INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Feeling pretty good! I used the snow this morning to check for predator tracks around my coop and didn't see any (other than the interminable rabbits that are taking over the world inside the safety of my fence and eating all my newly planted trees.....).

My coolerbator seems to be doing its job well so far! I'm sure hoping for a good hatch since I have quite a few orders to fill! That is the one downside to hatching an autosexing breed! You have to hatch twice as many chicks to fill the orders because you KNOW how many are males and have a devil of a time selling those. I'm really hoping for some pullet luck!

I have the opposite problem, can't seem to hatch boys. All my turkey poults last season were girls, and my porter poults were girls. UGH. I may need to find a BR tom and add different blood. Same with the EE.. no boys. LOs are usually a few roos, so thats a help. Thats why I take in unwanted roosters.

"Ugh more snow!" is exactly what I was thinking this morning.

For us the rabbits are not much of a problem. We have coyotes, foxes, & our dogs to take care of them. (I just can't stop my dogs from eating rabbits!) However, the dreaded squirrels seem to be coming out ahead. As the rabbits get eaten, it frees up more food for the squirrels and their numbers increase. Even my chickens have started chasing the squirrels. Perhaps they learned from the dogs, but squirrel prints are all I found around my coop.

We finally are starting to see a few wild rabbits. I raised and released one last spring, mother was killed in the road. We had 2 squirrel nests last year too. Looks like they are finally making a comeback here.

Quote: Thanks, it just ripped my heart out even thinking about it. My kids are making it work.

Ohhhh! My first egg is zipping as we speak!

First two have hatched, third is zipping!!! I will post pics very soon!!!

we will be anxiously waiting to see your babies!

Walked into TSC to get a few things. Kids home from school out + chick days= you guessed it. More chicks!! This time my daughter bought herself some of the Banty chick mix. We did get 4 obviously silkie chicks and two I have no idea what they will be!




I don't think they are to bad for hatchery chicks. I told myself years ago I wouldn't have anymore silkies!! Oh well they are cute

the black and brown eyelash chick may both be OEGB if clean legged. They are super sweet lil birds.

My son and I put this together.
A PVC goat milking stand.

It works pretty well still need to put the floor on but its sturdy enough a 13yr old wrestling champ can't get out of it lol.

He was nice enough to try it out. The real test of its sturdiness was when I got my camera out!! It held up.

really like this idea! Do you have plans to post?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Okay, so my husband is freaking out a bit because the chicks in the incubator are moving the eggs that haven't hatched yet around. Any advice on this? Is it ok?

They are fine, if you open it now any chicks externally pipped will shrink wrap. If they do, you will have to assist the hatch, and its not hard but very unnerving to do. Hang in there!

Hey all. Getting my chicks end of this week. RIR and White Rock. I'm outside Hillsboro

and our thread

Exciting to hear what you are getting!

Received my sportsman today! Can't wait to get home and get it plugged in! I did notice the door has a dent in it from shipping. I've emailed the seller to see how they will rectify the issue. I'm hoping they just send a new door. And if that's the case I'd love to just pay the difference and upgrade to the full clear door. We will see!

Mine had a small pinch on the bottom right corner on delivery. I was so excited to start using it, i just let it go... its didn't interfere with the door opening and closing properly. I do absolutely want the clear door, really hard to see whats happening thru the oval window. How bad was it? I was pretty irritated when I saw mine.

 

[raisinemright]

I have the opposite problem, can't seem to hatch boys. All my turkey poults last season were girls, and my porter poults were girls. UGH. I may need to find a BR tom and add different blood. Same with the EE.. no boys. LOs are usually a few roos, so thats a help. Thats why I take in unwanted roosters.

We finally are starting to see a few wild rabbits. I raised and released one last spring, mother was killed in the road. We had 2 squirrel nests last year too. Looks like they are finally making a comeback here.
Thanks, it just ripped my heart out even thinking about it. My kids are making it work.

we will be anxiously waiting to see your babies!

the black and brown eyelash chick may both be OEGB if clean legged. They are super sweet lil birds.

really like this idea! Do you have plans to post?

Thanks, the stand is very sturdy and light. I don't have plans. Like most projects I build I go by an idea or pic. The floor will be made from some sort of PVC/plastic sheeting. Just need to find the material. It would be very quick and easy to build if there were hard copy prints in front of me lol I did a little measuring cutting then cutting again until I found the right hieght, width and length. But really copied off my older wooden stand. I can take pics of diff areas and try to explain what I did if you would like! About $75/80 in parts from Menards.

 

[3arrowfarm]

Hey everyone! Random question. If I have 5-6 chickens how often should I expect to clean the coop. Once a day? Once every 2 days? Sand litter btw thank you!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Plastic totes and lights. I use the lids, cut them to add hardware cloth in the middle. The plastic cable straps are cheap to attach it. Makes wire covered lids that allow the air in. I keep species separate only if NEEDED. Quail cant be in with turkey and geese for example. Last year was insane... I wont be hatching nearly so much this year, I have gosling waiting lists almost full this season already so they will leave quick. Same for the muscovy, they are becoming very popular in a choice for ducks since they are "quackless" and so friendly.
Totes are easily cleaned and disinfected between hatches. If its waterfowl, it keeps moisture in, where boxes wont. And they are inexpensive!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

A bit of a surprise. Got my first Turkey eggs. I wasn't expecting any for about another month. Had to hurry up and put a nest together.

