INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Hello fellow Indiana chicken loving friends! The chicken god has smiled upon me and blessed us with a broody that went to hatch. 2 chicks hatched today with 4 still in process. I'm considering moving her and the chicks to a brooder post-hatch. Here's what I put together so far. Thoughts/suggestions please???

Thank you!

goodb ~ I just experienced by first broody and chicks (they're 2 weeks old now). kabhyper was my birthing coach! haha Couldn't have done it without her. I looked at your video and the other thing I'd suggest is some privacy. I'm guessing that she'll nest for a few days at the far end at the corner. You could use whatever works-- an old blanket or towel to drape over a 2-3 foot area so she feels safer and isn't stared down by the other chickens. I found a couple of those square foam things in my garage and just leaned them up in front of the area she was in. I've had Bonbon (my avatar) in her own bantam sized coop near the big coop, and I've been amazed at how quickly the new chicks integrated with the five mean hens who have surprisingly been very nice aunts!

I'm just posting this pic of square foam things so you know what I'm referring to. I think everyone has some of these in their garage. haha

Are you sure you have 2 different chicks? Perhaps the first chick fell in the pile of ashes from Hoosiercheetah's BBQ fire!

Cute babies!!
PeacefulWalls~ haha I was thinking the same thing! Same poses.

nathanaf~ They look very healthy and cute!

We are using Frontline as a prevention. It was really easy to apply to the skin under the wing. The sites I read siad to wash away any eggs a couple days after applying as the front line would kill them and make the washing job easier. I did not find eggs on any of my treated chickens but I did notice more feathers in the breeding pen.

Here is a great video, It is not mine, but I did watch it before using frontline on the chickens. I chose to put all of the drops in one place, under the wing. But I can see the advantage of multiple locations.

Editing to say we applied the frontline as we caught the chickens outside.

SallyinIndiana~ Thanks so much for answering about Nene's Fowl Lice problem. I will look into that and get back to you with questions.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Well I've been checking on Bella and her one little chick about every hour or so since I saw her first baby. I keep thinking that maybe Chicklet (temporary name) might be it, but she is really dedicated to the eggs under her still. She moves them around every so often and boy is her little baby demanding. That chick is in and out of every feather she has while checking out the world. I can't believe how much more fun it is to watch our chick with a mom than just with other chicks. Chicklet is hilarious. I can't believe Bella hasn't lost patience with her as many times as she has pecked at Bella's eyes, but she just moves around to accommodate her every need. LOVE THEM.

Bella still tries to attack me every time I stick a treat in there for her. I've given her grass chunks, cooked sweet potato, salad, strawberries, apple, and scrambled eggs with carrots. You would think she would just give in and let me be nice to her.

CRSelvey ~ I have a video of the first hours of Bonbon's hatch and one of her chicks pecked her eye! It was so weird (too tired to find video now), but I think that Bonbon closed her eyes for a second since she was no doubt tired, and the chick pecked her eye wondering why it wasn't open. Bonbon is so patient as I'm sure Bella is-- they're so sweet to their hyper chicks.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

I have my very own infestation, thank you very much.  Chickens don't eat thistle, do they?



Funny old world.  I was there in tent city summer of 95.  Do you remember the Castle on the Sea?  I think it was almost due south from Adana.

Yep. And The Castle in the Sky I think it was called. We used to eat at this restaurant in Adana called The Rose. I thought it was so cool you could pick fish to eat and eat out on the roof.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Yep. And The Castle in the Sky I think it was called. We used to eat at this restaurant in Adana called The Rose. I thought it was so cool you could pick fish to eat and eat out on the roof.

It was a neat place; I'd love to go back some day.

 

[lajohnston]

Ugh, I have 811 unread posts - don't think I'll every get caught up. I don't post a lot but have been following the thread for several months now and have learned so much. I love it that there are so many Hoosiers here and are so active, I don't feel so lonely in my chicken-keeping life.

So I thought I'd jump right in and share a little. I got my first chicks ever on March 1st. Started with 6 but lost one after just a few days and then a couple weeks ago lost a second one to a fox, who snatched him through the wire on my chicken run. That was very disappointing. He was a beautiful barred rock and I thought my run was safe. So now I have 2 barred rock hens, 1 RIR hen and 1 RIR roo (I need to re-home him if anybody is interested) I'm having so much fun watching them grow and play. Every evening while I work around the yard they are out to free range and never fail to provide entertainment. I'm sooooo looking forward to finding that first egg too! Is it correct that they'll start laying around 16 weeks?

