INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: My geese are acting like its spring, and I had another goose egg today from my youngest Embden! She was hatched in March, so I think she is confused

I need some advice on moving Polish chick's outside. They are in a brooder in my detached, insulated garage. They were on a heat lamp for the first 6-7 weeks, then I turned it off for a few hrs at a time gradually to nothing at all. So they've been in a unheated garage for a week or so with no extra heat. I would guess the garage stays 10 degrees or so, warmer than outside. They are about 11 weeks old and fully feathered. Think it's ok to move them out to grow out coop with other birds and no extra heat?

They should be ok, just watch for any signs they aren't taking to it well.

I need Russian orlaffs

If you click the member link at the bottom of my post, you will see our member list. If anyone is breeding them, you will find them on there. Welcome to our thread

 

[ChickenLady2014]

hey everyone is was a nice day out...got the four coops done and the tarp on it and the birds moved into each of their new homes

Yay great job!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:

hey everyone is was a nice day out...got the four coops done and the tarp on it and the birds moved into each of their new homes

Great news!

Quote: Good idea! I give a free carton for every 10 empties they bring back.

Egg-citing news:
I have another new layer!!!

I found 2 pullet eggs today on top of the 1 yesterday. So my mystery layer is at least 2 & possibly all three suspects.

More Great News:
The days will now grow longer! I'm already looking forward to spring.

I have several pullets laying now, so we finally have our own eggs in the fridge again!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

These girls were late May hatch so I was surprised. The others of the breed layed around 20-22 weeks.

Maybe they're duds? (That's "duds" not "dudes".

)

I guess they'll have to do 2 a day to make up for it when they get started.

Quote: My Modern hen is Laying!!! First egg was a double yolker, soft shell. Fighting the urge to fire up the bator

What a huge egg for such a tiny hen!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

A rooster question:
My former roo always let us know his gender. (Crowing & mating hens nonstop)
My current boy crows a lot less (It's wonderful!) However, I don't see him mate often anymore. Do they mate less during the winter months or could he have low T?
Around 22 weeks old, he would only go after the girls his own age. The bigger hens intimidated him! Eventually, he mated them too - then got pecked & chased away for his attention. I've seen him do the dance recently, but he seems to have stopped chasing the girls around. He's an 8 month old, giant Lavender Orpington. Could he have learned manners or will the mating pick up when spring hits?

Both my LO roos are "gentleman" for the most part. They did the teenage chasing a couple months, and now they are more reserved and "polite" lol. They also won't tolerate another "mean" rooster over mating the hens, and will knock them right off her. I have a maran that won't be here after the weekend. He is not nice to the hens at all.

It is about 46° here, so I covered some of the run fencing with poultry mesh today. My goal is to have it completed by spring so wild birds can't get into the run. So far I've been putting all the treats inside the coop so as not to draw the wild birds into the runs. My two 8 month old hens (a Blk Australorp and a Del) are both laying almost every day. I had lights in the coop till Dec 1st. Now they just have a little "night light" that peeks out of the chiped places in the concrete block their water heater bulb is in. 2 Del roos and 6 pullets (Colum Wyan I think) are 18 weeks old. The roos have been experimenting with their voices, and sound so funny with their little "urrrrr" attempts at crowing!

Love when they start to learn the crow, its too cute!

So I passed my first semester of nursing school.

WHoo Hoo... so glad that is over. Only 2 more semesters to go. For now I can focus on my new chickie babies. I hatched 10 last weekend. 7 white leghorns and 1 jersey giant, along with 2 itty bitty bantam cochins. I also have chicks hatching as I write this. I had ment for them to be Christmas chickies, but I guess I put them in the bator a little to early. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the 'bator room this morning to turn my New Years Eve eggs ( they are in another bator) to see 6 little fuzz balls running around in the hatcher.

And another 5 have hatched during the day today, with almost all the others pipped. I set 22 in lock-down Saturday and I am so excited they are all doing so well. I must have done something right this time around. I'll post some pics once they come out of the hatcher. Gotta wait for the rest to hatch, don't want to shrink wrap the others. I am so excited.

