INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[bearbottom]

Husband was playing Wii when our poults decided to love on him. Rather than picking the up and getting them back to the brooder, I got my phone Whole ordeal reminded me of this card (provided anyone else around is familiar with Munchkin):

love the card!!!!!!!

 

[bearbottom]

Sorry, haven't been around for a while my dad just had brain surgery. We found out he has stage 4 lung cancer. To say the lest its been a bad week but, all your post have keep me in good spirits. Its really helped looking at all the cute pics of the new baby chicks

any and all prayers will be greatly appreciated.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Sorry, haven't been around for a while my dad just had brain surgery. We found out he has stage 4 lung cancer. To say the lest its been a bad week but, all your post have keep me in good spirits. Its really helped looking at all the cute pics of the new baby chicks

any and all prayers will be greatly appreciated.

 

[flyladyrocks]

I would expect nothing less! Ours love fruit, too, Love "Soylent Chicken"! Do you or anyone else know if it is safe to feed adult chickens raisins?

On a different subject, DH and I has a small venison roast last night. I found a yummy recipe using cream of mushroom and dry onion soups, and red wine. It was delicious!

 

[number9]

Sorry, haven't been around for a while my dad just had brain surgery. We found out he has stage 4 lung cancer. To say the lest its been a bad week but, all your post have keep me in good spirits. Its really helped looking at all the cute pics of the new baby chicks

any and all prayers will be greatly appreciated.

I know what you are going through. My wife also has stage 4 lung cancer. She just spent a night in ICU and tree more days in the hospital. She has decided to give up treatment because she would rater have quality of life instead of quality, A hard decision but I back her because I love her. I hope everything works out okay for you and yours and I know how hard it is.

 

[kabhyper1]

Since we have new members, I wanted to remind everyone of our sister page on fb. https://www.facebook.com/groups/653896251318576/

If anyone hasn't joined yet, please do so! It's a lot of fun with all of the same members we have here, just another place to chat.

 

[Mother2Hens]

@Indiana Chick ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread! Please see the links at the end of this post to find out more about our wonderful thread.
I think a flock of four is a nice size if you're just starting out. Three years ago, I started with six chickens and had five hens for a year --until the chicken enablers on this thread affected the rational decision-making skills that I used to have.

I now have 11, but will return two to @ellymayRans at the end of the week. That leaves me a little wiggle-room...

@bradselig I would love a black cuckoo Silkie or two!! Are you selling them now? Last time I asked when you teased us with photos of some, you said you were using them for breeding. (I've been crying ever since).

My two Silkies I stole from you over a year ago are doing well. Ditzy's (Blue Splash) crown grew back and she looks nice and fluffy all over. Smalty's (Blue) crown grew back, but was mostly pecked again since she insisted on perching next to the giant Orps. Just when the Smalty and the Orps changed bedtime seating arrangements and things were going well, suddenly Smalty decided to go broody! It's been almost a week and she is sitting on 0 eggs. Of course she had to have the nesting box that Ditzy always preferred sleeping in, so now Ditzy is perched next to the big Orps. I wonder how long that will last before they're disrupted again!

Observation: There's never a dull moment with chickens! Every time I think that they have worked through their issues, things abruptly change-- just like the situation I've described above. This afternoon I was outside with them as usual working on landscaping. One of ellyMayRans's Olive Eggers and my miniature bantam Cochin, Screech, both wanted to lay an egg in the same nesting box-- it's not unusual for that to happen. But they fought for over two hours! I decided that they both must be broody and wanted to be broody in the same place because their battle was going on so long, and they were both so adamant about wanting that spot. I tried offering different locations, etc. etc., but they always run back to the same spot. Finally, when I was thinking of putting Screech in the house for a while, at the same moment they both laid eggs! One inside the nesting box and Screech laid hers right outside of the nesting box. I was relieved that all of the noisy drama was over!

