INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Thriftymom6]

Glad you think so! I've been sketching and scribbling out and sketching again until I settled on that arrangement. I really like it overall, just seeing if it seems like a good plan for a duck coop!

I'd read where a lot of people have said their ducks like sleeping outside more than inside. I wonder if it's instinct? I'm a bit paranoid about making sure every single bird is where they belong (yes, I count all 42 chickens before I lock the coop up every night... ) so I'll probably be carrying ducks in to bed every night.
I'd also heard that ducks don't tend to use nests even if provided. I'm going to go ahead and provide it for them, but I'm not going to be totally shocked if they don't use it. Thanks for your thoughts!
Oh, love this! I've seen those pipe feeders around a lot lately. I do wonder if they would discourage sparrows! I'm not sure how well they would work with my big flock, unless I did something like below. My girls get pretty mean at the feed dish.

(Picture Credit)


Thanks for the ideas! Great post!

I was thinking the same thing but I worry about attracting unwanted pests. Since I switched feed there is a lot on the ground. My flock has grown or should I say growing up and I need more feeders this would be nice for less waste and a bird deterrent. There would need to be several or a trough area? Plus in the winter that tote would really take up space in the coop.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Plus in the winter that tote would really take up space in the coop.

Oh, ick, I didn't think of that... :/ I wonder how difficult it would be to build a wall-mounted version of those pipe feeders to fit between the studs in the wall...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
I can;t speak for the docile breeds, I have owned African, Chinese and Embden. Geese are normally quiet unless there is a reason. If they are raised with a dog, they only trust that dog. Strangers coming to visit, they are wary, and if they feel a threat may be aggressive. If I have folks coming I keep them penned, or watch them closely. My brother stopped in once and didn't let me know he was coming. He was quickly escorted back to his car

Regular family members are fine.
I keep them confined til late morning in case there is a mail or express delivery. They don't like mailmen or delivery trucks either.

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I never knew geese would deter a hawk attack! How "noisy" is a goose? Are the docile breeds good protection? Do geese go after human visitors or the family dog?

@jchny2000
Adding to those questions - do they bother the chickens? What kind of housing is needed for geese?

Mine are raised with other poultry and waterfowl so not in my experience. My ganders will attack a rooster that goes after me tho!
Here is my goose house:

Last winter.. Top almost center is the black snowmobile trailer top AKA Goose House. I estimate its 8x16 but never measured. Its made of aluminum. I cut an entry door in the front, the back has a long access door, I collect eggs and enter the house from there. The grow up coop is left. it was empty during winter. lower left is the main chicken coop run. It all wraps a 2 car detached garage.
I make sure there is dry hay and leaf litter in there at all times. No water or food in the house either. They did fine and no frostbite on anyone. Note the pekin are also housed with them.

 

[Thriftymom6]

Oh, ick, I didn't think of that... :/ I wonder how difficult it would be to build a wall-mounted version of those pipe feeders to fit between the studs in the wall...

That's is a good idea! Wall mounting them! I know I am a mile from the Whitley county line and technically in Koscuisko county but we r all still neighbors. My kids go to Whitko and that is in both counties. Maybe I am locationally challenged,

 

[Mother2Hens]

Got 1 chick so far,

5 more eggs to go...

chick rookie ~ What breed is your momma hen, and what is she hatching? I think you've mentioned this before, but she looks a lot like my Bantam Imported English Orp, Bonbon, who just hatched her third Bantam Black Cochin -- possible frizzle egg. Two more to go! Eggs were from @ellymayRans

Here are a couple of photos taken on fake sheep skin that looks like snow

, and I grabbed a Sharpie and Post-It Notes for size reference.

The one on the right hatched today (Monday).


The one in front hatched yesterday, the one in back hatched today (Monday), and the one on the right hatched on Friday.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo ~ Your Poe was a special roo, but I am hoping for zero roos. My two tiny bantam roos, the Belgian Mille Fleur and OEGB Wheaton, love to have crowing contests. The OEGB used to be head roo until the Mille Fleur out grew him. The MF has a loud crow for a mini roo, and the OEGB has a pitiful sounding crow! They don't impress the LF hens or even the Silkies. Poor guys!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hey peeps! I added a new section to the Indiana BYC'ers page for Chicken ordinances. I remember a few people posting letter examples in June and offering advice to anyone who was looking to appeal to city councils thinking of passing backyard chicken legislation. If you wrote a letter or have anything to add, could you please post it? I'd love to add more info from everyone.


Another section I'd like to add is Chicken Therapy. If you have anything to share on this topic, please post it! I first started reading about this topic this year, and Backyard Poultry Mag did have a good article on it called Feathered Therapy. (If you don't have a subscription see my trick here to read the article anyways) Are your chickens therapeutic? Do your kids/grandkids find them therapeutic? @Mother2Hens had a good post on being zen with the chickens, but I couldn't find it in recent posts.

