INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CRSelvey]

I forgot to tell you guys about all my broody girls. When I first got my chickens and people said that Cochins were super friendly Mamas, I never gave it any thought...its probably the only thing I didn't think about when the chicken fever struck. They were only half right in our case! Mine are not friendly at all but want to be Mamas badly. They are taking up all three with alternating broody cycles. One finishes just in time for another two to start! Our bantam Ameraucana hatched a chick just about 5 weeks ago and its growing up nicely, but with 15 chickens already, we don't need anymore babies. With two others molting, I might need to start buying eggs again unless my 16 week olds start laying soon. A family of 5 can't live on one bantam hens' eggs along. WOW. I never saw this coming.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Which sawed off shotgun should I bring little stubby or big Bertha? Lol

Thanks for the laugh.

Question for the "long-experienced" chicken keepers:

At what age do y'all start letting young chicks NOT BROODY RAISED begin to range outside of a protected pen with the adults?

When I refer to ranging I'm saying totally without any overhead cover, in the greater yard unless they return to the kennel pen.

@SallyinIndiana

I'm not sure there is one good answer to your question. I'll try to explain what I do in as few words as possible. Gut feeling plays an important part. Space in the run and number of chickens also factor in. Finally the free ranging area has to be considered for how much benefit it provides. Many lawns aren't going to provide much more than space and a bug here or there. Now a back yard with lots of clover, dandelions, and other weeds well there is benefit there to the food bill.

Things I think about first are:
The time of year mainly for my area it is looking like hawks are minimal from mid to end of April till the first cold spell down south starts the migration. The migration pretty much lasts until the weather is too cold to consider free ranging and I just hope the chickens leave the coop.
The size / health of the chicken. I really want the chicken to be fast, have 2 good eyes, and have a body about the size of a large cantaloupe or even a bit larger.
The breed of the chicken factors in as for this year any of my possible breeders are not allowed to free range.
The number of roosters I have factors in, they do provide some protection as long as they know the area. We free range roosters only for about 10 days before adding in pullets or hens.
Also the number of chickens is a big consideration. If the flock is small, less than 10, then the loss of a single chicken is very noticeable. That chicken might even have a name or be a pet. A hawk attack can easily take out 3 chickens. That is rough and should it happen more than once, well the flock would be basically gone.
Now I have a larger flock. My back yard is fenced in but they can hop the fence and even escape in a few places. It is not secure, we use scent to keep ground predators away. My largest problem is hawks followed by owls. I have a young rooster right now that won't sleep in the coop. I have little hope he makes it for more than a month before getting taken during the night. We have looked and looked but can't find his sleeping place.
For me I put the pullets out to range when I feel that they are almost full grown maybe at 17-19 weeks. Larger breeds could be earlier if they weren't my breeders or if I had lots of breeder chicks to choose from. The roosters we tossed out to free range first this year to be our testers (like the raven and dove Noah used) were about 8 - 10 weeks old. At that point I did not care if one was taken. Now they are much larger and are close to being dinner.
Still If I had the run space and the correct plants in the runs, I think free ranging would be a low priority for me.

 

[bradselig]

Originally Posted by bradselig /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd be happy to take just the hen lol. I have some hens I need to sell, but also don't want to. But most don't have much middle toe feathering. I'd have a beautiful partridge cockerel for you but his crest is literally horrible. Amazing leg feathering though. All the ones I held back for breeders I'm not that happy with most of them. But so hard to make the call on who to get rid of! [COLOR=A52A2A]kab and brad[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]~ You two are so superficial! lol-- just joking--I know that breeders must create perfect specimens. At least kab isn't as ruthless in getting "rid" of inferior looks. She wants to find nice homes for Silkies afflicted with leakage or other unsightly abnormalities.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I guess I won't be able to breed my Splash Silkie because she has a bit of that dreaded "leakage." Poor thing. She's not very smart, either, but she's sweet. And my Blue one seems to be missing her face![/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I also won't be able to Show either of my Silkies. Darn!--lol-- because I trimmed their "bangs" tonight before their bedtime. And I'd be disqualified for using the word, "bangs." I can't wait to see how they act tomorrow with their newly found vision! [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]These photos were taken right before their bangs were trimmed. I didn't take much off anyway.[/COLOR]

Ohh no! I'm sorry to tell y that they are both Roos! I'd be glad to pick them back up at chickenfest . They turned out beautiful! If only they had better toe feathering! Lol and not to mention the gold leakage. So ugly! In all seriousness, they turned out great and so happy they were pullets for you too!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

For the chicken fest I have chickens I can bring, but like others I need a commitment to buy or at least a 90% commitment. I would also need the buyer to provide their own suitable mini housing with shade and water for their chickens. I can provide a cardboard box.
Here is what I have
Hatch Date:
12/31/2013 1 Black Star Laying hen
1/29/2014 a few Easter Eggers, 1 -2 RIR, 1 buff NN, 1 - 2 Black Star, 1 skinny but orange buff pullet
2/12/2014 2-3 Buff Bramas, a few Red Stars
3/23/2014 a few prod. RIR, silver wyndottes, black autralops, and light brama
4/15/2014 Barred Rocks, production straight run with roos pulled out as their combs get red or big
5/01/2014 production straight run with roos pulled out as their combs get red or big

 

[kabhyper1]

Ohh no! I'm sorry to tell y that they are both Roos! I'd be glad to pick them back up at chickenfest

. They turned out beautiful! If only they had better toe feathering! Lol and not to mention the gold leakage. So ugly!

In all seriousness, they turned out great and so happy they were pullets for you too!

They are really ugly. I can take them and try to do something with them.

LOL they are actually very nice girls. I will still take them though. M2H you have 2 very pretty pullets. Mine don't turn out that nice.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

No way am I reading 200-something posts I missed. If there was anything important, PM me. :-D

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Soooo....








Are we still saying pullet?


Other factors:


Age unknown - possibly around 20 weeks.
No spurs.
Not crowing - but has had significant increase in volume and honking-ness of voice in the last week or two.
Way more fighty than it used to be. This was the lowest bird on the order - now it takes flack from no one. It still hasn't challenged Queen Penelope, but if one of the other birds push, it pushes back.


Opinions?

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Eat over your plate, not over your chickens.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Soooo....








Are we still saying pullet?


Other factors:


Age unknown - possibly around 20 weeks.
No spurs.
Not crowing - but has had significant increase in volume and honking-ness of voice in the last week or two.
Way more fighty than it used to be. This was the lowest bird on the order - now it takes flack from no one. It still hasn't challenged Queen Penelope, but if one of the other birds push, it pushes back.


Opinions?

LOL 800% chance that is a boy. Sorry!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

LOL 800% chance that is a boy.  Sorry!  

X2