WOW! Mine aren't yet but I am sure watching!

Quote: Lots of very large cardboard boxes all lined up in a row. Covered in plastic to help the cardboard last a bit longer and in case a water leaks as at least one always does.
Chicks start off in their very own box but the boxes get their connecting sides cut into tunnel styled doors to make a play and greet area so the various small groups of chicks become a larger group of mixed ages and breeds. Its a big dust generator for sure. But a gqf brooder just is not in the budget and I can watch the chicks in the boxes better too.
Winter is the hardest brooding season but come April there is a bit of a demand surge for started chicks ready to be outside. Still I may not do it next year. Wait I said that last year too. The majority of my chicks are out in our pole barn right now. I'm a bit nervous for the upcoming pair of cold nights but so far so good.

1 turkey poult is out. a few of the sumatra chicken eggs are pipping. They tend to hatch first of the breeds I hatch.

Checking interest now: But if I were to offer a dozen sumatra hatching eggs and a few mixed eggs up would there be any interest in an eggs for hatching auction ending on Saturday? The auction could start Wed evening and run till Saturday 8 pm. The auction would be on the FB page.
I dont have room, but if I did I would be bidding! You have absolutely gorgeous birds.

Quote:
UGH! I hear ya, I had a full bottle of CDT, swine vaccs and penicillin is a bag from TSC. Found it under the seat of the truck a week later, frozen and busted. Sometimes just too much going on.

Quote: Hope they are all ok. At least you care enough to do the vaccines! Thats the thing, you care. we all make mistakes

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Indigo Blue, Its the common color and my favorite by far, just beautiful.

I must say GQF has great customer service. I called them today about the damage. The corner of the door was crushed as well as the big dent in it. The back panel also was damaged but i wasn't concerned about that due to it being up against the wall and not noticeable. They are going to be sending me replacements for both the door and the back panel!

Awesome!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:

By putting a nest together, do you mean that the female turkey will sit on the eggs? Do you make a broody area for a turkey? Just curious.

Turkeys are a little different than chickens. If they lay an egg and you take it from the nest, they will start looking around for a different place to lay. You can combat this by keeping a fake egg or two where they are laying. As long as there are some type of eggs there, they will keep laying in that spot. I This year the first egg was laid out in the open, as I had nothing set up for them. So I set up a nesting area (a piece of plywood leaning against the wall with hay under it). The second egg was laid there. I put a wooden egg in there, and am hoping it is enough to keep her laying in one spot. f I let her gather enough eggs, she would go broody on them, my hens last year (all 3) eventually went broody with just the wooden eggs in the nest. Then, getting their eggs was a real challenge......I eventually let them hatch out 5 and they raised 3 to adulthood.

Last year, during free range time it was always a challenge to find the turkey eggs. But once I found where they were laying, I just put two wooden eggs there, and they laid in the same spot the rest of summer and fall. I got my last egg from them in November.
My oldest hen will go broody on 2, so I have to be diligent on gathering. She gets very mean if she broods, welding gloves are in order.

WELL TODAY IS A GOOD DAY....GOT 22 CHICKS HATCHED SO FAR....AND CAUGHT RAY RAY LAST NIGHT...FIGURED HE LOVES CHICKEN SO I PUT IN BBQ CHICKEN AND HE COULDNT RESIST

AWESOME

2 out of 3 turkeys are out. A few sumatra chicks are out and so far more than half are blue. The turkeys look so big next to the sumatras. The sumatra chicks are the smallest breed I hatch and the turkeys are the largest baby bird I hatch.

The Chicken Fest 2015 first hatching egg auction is up and open for bids on the FB page.

And t-shirt orders need to be in soon MARCH 7th is the deadline.
https://www.booster.com/indiana-byc-tshirt

Love the shirt!

Quote: Thats great to hear. Sounds like they will be strong and hardy!

 

[ellymayRans]

WOW! Mine aren't yet but I am sure watching!
I dont have room, but if I did I would be bidding! You have absolutely gorgeous birds.


UGH! I hear ya, I had a full bottle of CDT, swine vaccs and penicillin is a bag from TSC. Found it under the seat of the truck a week later, frozen and busted. Sometimes just too much going on.
Hope they are all ok. At least you care enough to do the vaccines! Thats the thing, you care. we all make mistakes

Thanks! Well today they are all still doing great so it seems all will be ok! Thank goodness!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I would love that! I still haven't built a stand, my Sophie is a hard girl to milk, she likes to kick. With her obviously very pregnant I am planning for a stand now. Sugar just ignores milking, wish Sophie was more like her Momma.

Hey everyone! Random question. If I have 5-6 chickens how often should I expect to clean the coop. Once a day? Once every 2 days? Sand litter btw thank you!

Those who use sand usually just take a cat litter scoop and clean daily. If there isn't a lot of poop you could go 2 days, will have to judge according to your birds. Younger birds will likely need less cleanup. I keep a plastic spatula, like for drywall and a covered bucket for cleaning. it goes on the compost pile when I empty it.