With so many of us going through rezoning and annexation, fantastic idea! I went thru it almost 2 years ago. Had me so concerned I rehomed my alpacas.
Therapeutic? Goodness, yes! My Mom is pretty much a shut in. She will go outside to see the birds! She loves a little one hopping into her lap and snuggling in to snooze. Dad came home, and wanted to see his goslings that day! So I brought him in his full grown 20+ pound Gander. We still have a few tiny ones here too, and an adorable lil white embden girl thats not even chicken sized yet. Dad was so pleased, and wanted to hold and talk to the littlest gosling.
It gives them a lot of joy and laughter when we toss out the BOSS or another treat. We had pumpkin smashing this evening. OH MY did my Dad laugh! every bird here was playing tackle football

Even my "proper" acting Embden hens got into the game.
For me, I would be pretty lost without them. Since I have to stay here and care for my parents, its my "hobby" and keeps me sane. When we built on and moved here, I knew I was going to get stir crazy staying home. I worked for 30 years. Not now! I am learning something new daily, and know every face in my flocks. Its also been a great adventure raising my goats, and soon, piglets too! I lost about 60 pounds, and was taken off blood pressure medicine from all the walking, lifting and activity I do. I feel it stopped me from severe health issues later in life, like my parents endure. The best part is I have met so many awesome people on our thread!

Hey guys, how do you over winter ducks? We have 3 khaki campbells. I'm planning on putting their coop in the barn this year. I am more curious about the water situation. We have cookie tin heaters for out poultry waterers, but ducks have to clean out their nares. So... how do you handle the water situation for ducks in the winter?

Kab, I would use a heated water bucket. They are really easy to clean. I'd make sure it is away from their bedding and on top of something to catch the water, so I don't have ice building up causing a risk to their legs.
With the larger flock I have, I use a 55 gallon drum bottom, cut about 1/4 of the way up. Added a stock tank heater. They can dunk and preen, and its not too heavy to dump and clean. I tried the same method for the chicken coop last year, and they were still perching and pooping into the water too much, concerned me.

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thats always the most precious thing to see. sending hatching vibes

Ever have one of those days where you just want to find a corner to curl up in and wait for it to end?

Is it me, or are those days usually Mondays? Thank goodness for my chickens--don't know how I'd make it without them to cheer me up at the end of the day!



Quote: You could build a "tractor" style coop... they can have an open floor. I am looking at those for breeding pens. I want something to be mobile, and start rotational grazing for some of the breeding stock. This one is still my favorite, but bigger than I need for some of the trios.
http://www.raincreekpottery.com/Pages/HoopCoopChickenTractor.aspx
I like it because it offers ample room for some larger frame birds and bigger breeding groups. I am still a little wary since its not wood. IMO is needs to have hardware cloth instead of chicken wire wrap. I have plenty of room to do them here tho.

Quote: That should be in the coldest periods. Mine are out in a january melt flapping in puddles in the driveway. They just need something the body fits into so they can stay clean. Once a day is really enough if that. I have also seen them snow bathing, no kidding! But thats with pekin and geese, not with other breeds/species. Important things to remember, ducks and geese need to dunk when they eat, and keep their air passage and nostrils clear. Some ducks cant swallow the food without water. If you watch them eating, you can see them eat a bite, run to the water, eat, and repeat. They also have to keep the down clean to keep warm. Good info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_feather

So I finally hatched my first chick with wry neck. It was from shipped eggs and such a cute fluffy bantam Cochin. I've been syringing water to keep it hydrated and a couple drops of poly vi sol several times a day. I have to keep him in a smaller food storage container lined with rolled up wash cloths to keep him from rolling over. I think today is day 3 with no improvement what so ever. It will not eat so may have to start moistening and mashing feed to try that.

Any suggestions? I'd really hate to cull it if it has a chance but I also hate to see it suffer.

That's so tough, I am sorry to hear. I have had 3. I have to say I don't feel its got a good chance to thrive. 1 gosling, and 2 EEs. The gosling was growing out of it, and that's one of the 2 the fox got last year. The EEs, one past quick, within a day of hatch.The second did improve and lived about 3 months, but never fully grew out of the problem. They struggle to eat, and have to be watched close to be sure they are getting enough. My lil guy that was improving I kept separated and was really sweet, but was never eating enough to sustain growth. Its a hard thing to go thru. If it isn't eating, ask yourself its quality of life and if its meant to be. Good luck.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Greetings from Whitley County! I introduced myself in the New Member Introductions forum a while back, but I'd really like to meet some chicken folks in my area especially, so I figured I should introduce myself here, too Grew up in Whitley County, left for 15 years, and came back about a year ago. I hadn't planned on having any sort of farm animals because I really like traveling, and I know how hard it is finding someone to take care of my three cats, let alone someone willing to go out and do chores twice per day. But then one day a few months after I moved back last year, my dad found a hen-less chick in his barn, and he and my mom were going on vacation, so I agreed to take care of it until they got back. Fast forward a year, and the chick is a rooster I named Reginald. I also have three hens and two chicks I'm hoping with all my might end up being hens, too. My farmhouse came with a barn cat (unbeknownst to me at the time) and then I relocated a feral colony that was going to be "evicted" (probably euthanized since they were too wild to be homed) from the basement of the apartment building I had been living in in Columbia City. Bringing me to a grand total of eight cats (five in the barn, three in the house) and six chickens. So much for spontaneous travel plans! I love all my animals, though, and it really gives me pleasure to take care of all of them. If I'm honest with myself, I would guess I'll have some more animals (goats? sheep? ... MORE CHICKENS??) by this time next year!

