INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

I would love a couple ducks, but can they be housed with chickens? Right now I only have the coop with all of my chickens together. A neighbor gets ducks in the spring but he gets them for meat and says that they would not make good "pets". I would like some for eggs. I know my kids would fall in love with them so dinner would not be an option.

Duck hens are great, even my pekin hens are pretty laid back. Pekin aren't seasonal, will lay year around. Its hard finding adult duck hens, and there is just a handful of hatcheries that will sex them for you.
I did a quick search and found this
mcmurrayhatchery.com/ducklings.html

Quote: Thanks and I agree, I am often thinking I am really lucky to have both my parents, and DHs parents still with us.It just helps to vent the occasional frustration, lol.

108 eggs on the counter to be washed and sold

thats over the last 4 days, and not including goose, BR turkey, muscovy, LO and EE eggs I set today. Waiting for my MW turkey hens to start laying, the guinea, and also got my first 3 muscovy eggs today.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Finally have a full dozen eggs that I've collected from my birds this past week to put in the incubator! Can't wait until they are all back laying and start paying for their own feed and bedding! Tired of supporting these lazy birds

LOL, hear that, glad mine are finally doing their jobs!
When I was up in Lake Co, it seemed like spring really took hold by may 1st. You aren't quite that far up so I bet laying picks up a lot now.

Got my Favs home! Changed some coops around now all I have with my Favs us just the little bantam Cochin hen. They get along great. I'm really impressed with the Rooster I picked out (had two to choose from)!

They are gorgeous!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Sigh.....already have a broody turkey hen. At least this one will let me pull eggs out from underneath her without removing strips of skin. I was planning on building a nest house that I could block off from the others once things dry out, but oh no, she couldn't wait. Not sure what I'm going to do now. I'm pretty sure you can't move a broody turkey like you can a chicken.

If she is anything like my oldest BR girl, I bet you can. This hen will go broody on 2 eggs, and she is not letting anyone near them. I bough welding gloves just because of her

She sounds like a rattlesnake, and starts hissing if you get within 5 feet of that nest.

aHello everyone, first time chicken owner and was wondering if Anyone know if roos are allowed in Howard County? I'm outside the city limits and I know I can have chickens just not sure if I can have a roo or not? I recently picked up some pullets and I believe at least one might be a roo.

Does anyone know how I would go about finding a house to rent where they will allow me to keep my 5 hens? My husband is relocating to greenfield, Indiana so we would want to be somewhere between there and rushville.

and our thread

Replying to both of you

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/37/local-chicken-laws-ordinances-and-how-to-change-them

You might also consider Madison county, its about 20 minutes from Greenfield.

Oh my! Just to share my Peacock has been displaying like a fool and he's made calls before but WOW he called out and I was right next to him! Scared the crap out of me! Hahaha!

Its a bit startling

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Almost caught up, but keep dozing off. Missed our thread the last few days, super busy! Hope to catch up more tomorrow.

 

[kittydoc]

I have had a busy week! One inconsiderate buyer who said he'd buy a bunch of Jubilees from me basically found an entire adult flock, but didn't have the courtesy to tell me, so I've been sitting on chicks for HIM for no good reason. Now the others who were on a waiting list will get them SOON!!

I've mostly gotten the standard yellow Jubilee chicks, but a few have been chipmunk striped. Apparently there are two genetic variants that both come up Jubilee, though with varying amounts of white. It's true, too. The chipmunk striped chicks have more color, a little less white, than the solid yellow ones.

@Faraday40 came down to pick up her hatching eggs for lavender and black/lav split Orpington chicks, and her daughter talked her into one Jubilee hatching egg. The latter was "hot off the presses," so it should hatch just fine.

I'm about to try to recandle my Bielefelder eggs. They are so much darker than Orp eggs that all I can tell is the difference between clears and "something is happening." No dark spots visible (at least not on Day 5). I can't see veins at all through all that milk chocolate shell goodness.

I may be headed to TN to pick up some English blue Orpington hens this week, if my back pain permits it. Hopeful! DH is about ready to start on the two new breeding pens, then we are DONE. If anything else comes in, something must go! (I can hear some of you laughing already, but honestly, I think four breeding pens ought to do it for us.)

Except the Dorkings. My two Dorkings will be for flock art. If I luck out and get a roo and a hen, then so much the better, though. Anything but two roos!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Free Rooster:





He's a good bird, I've just decided against roosters in general, for a number of reasons.

I'd prefer someone pick him up in West Indy, but I can drop him off if it's not too far away.

Feel free to PM any questions.

 

[ellymayRans]

Duck hens are great, even my pekin hens are pretty laid back. Pekin aren't seasonal, will lay year around. Its hard finding adult duck hens, and there is just a handful of hatcheries that will sex them for you.
I did a quick search and found this
mcmurrayhatchery.com/ducklings.html

Thanks and I agree, I am often thinking I am really lucky to have both my parents, and DHs parents still with us.It just helps to vent the occasional frustration, lol.
108 eggs on the counter to be washed and sold thats over the last 4 days, and not including goose, BR turkey, muscovy, LO and EE eggs I set today. Waiting for my MW turkey hens to start laying, the guinea, and also got my first 3 muscovy eggs today.