Congrats on the semester! And the babies too

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Here's a non chicken related question. I'm needing to find a new provider for auto insurance. My current agent decided to drop the company I was using (MetLife) for the past 5 yrs (auto and home). I priced around several times during those 5 yrs and they were the best. Now I'm shopping around again and the cheapest I have found is Geico. Anyone use them? I've always went to places that have local agents. But just for auto insurance alone, it is $250 a year less than what I'm getting quoted on from everyone else (same exact coverage). Working retail, I have quickly learned the old saying "You get what you pay for" is very true.
So anyone use Geico? For home (not up for renewal until July) looks like Liberty Mutual (a geico company) is also the best value.

My current agent is quoting me $510 per 6 months and that's with $250 deductible on both comprehensive and collision. Gieco is quoting $370 for exact same coverage except a $0 deductible for comprehensive and $200 deductible for collision (so actually better coverage).

My daughter had Geico and was ok for her. I had Liberty Mutual myself several years back, and no problem I can recall.

For gifts this year, I decided to make ornaments using blown eggs. To make it even easier, I bought stickers instead of painting each one. The tops were made from floral accents I found in the wedding area. Buttons or beads would have also worked. I then put a layer of Modge Podge to add a little shell strength. Here they are hanging to dry.

I learned a new trick to blow eggs out. After making a hole, use an empty syringe to push air inside the egg. This increases the pressure & the egg contents will push outward. Make sure to pierce the yolk so it comes out easier. It takes several pumps of the syringe, but you avoid kissing an egg. Wash it out in a similar manner. When finished & dried, the egg only has one small hole.
I saved several blown eggs from when my hens started laying. We now have an egg from each hen to hang on our tree, as well as little gifts for all the neighbors & local friends.


While shopping at Hobby Lobby, I found this Christmas ornament - 50% off. It was just too perfect to put back.

The eggs are tooo cute! Love your egg sign too, I would have nabbed it up also.

 

[Faraday40]

My Modern hen is Laying!!! First egg was a double yolker, soft shell. Fighting the urge to fire up the bator

What a huge egg for such a tiny hen!

Me too!!! I confirmed my Black Orp pullet is laying b/c I saw the egg drop out as I was cleaning the coop today. My roo is an unrelated Lavender Orp. Their babies would be soooo cute. I actually thought about putting it aside. Then I remembered all the Christmas baking I have to do.

Congrats on the new layer!

 

[Momma 2 silkies]

Quote:
I have a splash silkie cockerel that is available. I don't have any others right now. I should have Blue black splash eggs in the spring.

I just saw this, do you have a picture of him.? I only have 1 blue hen I could put him with. I would love to see him.

 

[birdman55]

well hope everyone had a good day...I traveled a little over 400 miles today....so I was gone but good news...I got dc wire...yea buddy and 30 eggs ready for incubator...got a bunch of pics on the road by my awesome friend/breeder and picked up two lady Amherst hens...I cant wait to introduce them to there other two lady Amherst...so ill have three hens and one male...yeppper...im excited...and tommarow my ride is taking me to get the rest of the lumber...ofcourse I have to do some work at his house and pay for gas but all is good...its steady moving forward

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

well hope everyone had a good day...I traveled a little over 400 miles today....so I was gone but good news...I got dc wire...yea buddy and 30 eggs ready for incubator...got a bunch of pics on the road by my awesome friend/breeder and picked up two lady Amherst hens...I cant wait to introduce them to there other two lady Amherst...so ill have three hens and one male...yeppper...im excited...and tommarow my ride is taking me to get the rest of the lumber...ofcourse I have to do some work at his house and pay for gas but all is good...its steady moving forward

Thats great news! Its always better to have the "right stuff" when you have a plan in mind.
And very awesome on the new hens! I meant to ask you if you have ever visited Jasper Pulaski game preserve, its in NE Indiana. They have quite a huge set up where they raise pheasants... hundreds! Massive flight pens. And have a live display of the different species they raise. I visited there several years ago, and was my first time to see them. Pictures do not show how gorgeous the birds are.