INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Re: houseflies
I have not had a big fly issue but I do notice that there are more around this year than last. I feed mostly lacto-fermented feed and I've heard that it makes a difference in fly level. I can't say as I haven't feed dry feed during any summer exclusively yet.

Anyhow, not sure if it is the fermented feed or deep litter or a combo of both but so far the flies have been pretty low level this year and almost non-existent last yer.

 

[Leahs Mom]

One more thing I wanted to add...

If you have an enclosed run, it is really helpful for the health of the birds, health of the ground, and also fly reduction if you make a deep litter in there. It keeps the ground alive and they can still dig through it for bugs, worms, etc.

I've mentioned this before but wanted to say again that many tree services will bring wood chips (mulch) for free if they are working in your area. I have wood chips waiting in piles to "cure" a bit before I put them in the run. They will get full of worms within about a 6 mo period of time.

Anyhow, use the wood chips if you can get them along with the litter (with wood shavings) that you clean out of the chicken house. Cover the whole run with it and continue to build it up every time you clean out the house. (Just dump it in a big pile...the birds will cover the whole run with it and it gives them something to do!)

This is one of the best things I've done for our housing situation. No sickly, impacted, slimy, disgusting, dying runs. No smell. Very low to no fly congregation. Healthy ground for the birds to dig through. And when spring comes around you can dig some out for the garden. What's underneith will be a wonderfully finished compost. (Then keep on building with more litter.)

My daughter dug some out for her garden this year and made an "above ground" garden using only the soil that came from the chicken run. She's never had such great growth in her gardens before.

 

[chick rookie]

@chick rookie : do you guys ever sleep???

Nope.

I thought I was bd with the not sleeping much.... lol

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Morning peeps! I was only 2 pages behind this morning. Yay me! So what is on everyone's agenda today? Mine is finish vacuuming, do dishes, feed animals, mop, clean pond and coops.

Welp. At 6 I had a Men's Group meeting at church, then work, which so far has been 3 hours of training on Rolls Royce T56 / 501K industrial turbo-shaft engines. Now I have to take a proctor qualification test, proctor some other tests, do a corporate/OSHA safety audit of the whole school, grade a two-inch stack of projects, prep classes for next week... and then I can go home.

If I'm lucky I'll get the chickens out in the yard for a while this evening.

Then I have to finish building a bookshelf door - ask me about that sometime, it's awesome.

More meetings tonight. I'll probably crash around 11.30.

I thought I was bd with the not sleeping much.... lol

See above. Typical Day.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

The mosquitoes are horrible too.  My daughter and I were just outside wanting to hang with the chickens and we were getting eaten alive!!

I always am attacked by misquitos. I go outside fr a night and I am lucky to have less than around 10 bites. I actually have some right now. One weekend I went. Camping and I came home with nearly 30 mosquito bites and ended up getting sick. I ended up going to te emergent room for 7 and a half hours and finally found out what it was

 

[lilrider]

Welcome! I'm right by you in Bristol. I'm trying to find some more birds but its a little rough in the northern Indiana area. I am going to Wolfs Animal Swap in August. Its in Ligonier. Anyone else going?

Hello all Indiana Chicken People. I have been on here for almost a year but just found this forum. Ive been on a couple of the others. Im from nothern Indiana in Goshen and have a couple chickens Im trying to find. My flock consists of the following: 2 Black copper marans (pair) love my rooster, only mature i have, pic below 8 young Blue laces Red Wyandottes not yet laying and unfortunately all splash (2 pullets and 3-4 cockerels for trade or sale) 3 blue eggers, not sure if true americana but one looks the part 1 bared rock 3 isa browns 1 Tolbunt polish (after this weeks Elkhart Co fair ends) and a couple young ones that were to be blue coppers and one olive egger pullets but they all SEEM to be roos, not cool. anyway, here is what Im looking for: Black (or maybe Blue) copper maran hens/pullets Black/dark Blue laced Red Wyandotte cockrel (maybe roo) to balance my 2 splash hens Olive egger If anyone has any of these and is relativley close by, let me know thanks all Here's "Big Guy"

 

[flyladyrocks]

pack for peaceful weekend at in-laws where I get to sleep in because grandma and grandpa get up with baby in the morning!!!! Is it sad that I am that excited about it?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I think it is more of a curiosity thing. I like to compare it to Curious George and his window washing job. George was told not to look in the windows but....

Being able to sleep in when you have a baby is very VERY exciting! Woohoo - good for you! I love that my kids are old enough to get themselves breakfast, do their chores and let me sleep in on occasion, I am exhausted so wish I could do that soon, just a matter of finding a day where there is not a ton of things that need to be done so I can sleep in! Sleep is good, but instead of sleeping in, I would prefer a night that I got to bed really really early. If everything got done and I got to bed 2 hours early that would be so much more relaxing to me than sleeping in and waking up thinking of everything I had to do.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Re: houseflies
I have not had a big fly issue but I do notice that there are more around this year than last. I feed mostly lacto-fermented feed and I've heard that it makes a difference in fly level. I can't say as I haven't feed dry feed during any summer exclusively yet.

Anyhow, not sure if it is the fermented feed or deep litter or a combo of both but so far the flies have been pretty low level this year and almost non-existent last yer.

I finally gave up on my old fermented feed since I was starting a new bigger container. The battle with the yeast creating alcohol instead of lacto- ferment was ongoing. One day fine, the next day attracting a boatload of flies. That is always my cue that the yeast is back. The birds still happily ate all the first batch but now the flies on my porch are almost non existant as long as I get the chicken poop cleaned up regularly!

I've mentioned this before but wanted to say again that many tree services will bring wood chips (mulch) for free if they are working in your area. I have wood chips waiting in piles to "cure" a bit before I put them in the run. They will get full of worms within about a 6 mo period of time.

My daughter dug some out for her garden this year and made an "above ground" garden using only the soil that came from the chicken run. She's never had such great growth in her gardens before.

Today I am waiting for another tree service. A couple weeks ago one said they were coming and never showed up. There is another one in my neighborhood today so I am waiting for them now. This time I got their phone number, so I will call mid afternoon and remind them! I am looking forward to what the compost from the chickens will do for my garden next year!

I always am attacked by misquitos. I go outside fr a night and I am lucky to have less than around 10 bites. I actually have some right now. One weekend I went. Camping and I came home with nearly 30 mosquito bites and ended up getting sick. I ended up going to te emergent room for 7 and a half hours and finally found out what it was

My son and I have both ended up in the ER b/c of those nasty buggers. Both times the doctor said "Oh it can't be from mosquito bites" until they saw us. The swelling was so bad is started cutting off circulation. I can relate!

Okay , back to the real world, got to get some work done!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

so I'm wondering about freezing eggs. Is it like freezing milk, Where sure it can be done and the milk is fine for cooking but the taste and texture are drastically different. I have heard you can't thaw an egg to fry it but it is fine for making cookies. What about other things, Mayo, bread, pancakes, eggnog, scrambled eggs, ...