INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[raisinemright]

I almost forgot to mention, we got our first pullet egg today!!!! It's got to be from one of my leghorns?!?!?! I think that's my only white egg layer.

this is totally awesome! The egg was found in a pile of old hay in my barn that a few of my hens lay in once in awhile. The pic was taken inside a new coop I bought for my kids bantams. They are laying already and I placed it in their nesting box to help them figure out their new home!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

The temps started dropping after the rain last night. The weather people are now saying we are in for a cool week of 70's for daily highs. It will be the first time in years that the weather is good for the fair. But we went last night because that is what fit in our schedule.
Now I could take the children today but... There is always something.

There always is, it stinks!! If we were closer I would sure help

you really have your hands full.

Thank you all

no problem, thats what our threads for!

Okay, I am 500+ posts behind and officially the worst chicken friend, ever. You have permission to pelt me with rotten eggs.

Re: my shoulder...it's arthritis. Really, I had a hard time believing it because it felt like something was tearing every time it moved in certain directions. Now, it just won't move in those directions at all. I had to get an MRI for this diagnosis, and then a lovely steroid shot. Not sure what happens next. I think physical therapy. It still hurts, but not as much. I can go without pain killers for a day at a time now, but it's just not the same and it would be so lovely to dress & undress, drive, etc without pain. I feel like I really should have been more knowledgeable about this kind of stuff, having had it in other parts of my body before. I guess I have it all over...? It just flares up sometimes? So much for denial about aging and wear/tear on my bones, huh? Time to get smart about this stuff. I can't see myself hauling 50 lb bags of feed out of the van during a flare up. DH has been doing ALL the work on the chicken run.

The weekend of my shot, I finished the herb beds for the chickens. Well, I let my sons build them, and I mainly supervised pouring dirt into the beds and planting. I was horribly abusive to my daughter's squash plants, just flopping them into the raised bed haphazardly. Of course they refused to die. The same can't be said of my lavender. I'm so bummed they do not seem to be thriving in the raised bed. I thought for sure they were slam dunk, since lavender at my old house was weed-like!!! The oregano and rosemary and lemon balm is all doing well, so I will have lots of good-smelling herbs to throw in the coop, hopefully. Just hope that lavender takes off.



Beds are made of wood from an IKEA bunk bed. Haven't attached the flower box yet. Hubby is still working on the roof of the run. Need to add a few more boards to the sides, too, to attach the HW cloth.

Speaking of taking off...we had an accidental free range the other day. My daughter let the guineas out. Fortunately they did NOT take off, although Thelma (confirmed female) flew into the back of the house.





Who let the guineas out? Who? Who who who?



Sunbathers



Everyone loves Amy. My daughter carries her around like a kitten. She swings with her on her lap.

I've still got to report my roo as a roo. We decided we like him, but I still want my refund.



I photoshopped an Amish hat to match his beard.

OH...I have a question about predators. We think we have something big in the backyard, in the woods behind the fence. Thinking coyotes. So far it hasn't bothered the coop, but...my dogs seem afraid to do their business outside lately. Has this ever happened to anyone else? It is really irritating me. The last thing I need right now is carpet clean up, but it's the only reason we can think of why the dogs aren't staying outside to do their thing. If you had this, what did you do? Should I put fox pee out there or something?

Hope you are all doing well. I will prob be online more in a few weeks when we start back to school.

Goodness, you have really been hurting I bet. I love the smiling faces and the adorable amish hat, quite fitting for such a handsome beard!
Really enjoyed the pictures! I would really be worrying on coyote too. One off the wall thing I read is a man doing his business at the fence corners..Told DH, thought he would fall to the floor laughing so hard

Dunno if he is but no problems here lately. I have a pug, and she is pretty timid about anything out of place. The fox last year had her terrified.

I was suppose to give 25 chickens a bath today. Guess that isn't going to happen. I will just 7 dust today and hope that takes care of everything

Its good stuff.. good luck.

I'm in! Love BYC & especially love knowing folks nearby.
Here in South Bend.

Welcome! Wait til you get to know us, it addictive! Jump right in and have fun

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

There always is, it stinks!! If we were closer I would sure help you really have your hands full.

no problem, thats what our threads for!