Anyhoo, that's what's going on here at "Fowl Territory" (our coop name since my hubby hated the idea of getting chickens) I hope everyone has a HAPPY FRIDAY!!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

I have my very own infestation, thank you very much. Chickens don't eat thistle, do they?

I'm not sure if they eat them or not -- just thinking I wouldn't want to with their sharp prickers everywhere on the plant. The chickens and alpacas have been munching away, though, on our equally fruitful crop of dandelions. We dig them out of our flower & garden beds then let the chickens turn them into eggs! The ducks aren't quite as thrilled with the dandelions, though, but the rabbits also enjoy them. I guess if one has to have weeds at least they're food for the animals!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Ugh, I have 811 unread posts - don't think I'll every get caught up. I don't post a lot but have been following the thread for several months now and have learned so much. I love it that there are so many Hoosiers here and are so active, I don't feel so lonely in my chicken-keeping life.



So I thought I'd jump right in and share a little. I got my first chicks ever on March 1st. Started with 6 but lost one after just a few days and then a couple weeks ago lost a second one to a fox, who snatched him through the wire on my chicken run. That was very disappointing. He was a beautiful barred rock and I thought my run was safe. So now I have 2 barred rock hens, 1 RIR hen and 1 RIR roo (I need to re-home him if anybody is interested) I'm having so much fun watching them grow and play. Every evening while I work around the yard they are out to free range and never fail to provide entertainment. I'm sooooo looking forward to finding that first egg too! Is it correct that they'll start laying around 16 weeks?



Anyhoo, that's what's going on here at "Fowl Territory" (our coop name since my hubby hated the idea of getting chickens) I hope everyone has a HAPPY FRIDAY!!

I'm a newbie too, I've accumulated 10 hens and pullets since mid April. I have three laying, and the rest should come in around July and August. As I understand it, anywhere from 16 weeks to 24 is typical, depending on the breed and the bird.


Chicken TV is my new favorite show. I surprise myself with it, because when I was young my mom raised cockatoos, and I absolutely hated those birds. I don't know if it's because I'm older, or because they're providing eggs, or if chickens are just a totally different bird, but I love my little flock.


My coop is the Henitentiary, because there are bars on the window. The isolation and quarantine pens in the garage are "Solitary Confinement" but the birds just call it the Hole. ;-)

 

[gunchief25]

Morning all Cockadoodledooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Morning all Cockadoodledooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

And also with you.

 

[browncow15]

Well, my girls did it again.  Our egg numbers were dropping off a bit the last 5  or 6 days.  I figured they must have a new place somewhere in the barn they were laying, but I couldn't find it.  The last 2 days the numbers were back up so I didn't worry about it.  Well, tonight their new spot was found in the loft -- with 23 eggs!  So today's total count was 45 eggs!  I won't include the ones we found with the ones we sell.  I'm pretty sure they're fine to eat, but if they stink when we crack them I'll toss them in the compost.

I got a new duck egg customer yesterday who took 6 dozen duck eggs -- they have allergies in the family to chicken eggs.  He said they could probably buy a good share of what our ducks produce, which is great because they were accumulating rapidly!  I had to take 15 dozen to the food pantry over the past 3 weeks.  Now hopefully we can sell enough to pay for their feed 

Our onions, sweet corn, half the potatoes & green beans are planted.  The next few days include a ton of weed pulling and tilling in the rest of the garden to finish planting a ton of stuff yet.  I start tomatoes from seed -- 3 pots each of about 25 varieties.  I put 2 seeds in each pot.  Often I have to replant a number of them that don't sprout.  This year I only had to replant a few.  Needless to say I have about 100 tomato plants growing.   Hmmm, I don't think I'll need that many...  If anyone is interested in some tomato starts let me know -- I think I may need to post my extras for sale on craigslist!

Oh -- and if anyone is interested in some thistles I have a wonderfully thick crop taking over my strawberry patch.  I'm giving away thistles for free -- I'd even let you dig your own.  Please, please, please come and help yourself   

Wish you were closer to me, I'd take some tomato seedlings! I got my peppers and eggplant started but didn't get to the tomatoes before morning sickness set in

I'll defiantly pass on the thistles though! Got plenty here already. Can't get the chickens or cows to eat them!