unethical people should be reported, but I'm not sure if that would be Animal Control or what. If this person is a regular seller, you could spread his name/your experience throughout social media including any sites that advertise swap meets where these types of people go to get rid of sick animals. Although I realize that these swindlers aren't a high priority for investigation, but customers should spread the word throughout social media to warn others.

Please keep us posted.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I hate to say it but so far I have only heard of people having problems when they purchase "started birds" from sellers. There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there.

They apparently know there is a market of folks that don't have experience they can sell to.

Then...while you have that bird....Check them all over very carefully.

But usually good food, clean water, lots of room to roam, runs that are deep littered rather than just impacted dirt will all help to bring them back to health.

Thank you so much for your insight on this! I really appreciate that everyone is taking the time to help me out. This will be my very last chicken buy from someone I don't know. I don't think they guy was intentionally pushing bad birds on me. I have a pretty good b.s. detector, even concerning things I don't know a lot about - I can read people. I think this guy believed everything he told me.

Also those chickens may be much much older than he says. It's hard to tell the difference between a year old chicken and a 6 year old chicken.

Ya, and I thought about that. But this afternoon, I collected my first three eggs. There's a distinct size difference between the black orps and the barnyard, which are my three layers so far.

I wish I lived closer. I'd accompany you and talk "technical" so he knew I was aware of what you were getting. That way I could be the "bad guy" and you could just go along for the ride.

That would be awesome! I do that for people all the time at used car dealerships. I are a mechanic. ;-)

He got 5 from me and mine are clean and healthy.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! They are completely awesome, if a bit more shy than the three bigger birds.

All the more reason to get those birds that came from the other guy out of there.

Well, here's the thing about that. I'm not so sure they're actually sick. Leahs Mom mentioned that sometimes poor food and dirty conditions can make a crusty chicken... I think that may be what I have. Supporting evidence (because we can never have too many pictures of chicken butts):



This is the smaller. It's hard to take a picture of the butt of a chicken while you're holding it.



Ironically, the picture where I had help is less clear. This is the larger bird.

What I'm trying to show here is that their vents don't look red, irritated, or inflamed. There is some poop on their butt feathers, but there's more mud on their bellies than anything else.
Also as of this morning, the poop under them at the roost (I have a poop board and they were all sitting where I had left them last night) looked just like everyone else's poop... just bigger.

Oh, and the nasty smell I noticed last night is totally gone. Even when I had them upside down, inspecting butts from a lot closer than I really wanted my face to be, there was no yeasty or unpleasant smell at all.

The other thing I wanted to say is, these critters aren't acting sick. I've read that unwell chickens will crouch with puffed feathers, and they're not doing that. They're active and alert, bright eyes, eating and drinking well, and all the stuff you want chickens to do. Granted, I've had them all of a day, so I realize I don't know what their normal behavior is. But I've spent a lot of time around animals, and they don't act like they feel poorly.

I also took the advice and gave them a thorough inspection - as much as I could without getting pecked and scratched. No evidence of parasites, no injuries or sores, feet and legs are smooth and clean, toes and beaks in good condition, bright and smooth with no cracks or chips. I'm new to this, but they look pretty good to me. Just dirty.

So this is my plan. I'm going to trim matted feathers back, and get a couple more pictures when things are more visible. I'll go ahead and soak them this afternoon, to get some of the mud off. I was planning on doing fermented feed and ACV in the water anyway, so that should help them out. I also have some home made (lacto-fermented) sauerkraut I can give everyone. And I'm going to keep a really close eye on them, keep watching poops and behavior and checking butts daily.

I'd hate to get rid of laying hens if there isn't anything wrong with them. But I agree with everyone, if they get any worse, at all, the go back straight away for a refund.

Thank you all again for all of your input, and I welcome any other comments or insights!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

More of the Egg Plant done today. I got the linoleum stapled down, though I managed to get a nice big air bubble under it. Sigh. I got the perches and removable poop shelf put in lol. I think I've got enough perches for far more birds than I have haha.

 

[chick rookie]

@hoosiercheetah: Congrats on your new flock, Sorry a couple are having health problems, I hope you can get it taken care of.


@Mother2Hens: Thats too bad about your egg. Hope the rest hatch well and are all Pullets

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@Leahs Mom: Thanks for that info I have copied and pasted it into my notes that I have started keeping for " just in case times " I need a program just for this, my documents folder is actually getting bogged down I have so much in it. Old lap top.

I hope some of you like mysteries... I have 8 laying hens, I have spent the last 3 weeks finding out which hen is laying which egg... Here is what I have found:

Warning Pic heavy :


This chicken unknown lays this egg Egg is a cream tint with speckles.

this hen welsummer/RIR lays this egg med brn with speckles

this hen EE lays this egg biggest green egg

this hen Golden Comet lays this egg lg brn

miss " Do Not Disturb" BR lays this egg Md brn

this hen RIR/EE lays this egg md green

this hen RIR lays this egg lg brn

this hen EE lays this egg lg lt olive

now comes the mystery I went to lunch with DH today so wasn't able to track my hens eggs, I found this when I got home:

this is a sm white egg ????? I only have 8 hens old enough to lay. but this is a new color and the 9th egg.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

About the laying hens, I might call the seller sooner rather than later about returning them.

I sell started chickens and personally I would not take them back without notice as a bio security measure to my other birds. I would need time to get an isolation pen set up to keep the returned birds in for at least 2 weeks.
there is also the issue of the seller having space. It is possible that waiting a week or two before calling the seller means that the seller already replaced the sold layers and honestly does not have space to take them back.