Goodness, you have really been hurting I bet. I love the smiling faces and the adorable amish hat, quite fitting for such a handsome beard!
Really enjoyed the pictures! I would really be worrying on coyote too. One off the wall thing I read is a man doing his business at the fence corners..Told DH, thought he would fall to the floor laughing so hard Dunno if he is but no problems here lately. I have a pug, and she is pretty timid about anything out of place. The fox last year had her terrified.

Its good stuff.. good luck.

Welcome! Wait til you get to know us, it addictive! Jump right in and have fun

Thanks. I am really really hoping that it worked. I used three bottles of it for 25 chickens and there two pens. I soaked them in it. Bathing them is so time consuming and weather has to be permitting

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Dang SQUIRRELS! They are decimating my pear crop! I think there's an entire dray (squirrel equivalent of flock) knocking the green pears down and chewing them up.
This is the first year we've had a really heavy fruit-bearing season, and I'm not sure I'll see any fruit grow big and ripen.

Quote:

Not a trick, really. But kind-of an "object lesson" to show that it isn't always easy to tell just by appearance - especially with the hatchery red girls.

I have a saying around there.........I don't believe it's a pullet until I see an egg

Agreed, you aren't kidding. spurs combs etc don't really mean as much as eggs. I have a turkey hen with a beard, and very masculine. lays huge eggs.

Quote: I am still feeling a lil lonely here in Madison co, there is only a handful here too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello! I am new to this forum. I might be the only "chicken-less" person here. I live in Indianapolis, and have been contemplating on getting chickens. I have a few questions first, and one nosey-know it all neighbor that has scared the bigeebeez out of me. First, the neighbor. I mentioned awhile ago that I was thinking about getting a few chickens. She looked at me so disgustingly as if I had taken a poo right there in front of her. She proclaimed it was illegal and that she would have them removed, because well, she has nothing more to do with her time now that most kardashian episodes are now reruns. So, is it still legal? I'm in Pike township. I won't eat them, I only want their eggs and I think the overall idea is neat. I don't want them to be loud and don't want high costs. We own dogs, and I wonder how many animals you can have per one residency. There is no HOA. Just crazy lady. Should I even get any if I have to worry about her? Or let her get her panties in a wedge and deal with it? What breed would you recommend for me? Age of chickens? How many?

Call your code enforcement, and animal control, ask these questions. There are crazies and knowitalls, but as of right now, Indy allows chickens. Get it from the source, and you will know what you can have. I have friends that keep turkeys there, but ordinances change. PM if you need help, thats what this thread is for!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Anyone in Indy going to either of the Zoning meeting tomorrow? I need to go to the one at Noon cause I don't have someone to watch my daughter tomorrow evening. I just suddenly remembered this, I knew I was forgetting something tomorrow! (thanks newchickenintown1 for sparking my memory!)

Here is the info again in case anyone else forgot:

I cant, dont have coverage for my Moms care

I am sick over it too. Really wanted to go but all my options are tied up.

Thanks for your response! Our thinking was kind of like yours. We don't want to make it seem like we are asking for permission from the neighbor. In the end, we will do what we want on our property (law permitting). I watched youtube videos of hens laying their eggs and "singing". Does that become noisy? I find my neighbor's singing in her yard offensive- we can make it even.

Hope the neighbor is at least not tone deaf. Its really depending on the hens breed, makes me smile.

means my girl gave me an egg. My EEs are very loud telling the world they laid an egg. My GLWs you would never know if you didnt look, same for the BRs orps etc.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Claiming post #30,000 in Old Salt's absence

I miss him too. Loved your pics!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Looking for juvenile pullets/laying hens @ a fair price. Lost ~38 of my birds in the past 2.5 weeks due to predators.

OUCH. Whats your coop set up? Is there anything we can help with? I may know someone with some pullets.

Just got off the phone with MyPetChicken.com re: Otis. They are issuing a refund, but...I didn't know this...if they made any more errors on my order (this makes one lost chick and one wrongly-sexed), they will refund shipping + the cost of my silkie (if he turns out to be a boy--gotta wait 'til October). They gave me a credit for a free chick, too, on a future order. Haven't thought that far ahead, honestly. Just wanted to share. I had no idea they would do more than refund the cost of the bird. She acted like they'd give me my whole order free (she called it a reship) if they find one more error with this one. I'd just have to send photos.

