INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kabhyper1]

How soon are you wanting to get them? There are 2 rabbit shows the weekend of March 8 & 9 at the Whitley Co. fairgrounds. Also, Gina Cook lives in South Bend and raises very nice show quality angoras. Her website is www.gbfarm.org (Green Barn Farm) -- she has pics on her website of some of her rabbits. There are a number of types of angora rabbits (English, French, Satin & Giant) and they are all a bit different. She raises the English. If any of you have never seen an english angora, go to her website & check them out -- they're the rabbits that look like a big powder puff with no face!

I have a lot to learn. This isn't definite yet. Just a thought, but I will look them up. Thanks!

We just started breeding angoras. We love them. We just sold the last of our babies and won't be breeding anymore until after winter. It is just too hard in the cold. We would like to have some born around February or March so they would be ready 7-8 weeks after that. When we have babies I will make sure to post on here and on FB.

I also wanted to add that we breed French Angoras. All of the different breeds are a little different in how you harvest the fiber, etc. We like the french because the face, ears, and feet do not need to be trimmed. Also, we are just south of Fort Wayne.

Im in Columbia City. I may be interested in some in the spring. I am really trying not to add moe animals, but the angora fiber would be awesome blended in with our alpaca.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I know exactly how you feel. I went through the same thing when I started earlier this year.

Most of what you read about the temperament of chickens will change from bird to bird. They're like dogs in this way. Some are friendly, some are mean, some are broody, some are not. What I can tell you is when I got my birds, some of them really really hated to be handled, and would run from me on sight. I've been diligent about spending a little time each day with them, and picking them all up at least a few times a week, and now they're a lot more friendly to me, and also to other people. I think almost any hen can be "tamed" this way.

Ultimately, they're chickens. They're a flocking bird with a brain the size of a cashew. Yes, they have personalities, but I wouldn't put much stock or worry into what you read about them. Most of those descriptions are badly exaggerated for impact.

The generalizations about egg output of a breed is a different story - australorps will lay a lot of eggs. However, they're also a heavy bird and eat a lot of food. In my personal experience, my Golden Comets (gold sex link) are a good balance. They're egg laying machines, but they're not a really large bird. My one EE lays small eggs, but I don't know if that's typical or not.

From what I've seen you post so far, it sounds like egg output is your number one concern - if so, you want to pay attention to feed conversion - getting the most eggs for the least chicken food. It is generally accepted that Leghorns are the kings of feed conversion, which is why they are used by all of the big commercial egg farms. I've also read good things about the hatchery sex-links and production reds, and my experience bears that out.

The one thing I want you to steep in - and what ultimately gave me peace about it - is this: You can't do it perfectly, and you can't do it wrong. Any chickens you get will be a fun, entertaining learning experience. As you go along your flock will grow and shrink and change, and you'll find out what works for you over time. Take the long view on it. Your first flock is a starting point, not the destination. Relax and have fun!



PS - It's much, much more important that you get your birds from a trusted source, so that you have the best chance of having a healthy flock from the start.

PPS - We like answering the same questions that have been answered before. They're good reminders. It helps maintain the oral tradition when you repeat the stories.

I agree with HC that we don't mind answering questions and that you will find people that have had bad experiences with any breed. I would recommend listing all the things you want or don't want in a chicken and have people give breed recommendations, then see if there is a particular breed that pops up on multiple lists. You will never have a complete consensus on whether a breed is great or not, but if more people agree that they are wonderful you are more likely to get one you like! Like HC said, most birds can be somewhat tamed, but some never will be (my wyandotte is a total snot) and some will end up a lot tamer than others handled the same.

I don't agree with the comment about people exaggerating when they say they have had a bad experience, and also don't agree that because they have small brains they are mostly alike and don't differ much. I can absolutely see hard and fast differences between the breeds I have, and when I say my Marans are constantly broody I mean they are CONSTANTLY BROODY!!!! LOL. I do realize that there are differences between lines as well, my Marans may act totally different than the Marans someone else got from a different breeder. If I knew before what I know now I would have a flock makeup that looks completely different than it does now, but I learned a lot by trying out a few different breeds. Some I would get again, some I now know never to look at again.

I agree with HC that the red sex links and leghorns are great production layers, but many people also agree that they tend to live very short lifespans and die bad deaths related to laying issues, so my recommendation would be to consider if longevity is a concern for you. After having a hatchery quality EE die of a vent prolapse this summer I have reconsidered the quality of the birds I get moving forward. It is a lesson I had to learn the hard way and it is my gift to you to bring it up before you choose your flock!

My recommendation will always be to get a couple different breeds. It is the best way to learn what you like! I agree with HC that there really isn't a right or wrong way to go about it and you will learn from it no matter what!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

you both have awesome advise !!! or you can do what i did, just get one of everything. LOL

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I would really like to find some mature birds in my area ..... anybody know of any near corydon ?? Thanks

How many and what breeds are you looking for? I'm not close to you but there is a cream legbar breeder close to you that might have some pet quality pullets for sale.
I do sell started pullets and young hens but I'm not really that close to you.

