INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[racinchickins]

Yes!  and Yes.  I'm excited about the CCLs this year.  I ended up with some nice cream girls from last year, and I got a good GreenFire Farms Roo from Brad with nice white earlobes.  Hoping for good things from them. 

Awesome! I "need" some more CCLs. The two I have give me really pretty eggs! I was reading on the OE thread about using them with a BCM roo to get sex linked OEs, I may try it to see what I get! Let me know when you've got some extra chicks!

I absolutely will. I'm also trying the CCL/BCM mIx. Should be interesting.

 

[raisinemright]

Been kicking around the idea of raising a couple flocks of meat birds. Questions for you folks that raise them. Here is my plan please tell me the pros and cons and any pointers you have for me please!!
Starting off on a HIGH protein feed. After they feather out move them to tractors and letting them graze on grasses and grain also. (Tractors 10x10 - 10x15 or something about that size). Moving once a day or every two. Really however long the grass can hold them. Oh yeah thinking of around 15-25 birds per tractor. Is this a pretty common set up?
Now another question how much grain should I expect these little eating machines to consume per day with grazing also? (This question is more for the budget side of things). Third question is how much per bird should it cost to process? I will be taking them in to get that amount of birds done at once.
Please any tips or pointers on this subject will be appreciated.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@leslea

The way pipd described is the way to go - put them where they can see each other but can't be in the same place for several weeks usually. If you don't have divided facilities, you can make a temporary divider by tacking up some of the plastic chicken wire to make a temporary divider. I have a permanent divider inside the hen shed but I would have used the plastic netting if I hadn't. I did use it in the outdoor run to divide off as I was able to cut a second door last year so they could have an exit to go out on part of the run too.

It worked very well, and I didn't let them go out mixed with the others until it was warm enough that they could all go out from the run into the larger area. The larger the area, the easier it is for the youngers to get away should a skuffle insue.

I also tried, for the first couple weeks I was letting them run together, to make a restricted size opening into their divided off area so they could get in but the olders couldn't. Mine ended up being old enough when I let them run together that they were almost as large as the elders so it was hard to keep the smaller adults out of their side. But for the most part it worked. (The reason they were sol old before I let them run together was that we were having hawks visit every day and they were small enough that they were easy pickin's so I waited until they got some weight on them.

Here is a photo so you can visualize how I used the plastic netting to divide in the run. After I'm done using it I just roll it up and put it away for the next time around.



In these photos, I was using the divider to give the girls a break from the rooter but it will give you an idea of the temporary divider.







Here are the 3 that were raised w/out a mamma on their side of the outdoor divider.







Used some eye hooks on the shed then some double-end hooks to hook it onto them.








Since the chain link fence is large enough for the baby chicks to go through for quite some time, I took lengths of the plastic netting and cut them length-wise in half, then zip tied them to the bottom of the whole run. I did this the year that the broody mamma raised 2 clutches. They get to run with the whole flock as mamma will fight for them.




At the gates I cut it long enough that it would overlap so they couldn't go through the crack.





And here is a photo of mama on hawk watch...out with her babies.





Couple photos of the whole thing just for perspective.

 

[kittydoc]

Who near Indianapolis has bantam chicks (any breed/variety) for sale now or within a couple of weeks? I have a LF Orp buyer who wants some bantams, too, but they need not be Orps. She is not on BYC. If you want to let me know and give me your name and email address, as well as what breed(s)/colors you have in bantam size, I'll pass them along to her. Please advise also if you are NPIP. The chicks would be for 4H but she would like them to be good quality and must be an APA approved color.

TIA!

 

[ellymayRans]

One of the 4 Mille Fluer Cochin chicks just hatched! The other 3 have externally pipd! I love seeing a broody with chicks but hate not being able to see them!!

 

[ellymayRans]

Who near Indianapolis has bantam chicks (any breed/variety) for sale now or within a couple of weeks?  I have a LF Orp buyer who wants some bantams, too, but they need not be Orps.  She is not on BYC.  If you want to let me know and give me your name and email address, as well as what breed(s)/colors you have in bantam size, I'll pass them along to her.  Please advise also if you are NPIP.  The chicks would be for 4H but she would like them to be good quality and must be an APA approved color.

TIA!

I have to return a call to someone who was looking for adults for 4H..not sure if this is the same person or not. I will have chicks but no adults. I am not NPIP though.

I'm wanting to be but just haven't had time to look into it yet.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I will be, my flocks are complete so all my duckings will be sold. Open to egg swaps/chick swaps also! PM me, and we can talk

Quote:

I have had many visit here, but the house, brooders, and incubators are off limits. Some thread members have been here several times, but respect bio security. (shoes, etc) I had the exact thing happen the first year selling chicks and decided then, no way am I taking any risks. This lady had her small flock "die off" for unknown reasons. She told me this out the car window before leaving! Yikes! Fortunately she bought all the chicks available that visit.
With all the recent events on craigslist ads, am afraid to post birds on there anymore! I pretty much stick with our thread, and local folks referred by other customers.

