INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pbirdhaven]

Once again, Bartholomew County 4-H Poultry Club, Feathered Friends, is holding Chick Days at Daily Feed and Grain! Purchase your chicks and help support the 4-H group.
This year we will have a large variety of Layer Pullets as well as Bantams.
Get there early for the best selection. 4-H members will be giving demonstrations throughout the morning about chick care.

When: SATURDAY March 7th, 2015
8 AM— NOON

Where:
Daily Feed & Grain
9040 East 25th Street Columbus, IN 47203
(812) 376-6922

Come and socialize with fellow chicken lovers.

I just want to add a plug for these chick sales for those of you close enough to Columbus to take advantage.

chknbrdr is extremely knowledgeable and the chicks that they have are separated so that you know for sure what breed you are getting and they haven't been pawed over by grubby little hands (in spite of the warnings by the RK bins). This is a good place to get good hatchery chicks.

I go the simple (& cheap) route. I found a very bright 9 LED flashlight (maybe $2-3). I grabbed some peel-n-stick craft foam from the kids & cut an o-ring to place around the rim. It's small compact, & portable. It works for seeing the veins in my brown eggs but probably only a shadow for the dark eggs. If anyone knows how to see through one of those, please share.

My dark eggs stay in the incubator until hatch time unless they are obviously dead (leaking, etc.). Sometimes I can see the air pocket well enough to determine viability but usually not. I also use the 9 LED flashlight. I have a regular candler that I bought but it doesn't show the dark eggs' veining any better than the little flashlight and is less convenient to use, having to be plugged in.

 

[minmin1258]

Well, it looks like we are just downsizing. Had our family dinner Sunday, my Mom was so upset that I was going to give up the flocks she started to cry. So thats that, last thing I want to do is upset my parents... and my kids are stepping up to help. My nephew also. DDs will be doing more errands and Gramma sitting. My nephew has offered to do the weekly feed run, and take his grandparents to some of their appointments. Guess I need to learn to delegate more and not try to do it all myself
I will be going through some of the flocks, And we will likely be selling our Embden geese quad. Blue swedish duck trio, Pekin flock and one lone Cayuga hen. Cayuga originated from the pekin breed, and are said to lay a grey to black egg. The Embden are 2 in July, heavy framed goose. All the ducks are a year old or less.
Chinese geese and Muscovy will be staying. DH insists that we keep the goats and hogs lol. The turkeys I will be keeping, but we are downsizing the chicken flocks also, so will be making hard choices on breeds. I will be hatching seasonally, but most will be shutting down by July.
Will try to get pictures the next few days of the birds.

I was trying t do some catching up and when I read the original post about selling out...I cried. It truly broke my heart. I'm glad your family is stepping up and you are learning to delegate better. This year will have its challenges I'm sure but your fur/feather babies would never find a "Mommy" better than you! Praying for you and your family! I'm very happy for this new decision you've made.

 

[browncow15]

I don't have Wheaton Marans. They are one of the few I don't have and just never had any desire for.?? I'm getting the Wheaton and Blue Wheaton Ameraucanas. They are just beautiful and the bluest of eggs!! I'm so excited about getting them and the Salmon Faverolles!!

Can I be nosy and ask where they are coming from? I've had Salmon Faverolles on my wish list and I love me some blue eggs!

 

[ChickCrazed]

Avian Influenza has spread to Minnesota

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/f5c467

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ice skating party, my backyard & driveway tomorrow (no I DON'T have a pond!)

No kidding! I hit a particularly slick patch in the driveway when I got home from class, and my feet pretty much shot out from under me. Still aching from that fall.

So sorry about Vespa.  Really pretty bird!!!  

We went four years without a hawk attack, so now we have 2" netting up over the whole chicken yard.  It is traumatic to see what's left after a hawk attacks a beloved chicken.  It makes the weasel's look "kind" (or at least "neat") by comparison.  

We've discussed netting the chicken yard, but the problem I'm having is that the yard is HUGE and filled with trees. :/ What I think we're going to do is build a couple pergolas for shelter and a place to run to in the more open areas of the yard, just in the case of an attack. The yard has a lot of shelter, but that shelter is pretty sparse in the winter without the leaves, unfortunately. Then during heavy hawk migration times, I can net over and around the pergolas for some safer outside space. I've been looking at 'chunnel' designs and they don't look too difficult to put together. A chunnel from one pergola to the other and to the coop should do it, I hope. That's my plan, anyway. Hope it works out... We haven't had any direct losses to Mr. Hawk since Saturday, so I'm thinking moving them to the mini-yard with all of the vines and branches over it has put off the predator, at least for now.

Editing to add, I'm thinking we're dealing with a juvenile hawk or a very desperate one. Yesterday, it flew full-force into the back window of the house going after birds at our bird feeders. We haven't seen it since, but I'm sure that's not bound to last. It seems pretty uncoordinated from what I've seen of it. It must either be new at this hunting stuff or just so desperate that it's getting sloppy. I've only seen enough of its profile in flight to know it's either a Cooper's or a Sharp-shinned.

Question: How do you handle getting chicks from more than one place? My first chicks will hatch in a week or so (from kittydoc) Then I am getting chicks from at least 2 other places.  So do I treat it like "quarantine"? But not sure how to do that. I mean, if I do a month quarantine, my youngest chicks will still not be outside yet, so then I try to brood in 2 different places in the house? In my house is the only place I have to brood.  The next will probably be 4 EEs that I very likely will just stick under my broody (since my roo died and she is sitting on unfertile eggs), but if that does not work well then they would have to come inside. Of course DD is very happy to offer the area under her loft to brood her babies - then the first chicks would be downstairs in the dining/school room. Sometime in late April beg/May would be the next batch (for now, if zoning changes there may be more so I can get grandfathered in!). By then hopefully the first batch will be outside in the grow out coop and hopefully the EEs will be outside with their surrogate mom. 

