INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

I'm just getting started in chickens. Looking for chicks as we speak. I am in southern Indiana. Can use any help I can get.

I'll suggest some good reading! I think everyone that gets into raising animals should do some basic reading before beginning.

My favorite author on chicken keeping is Harvey Ussery. His book: The Small Scale Poultry Flock is the best book I have on my shelf about raising chickens. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...poultry+flock&sprefix=the+small+scale,aps,140

His web site has lots of information- all worth reading. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the list of articles: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Poultry.html

I also have a "2nd" book I'd recommend after that but none are as good as Ussery's (in my opinion, of course).

 

[danand]

Just arching up!!

Animallover- great pics!! My dogs would be having a snack!!

 

[animallover2202]

Just arching up!!

Animallover- great pics!! My dogs would be having a snack!!

thanks shes sneaky when im not looking but if im right there with her she wont do anything lol

 

[Mother2Hens]

Originally Posted by bnunes8

I'm just getting started in chickens. Looking for chicks as we speak. I am in southern Indiana. Can use any help I can get.

Welcome bnunes8! I just got started with backyard chickens a year ago, and I agree with LeahsMom that you should read as much as you can because there is a LOT to learn, plus there are so many conflicting opinions about each aspect of raising chickens. I would have never thought that raising chickens would be so complicated, but there's something about chickens that causes an addiction to them and you just want to learn more and more. The next thing you know, you'll spend hours with your chickens and online at BYC. Chickens are great fun and have different personalities. I'm a small flock owner with five hens of different breeds that are basically spoiled pets.

How many are you planning to get? Make sure to learn as much as you can before jumping in. There are lots of knowledgable people who are [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]happy to help. This is a great Indiana thread and BYC site.[/FONT]

 

[hogster160]

I'll suggest some good reading! I think everyone that gets into raising animals should do some basic reading before beginning.

My favorite author on chicken keeping is Harvey Ussery. His book: The Small Scale Poultry Flock is the best book I have on my shelf about raising chickens. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...poultry+flock&sprefix=the+small+scale,aps,140

His web site has lots of information- all worth reading. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the list of articles: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Poultry.html

I also have a "2nd" book I'd recommend after that but none are as good as Ussery's (in my opinion, of course).

I'm new to chickens too, and this was my favorite book. I went to the library to check out several they had on chickens. This was the only one I checked out 3 times to read, read and re read! I will be purchasing this book very soon!

And thank you so much for the link to his website. Can you believe in this day and age, I never thought to see if he had one. Well between taking care of chickens, building brooders, taking care of grand baby. That one just slipped through the crack lol.

Deb

 

[Too Fast]

Wow what an active thread. I love it! Welcome Bnunes8 and everyone else new. I agree, read as much as possible to get information from different sources. That's really helped me with everything. Get a coop before you get the chickens, or you'll be very sorry. I'm trying to build mine as fast as I can, my chicks are 2 weeks old now and really growing! The coop is coming along, but the chicks need more room very soon.

 

[bloonskiller911]

5 more chicks in the incubator this morning. quite a few more pipped! my DW, who is not as excited by the chicks, asked me why i set eggs knowing i will be at work on hatch day. ( i have a rotating schedule) it took me a minute but i figured it out!!! it so i don't drive myself crazy from 6 pm to 10 pm i bet i checked the incubator 60 times!!!

Crafty--did you have anything happen with your eggs??


also to any one else, do you feel scraps to your chickens? other than citrus is there anything you won't let you chickens have? ours eat any scraps or spoiled food that goes out of the kitchen. just wondering if anyone had preferrences on what they wouldn't feed them.

 

[bloonskiller911]

here are the first 5 "mutts" that hatched yesterday. aince then they have been joined by 12 others?

 

[hogster160]

I'm just getting started in chickens. Looking for chicks as we speak. I am in southern Indiana. Can use any help I can get.

Hi bnunes8 I'm new to chickens as well. I have two sets atm, 8 weeks and 3 weeks. Two separate brooders and getting mats for our coop. My days revolve around them lol. Well them and the grand baby I watch. Who is the love of my life!

I agree to read as much as you can. Lots of stuff on the internet, also check out the local library, I found lots of good books there. I agree that the book The Small Scale Poultry Flock is a fantastic book. I checked it out 3 times to read. Lots of fantastic information in that book. He covers just about everything! And so many things that I never thought about. It's an eye opener for sure.

Also agree that everyone has their opinion on how things are to be done with chickens. I have read so much in the last two months and have come to the conclusion that everyone can have their own opinions. I am trying to listen to all advice, and working with what I have. And doing the best I can.

That being said, the only real advice I have (other than too read that is) is to have your coop ready when you get your chicks. We bought chicks in Jan of this year, figured we'd have a cpl months before we needed the coop. Boy does that time fly by. It is cold for them here, highs in the 30 lows in the teens in Northern Indiana for chicks to be outside. So until we get some decent temps, 8 are in the 8' brooder in my computer room. And the other 6 are in the x-large dog kennel in my bedroom. Trust me when I say I can't wait for warmer weather! We are getting supplies for the coop now. A little at a time. Feels like its going to take forever!

Enjoy this experience! And welcome to BYC.

Deb

 

[Crafty chick]

Bloonskiller. Woke up to the same eggs, nothing over night. This is day 19. It will kill me not to see them hatch, but it will keep me from sitting in front of it for hours!
I feed mine scraps. They LOVE mashed potatoes. Just don't give the raw skins