INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

New Years baby orps to add to the flock

I have some on the bator, but thinking the eggs may have got too cold to be fertile.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Wanted to share some pics. Been usin that new camera DH got me for Christmas.....

I just love all my new babies... I can't help it, I love to hatch, it's like getting a present every 21 days.

So very true! adorable pics

Hi, I'm in Zionsville, in Central Indiana. Looking for others close by to talk chicken. ;-)

and our thread

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My girls are laying, yaaaa. I didnt think they would start in this weather but they sure did. I am so tickled. The first couple they scooted around and played with like what are these wonderful little little beautiful little things. And my christmas gift from my girls sure taste wonderful. The cold snap I have had a couple freeze , I did not get to them fast enough. But the girls are doing good in the cold and that is what i have been worried about. They have still been going outside to run and excercise their legs and wings, and go back in when they are cold. Another real cold snap coming tonight, ugggg!!!!

Great news! I am still getting some eggs daily, mostly the younger pullets laying right now.

I have a weird situation. One of my EE hens is sneaking off from the others in the flock and then she will crow. Sounds just like a young cockerel learning how. Some times she will squawk like she just laid an egg. I don't know if she gets separated from the others and does this so that the rooster will come find her instead of her having to go look for him. Maybe she is just weird. She is an older hen 4 maybe 5 years old but she still lays 4 to 5 eggs a week year round. I don't know what to think.

Her behavior makes me think she is looking for a nesting spot. Some hens want the roo to stand guard over them.

 

[kabhyper1]

I have a silkie chick that is very unusual. She is half silkied and half smooth. Her mother is full chocolate silkie with smooth feathering, her father is a black silkie roo with silkie feathering. I can't wait to see how she grows out. She is full blood silkie. She just has silly feathers.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

just a little bit of a size difference!

Wow!

Setting up the various cardboard boxes for chicks. Counting chick waters and feeders. Somehow it is the brooder light fixtures that are missing. I have a couple but I thought I had so many more.
I've been looking at the premier one heating plates still they cost so much more than the brooder light fixtures.

I am really looking at them hard too, but not for the goslings as much as the chickens etc. Waterfowl seem to not need near the heat the chick, poults, keets etcs do.

@SallyinIndiana
The plates are wonderful. If I were doing as many as you, I'd consider getting several or maybe a sweeter heater but I can't vouch for it as I haven't used it .


Question for you:
I have the opportunity to get some SFH kiddos that are 6 weeks old in the next day or 2 within driving distance. I'm hesitating because I think I'd have to keep them in the house for the quarantine period. Then it is so cold outside that the stress of going into the separation pen, etc. concerns me.

Where do you brood your chicks that are hatched in winter?
How long before you put them into outdoor pens?

I have a porch, and an attached garage I brood in. I use kiddie pools and hardware cloth to make giant brooders for large groups, like the cornish cross meat birds when we get them. I just keep dropping the temp on them in the porch until their are close to what it is outdoors.

 

[Faraday40]

I have a silkie chick that is very unusual. She is half silkied and half smooth. Her mother is full chocolate silkie with smooth feathering, her father is a black silkie roo with silkie feathering. I can't wait to see how she grows out. She is full blood silkie. She just has silly feathers.

Such a proud-looking chickie!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

You have to check out this video. This is chicken math gone mad!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=762664473799888

Love it! Look like games, lots of different colors too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
I need to go over and get a couple more, if our RK still has them.

I opened the run yesterday during the snowfall. Instead of the usual rush of chickens, I saw a head peak out & go back in, then another.... and another. Even after I called & waited with my camera ready to get those 1st pics of chickens in the snow, none came out. Not even a single chicken footprint in the snow. And, all my breeds are supposed to be "winter hardy." I didn't bother offering free range time today. They'll be fine in the coop/run during this cold snap. The run got a very thin dust of snow in a few areas near the ventilation windows, but most of it stays dry.





"Does she seriously expect us to walk through snow for our treats?"

The only heater I have is for their water bucket. I must report that the horiz nipples are working very well. The chickens were able to drink this morning. (Last year, my water in the bucket stayed liquid, but the vertical nipples froze.) The new design is closer to the water so only the very tip outside may freeze. The chickens easily pecked the thin ice off the tip to drink. An added bonus is that they don't leak when in use. (No ice slick under the waterer.)

Mine were out and about as usual, wonder what they will do tomorrow tho.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I just learned recently that chickens are snow blind, so if you make a path with straw of leaves or something they will go out. if they don't have a landmark of some kind I guess they can't see the ground.

I believe that, I usually dig out, and toss hay down for safer footing, for me and them.

I have a silkie chick that is very unusual. She is half silkied and half smooth. Her mother is full chocolate silkie with smooth feathering, her father is a black silkie roo with silkie feathering. I can't wait to see how she grows out. She is full blood silkie. She just has silly feathers.

Going to be very pretty!

 

[birdman55]

You have some beautiful birds birdman55 and quite a few. Between all the building your doing & their care you must be a extremely busy person.

yeah its always a filled day..im still working on chores around the house since the day got postponed because my well froze...its 1109pm right now....and im so tired but have many more hours of work to do so well see how far I get ...just got done sorting out the mealworms into three stages...mealworms, pupa, beetle...here is a pic of the pupa