INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[irtehun]

Here's some pics of my flock

Sorry for the photo spam!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[raisinemright]

 Is the duck in quarantine/sick bay or you just decided you wanted a house duck?

No did not want a house duck and it isn't sick. The momma kicked it out of the nest (almost pecked it to death) so my kids brought it in and set up a brooder. It's doing great and is now in a larger brooder in the barn.

 

[Leahs Mom]

R.I.P Honey, I know your Arthur was waiting for you. You haven't been happy since he left.
You will be missed.

Sorry people but I just had to.

Very sorry. They are such pretty birds.

For anyone following the calcium carbonate size "great debate," I put the smaller, dissolvable 99% pure CaCO3 pellets right next to my oyster shell calcium, and it is obvious that there was greater consumption of the smaller pellets. They all have their choice and I plan to leave it that way.

Today's issue is an impacted crop in one of my older hens. I've been massaging it (it's not that hard--softer than when you make meatloaf, but I can feel some long fibers in there), and also gave her a capsule of docusate sodium sulfate to help keep it soft. I ordered things I might need if it comes to surgery--if she manages to hang on 2-3 days. She is in daughter's bathroom with nothing but water and my kitty's bed lined with an incontinence pad, since I could feel that she has an egg coming and might be looking for a nesting area.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed that my supplies get here in time, or that she recovers just from the frequent massages and holding off food. I lost a pullet with a very hard grass impaction earlier this year (and yes, the grass was cut to 2" before she got to have any). I'd like to not have a repeat. These Australorp hens are very good layers. She's 3-1/2 and still laying a decent number of eggs.

@kittydoc
Thanks for the calcium update.....Great that you are offering it free choice! That is my preferred way to feed anything rather than by force.

Something that has worked very well for several with an impacted or sour crop (either one...I know they're different) is to separate and restrict to water as you're doing...and in addition, offer organic coconut oil in it's solid state for them to eat free-choice. It had both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and has helped to "cure" many of these situations for several folks that I'm in contact with. If the birds decide to eat it, they really do love the coconut oil. And it's not because they haven't had anything else...my birds will go for it any time I offer it to them. They seem to love the stuff.

Editing to add: Please be very careful with the massage. One of our members who breeds and has lots of experience with poultry did the massaging on one of her birds and it aspirated and died right in her arms. She is very adamant about warning folks about the dangers of massage and to be very careful if you do it.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Today's issue is an impacted crop in one of my older hens.

Coconut oil will help to keep the impaction from souring while it works itself out. It should also lube the fibers and help things move along down. I had a GC pullet that was badly impacted and soured, and the coconut oil did the trick after a few days. I did not massage any more than to briefly palpate for changes.

 

[atrueb00]

I wondered if you got your seeds from Baker Creek. I love their seeds & they're about the only place I get seeds anymore.

That's all we use too if we start from seed. Love their heirloom varieties, following them on Facebook and look forward to getting their catalog to plan for 2015! One year we did an all purple garden with seeds from them. Eggplant, purple green beans, purple bell peppers, purple tomatoes. My fav color is purple.

I kind of figured out the whole thing with bringing terrible looking chickens to a show. Won't say how I found out, or which people I am specifically talking about, but maybe it will give you an idea of why people would do that.

Some people have hundreds of chickens there. Some families will enter all there chickens under one person so they only have to pay one entry fee. They will bring ALL the chickens they have. Not only so your chickens get feed for free for a few days, but you get paid for winning.

This reminded me of a story I read a couple months ago in Backyard Poultry Mag about Stringman Extraordinaire. Here's an excerpt:

"A Stringman was an experienced chicken breeder who entered many poultry breeds, a “string,” in large quantities from one state fair exhibition to the next for the purpose of winning prize money. This practice could, at the very least, provide income to support the hobby of chicken breeding, but fortunes varied. If the entry fee of one bird was a quarter, and the Stringman entered 300 birds of all varieties, he’d pay a $75 entry. If the cash prize was $5 and 100 of his birds placed, he would have made $425 dollars cash, a huge sum 100 years ago. The secret was that the feed was included in the entry fee. The Stringman would drop off his birds on Sunday and collect them the following Sunday, drive to another fair, deposit them for a week, and so on. The birds would literally make the fair rounds from June to September."
Really like your setup of the brooder and the coop! Thanks for sharing the pics and videos, that is so helpful!!

Here's my hubby - aka the Pied Piper of Chickens. As soon as they saw him get the cup of scratch out of the coop they were right behind him. They could hardly wait until he sat down. ;-)

Love seeing these photos.

Well more bad news, seems that is all I have any more.

I am sorry for your loss.

I had a great first experience at Wolf's!
I came home with 2 WCB Polish hens, 1 WCB Polish rooster, 2 little silkies, and 1 showgirl hen.

What great additions to your flock! The silkies look very good/show quality!

Sorry my quick trip out to take pic's ended up rescuing my girls from a egg eating black snake.
so her are the pic's.

this is the deer netting. The bird net was 3.2m and the deer net is 2.1m hole sz. and much stronger than the bird IMO.

This is a really good tip. I have seen the deer netting and didn't even think about using it. We currently have some bird netting over our exercise pen, and I need more for our berry bushes so the birds don't get the berries before we do!

R.I.P Honey, I know your Arthur was waiting for you. You haven't been happy since he left.
You will be missed.

Sorry people but I just had to.

I am really sorry to hear this. Glad they are together now, but gosh this had to be so hard.

OMG this is so cute! I really want call ducks some day!

I usually go to all of them that are there since it's only about 20 minutes from my house. This will probably be my first time selling there though. I will be taking my black mottled Polish/Houdans and maybe some of my micro pigs. (Going to be sad to see them go- I love to watch them run and play.)

