INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Winter would be an issue, as 3 turkeys would not be happy in a 6 x 6 coop. Now if the run was covered for winter to make a temporary larger coop, it might work. The turkeys really do like space. I plan to free range many of mine all summer before processing dates. I'll then keep a bare flock of turkeys during the winter. No more than 2 breeds most likely so maybe 8-10, 12 at most with backups. They will be in my largest coop with my largest run. And I'll free range them on good days, more so if I have backup toms. I'll toss my layer flock in that coop too as for the most part the turkeys could car less about my chicken hens. The turkey eggs look clearly distinct from my hens eggs so its not a problem there. To me it seems like the turkeys and the chicken hens share a space like donkeys and sheep can. But roosters are a target to turkeys. young turkeys were fine with the roosters but the closer the turkeys got to laying the more the roosters ran and ran. I put the roosters in with the ducks and all was right in the rooster world again.

@jchny2000 has done a lot of coop conversions and she has white turkeys about the same size as my palms. She would be better able to help with what needs to be done. I think the 30 inch high roosting bar would be fine to start with as long as they don't get you know what in the nest.

They do like to roost high as adults. I agree, that coop would be more the nesting house, just cover the pen partially and they are fine. Honestly, my turkeys free range off season and roost in the trees, on the garage or barn...Clipping wings may help, I haven't tried it yet. I leave wings intact since everyone mostly free ranges off season. Adult turkey hens do not like roosters... for sure. They will be ok short term for your plan, but will need a higher roost to be happy in a year or so.

Quote: interesting, it may work out well!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Taste the Rainbow! Our stash from the last few days. It's going to be really pretty when all 37 are laying!

Isn't it the prettiest thing! I love the oooo and ahhh from customers that buy our eggs. And looks pretty good to me too!

I know just what to do once I confirm which chicken is eating the eggs. My DH will be skinning us a meal. I have backup roos and enough hens that 1 can go. Where the issue is if all of the breeding pen is egg eaters. I can't lose an entire breeding pen and maintain my breeding goals.

roll out egg trays may be an option. Would be fairly easy to do with your awesome breeder coops!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Some pics of @lilmizscareall babies in quarantine. Beautiful little flock and you can tell they were very well cared for! I'm not sure if I have it in me to send them outside when that day comes. They are so clean I just cringe to think how dirty they will get if outside. I haven't informed my DH yet but I may have my first true house chickens!! Lol!



The oldest hen in the bunch has continued providing an egg everyday since I got them Friday. So sweet. Gotta love Silkies! I've noticed though the roo is quite "pecky" every time he sees a hand in eye sight! Lol!

Lovely color on the birds! Yep, some of the lil fellas sure get a napoleon complex, I have a millie rooster that thinks he will attack and kill anything that comes near his hens.

Lovely day outside today! Mother Nature teasing us!
All the critters sure appreciated it! Yucky muddy though!
Peas visiting the back deck!







Last pic is one of my neighbors chickens (leghorn I believe) in my kitchen window! Lol! Funny birds!

Peas are just tooooo gorgeous!

Tonight our dog was barking, very obvious at something. My 15 yr old son and I went out to check it out and it was a opossum in the tree limb extending out to towards the large coop roof. Mr Pea was roosted there for the evening. My son is a baseball pitcher for our High School and with one hard pitch of a ball he knocked that nasty bugger right out and our dog crunched it multiple times before taking off with it. Guessing I will see it out by the drive come daylight tomorrow! Such good boys!!

Ugh, the winter has appetites going on the predators. We are having hawk issues. I had a tiny sharp shinned hawk enter a coop last week

Don't let the size fool you, they are pretty aggressive little birds. This tiny male hawk squeezed INTO a jumbo wire dog crate and attacked some of my bantams. 3 times, no kidding on the same day! I lost 3 birds before I finally managed to capture it and removed it from my property. Ugh just sick over it. All my free range guys were fine.

Finally got some straw to throw down in the pens! It is getting MUDDY out there! And more snow left to melt! Chickens enjoyed scratching around in the straw.

Also, I currently have a batch of bantam cochins in lockdown. Before moving to lockdown, it looked like there were 9 good eggs. However, one one has hatched thus far (only day 20 though). None of the other eggs have pipped. Sooooo......

Anyone relatively near me have any chicks in case this is the only one to hatch for me? I don't have any other eggs going and don't want him to be the only one in the brooder. Ideally I would like silkies, bantam cochins, blrw, etc (breeds I'm working with) but would consider others as well. Please let me know!

Brad I will PM you, I have lavender orps in lockdown.

Glad to see you back @racinchickins!
I'd love to see some pics of how your Marans are growing out! Egg color?!