So I guess the big question is do you keep chicks from different places separate, how do you do it and for how long? 

Thanks!

I think, as long as your chicks are coming from sources you believe to be reliable, that I agree with the responses from others. When I had chicks from two different trusted sources last year, I brooded them together. I kept them completely quarantined from my main flock for a full month past when the last chicks arrived, to be safe. That's what I would advise you to do as well.

Any chicks that have been hatched by a hen or have had contact with the ground at the place you're buying them from should be brooded separately and kept quarantined from everyone else. As well, any older birds should be quarantined completely; this only goes for very young chicks. And finally, any birds from sketchy sources or bought from shows or swaps obviously should be quarantined separately.

 

[ellymayRans]

Can I be nosy and ask where they are coming from? I've had Salmon Faverolles on my wish list and I love me some blue eggs!

They lay more of a light color egg almost a pinkish hue. They are really sweet though!

Oh and my original hen I got from my pet chicken and these are coming from Sandhill..compliments of @chickcrazed!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I read all the posts, but am too tired to comment tonight. Still snowed in Louisville with my two Silkies. Ditzy's pecked back-of-the-head has healed up quickly as you can tell by the second photo. Here's Ditzy and Smalty in my sister's basement enjoying the portable dust bath I brought from home. They have their own guest room upstairs, but the bath is in the basement. lol

This is too precious! Looks like they are doing well too.

morning everyone.....so 22 hatched and one is pipping....better late then never...i did the candle and was gunna toss the rest....glad thing i waited....i did notice water build up in the incubator on the bottom....is this normal for a hatcher to do this...

Its good your humidity is up that high, will do awesome for hatching. I see that in the summer when it gets humid here. The winter, forget it, I have a hard time getting to 70% at hatch.
Once the current hatch finishes I wipe it down quick with antibacterial wipes and close it back up. The tray I pull out, scrub with scalding hot water and let dry, then put back in. Finishing up my coolerbater with the upgrades for hatching only.. Will need the tray for goose eggs soon.

Woohoo!! I did my 10 day candle and 18/20 of my Bielie eggs (all gathered at the end of each sub-freezing day) are developing!!!! I thought for sure it was too cold and most would be toast. Those suckers are a lot hardier than I thought! I am going to start setting any that haven't cracked now!

I can't believe I am more than halfway to chickville. I am going to be a nervous wreck! So day 18 I stop turning and increase humidity?

I also need to make a better candler at some point if anyone has any recommendations on how to build a good one.

I do stop turning at day 18, candle and lockdown. Kick humidity as high as I can. I plan to invest in an Ovascope, since I hatch the geese and muscovy. Its super high output without the heat. @racinchickins has one, and was very impressed when we discussed it. I have read you can even see into EE and maran eggs with it!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Well...I have 9 baby chicks in the brooder. There are 2 un pipped eggs in the incubator. Not sure when I should call it. It is day 22.

Here are some pics!

Goodness, they are soo precious! I am so partial to chipmunk stripes on the chicks too

I wait a full 5 days after hatch date to toss eggs, unless you detect any odors. I have had chicks go that far out, especially this time of year.

Just two days left for the Chickenfest 2015 T-Shirt fundraiser!!!!

We've sold 19 shirts so far. Order now so you don't forget.

http://www.booster.com/indiana-byc-tshirt

Once they are gone, I don't think we can reorder.
Also don't forget we have our first auction live on our FaceBook page..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/653896251318576/permalink/867578783283654/
Thanks to @SallyinIndiana @racinchickins for working towards this goal.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:

Thanks, I am still very worried about it, but It will just break my heart to let many of them go. My family was so up in arms over it, I realized its not just my choice lol. But if I feel they don't have a good quality of life, its much worse for me to see that. My geese and goats especially will just be too painful. I don't have large attractive pens, but I do make sure they are well fed, freely range, and are well cared for. Leaving everyone penned up days on end is just not right for me. We will know a week from friday whats going on, after Moms next battery of tests.

Quote: I have to agree with everyone, If they are chicks relatively close in age and sizes I brood together. I do take demeanor in account too, such as RIR tend to be more outgoing than my EE flock chicks. Farm store or chicks from other breeders I keep separated a week to be sure there is no issues. My flock has high immunity because they have more exposure to wild foods and free range. This passes to the chicks also. Another chick from an outside flock may become ill exposed to mine.. I just take it slow. I start by introducing 2 of mine to the outside chicks, wait a week. If all is ok I combine them.

Quote:
I do use a lot of the little 9 light LED flashlights. I have them everywhere! I misplace them almost as often as my phone I think, lol.

 

[Faraday40]

Avian Influenza has spread to Minnesota

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/f5c467

This news makes me nervous. Although my chickens are currently cooped 24/7 (because of a very determined hawk), I'd like to let them free in the backyard when the weather warms - & other hawk foods are available.

Has it ever been in the Midwest before? If so, how long do these warnings last? Do we have to keep our chickens locked up all summer to keep them safe? (We do not get geese in our yard, but they fly overhead to go to & from a nearby pond. We do get lots of birds,though. No way to prevent them from walking on the grass.)