INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Too Fast]

rsmcclure irisheyes and Kristyg - Welcome to the thread!!

Cluck - Many belated Birthday wishes.

Too Fast - Wow, the coop is looking spectacular. Not sure what we have planned for the weekend. I know I need to clean my coop good as a friend has invited herself over this weekend to come see the chickens... arghhh!!!
DH is playing in a pool tournament Sunday, I might have a few hours to spare so long as I can bring my wee one with me. I say wee... he is 8. If you really do need help.
Is there anything you need to get the coop done material wise? I can dig around the shop and see if we have it.

Thanx Vickichicki.

We don't need anything material-wise, but then again this is our first go around with chickens. And wow are they growing fast! We have an 8 y.o. boy, and a 10 y.o. girl. If you want to come over and critique our coop Saturday, that would be welcome. PM us if you want to do a road trip in the great big city that is Indy. We are planning on a big coop build day tomorrow, maybe about 10 hours.

 

[wheezy50]

Any information on the "swap meet" in Martinsville tomorrow? Anyone know if its at the fairgrounds? Time? Admission fee? I have know idea what its all about but might think about going!!

 

[Mother2Hens]

To vickichicki and other duck lovers~ Did any of you see "An Original Duckumentary" that was on PBS Nature last fall? It's a fascinating documentary about ducks, starting with the wood duck. The best thing about it for me was that there were no scenes of animals/birds preying/killing. That ruins most nature shows for me! The video is available free online: video.pbs.org/video/2289741878/ and I've attached a list of the ducks discussed at the bottom of this post.

CluckAcres~Nice coop! Gives me a California vibe. ha

Craftychick~ You had mentioned your rooster bringing the flock to your door for protection. When I've been outside with my hens lately, if they see someone walking a dog or something else scary, they come running to me! They used to stand still or duck under a bush, which is safer.

Hope you all had a nice, warm day. We had expected a rainy day, but it turned out to be beautiful. My husband worked on the grazing frames while I "gardened" with the hens. I knew they were just around the corner from me, but I was surprised to find how quickly they dug a dirt bath right in front of our house where an azalea bush died last year. All five were piled into the ever-growing spot while the afternoon sun warmed them next to the brick house. It's not exactly normal landscaping, but thanks to the hens, our landscaping has gradually become their vision. haha

 

[Mother2Hens]

CROWS New research indicates that crows are among the brightest animals in the world.
I forgot to mention another interesting video free online: A Murder of Crows (a “murder” of crows refers to a flock of crows, and not to anything murderous, at all.) video.pbs.org/video/1621910826/
Crows use tools as only elephants and chimpanzees do, and recognize 250 distinct calls. One particular talent they have been discovered to possess is the ability to recognize individual human faces and pick them out of a crowd up to two years later – a trick that might make even Hitchcock shiver with fright.
They thrive wherever people live and have used their great intelligence to adapt again and again to a constantly changing world. Some memorize garbage truck routes, and follow the feast from day to day. Others drop nuts in the road and wait for passing cars to crack them open. And some build their nests from items we throw away – like wire clothes hangers.
These are social birds that mate for life and raise their young for up to five years. And they learn from each other’s misfortunes. When one is killed in a farmer’s field, it’s not uncommon for them to change entire migratory patterns so that no crows fly over that field for as long as two years.
These birds might have a scary reputation, but what may prove to be the scariest thing about them is how much they know about us, and how little we know about them!

 

[kristyG]

Thanks everyone for the responses on D.E. method I have some research to do but I'll add some for now since I have it and have read nothing bad about it and the calcium bentonite its mixed with is great for composting and reducing harmful bacteria

LEAH'S MOM- thank you for all the info I'm reading everything I can since its been 20 years since I've been around chickens right now the only thing I know for certain is that my 12 black sexlink hens are getting fried and replaced with nicer auracanas I never would have thought the personalities of different breeds could be so dramatically different

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs
This is a great tutorial! I am trying my first batch of eggs from my Muscovies. The breed is very unusual, do not quack, they peep and hisssss. They take up to 38 days to hatch!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

CROWS New research indicates that crows are among the brightest animals in the world.
I forgot to mention another interesting video free online: A Murder of Crows (a “murder” of crows refers to a flock of crows, and not to anything murderous, at all.) video.pbs.org/video/1621910826/
Crows use tools as only elephants and chimpanzees do, and recognize 250 distinct calls. One particular talent they have been discovered to possess is the ability to recognize individual human faces and pick them out of a crowd up to two years later – a trick that might make even Hitchcock shiver with fright.
They thrive wherever people live and have used their great intelligence to adapt again and again to a constantly changing world. Some memorize garbage truck routes, and follow the feast from day to day. Others drop nuts in the road and wait for passing cars to crack them open. And some build their nests from items we throw away – like wire clothes hangers.
These are social birds that mate for life and raise their young for up to five years. And they learn from each other’s misfortunes. When one is killed in a farmer’s field, it’s not uncommon for them to change entire migratory patterns so that no crows fly over that field for as long as two years.
These birds might have a scary reputation, but what may prove to be the scariest thing about them is how much they know about us, and how little we know about them!

Beautiful intelligent bird. They can learn to speak...I knew someone that kept one as a pet, raised from a chick that was found in a nest of babies, all dead but his bird

I know he had it for several years.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Any information on the "swap meet" in Martinsville tomorrow? Anyone know if its at the fairgrounds? Time? Admission fee? I have know idea what its all about but might think about going!!

I tried to google it, no luck, whats the swap meet called?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Got the coop all cleaned out and sprayed with liquid Sevin on the roosts and walls. Powder was spread in nest boxes and floor and they all got powdered up themselves. Hope to knock these mites out quickly. Parents are saving ashes from their wood furnace to use as a preventative measure.

I bet that will do it.
You will love the DL method. Do you have any waterfowl in the coop?

 

[wheezy50]

I tried to google it, no luck, whats the swap meet called?


 

Im not sure the exact name, I also tried google with no luck. I just heard about a "livestock swap" or something along those lines. Someone on here mentioned it, they thought it was at the fairgrounds possibly. I was just trying to find out a little more info before I head on down there.