INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

I have a question about buying a used coop. It just occurred to me that if I buy a used coop, I have no clue what happened to the chickens - what if they were diseased or sick?

What do I need to do to ready a used coop - does it need to somehow be disinfected? What do I need to do to clean it before I put my babies in it?

Any thoughts on what I should ask the owners (of course I would have no clue if they were being honest!!).

Hubby and I may go look at a coop in the AM and all this started going through my head now that it is time to sleep!

Thanks all.

I would take the chemical approach. I would spray it down with bleach water and let it dry. Then pressure wash to remove any residual bleach and let it dry. I would paint it inside and out even if it was already the perfect color. Maybe use a lime whitewash recipe if I ever bought the ingredients. I would then spray it down with seven just in case there were still critters hiding. Then I would use a test bird or two since they don't like to be alone. Then after what would be about 2 weeks I would trust that all is well and fill the coop with chickens.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I would take the chemical approach. I would spray it down with bleach water and let it dry. Then pressure wash to remove any residual bleach and let it dry. I would paint it inside and out even if it was already the perfect color. Maybe use a lime whitewash recipe if I ever bought the ingredients. I would then spray it down with seven just in case there were still critters hiding. Then I would use a test bird or two since they don't like to be alone. Then after what would be about 2 weeks I would trust that all is well and fill the coop with chickens.

Thanks Sally - very helpful and much appreciated. what would clueless me do without you guys?

 

[crazychick1977]

Okay has anyone had trouble with a chick that pecks at other chicks eyes? I have a tiny (seriously the smallest chick of them all) California white that is pecking at all the chicks eyes.
That's her in time out. I thought maybe she was bored so I moved her to the larger brooder.
But she's still doing it, should I be concerned?

I agree with Flyladyrocks about chicks loving shiny things. When my Pioneer chicks started pecking I put a mirror on one side of their cage. Then they forgot all about pecking each other and just started checking out their reflections

. If you have anything reflective that they won't get hurt on, you could give it a try and see if that helps.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Finally got pictures of the babies I picked up from Brad on Wednesday! Here are Poppy and Violet the Cream Legbars:

Poppy poses so nicely almost every time, but Violet is not cooperative for pictures!

And here's one of the Silver Gray Dorkings, Kit-kit, with Poppy. Kit loves the Legbars! It's so cute!

I had them separated with a fence until today. I originally set it up like that because the Legbars were supposed to be younger than the others. Well, as is my luck, even when someone else is hatching for me, I still get all boys! Fortunately, Brad had two pullets from another hatch! So since the Legbars were now older than the other babies, I wanted to make sure they didn't push the younger chicks around. Boy, was that misguided! Poppy and Violet kept piling at the fence wanting to sleep snuggled with the other babies, so I finally buckled and moved the fence, and it was Mabel, my young Welsummer, that started pushing the older Legbars around! I had a stern talking to the young lady, and the brooder has been at peace since.

Here are the others as well! Elda, the other SGD:

Elda's such a cuddler!

Kit-kit again:

Louise the Black Copper Marans:

Georgie, the other BCM:

The Marans are always standing together like they are conspiring... I wonder what they are up to...

Mabel the bully! I mean, the Welsummer.

"Who, me?"

I just previewed this post and realized just how many pictures are here. Sorry about the pic overload!

 

[number9]

I would take the chemical approach. I would spray it down with bleach water and let it dry. Then pressure wash to remove any residual bleach and let it dry. I would paint it inside and out even if it was already the perfect color. Maybe use a lime whitewash recipe if I ever bought the ingredients. I would then spray it down with seven just in case there were still critters hiding. Then I would use a test bird or two since they don't like to be alone. Then after what would be about 2 weeks I would trust that all is well and fill the coop with chickens.

When I was younger my uncle had farrowing hogs. (You would breed the sow and then when they got to 50 lbs they were sold to be raised as slaughter hogs. The house had 6 stalls in it and when the 6 had there little ones they were moved out. We than scrubbed the house and sprayed it with straight bleach with a garden sprayer. Fastest way I know to disinfect a building.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Originally Posted by LonelyPageTurne LonelyPage ~ Six chickens is a lot better than no chickens like you first thought. When researching ordinances in the past, I've noticed that a six chicken limit is common for cities. Evansville has a six animal limit, so for example someone could have six chickens or four chickens and a dog and a cat (no roos). Luckily, I live about a mile out of the city limits, so I can have as many as I want except I don't have space. Anyway, my point is that although it's upsetting and i feel for you, it could certainly be worse; there are so many places that don't allow any-- and laws are being changed from allowing chickens to no chickens allowed . . .