Where is it at in Knox? Is there a website for details?

No did not want a house duck and it isn't sick. The momma kicked it out of the nest (almost pecked it to death) so my kids brought it in and set up a brooder. It's doing great and is now in a larger brooder in the barn.

Oh no! That's sad she didn't want her, glad you are taking good care of her.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I got my first blue EE egg today. Yay! I know, no picture, shame on me. I'll get one tomorrow. I'm going to blow it out for preservation. ;-)

That reminds me - anyone here do shell carving? I think it's fascinating, and I'm very interested!

 

[atrueb00]

I am still trying to get good pics of the 4 week old chicks. The weather and the chicks haven't been cooperating. I'm going to try to get pics at dusk, hoping they will be more calm as so far no one has wanted to sit still long enough for a good picture. They don't have the attention span for treats and just want to be with their friends. Any tips would be appreciated!

Doesn't this set up look inviting? Just need them to think so.



Also got a video of the adults drinking water from our cat's dish outside. Just thought it was funny how they all take turns and seem to really enjoy water from a dish.

I was sitting in front of the coop one night and when I looked behind me this is what I saw:



This MF likes to stand on anything: rocks, tables and apparently honeybee waterers. LOL

 

[BryLT3]

Send pics!!!!

Ask and you shall receive.

The grey one in the front is the one that was hatched this morning, it's pure polish (golden laced x silver laced), the black one is a Polish/Houdan (silver laced x black mottled) that hatched yesterday, and the light one is an Indian blue peachick that hatched yesterday.

 

[chickiebaby1]

That's all we use too if we start from seed. Love their heirloom varieties, following them on Facebook and look forward to getting their catalog to plan for 2015! One year we did an all purple garden with seeds from them. Eggplant, purple green beans, purple bell peppers, purple tomatoes. My fav color is purple.

This reminded me of a story I read a couple months ago in Backyard Poultry Mag about Stringman Extraordinaire. Here's an excerpt:

"A Stringman was an experienced chicken breeder who entered many poultry breeds, a “string,” in large quantities from one state fair exhibition to the next for the purpose of winning prize money. This practice could, at the very least, provide income to support the hobby of chicken breeding, but fortunes varied. If the entry fee of one bird was a quarter, and the Stringman entered 300 birds of all varieties, he’d pay a $75 entry. If the cash prize was $5 and 100 of his birds placed, he would have made $425 dollars cash, a huge sum 100 years ago. The secret was that the feed was included in the entry fee. The Stringman would drop off his birds on Sunday and collect them the following Sunday, drive to another fair, deposit them for a week, and so on. The birds would literally make the fair rounds from June to September."


I guess i just don't get this. I would miss my birds too much. I love being around my birds, that's why I have them, not to have someone else take care of them.
Really like your setup of the brooder and the coop! Thanks for sharing the pics and videos, that is so helpful!!

Love seeing these photos.

I am sorry for your loss.

What great additions to your flock! The silkies look very good/show quality!


This is a really good tip. I have seen the deer netting and didn't even think about using it. We currently have some bird netting over our exercise pen, and I need more for our berry bushes so the birds don't get the berries before we do!

I am really sorry to hear this. Glad they are together now, but gosh this had to be so hard.

OMG this is so cute! I really want call ducks some day!
Where is it at in Knox? Is there a website for details?


Oh no! That's sad she didn't want her, glad you are taking good care of her.

 

[Thriftymom6]

[COLOR=8B4513]I even put a "Disclaimer" on my post, so you'd know I was just teasing! Please continue with scientific discussions. It's good to clear some issues up that have been vague. For example, I've used medicated starter before, but I didn't use it for Bonbon's May hatch since was in a coop outdoors and had the chicks outside within a week. Now, I know not to use it if I ever have chicken indoors again.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I've been working 6-8 hours a day outside (with my flock) after I get my work done inside, so I am exhausted by the time I sit down to check out the thread. That's one reason that I have a low level of comprehension! [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Sounds like there are a lot of broodies! Good luck to @pginsber @CCCCCCCCHICKENS [/COLOR] @browncow15 @chick rookie [COLOR=8B4513]Sorry to hear about your broody's eggs! My BIL near Bloomington had copperheads last summer. His SIL is a Naturalist, and he placed metal pipes on the ground. The snakes would go into them to rest because they're warm. Then they were relocated.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Btw, That's amazing news about Honey![/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I'm taking one of my quick trips to Indy. I have my quarterly voice treatment I've mentioned before (for Spasmodic Dysphonia). Since my DD in Bloomington still has my car, I'll take DH's car, and he'll have to have DS drive him to work and back. DD needs to find a vehicle. Anyway, in Indy I'll get to see my older DD and her new apartment in a beautiful house in Woodruff Place. And I'm getting three Black Bantam Cochin --possible frizzle eggs from @ellymayRans for Bonbon who's been sitting on unfertilized silkie eggs for over a week.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]If I didn't have time constraints, I would offer Chicken Train services to anyone along my route![/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I have to go up again soon to take my three OEGBs from Bonbon's previous hatch to[/COLOR] @CRSelvey . [COLOR=8B4513]I'm keeping this little Belgian Mille Fleur roo:[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]By the way, the plants with the large leaves are[/COLOR] [COLOR=008000]Patchouli[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]!! Just rubbing the leaves releases the oil. Loved patchouli when I went to IU ~ some of us on the thread have reminisced about its popularity. They grow very well as potted plants, and have to be taken inside if temps go below 60. They're native to Southeast Asia.[/COLOR]

I love patchouli! Where did u find it?