INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kabhyper1]

The parents are a black roo/ white hen. It has 7 siblings that range in color from black, grey, lavender with some yellow, to some just lavender colored ones. I can't wait to see them grow out to see what color they will eventually be. It was like Christmas morning when they were hatching, because I wasn't sure what colors I would end up with. But the little partridge was really a surprise!

Unfortunately my hen has stopped laying or I would probably be hatching her eggs all winter.

Now I can't wait for spring. My grey's,blacks, and other whites will be ready to start laying by January.

Then I am in BIG trouble!!!!

If the mother of the partridge was white, then she is probably partridge under that white. What color were the other chicks parents?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have two young pair and the girls just started laying last week, so I don't have a good feel for how often they will lay once they have fully matured. It seems like I am getting an egg about every third day now. Every one is going in the incubator. It's interesting because they vary slightly in color - but are generally a light cream colored egg.

[COLOR=900000]Oh, okay. Sounds about right, though, for what I was reading. It's no wonder demand has far surpassed supply with these guys![/COLOR]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo This is the dog kennel w/the dog house I was talking about for the rooster boys. It also has a sloped tarp.

[COLOR=000090]The structure I was talking about isn't much more substantial than that. It's pretty much just a 4x8 foot piece of plywood up on 2x4 legs with wire around them. [/COLOR]

More photos These are the 2 Swedish Flower Hen boys. 19 weeks old tomorrow. Still in semi-quarantine. They've been here for 2 weeks as of last Thursday. I wasn't able to get a really good photo of the chocolate boy today but here's what I got. Now THIS GUY, seems to always be ready for a photo-op.

[COLOR=900000]Handsome boys! Do you happen to know if the chocolate boy is genetically chocolate, or if he's just chocolate-colored in appearance as a result of a mix of other colors? I love chocolate in poultry, almost came home with some sexlinked chocolate Wyandottes or dun (partially dominant chocolate) OEGBs a couple Saturdays ago... Dun OEGBs are definitely on my list. I will own some some day. [/COLOR]

Post about Cochins flying -- Didn't quote right

[COLOR=000090]Well, my little guy Po definitely couldn't fly! The one time he tried, he only got as high as about 3 feet and then went crashing back down, face first, into the bedding of the coop. Maybe it's because they're young?[/COLOR]

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

LOL Yes they want to dabble in mud and dirt, so many yummy things we don't see!

[COLOR=900000]That's for sure! The little brats did the same thing this morning! Trudi kept doing her little chirp-chirp with her beak under the water, though, and I couldn't be angry. Silly birds![/COLOR]

Assisted hatching. YAY

All three wrapped chicks are fluffed and fine this morning with their 3 hatch mates that hatched on their own.

[COLOR=000090]Oh man, that's tough! I've only had to do it once, but it's such a stressful event! Mine was because the baby was malpositioned, though. She had actually pipped internally with her foot while trying to shift to pip with her beak, because her butt was at the air cell instead of her head. Glad to hear your babies hatched out fine! They're super cute![/COLOR]

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I am using the term, "chocolate" as that's what his original owner described him as. Regarding the genetics, @ki4got is the one to ask. She's the genetics guru. I hope she'll stop in and comment on this

 

[ellymayRans]

Well my "kiddos" are back home. I really didn't want to brood babes this time of year but...I didn't want them rehomed so here I am with more chicks in the house! So I bid on some Ameraucana hatching eggs! ! Lol!

Update on the new Peas. It appears atleast one of the two is a Peacock. He's getting loosely barbed feathers already!

I never would have guessed my hen to play mommy so well! I can't wait til she's raising her own. She'll be a good one!

Also I didn't notice until these pics one of the babes seems knock-kneed?? Any opinions? Maybe it's just the stance in the pic?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

goat people. I would love to have some of you post great hints for the upcoming breeding season. Such as good places to find buck services. What the general cost of buck services are or if the buck owner is entitled to some of the kids. For this year my goal is to get milk from 1 doe. But I was considering getting 2 does pregnant so one doe could provide most of the kids milk. Goat formula is costly.
Also it looks like hand milking is not going to be a big favorite thing around here. So I'm also welcoming all recommendations for a milker that would work quickly enough for at most 3 goats. Next year I would have 3 goats of milking ages.