Has anyone been following the controversy in Michigan?
This month, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development ruled down the previous "Michigan Right to Farm Act."
[excerpt] Kim White, who raises chickens and rabbits, said, “They don’t want us little guys feeding ourselves. They want us to go all to the big farms. They want to do away with small farms and I believe that is what’s motivating it.”

Big Farming Money Talks
(I have read articles about Big Farming/Processing companies that don't like the backyard chicken movement because it has caused people to realize that chickens are engaging creatures-- smart, personalities, entertaining, which has caused people to question how chickens are raised-- what drugs/feed they're given, confinement, inhumane treatment, etc.-- all issues that cost Big Business money to change. As a result, the Big Farming Industry is spending Big Money to urge politicians to vote against small farming, including having six chickens in your backyard).

The ruling will allow local governments to arbitrarily ban goats, chickens and beehives on any property where there are 13 homes within one eighth mile or a residence within 250 feet of the property, according to Michigan Public Radio. The Right to Farm Act was created in 1981 to protect farmers from the complaints of people from the city who moved to the country and then attempted to make it more urban with anti-farming ordinances. The new changes affect residents of rural Michigan too. It is not simply an urban or suburban concern.

The World Health Organization issued a statement: “The Michigan Agriculture Commission passed up an opportunity to support one of the hottest trends in food in Michigan – public demand for access to more local, healthful, sustainable food.”

backyardpoultrymag.com has a 3-part Report:

How Michigan Changed Its Right to Farm Act and What It ...
Michigan’s Change to its Right to Farm Act Unites Advocates (Part 2)
It’s Not Just Michigan: The Importance of Knowing Your Local Laws (Part 3)

 

[Mother2Hens]

I'm a newby, we live a little south of French Lick. Around the first of April we bought 2 dozen RIR's. It's kind of odd, but I think almost all of them are hens.

Max Stout ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread! For info about our Indiana Thread, please see Page 2752, post 27514. Good to hear from you. Two dozen RIRs! Wow. We started having chickens two years ago, bought six RIR "pullets" and five were cockerels! So, you're very lucky if most of yours are hens.
kabhyper ~ I'm sure you could visit sometime. You know how crazy I've been about Gus, the Art Deco Rooster! Jules is gorgeous, too.

Ugh lost a chick last night

I'm not sure what's going on with them. I thought it might be cocci because I was seeing some bloody stool but they've been on corrid for three days now and don't necessarily look any better.
browncow~ So sorry about your loss. I looked in my Health book and found this page online. At the bottom it mentions that it's easy to overdose on the med. I'm not suggesting that is what happened, but I thought that it's a good tip to let everyone know about along with general info about symptoms. I wish I could find something that would help you.
Chicken Health For Dummies - Page 183 - Google Books Result

Morning all Cockadoodledoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

gunchief ~ Thanks for waking us up! How are your chickens?

Happy Friday everyone!



Made my first chicken roast from our own chickens, if only the veggies could have been from our yard instead of Kroger's, then it would have been perfect.

You roasted a Silkie???

 

[Mother2Hens]

I couldn't eat my own chickens, no idea what I'm going to do with my cockerels!!

Pinkaboo ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread! It doesn't matter if you're from the UK! We have a couple of members from other states, but not from another country, so we are happy to hear from you! For info about our Indiana Thread, please see Page 2752, post 27514.
Chicken Train ~ I am going to Indy this Tuesday and returning to Evansville on Thursday. Before I leave on Thursday, I will pick up a roo from lilmizscareall to transport to a new member, chicks47720 who lives in Eville.

Originally Posted by lajohnston
I have a 12 week old RIR rooster I need to re-home. He's such a sweet little guy. I don't want any $ for him from a fellow BYCer and can transport him if necessary.)

lajohnston ~ If anyone along my train route would like your roo, I could transport him, too.
Btw, when you asked about funny chicken incidents, I could write a book about them-- chickens are great entertainment.

On my way up to Indy in the morning to drop off chickens!

Kiniska ~ If I would have known, we might have worked something out.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

the regulations are such that I would only be able to keep 6 hens.

Just curious; where did you find this?

I went back and re-read the Lawrence Muni Code on animals, and this is what it says (red added by me for emphasis)

§ 3-3-1-1. DEFINITIONS.

