INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Delawaremommy]

Hey all! We're just starting here, no chicks yet and planning the coop/run. We live in the Bloomington area (outside the city) and are trying to figure out the perfect insulation/ventilation ratios but we're not sure how much we need to worry about winter temperatures around here. We're originally from Wisconsin, and my DH kept chickens there is a kid, but had ~100 at a time on a serious farm, so kind of a different situation. And because we come from Wisconsin, to us it just doesn't get cold here. Ever. But what do the local chickens think?

So I figured I'd post to this thread since many of you live in the same area we do. We're planning on using an 8'wx8'dx7't garden shed (wood framing/siding/floor, shingled gabled roof, ventilation through triangular hardware-cloth-screened holes below the gable roof on two sides plus several openable hardware-cloth-screened windows in the walls, maybe a roof vent too) for the coop, and we'll start out with 5-8 cold-tolerant standard size hens in that space (planning to allow for some chicken math as we move forward...). Their nest boxes will be inside the coop, rather than hanging off the side. We could put a heat light or two in it if necessary, but would prefer not to (we're hyper concerned about fire).

What advice would you all give regarding whether to insulate and how much to insulate? And what to use for insulation?

Anything else we should be thinking about regarding ventilation? I think it gets pretty warm around here in the summer (although not as warm as the California Central Valley, where I lived for a while!), while my husband thinks the summers here are relatively mild. But again we don't know what the chickens think.

Thanks!

wow...I didn't think you could start planning for the coop until the chicks were about 8 weeks old and driving you insane....that's how I did it and I am practically back to normal after just a year! Good luck on your building plans. I wouldn't insulate if you have cold hardy birds. My Delaware hens did great this winter with a light bulb in one corner of the coop. I didn't have any frostbite and didn't lose any to the cold and it was a really bad winter.

Welcome to the group and to Indiana.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Okay, another question on the eggs under Margie. It's day 23. There are no pips, none of the eggs are peeping or moving around at all, no signs of hatching. I was going to wait until day 25, but today when I checked under Marge for any signs of hatching, I noticed an unusual odor coming from the nest. Not like rotten eggs, but just not right, either... I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, is this a sign that I should get the eggs out from under her? I don't think I could single out the stinky ones easily, but I can wait until tonight to candle again and take out the clear ones at least. I definitely don't want one of them to explode under her or make a mess in my coop!

Oh, I really hope you get a couple surprises hatching all of a sudden! Come on little guys you can do it!

 

[Mother2Hens]

it s a majority vote...so the signatures from the homeowners is what I am needing....not really any politics to it....just schmoozing everyone to my way of thinking....

Oh . . . lobbying!

 

[Mother2Hens]

REMINDER ~ LET'S WRAP UP THE OFFICIAL TSHIRT DESIGN!!!
I need everyone interested to PM me BY 5:00pm ET MONDAY, JULY 7th so I can get final pricing and start taking orders.

lilmizcareall has asked me to post the winning design on these Tshirt color options as well as an option to have the design on the back instead of the front. Once again, you can vote on your favorite and PM me since I will be the one to prepare the files and take care of ordering.

In a normal Tshirt ordering situation, one shirt option and its pricing would be posted-- because you can't please everyone.

However, we're trying to offer a lot of input from our members. Since time is a factor, though, I need everyone interested to PM me BY 5:00pm ET MONDAY, JULY 7th so I can get final pricing and start taking orders.

Please PM me with your Tshirt Color favorite:
Red
Green
Black

And whether you like the design on the:
Front
Back
NOTE: An example of the design on the Tshirt back is shown on the Black Tshirt, but it can be used on the red and the green shirts as well.

I will post the results of this survey at 6pm ET Monday, July 7th.

Thank you

 

[atrueb00]

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Independence Day weekend! Had a good 3 day weekend, but the fireworks in town seemed to scare the chickens. Felt bad for them. Anyone else have that?

Ended up building 8 new bee boxes and 40 frames (40 more to go!). Got to take a lot of photos over the weekend and overall enjoyed being outside. Love living in the USA.

 

[racinchickins]

Okay, another question on the eggs under Margie. It's day 23. There are no pips, none of the eggs are peeping or moving around at all, no signs of hatching. I was going to wait until day 25, but today when I checked under Marge for any signs of hatching, I noticed an unusual odor coming from the nest. Not like rotten eggs, but just not right, either... I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, is this a sign that I should get the eggs out from under her? I don't think I could single out the stinky ones easily, but I can wait until tonight to candle again and take out the clear ones at least. I definitely don't want one of them to explode under her or make a mess in my coop!

I think you are probably not going to get any to hatch. If you are going to candle, I would handle the eggs VERY carefully. The fact that you can smell something is not a good sign. If you think having one explode in the coop is bad, its worse if you are holding it when it happens.

 

[flyladyrocks]

wow...I didn't think you could start planning for the coop until the chicks were about 8 weeks old and driving you insane....that's how I did it and I am practically back to normal after just a year! Good luck on your building plans. I wouldn't insulate if you have cold hardy birds. My Delaware hens did great this winter with a light bulb in one corner of the coop. I didn't have any frostbite and didn't lose any to the cold and it was a really bad winter.

Welcome to the group and to Indiana.

I think we must have done things the same way you did - get the chicks and then you HAVE to figure out a coop right? If you "plan" to do the coop first you may never get the chicks

Really hope you are able to schmooz enough people.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

So, anyone want an Easter Egger cockerel? I don't know if he's technically a rooster yet. I think he's about 4 to 6 mo. old, roughly. He hasn't been heard to crow, nor been seen doing any rooser-ish things to the hens.


I thought I'd give the community the opportunity to give him a long life making more chickens, in case anyone wants him. If not, I'm sure he'll make a nice stew. A small stew, you know, but a nice one.


PM me if you're interested!

ETA - FREE! If you come pick him up. I465 and Rockville (US36) approximatly

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I think racin is right.

Is it possible for you to get some day-olds to slip under her so she can quit brooding and go on with life? SOMEONE must have a chick or 2 you could get...

 

[pginsber]

I think you are probably not going to get any to hatch.  If you are going to candle, I would handle the eggs VERY carefully.  The fact that you can smell something is not a good sign. If you think having one explode in the coop is bad, its worse if you are holding it when it happens.

I think racin is right. 

Is it possible for you to get some day-olds to slip under her so she can quit brooding and go on with life?  SOMEONE must have a chick or 2 you could get...

X3...hope you can sneak them out before her claws poke them. Yuk!