@Faraday40 If we still had kids at home (especially young ones), we probably wouldn't allow the chickens on the deck. But since the chickens are our surrogate children, they've been known to peck at the sliding glass door and come inside for a few treats. Prior to three years ago when our youngest DD brought chicks home shortly before leaving for IU, we would have never imagined having chickens, much less inviting them in for a treat! haha Their coops are just outside the back door/deck. The large one is bolted onto our garage, the bantam one is in-between the large one and our deck, and our adjunct nesting box/brooder coop (old rabbit hutch) is actually on the deck! (That's the one that was fought over today). Luckily, a hose is attached to the deck, which makes clean-up easier. The handy proximity of the coops makes caring for them easier especially in the winter.

Your son obviously takes his job policing your deck very seriously! haha Cute photo! I could have used his help this evening…we had the screen door open, deck lights on, DH and I were talking and had the TV on, one of our cats was on the deck…but that didn't deter our visitor, Mr. O! After watching him for a while, I stepped out and squirted the hose just to scare him away.



And about the bullet-shaped egg-- I couldn't tell by the photos-- I'm not sure if by bullet-shaped you mean that one end is flat or that both ends are the same width. If you mean the latter-- that one end is not larger, then I think it's just an Orp thing. My Bantam Chocolate Orp, Bonbon, and my LF Splash Orp both lay eggs that have the same point width on each end (like @flyladyrocks mentioned). My Jubilee Orp lays rounder eggs than normal. None of my Orps are good layers, but they have less baggage-- as in drama--than their more high-strung flockmates. lol Also, I wouldn't worry about a small line or wrinkle as you showed in one of your photos.
@Dish chickens ~ When I clicked on the Egg Shell Quality chart to enlarge it to read, it seems to be linked to The Easter Hatch page. I found this link to a pdf that can be read more easily. Thanks for the info source! 20 Common Egg Shell Quality Problems - Alltech
@CCCCCCCCHICKENS Good to see your post! I had to take a leave of absence -lol- but have been getting back in the loop again.
@browncow15

 

[Mother2Hens]

@browncow15 ~ I meant to say Congrats on the great hatch and that I loved your hidden picture!
Wow, I just read the posts by @number9

and @bearbottom

~ I am so sorry for each of you and your families.
Please feel free to talk about anything because that's what we do here. Topics aren't limited to poultry. Many members (myself included) have often said that they appreciate the genuine support given by our thread members-- whether it's just a bad day, a sick chicken, or a serious family health crisis-- it is nice to know that you'll receive support and encouragement, plus a much needed break: "chicken therapy" -- oohs and aahs looking at precious chicks and chuckles hearing about silly chicken antics.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A question for y'all.

One thing that has always bothered me about the chickens is the behavior at night when getting on the roost. It doesn't matter how large the space is compared to number of birds as I've had larger and smaller spaces and the behavior is still the same.

Some of the birds just attack others when they try to get on. It's an every-day ritual and I hate seeing it. One will come up and another will attack it until it has to get off. Happens over and over until for some reason they quit and everyone's up. Not only is the main roost area quite large enough, but I also have a couple of extra small roosts nearby that could be used. But they still do this.

There are some of the birds that attack more than others, but any of them may do the attacking. I understand about pecking order, but it just seems like getting on the roost for the night shouldn't be such an issue...and since night is a vulnerable time for predation, it seems like their instinct would be to get up there and present a position of strength as a flock rather than try spend their energy attacking each other.

Do you all have that same issue?
Does this always happen no matter what the breeds and/or quality of bird (hatchery vs. heritage)?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow, I just read the posts by @number9

and @bearbottom

~ I am so sorry for each of you and your families.
Please feel free to talk about anything because that's what we do here. Topics aren't limited to poultry. Many members (myself included) have often said that they appreciate the genuine support given by our thread members-- whether it's just a bad day, a sick chicken, or a serious family health crisis-- it is nice to know that you'll receive support and encouragement, plus a much needed break: "chicken therapy" -- oohs and aahs looking at precious chicks and chuckles hearing about silly chicken antics.

X2. Prayers for you and your families.