(B) DOMESTIC FARM ANIMAL. All animals except for dogs and cats maintained as family pets and birds maintained exclusively within the confines of any residence as household pets.

(F) STABLE. A facility operated commercially and principally for the purpose of lodging and feeding domestic animals.

(H) WILD ANIMAL. Any animal which normally lives free in nature and which is not commonly domesticated, including, but not limited to, any animal not caged, in an aquarium or domesticated.

There is nothing in the Definitions that says what a "domestic animal" is. However, since they define "wild animal" as those not commonly domesticated, we can presume that chickens are considered domesticated per the common definition of the word.


§ 3-3-1-2. DOMESTIC FARM ANIMALS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTIONS.
(A) Except as provided in divisions (B), (C) and (D) below, it shall be unlawful for any person to own or harbor upon his or her premises or within the corporate limits of the City of Lawrence any cattle, swine, horses, ponies, poultry, rabbit or other domestic farm animal. The keeping of the animals is hereby found and determined to be a public nuisance and a menace to the health, safety and welfare of the City of Lawrence.

I can't find any definition in the code for "residence" or "premises" but it sounds like this ordinance says you can't keep chickens on your property IF you confine them to your home as pets. It DOES NOT say you can't keep them in your yard as personal livestock.

Then there's this:

§ 3-3-1-29. KENNELS, PET SHOPS AND STABLE REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own, operate or maintain a kennel, pet shop or stable within the City, unless that kennel, pet shop or stable, respectively, first is registered with the City Controller; however, the provisions of this section shall not be applicable to kennels operated by a veterinarian as a part of the veterinarian’s medical clinic.
(B) Each kennel, pet shop or stable shall require only one registration, although it may operate as more than one type of facility.
(C) When a kennel, pet shop or stable is registered pursuant to this chapter, the City Controller shall issue a certificate of registration thereof.
(D) A kennel, pet shop or stable certificate of registration for a commercial enterprise shall at all times be displayed prominently in the business office of the kennel, pet shop or stable.

§ 3-3-1-30. KENNELS, PET SHOPS AND STABLES; ANNUAL INSPECTION; REGISTRATION TERM; RENEWAL.
(A) Prior to the issuance of a certificate of registration or renewal of registration, the City Controller shall cause an inspection of the kennel, pet shop or stable to be made by the Animal Control Officer to determine whether the applicant or registrant is qualified under this chapter. The Animal Control Officer shall report his or her findings to the City Controller.
(B) Each kennel, pet shop or stable registration issued pursuant to this chapter shall be valid for a period of one year. If the City Controller determines that the registrant remains qualified and has operated as required by this chapter, the City Controller shall renew the registration automatically and without application for renewal by the registrant, unless at the time of renewal the registration has been revoked or suspended or is the subject of administrative or judicial proceedings which have the potential to result in the revocation or suspension of the registration, in which case the registration may continue in effect until the conclusion of the administrative or judicial proceedings.

§ 3-3-1-31. REQUIREMENTS FOR KENNELS, PET SHOPS AND STABLES.
(A) In addition to the registration required by § 3-3-1-29, all kennels, pet shops and stables within the City shall:
(1) Be operated in a manner so as not to constitute a nuisance;
(2) Provide an isolation ward for animals which are sick or diseased, sufficiently removed so as not to endanger the health of other animals;
(3) Keep all animals caged or under the control of the owner or operator of the kennel, pet shop or stable;
(4) With respect to all animals in the kennel, pet shop or stable, comply with all the requirements of this chapter for the general care of animals; and
(5) Comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and all applicable regulations adopted by the Board of Public Works and Safety.
(B) The owners or operators of all kennels and pet shops within the City shall:
(1) File a monthly notice of sale or placement with the City Controller within ten days of the last day of any month in which the kennel or pet shop has sold or otherwise placed one or more dogs or cats. The notice of sale or placement shall include the name, address and telephone number of the person(s) acquiring the dogs or cats as well as the age, sex and breed of the dogs or cats sold or placed;
(2) Retain the name, address and telephone number of the owner of each dog or cat boarded, and retain the name and address of each person selling, trading or giving any animal to the kennel or pet shop; and
(3) Not sell or otherwise place animals which are unweaned or so young or weak that their sale would be injurious to the animals.
Penalty, see § 3-3-1-27


So it's possible that you might be able to register your back yard as a stable. The snag there is that the code defines a stable as operating commercially. You could claim commercial operation of the basis of breeding chickens, but I doubt your neighborhood is zoned for commercial use.