Good to know they are willing to correct it. Thanks for sharing!

Here are the bantam girls that arent silkies. They live with the silkies for now though.

Kiwi , bantam EE, she is wild!


Po, oegb, these oegbs think they are flying birds!


Peanut, oegb


Einstein, polish ,bossy!



Bandit, barred cochin who we thought was a boy as a chick because shes so pushy and nosey, but is all girl


Sunny, gold laced cochin, going through a juvie molt so I hope she fills out more

Love the OEGBs, beautiful pics

Quote: Fingers crossed. Really wanted to be there. Please share any links, as you learn more.

Quote: I hope its made a difference.. thats a lot of people speaking out. If you get a link of the proposed ordinance please share.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Exciting evening tonight. When we got home one of our hives had split and swarmed. My partner put another hive together, cut the branch the swarm was on, then dropped it in. And Presto, we now have three hives instead of two!!

Congrats, thats very good news! Sounds like Wade has learned beekeeping quite well and I am so envious!

I was there too. Was anyone else there? I was the vocal lady in the back and my daughter was on the tablet (yep, bribed her with tablet time to get her to go!). We were sitting next to the guy from Agrarian. We left pretty fast when it was over b/c dd had a headache (hadn't had dinner yet, so that may have been part of it!)

I hope at the very least they realize how little thought they really have put into this rezoning draft in regard to how it will drastically affect so many peoples lives. I mean the guy admitted he really didn't know about many of the things people were talking about b/c he is a "city guy" (um -just like the rest of us!). I also thought it was great that there was a lady there who is an avid homesteader AND a lawyer. She is definitely a gem to have on our side. Experience on many levels.

There were so many ramifications/consequences of this rezoning that I had not thought of and as the conversation went on people were listing more, my brain was also tallying up even more I was able to think of, as I am sure were others. .

We have been talking about goats for awhile, even before chickens, and when the lady said she got 1/2 gallon of milk a day from her Nigerian dwarf goats - I was amazed and it made me want goats even more, but we have said they would not be realistic for us to consider until next year. Unless it looks like this thing will pass anywhere near as it is, and then suddenly we may be getting goats!

I think that we will have to have an active grass roots movement if this moves forward, and my guess is it will continue in some form. The Metropolitan Development Commission, and if it gets past them the City County Council are going to have to hear from an overwhelming number of people - enough that it really makes them think hard before passing this thing.

Well, I better be heading to bed. Sleep well!

I love my goats. Even before I considered milk production, they have always been part of my life.

I hope so also

Quote: you covered it all, excellent post

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
This is all very interesting and reminds me of the Missouri side of St. Louis.

Some of you know that I am a home cheese maker (and give classes when life isn't hectic!) I had a goal of visiting as many private cheese classes as possible a few years ago to see how people were handling their classes in many various ways and glean some great ideas from others. We went to a class in a city neighborhood in the basement of the home of a family in St. Louis.

St. Louis allowed for livestock in the city. This gal's whole backyard was a goat yard with the exception of a small chicken yard way at the back. The fencing came up to the garage and on the back of the garage was a goat shelter. Her milking stands were inside the garage. She had 4 goats at the time we visited.

She told me a few things:
-She never kept a loud goat. If it was a loudmouth, she would not keep it in her flock for the sake of being a good neighbor.
-Her neighbors never had a complaint. Only time a neighbor made a comment was when they got out of the fences one time; he said, "I like your goats and have no problem with you keeping them - as long as they're in your yard and not mine!"
-She would keep the goat yard "stink-free". She handled manure in such a way that it didn't smell of animals.

I was amazed at this. The yard was relatively small. Certainly less than half an acre back there. Neighbors were right there - in "old city" sized lots.

Maybe someone can check the statutes in St. Louis and find out about their success and use it as a model?
Thats a very good post. Will start looking at it sunday after the get together

We brought home a few bantams from the fair! Tell me what you think.
Wheaten Faverolle (beautiful bird)!!


Golden Laced Seabright


There is a few more I'll get pics of tomorrow.

Both are lovely, you got some gorgeous birds!

Here's a great WWII poster we came across as my daughter was researching for her Illustrated talk for fair.

Loved this!