I'm truly getting extremely antsy for spring breeding and chicks! Got my taxes done last night and first thing will be breeding pens and a new incubator!!!!! Sounds like a plan!

tax time here too, the list is growing! Clear door for my sportsman, BBB turkeys, CX chickens, building materials for the new breeding pens.....

new trolling motor on our bass boat too

I pilot looks really interesting...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

First hatch locked down tonight and have lavender orps in there! 2 additional weeks already set. Will be offering LO chicks soon, please pm if interested. This is my favorite LF breed. Friendly roosters, lovely hens. Lays normally 5 out of 7days, nice large cream color egg. My best dual purpose breed, roosters are nicely proportioned. Will also be hatching Jaehorn, bielefelder, RIR, WL, BR, EE, SLW and a few other heritage LF later this spring.
My turkeys are already being quite active so expect eggs very soon, I raise Midget white and Bourbon red.
Trying to catch up on our thread! I am so tired. We are doing some house upgrades (drywall, electrical) to make more of the addition usable. Finished the drywall and have to mud, sand and paint yet, the room is 18 ft by 14 ft. This will be our den, and sewing room. Hope to catch up more tomorrow, goodnite all.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

First hatch locked down tonight and have lavender orps in there! 2 additional weeks already set. Will be offering LO chicks soon, please pm if interested. This is my favorite LF breed. Friendly roosters, lovely hens. Lays normally 5 out of 7days, nice large cream color egg. My best dual purpose breed, roosters are nicely proportioned. Will also be hatching Jaehorn, bielefelder, RIR, WL, BR, EE, SLW and a few other heritage LF later this spring.
My turkeys are already being quite active so expect eggs very soon, I raise Midget white and Bourbon red.
Trying to catch up on our thread! I am so tired. We are doing some house upgrades (drywall, electrical) to make more of the addition usable. Finished the drywall and have to mud, sand and paint yet, the room is 18 ft by 14 ft. This will be our den, and sewing room. Hope to catch up more tomorrow, goodnite all.

A sewing room!!! Yeah!!!!

 

[ChickCrazed]

I have experience building the coolerbators...so if you need any help just let me know and I can walk you along...there great












you can comfortably hatch 30 in a cooler and if you use a fridge you can hatch way more....don't waste your money on expensive incubators....you can build your own that is prolly more accurate then the ones you can buy...all you gotta do is know what to buy...and how to install it

Thanks Birdman and others! I have been trolling BYC for ideas. I really like SallySunshine's cabinet Coolerbator. I think I would buy the thermostat/fan/heat kit to make it easier. I would also want auto turners since I work all day and I would want to hatch in the bottom. I know most people with the cabinet incubators hatch elsewhere. Is that just for ease/space or is there a reason you can't hatch in the cabinet incubator?

Check this one out and let me know if I should attempt it:




https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...bator-how-we-did-it-and-test-run-ready-set-go

I have also been looking at the wine cooler ones. The full glass front is pretty cool. The cabinet cooler bator would cost about the same and be bigger in the end I think, but I haven't ruled either out if I get brave enough to attempt building one!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Does anyone on here subscribe to Farm Show magazine? I'm thinking about subscribing & wanted to hear your thoughts about the magazine if any of you do.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

All of the frostbitten combs in my coop seem to be healing well, just very slowly.

I have one bird who I thought might have leg mites, but on closer inspection, none of them seem to have any problems, and now I can't remember which one I thought looked bad.

I culled a black orp a few weeks back because she was wasting away to nothing, and became very listless and lethargic. No one else appears ill, and she had no other symptoms I could detect.

 

[ellymayRans]

If anyone is in search of a playhouse to convert there's a free alert!
https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/zip/4859432072.html

 

[birdman55]

Thanks Birdman and others! I have been trolling BYC for ideas. I really like SallySunshine's cabinet Coolerbator. I think I would buy the thermostat/fan/heat kit to make it easier. I would also want auto turners since I work all day and I would want to hatch in the bottom. I know most people with the cabinet incubators hatch elsewhere. Is that just for ease/space or is there a reason you can't hatch in the cabinet incubator?

Check this one out and let me know if I should attempt it:




https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...bator-how-we-did-it-and-test-run-ready-set-go

I have also been looking at the wine cooler ones. The full glass front is pretty cool. The cabinet cooler bator would cost about the same and be bigger in the end I think, but I haven't ruled either out if I get brave enough to attempt building one!

I would say go for it...however I would place the bulbs in the middle and set a computer fan in there with led lights....it will keep it more precise..if you put the lights on just one side some of the eggs might not be getting the best temp...both extremes to hot close to bulb and to cool away from the bulb...I think that is why I had only 50 percent hatch rate...I didn't pay close attention to the egg layout compared to the lights but I will for sure this time...and will note anything I find as more then a coincident .