Quote:
Depends on species, chicken $3 a dozen, duck $4 dozen for "eating eggs" from mixed groups. My penned breeds like the lavender orps I ask more since its a pure breed. They do not free range like my egg flocks.
Goose, Muscovy or turkey eggs 1 egg for $2, quail eggs 25 cents each. (A goose egg averages 5 oz!) All my birds are going to give fertile eggs, so I rarely sell them any cheaper, they are more valuable as a chick.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Okay, y'all, two questions...

First off, how did you integrate your 2nd flock into your 1st flock? I have my 2nd batch of chicks ever arriving soon. I am curious what strategies you've used in the past. I've read that I should wait until they are the same size as my current flock, then take them into the coop at night. Anything else? Should I put up hardware cloth to separate them or anything? I have two guineas who think they are chickens. One of them thinks he is the rooster, specifically, and he really does pick on my smallest bantam hen. I am chiefly concerned about protecting the baby birds from him. Two of them will be bantam silkies, the other four will be LF, so hopefully they will grow to be the same size he is. I've never had LF before, so I'm uncertain of the size comparison, exactly, but I think they will be roughly equivalent.

The other question...

Would you go read my story? I entered the fiction contest here at BYC. I don't know what came over me, but I wrote a story about some of my existing characters. The story is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...annual-byc-easter-hatchalong/70#post_14981356 The rules said not to have your name on it...I don't know how I can avoid that as my username is my name...but hopefully that won't disqualify me. It's only 500 words, so about as long as a post to Indiana BYC board!

Thanks in advance.

Loved you story!

I integrate with "see, don't touch" by my growup pen. Its positioned between my main flock and my waterfowl pen. This way, they can see every bird here that free ranges, but can't be pecked, bullied or starved out by older birds. They stay in the grow up pen until they are of good size, and ready to join the flock they belong to. Minimum of 2 weeks, longer if possible depending on the species.

Quote: @Indyshent I somehow missed this post, I am so sorry to hear it. Agree with the HO above, If Coopers "mix" has a prey drive type breed, you may never be able to correct his behavior. malemute, husky breeds have a strong prey drive, and are often a big problem around any poultry. I have had a few German Shepherds that also had high prey aggression towards any type of birds.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Ugh, came home to the silkies I just moved out huddled in the corner of their pen covered in snow. Stupid birds!

All my free range flock was parked on the covered back porch! Hey guys, you do have a coop?!? The scovies and guinea had enough smarts to go up in the big pine trees.

Quote:
We didn't get a lot here but WOW that was some big snowflakes!

Quote: We have started meeting people at 1 of 2 public places near our house. We have set times for them to choose from to help minimize the inconvenience. As long as they don't show up late it works out well. No one entering my house. No one asking to use the bathroom and getting upset if I say no. Or worse someone complaining because one of my boys left a mess in the bathroom while I was out catching the chicken they wanted to buy.
But best of all no bio hazards to the remaining birds on my property.

Our wait time is 15 minutes. I have lost 1 sale because my Dh left after 15 minutes. But the person who was running over an hour late did not want to wait for us to drive back. We still had the birds boxed but it would have taken about 5-10 minutes for Dh to return.
Good post! I agree, its just toooo creepy having someone come I don't know.
I hated them asking to use the bathroom after I explained, clearly my Mom is a shut-in, and sorry but I can't allow it. My mother confuses which grand daughter is which, and sometimes doesn't recognize my youngest DD anymore.

Quote: Surprisingly, not as many as usual for spring! Margie spends about one month on, one month off with her brooding all year, but usually by now I'll have at least the Wyandottes and Sebrights considering it as well. They are getting older, so maybe they're just not interested anymore? Not that I'm complaining!

And yeah, what you can see if it from under Biddy-bird's butt.

Tilde has a knack for picking the popular box, it would seem.

I have a broody turkey, with some others trying it on for size. And today one of my mottled javas gave me a good pecking when I tried to get eggs out of her nest box.


But, since my cabinet incubator (which I said I would never fill) is almost full, I may let nature take its course if I can figure out how to separate the broodies from the rest of the flock.
Broody geese so far! My smallest embden is trying to hatch air again.

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My first year hatching I had 2 layers in all 3 incubators (LGs styrofoam, ugh) Cant believe I turned that many eggs by hand every day.
@racinchickins I am surprised too, The Bourbons started to lay about 2 weeks ago. One MW hen is squatting for her tom already, he hasn't quite figured things out 100% yet, making her very mad at him and running off! I am sure they will be laying anytime. My BR hens started up a couple weeks after you first posted yours were laying.

I'm going to be doing the "Wiggle" test with the Emu eggs this week! I swear I've seen 2 of the 4 move and one had rolled about 4 inches so I'm not sure if it was from the kids running by or if the egg moved and caused it to roll.. It's killing me! 4/11 approximately!! Not too much longer and hopefully I'll be posting those adorable babies entering into the world!

I can't wait to see them! How exciting!

 

[kittydoc]

I have to return a call to someone who was looking for adults for 4H..not sure if this is the same person or not. I will have chicks but no adults. I am not NPIP though.

I'm wanting to be but just haven't had time to look into it yet.

@ellymayRans PM me your bantam chicj availability and contact info. NPIP good but not sure essential, I'll have to find out, too.