I think those Muscovy are adorable and sound like a perfect fit! Will you happen to be selling any of their chicks?

 

[ChickCrazed]

I have had a busy week! One inconsiderate buyer who said he'd buy a bunch of Jubilees from me basically found an entire adult flock, but didn't have the courtesy to tell me, so I've been sitting on chicks for HIM for no good reason. Now the others who were on a waiting list will get them SOON!!

I've mostly gotten the standard yellow Jubilee chicks, but a few have been chipmunk striped. Apparently there are two genetic variants that both come up Jubilee, though with varying amounts of white. It's true, too. The chipmunk striped chicks have more color, a little less white, than the solid yellow ones.

@Faraday40 came down to pick up her hatching eggs for lavender and black/lav split Orpington chicks, and her daughter talked her into one Jubilee hatching egg. The latter was "hot off the presses," so it should hatch just fine.

I'm about to try to recandle my Bielefelder eggs. They are so much darker than Orp eggs that all I can tell is the difference between clears and "something is happening." No dark spots visible (at least not on Day 5). I can't see veins at all through all that milk chocolate shell goodness.

I may be headed to TN to pick up some English blue Orpington hens this week, if my back pain permits it. Hopeful! DH is about ready to start on the two new breeding pens, then we are DONE. If anything else comes in, something must go! (I can hear some of you laughing already, but honestly, I think four breeding pens ought to do it for us.)

Except the Dorkings. My two Dorkings will be for flock art. If I luck out and get a roo and a hen, then so much the better, though. Anything but two roos!

Oh man, I'm glad to hear it isn't just me having trouble candling those suckers! I pretty much had to wait for "darkness" to take over the inside of the shell since I could only detect veining on some of them. I left anything questionable and they did all develop. So far my couple of hatches have skewed towards girls! I got four girls and one boy out of the first and so far I have three girls and two boys out with three eggs to go. I'm hoping my girl luck continues since I have my first large hatch next week!

I had my worst nightmare happen yesterday. I had a customer come to pick up her chicks and left to put shavings in the box the chicks were going to be traveling in. I told her to look them over and decide which she wanted, but not to touch them. When I got back she was holding one of them....it got worse. As she was heading out the door she tells me that one of the other chicks she has at home is coughing and rattles when it breathes and asks me what to treat it with.....aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh She had her freaking hands in my brooder! I've been stressing about it ever since. I live so far out in the boonies I hate to have to drive to meet everyone, but after this latest scare I might. At the very least no one will be allowed back in the chick room ever again!

 

[leslea]

I had my worst nightmare happen yesterday. I had a customer come to pick up her chicks and left to put shavings in the box the chicks were going to be traveling in. I told her to look them over and decide which she wanted, but not to touch them. When I got back she was holding one of them....it got worse. As she was heading out the door she tells me that one of the other chicks she has at home is coughing and rattles when it breathes and asks me what to treat it with.....aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh She had her freaking hands in my brooder! I've been stressing about it ever since. I live so far out in the boonies I hate to have to drive to meet everyone, but after this latest scare I might. At the very least no one will be allowed back in the chick room ever again!

What the HECK? Why are people so rude. I hope everything turns out okay.

I have had a busy week! One inconsiderate buyer who said he'd buy a bunch of Jubilees from me basically found an entire adult flock, but didn't have the courtesy to tell me, so I've been sitting on chicks for HIM for no good reason. Now the others who were on a waiting list will get them SOON!!

People!

Thanks and I agree, I am often thinking I am really lucky to have both my parents, and DHs parents still with us.It just helps to vent the occasional frustration, lol.

108 eggs on the counter to be washed and sold

thats over the last 4 days, and not including goose, BR turkey, muscovy, LO and EE eggs I set today. Waiting for my MW turkey hens to start laying, the guinea, and also got my first 3 muscovy eggs today.

That is a blessing! I often wish I had parents. I get tiring being everyone's mama.

How much do you sell your eggs for? Next year I hope to have excess and be doing the extra egg dance, too.

 

[leslea]

***URGENT***
I need someone who really knows what they're doing with large dogs. Cooper--a 100lb mix--has finally managed to kill something, and I'm having a much harder time dealing with it than I'd hoped. I almost stepped on a dead chick when I was bringing the trash cans back from the curb. Worse yet, it was my favorite and the friendliest of the whole bunch. I have no clue how to break a dog this stubborn of killing poultry. He's attacked several birds in the past, but this is the first time he's killed one.

If there's any hope, I'd like to keep him, but I think I'll have to take him to the pound. He's an enormous blockheaded dog who likes to bite at our feet when we walk across the yard and even a 2x4 to the skull isn't working for that problem because he still thinks we're playing with him.

I don't think you can train a dog's prey drive out of them. You might be able to find someone who has time to work with him with toys, but...I think there is a reason why dog rescues don't adopt out certain dogs to home with small furry animals (or fluffy butts as the case may be). I appreciate that you have a big heart and have tried to give this dog a loving home, but it sounds like you need to decide between this particular dog and your chickens. Other dogs might be a better fit, but the stress of what you're describing sounds like too much. It would be awful if the kids got hurt in the situation, too. That doesn't make you a monster, just have to make tough decision. Good luck.