 

[dogwoodlaine]

I love all of my BYC family. .so I'm going to just point something out here because it's only fair that education be shared. .

It isn't proper to claim birds from a specific line unless you personally purchased those birds directly from the breeder. Once someone else has chosen mating pairs it's now your line. Especially when it comes to the BCM breed because they are all over the place. BCMs will sell themselves with good type and some just egg color alone. So post pics and offer up Your birds.

With all sincerity,
Mandy

My apologies. My assunption was incorrect. Following dog breeding pedigrees, the animals aren't supposed to carry your kennel name until you produce the pup through your own breeding. I rescind my offer, I'm going to grow them out as meaties. Just thought someone might want some of them before I did that.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

My apologies. My assunption was incorrect. Following dog breeding pedigrees, the animals aren't supposed to carry your kennel name until you produce the pup through your own breeding. I rescind my offer, I'm going to grow them out as meaties. Just thought someone might want some of them before I did that.

I missed the convo but what ever you were offering was very kind of you. You are jennings co? i am ripley. a little late i guess but welcome to BYC

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
This has come up a few times on the heritage rhode island thread too. I have noticed that posters are now saying chicks originally from smith's line if they bought the chick from Smith. But as for any chicks hatched from the eggs of purchased chicks, they are no longer truly smith's line but offspring so many generations out from Smith's line. There is still some disagreement about how to count how many generations away from smith though. Some think if the chick came from Smith this it is not a generation removed. Others think since Smith did not pick a chick as breeder quality, it should not count as Smith's line at all since Smith might have in fact culled that chick had he raised it up.
Smith is a made up name.
The flip side of the argument is that right now many breeders on the hrir thread are trying to keep the line history intact so when they are looking to purchase new blood, they want to know if the seller has the right historical line and if there was any other lines crossed into it. This is where it is helpful to use the breeder's name a bit more than usual.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

How soon are you wanting to get them? There are 2 rabbit shows the weekend of March 8 & 9 at the Whitley Co. fairgrounds. Also, Gina Cook lives in South Bend and raises very nice show quality angoras. Her website is www.gbfarm.org (Green Barn Farm) -- she has pics on her website of some of her rabbits. There are a number of types of angora rabbits (English, French, Satin & Giant) and they are all a bit different. She raises the English. If any of you have never seen an english angora, go to her website & check them out -- they're the rabbits that look like a big powder puff with no face!

Something else I should have added -- not to discourage, but to add another thought to the pot of rabbit info as you're considering angoras. I would strongly recommend talking to someone who has been raising them for awhile for wool production to see what is involved in raising angoras (Gina would be excellent for this). They are, in my opinion, a high maintenance rabbit compared to other breeds -- lots of grooming to keep the wool in good condition if you're going to be harvesting it later. I know I've heard about breeders doing a minimal weekly grooming, but I think there are those breeders who may spend every day or every other day grooming the wool. Plus I would think you'd need to be even more meticulous about keeping their cages clean. When you go to rabbit shows you know who the angora breeders are because they're the ones in the corner with the hair dryers grooming their rabbits before they hit the tables! I think they're great rabbits to look at and their wool is wonderful, but they're too much work for us!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I have a free blue Ameraucana rooster. Bluffton, IN. PM if you are interested

 

[twoboystwogirls]

Something else I should have added -- not to discourage, but to add another thought to the pot of rabbit info as you're considering angoras. I would strongly recommend talking to someone who has been raising them for awhile for wool production to see what is involved in raising angoras (Gina would be excellent for this). They are, in my opinion, a high maintenance rabbit compared to other breeds -- lots of grooming to keep the wool in good condition if you're going to be harvesting it later. I know I've heard about breeders doing a minimal weekly grooming, but I think there are those breeders who may spend every day or every other day grooming the wool. Plus I would think you'd need to be even more meticulous about keeping their cages clean. When you go to rabbit shows you know who the angora breeders are because they're the ones in the corner with the hair dryers grooming their rabbits before they hit the tables! I think they're great rabbits to look at and their wool is wonderful, but they're too much work for us!

The English Angora are alot more work than the French Angoras. We do not groom everyday. Also, if you have the right kind of cage you don't really need to "clean" the inside of the cage too much. You have to get the kind with the tray underneath so that everything (poo) goes in there. They can't live in bedding because it will mat their fur. I don't see them being much more work than another type of rabbit. The girls actually like to brush them. Harvesting is obviously an amount of work. They also do better in the cold than other breeds. They actually like for it to be cold out. BUT, in the summer they are not very happy and need fans to keep them cool. We researched the Angora breeds for quite a while before we decided on the French Angora. We love them. They have the sweetest temperament. We just started breeding this past spring. Like anything else, I would suggest some research before you begin. My daughter really wanted rabbits but my husband told her no animals unless they give us something in return. Since we do not eat rabbit we chose the angora for the wool.