Also, there are provisions in the code for impounding animals at large,

3-3-1-7. IMPOUNDING OF ANIMALS.
(A) Any dog, cat or domestic farm animal found running at large within the corporate limits of the City shall be impounded by any police officer or other person so authorized by the Common Council.

but there's nothing about impounding animals confined to your premises. The Animal Control people may be assuming that they have this right, but I wouldn't. Personally, I would say they don't have the right to enter your property without a warrant issued by a court. If anyone tries to enter your property, demand to see the warrant and do not let them in until they can show it to you. Even then, I'm not sure they have the authority to impound your chickens.

http://eskewlaw.com/what-you-should-expect-when-police-have-a-search-warrant-201211

There are a lot of legal providers listed at this site:

http://www.in.gov/judiciary/probono/2351.htm

Many of them specialize in family law or things like that, but this one might be just what you need:
Hoosier Environmental Council

Serving residents of Indiana
Assistance possible for the following legal issues: Environmental and Land-Use Issues

3951 N. Meridian, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46208
(317) 685-8800
(317) 686-4794 (f)
http://www.hecweb.org/about/legal-defense-fund/

They would be able to tell you if you have a case against Lawrence in the event that they cite you or attempt to remove your animals. I'd call them IMMEDIATELY and get as much advice from them as possible on your options. I do not believe that the law says what Animal Control thinks that it says. I would fight this in court!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

[COLOR=800080]LonelyPage ~[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Six chickens is a lot better than no chickens like you first thought. When researching ordinances in the past, I've noticed that a six chicken limit is common for cities. Evansville has a six animal limit, so for example someone could have six chickens or four chickens and a dog and a cat (no roos). Luckily, I live about a mile out of the city limits, so I can have as many as I want except I don't have space. Anyway, my point is that although it's upsetting and i feel for you, it could certainly be worse; there are so many places that don't allow any-- and laws are being changed from allowing chickens to no chickens allowed . . .[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Has anyone been following the controversy in Michigan?[/COLOR] [COLOR=A52A2A]This month, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development ruled down the previous "Michigan Right to Farm Act."[/COLOR]
[excerpt] Kim White, who raises chickens and rabbits, said, “They don’t want us little guys feeding ourselves. They want us to go all to the big farms. They want to do away with small farms and I believe that is what’s motivating it.”

[COLOR=A52A2A]Big Farming Money Talks[/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513](I have read articles about Big Farming/Processing companies that don't like the backyard chicken movement because it has caused people to realize that chickens are engaging creatures-- smart, personalities, entertaining, which has caused people to question how chickens are raised-- what drugs/feed they're given, confinement, inhumane treatment, etc.-- all issues that cost Big Business money to change. As a result, the Big Farming Industry is spending Big Money to urge politicians to vote against small farming, including having six chickens in your backyard).[/COLOR]

The ruling will allow local governments to arbitrarily ban goats, chickens and beehives on any property where there are 13 homes within one eighth mile or a residence within 250 feet of the property, according to Michigan Public Radio . The Right to Farm Act was created in 1981 to protect farmers from the complaints of people from the city who moved to the country and then attempted to make it more urban with anti-farming ordinances. The new changes affect residents of rural Michigan too. It is not simply an urban or suburban concern.

[COLOR=232323]The World Health Organization issued a statement: “The Michigan Agriculture Commission passed up an opportunity to support one of the hottest trends in food in Michigan – public demand for access to more local, healthful, sustainable food.”[/COLOR]

[COLOR=A52A2A]backyardpoultrymag.com has a 3-part Report:[/COLOR]

How Michigan Changed Its Right to Farm Act and What It ...
Michigan’s Change to its Right to Farm Act Unites Advocates (Part 2)
It’s Not Just Michigan: The Importance of Knowing Your Local Laws (Part 3)

Yes I agree. 6 is better than none. Though I will still have none until the ordinance passes or none if it doesn't pass at all. 6 being better than none still doesn't make sense why that specific number was picked. Someone with 200 acres in Lawrence could still only have 6 chickens. I think that number is arbitrary and it should be based on number of people in the household or acreage or even that people wishing to keep more should have to pay a registration. But I might just try to pay to re zone my plot as ag/res. If it's not already, since it was originally zoned ag and sometimes they don't re zone, they just add residential to the zone. It's not likely but it's a possibility. In that case I can keep all of my birds.