Battery powered milker pumps are the way to go! Mine is from eBay, coopsnmore is the seller but its not currently listed. Its exactly like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190807837198?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
The video shows you how it works. Sure saves your hands, I have some arthritis and can't hand milk anymore. I can milk in about 10 minutes with the pump.
I have my own buck, so don't have the challenge of finding one.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=KTtsIOP0v89n0AdFLJYgaA&bvm=bv.78677474,d.aWw
American dairy goat association is an option. There may be a listing for stud services or AI.Your breeder can help you on the Nubians to find an unrelated quality buck also. If you want your Oberhasli to breed true, I know of 2 local bucks here, one is north Anderson (Jami Sumner) and her new herdshire is unrelated to your doeling.. the other is @jsummers just east of pendleton in Markleville, also unrelated. Her buckling will be of age by late winter. Jami may be able to help you locate an Oberhasli buck closer to you, her herd is registered, and goats seem to be her passion. My buck, Bocephus, came from her original herd. Her new buck is from Ohio (flat out stunning gorgeous buck too), and is not related to her older buck (Bo's father/Ice creams grandfather). Its best to not linebreed if possible, but can be desirable if working towards quality and you own a good line. When linebreeding, you want to skip a generation if possible. Sophie's best quality IMO is her petite size, so your lil doeling may inherit that. If you want to contact either of those buck owners, neither are active on our thread, just pm and let me know.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: chicken math strikes lol!

Well my "kiddos" are back home. I really didn't want to brood babes this time of year but...I didn't want them rehomed so here I am with more chicks in the house! So I bid on some Ameraucana hatching eggs! ! Lol!

Update on the new Peas. It appears atleast one of the two is a Peacock. He's getting loosely barbed feathers already!

I never would have guessed my hen to play mommy so well! I can't wait til she's raising her own. She'll be a good one!

Also I didn't notice until these pics one of the babes seems knock-kneed?? Any opinions? Maybe it's just the stance in the pic?

I think its the stance, I saved the picture and blew it up big. They are just gorgeous! You have a real treasure in the hen

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Missed some posts am sure, ugh! Welcome to anyone new to our thread

been terribly busy the last few days.
@kabhyper1 i can relate to the shrink wrapped chicks, hate it. Its very stressful. My first year hatching, every gosling was assisted and we hatched 23. hate the styrofoam incubators. Had much better luck with the sportsman. I am letting my geese and muscovy brood their own next year, very good results.
@Leahs Mom love your handsome boys! Mister is my favorite rooster here as far as social breeds. Love the temperament, I may be adding them this spring.
@pipdzipdnreadytogo your lil ducks sound adorable. Would love to keep a few bantam ducks, am very interested in the east india breed I see on occasion. Its a someday project for me right now, they won't be able to free range so it means another coop and very secure.
Still putting up our hog, and have already ground 31 pounds for general use, sausage, bratwurst. Ribs, hams are in freezer and jowls, bacon slabs. DH is building a big smoker to cure meats. estimated live weight was 427lbs. Hams are 28 pounds, very pleased! My nephew (22) did very well learning the process, and was so excited telling my brother about it. Really good feeling teaching our kids how to be self sufficient. My siblings have no interest in any farm animals. Strange their kids sure do want to learn! My DB oldest son has decided they want to keep chickens also.
off to bed, good nite everyone

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000

Interesting milker! Looks like he incorporated a hand-held food saver vacuum sealer for the pump. That would be a good option if you don't have many to milk. And it's especially nice that you can still use it if the electricity is out for some reason.

I think this is what he's using there??
http://www.target.com/p/foodsaver-f...496&LID=3pbs&ci_src=328768002&ci_sku=11295496

 

[chickiebaby1]

I have an awful problem.

I have at least 5 birds sick with something. They all have different symptoms though. Some I can hear wheezing and they he has a gooy yellow discharge coming from one nostril. Two others are just lethargic and have crusty eyes, to the point they can not open them, and another is just very lethargic, doesn't want to move or anything, but isn't showing any kind of symptoms, and most of them have an awful smell and their feathers are matted where they tuck their heads in their wings to sleep. I have them all separated and have been treating them with warm VetRx head soaks and Terra-Vet in their water. (I have actually been feeding the water to some of them manually, because they do not seem to want to drink. Mister Polish (the one that was wheezing ) seems to be doing better this morning, but the ones with crusty eyes I'm not sure. I'm I doing the right thing. I can't stand the idea of having to cull these birds, I have watched my polish Roadrunner grow from a chick.

Is there anything else I can do????? And also what in the world would have caused this?

I have not done anything different with the birds, except change their bedding and cleaned their coop a few weeks ago. I have not been around any other chickens but my own and I have not introduced any new birds. I am at a total loss at to what caused this. Can any of you guys help me PLEASE??????