INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[FlockMaster-614]

Chickcrazed; Odds are the kittens will either stay around our house or be given to a no kill shelter we've been told about and that our friends have had good dealings with. But, I'm not holding much hope in them having kittens because our other tom cat, their dad and grandad (Don't you love the family trees stray cats have? ) and they didn't get pregnant and he was around for several days but who knows maybe they will but if they don't and he leaves I'm gonna get my mom to take them. However, we got our cat George fixed after she had her first litter and then after she was allowed out she got hit by a car :/ So I've got to convince my mom to get them fixed, maybe by someplace that does it cheaply. Otherwise if they did have kittens I would have said they would only have a few that lived out of a few birthed. However, after our cat George had her first litter we found that that isn't exactly a good theory and out of 9 kittens 6 made it. Obviously Bar cats are hardy because it seems 6 are the average number of kittens from the three litters we have had on our property.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'll talk to my mom.

 

[ellymayRans]

Yeah the dad is clean faced the mom us tufted so I don't think that should be a huge issue. And I've actually read it was 50%!! Geez. Someone said if you feed them certain foods that brings that rate down but I don't see why it would. Has anyone here ever seen a splash barred? I think ellymayRans might be doing it for me...I will let her pipe in. I think I annoyed her last night lol. Anyway if she decides she doesn't want to I will send them your way. I also would need them grown out enough that I could decipher gender, so I don't know if that would change your answer. But I think maybe I will sit and hope for a 25-50% hatch rate, anywhere from 3 to 6. Got my fingers crossed. My luck they will all be roos. If there is say 1 female and 2 males i will take the females, but I am also willing to bring her out to someone for a month or so so they can get some eggs to hatch. <3 <3 cross your fingers everyone

Hahaha you don't annoy me! I'm happy to. Told you, no worries.

However you decide girly!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Hahaha you don't annoy me! I'm happy to. Told you, no worries.

However you decide girly!

Phew sorry I'm crazy sensitive. They said they'd throw in a couple extra because of the potential hatch issues. Let me know when you can take them

 

[ellymayRans]

Phew sorry I'm crazy sensitive. They said they'd throw in a couple extra because of the potential hatch issues. Let me know when you can take them

I have a batch in now due 5/9 but I will give them to Tuesday 5/13 so if you want to plan to have them arrive Wednesday 5/14 that will work.

 

[bradselig]

Well I FINALLY got some cleaning of the garage accomplished today! Still have a a few brooder boxes to empty and burn but need to make 2. Ore pens and coops outside before I'm able to get rid of them all. Then I need to build some bantam pens/brooders in the garage. Hopefully by the end if this weekend all chicks (except newly hatched) will be out in the garage! And I'll be able to park in there too! Pretty sad I get excited about being able to park in a garage lol.

Also, I will have quite a few chicks available from week olds on up. If there is GFF next to the breed, these will be chicks directly from greenfire farms. With out taking a true inventory, I will have the following available:

Barnevelder cockerel (GFF)
Bielefelders (GFF) some maybe spoken for, but should have some still available
Black Copper Marans cockerel (GFF)
Swedish flower hens (GFF)
Crested cream legbars (GFF) definitely have cockerels available, possibly pullets as well
Russian orloff
Hedemora (maybe spoken for)
White Breese (GFF) pair- I may end up keeping these
Chocolate orpington bantam (also may keep this chick)
Porcelain d'Uccle cockerels (hatchery stock that I ended up with WAY too many cockerels) FREE!
White Non bearded silkies
Buff with blue columbian pattern silkie
Blue silkie PET QUALITY. FREE!
Light Brahma (not hatchery stock)
White silkie (hatchery stock) FREE!
Tolbunt/legbar mixes
Legbar/Marans mixes (I believe I have one or two of these available)


That is everything I can think of off the top of my head. Pm me of you are interested in anything. I will be working on pictures here soon.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

If anyone is interested in EE roosters, send me a message. I have too many and some are getting their feathers pulled out by other roosters. I was going to try and raise them for dinner but I have no problems rehoming them since they are getting fethers pulled out to hte point of blood being drawn.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Awww, please get BOTH cats fixed.  It breaks my heart to hear how many cats/kittens and dogs/puppies get put down every year due to overpopulation.  Or turn into coyote food....I hate to hear about it.  I'm glad your girl is doing better.  I have not yet had to separate one from the rest and am sure it is hard to see them bored and alone.

Please let me second this. I've worked for a rescue and have helped spay and neuter stray and feral cats and I can tell you many kittens end up stray or feral. For females it's a hard life of pregnancy after pregnancy. And that's the ones that aren't killed by disease or in some other horrific way. Many end up in shelters and some live their whole lives miserable in a shelter.

The best thing you can do for a pet you love is to spay or neuter them.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I grew up with female barn cats having kittens. It is a learning experience that I really really enjoyed. I can't recommend fixing all cats. Our family was able to maintain barn cats by keeping a few kittens each year and finding homes for the rest. We never had a kitten that we wanted to rehome past the age of 8 weeks.
I would gladly give a home to another barn cat if it would have kittens for me and catch mice or wild birds.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

I grew up with female barn cats having kittens. It is a learning experience that I really really enjoyed. I can't recommend fixing all cats. Our family was able to maintain barn cats by keeping a few kittens each year and finding homes for the rest. We never had a kitten that we wanted to rehome past the age of 8 weeks.
I would gladly give a home to another barn cat if it would have kittens for me and catch mice or wild birds.

Mousers/barn cats are usually born to other Mousers/barn cats, because many of those skills are taught by the mother. At least that's what I've always been told. Not something I'm experienced with. If not I know of a rescue that sells kittens and young cats for 20$, or at least used to. But they are all fixed.

 

[goodb]

As new chicken daddy on the heals of a bad spring hatch rate, I would welcome a broody hen. Yesterday and this morning I thought I had one. An easter-egger had been sitting on a nest for almost 24 hours this morning so I went out to add eggs to her. She got quite vocal (nothing new for this breed) as she realized I saw her and offered her the eggs. She immediately got up, jumped off the nest and is now playing with the others. Here's the kicker; there were ZERO eggs under her!

What gives? Was she trying to trick me? Is sitting for as long as she did a sign of broody? Should I leave the eggs I placed and wait or remove them?

Thank you.

My broody is back!!!

This time I know she has eggs under her.

If I were to add eggs, how would you recommend I do so?