Here's a link to some photos of my chickens: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102299433423789.1073741835.836415&type=1&l=3dfa1fa8de

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

-Anna

and so glad you found our thread

We have an awesome and friendly group of folks here to ask questions, bounce ideas off our brains. Have fun, and just jump in!

I asked this a while ago, but didn't get any response so I thought I'd pose it again. Has anyone ever tried or thought about using the heated water buckets for chicken waterers? We never had a problem with water freezing in them. If the nipple drinkers were fitted to the bottom of the bucket, would they stay thawed all winter? I'm just wondering if this would be a good option instead of trying to mess with heat tape, aquarium heaters, etc trying to keep the water from freezing.

Thats a good idea, and I wonder if it will work. I am pretty sure the element is at the bottom. The trick is trying one out and not ruining the bucket. If you use the cup style waterer that isn't required to be vertical, i can see that working well!

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me too! I like to know way ahead of time what is planned. I want to reserve a place for us way ahead and get a date.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

8 more pekin in the freezer. I still have about 14 to go and all hens, UGH. Have even posted a craigslist add to place them. Pekin hens lay year around. Please PM if you are interested, Our thread members I will let them go very reasonably. PM if interested.
We had a very good crop of pumpkin. We planted pie pumpkin, and noticed several had started to turn already

I do not use any insecticides. Many had holes bored, looks like there are very few I can use. Fantastic feed for all my critters, but I really wanted to freeze more than I can now. Looking for advice. I used plastic lids from the free buckets for the pumpkin I saw growing. Found more traveled into the corn, same problem. What can I use to protect the pumpkin naturally and not hurt the bee population here? We are in southern madison Co.
Goodnite everyone keep dozing off.

 

[chick rookie]

chick rookie ~ What breed is your momma hen, and what is she hatching? I think you've mentioned this before, but she looks a lot like my Bantam Imported English Orp, Bonbon, who just hatched her third Bantam Black Cochin -- possible frizzle egg. Two more to go! Eggs were from @ellymayRans

Here are a couple of photos taken on fake sheep skin that looks like snow

, and I grabbed a Sharpie and Post-It Notes for size reference.

The one on the right hatched today (Monday).


The one in front hatched yesterday, the one in back hatched today (Monday), and the one on the right hatched on Friday.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo ~ Your Poe was a special roo, but I am hoping for zero roos. My two tiny bantam roos, the Belgian Mille Fleur and OEGB Wheaton, love to have crowing contests. The OEGB used to be head roo until the Mille Fleur out grew him. The MF has a loud crow for a mini roo, and the OEGB has a pitiful sounding crow! They don't impress the LF hens or even the Silkies. Poor guys!

My broody is a BJG, she just had started to lay!! Couldn't believe she went broody at that age. Wow I didn't know they would space the hatches apart like that. Your chickies are very cute, Mine is sitting on 2 EE, 1 BR, maybe 2, a SLW, She had 2 BJG eggs but I think those were duds but I left them just incase, so we shall see if I was right. The dad to all mine are either 1 of my Welsummer roo's or my BR roo, Yep they are just BYM's, or mutts...

 

[chick rookie]

Beauty!!

Won't be long before my Violet is that big!


Welcome, neighbor! I'm in Whitley County as well! There are a few others from the county on the thread as well--Whitley folks unite!

Laughter may be the best medicine, but animals are the best therapy!

As far as your broody goes, bear in mind I have very limited broody experience, but from what I've read, it's best just to leave mama alone and let her decide when it's time to get up at this point in the process. Good luck!

I don't know about converting it to a nipple waterer, but I do use a heated bucket for water for my hens in winter and haven't had any problems yet. I put it underneath something in the coop so that the girls can reach it to drink, but if there's a commotion, they can't accidentally fall into it. I believe, at least on mine, the element is on the bottom of the bucket, so that would make fitting nipple drinkers pretty difficult.

(P.S. Thank you for the board idea for a heated bucket for the ducks--I think I'll go that route with my future ducks.

I was going to just do a gravity waterer or something, but those heated buckets are so much easier than breaking ice every few hours!)

nice hen. ok leaving it all up to momma, cant wait till it's over so I can see which eggs hatched....