INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[bradselig]

@Mother2Henswell the black cuckoo I should have available this year or next spring for sure!

 

[browncow15]

Picture time

Here's the three I helped hatch.

Here's mommas hatch

Here's everyone together

@racinchickins boys or girls on the Legbars?

Eta- I didn't realize the two breeds would look so similar at hatch!
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[browncow15]

Everyone under Momma!

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[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I think its good that we do openly discuss our thoughts, ideas and fears, even if its not what has been found out. Its the only way we can all learn and understand whats happening! I admit I am very concerned with what may come.
I agree, also its also good to research any information that's put out there, and I really appreciate everyone's efforts to share anything they find..

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: Yes, the master breeders that post all of the how to info on the RIR are very very much against crossing lines. To minimize their long sayings and very wordy warnings, it all comes down to the faults or the qualities that are not meeting up with the SOP. Somehow when crossing the lines, more faults appear in the chicks than either "parent" chicken had to start with. I only have one line of heritage RIR so far. They are gorgeous but I can see where if I ever want to mix in new blood the line following thing is going to make it a bit harder.

@Leahs Mom I have a few younger chickens that won't roost with some of the adult chickens. Its annoying as they sleep in the nesting boxes not roosting on the box but in the nest like a broody would only they get poo all over the nests. But for the most part as size starts to blend in my coops the birds all roost nicely at night until they see me or my DH coming. Then there is a bit of a squishing to the corner of the roost as fast as possible action and a few birds fall off the roosts.

@browncow15
The BLRW do look a bit like the legbars. Sometimes for me the comb is the final call, legbars just won't have a rose comb. Your legbars look female to me.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

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.

Quote:

Quote: I am terribly sorry to hear this. Your families are in my prayers.

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)?

Yes, every coop I have has these nightly disagreements and its not limited to chickens, either.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Wanted to say a big WELCOME

to new folks posting on our thread! Thanks everyone for so many great pictures! Be back on later tonight.

 

[Nwchickma]

I made this feeder last year and as soon as the chicks got bigger they were able to scratch the food out of it. I was feeling like it was such a waste but I get to use it again with the new babies!! It makes such a difference. These little guys aren't big enough to scratch the food out yet so they aren't wasting as much.

 

[minmin1258]

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.

Definitely prayers coming your way. Healing prayers for Dad and you! The next few months will be hard to deal with but stay strong, say your prayers and get lots of Chicken therapy!

 

[kittydoc]

Right now I literally have only 9 hens.  When I had the rooster they behaved that way as well, but it was all the hatchery girls (the original of the flock) that started the behavior.

I had 2 hatchery BRs that would stand just inside the pop door last winter - one on each side of it - acting like little sentries.  If one of the younger (not hatchery) girls would want to come in, they would harass them.  Then those same 2 would cause problems for the others getting on the roost at night.  It seemed to expand from there and a couple of the other older birds started doing the night-time roost harassment as well and it has been that way ever since.



I still have 4 of those original hatchery birds (1 BR, 2 EE, 1 Red).  It really does seem to me that they are the biggest offenders - 2 of them worse than the others.  So I've wondered if it may just be time for them to leave the flock and repopulate with the non-hatchery breeds that I've wanted to concentrate on.

I just wondered if it was specific breeding, or if some breeds may be more prone, less prone to behaving that way.  But perhaps it's just a particular bird's personality.  Especially as I'm getting new stock I'd like to avoid that problem in the future.

I've heard a lot of people have those issues and from what I hear, it tends to be breed-specific.  But I would like to hear from more people to see what their experience has been with various breeds vs. just individuals.  I know that the BAs I've had were terrible little things.  Always caused problems here at least.  And it seems that Janet had the same issue with the ones she had.

I'm sure that if I removed a couple of these birds it would totally change the atmosphere for them all.  Those older hatchery girls are 3 yo this year and it's probably getting to be time.  But they are all laying as well as they did the first year. 

And.....I have to overcome the sense that I'm betraying a friend to get rid of them :/ .....  But I can do it if I need to.

You might try isolating the worst 2 or 4, if you can crate them individually, for a week, then reintroducing them all after dark when the rest are quiet, and hope they are knocked down a peg and less contentious than the rest. Or get a roo if you don't have one. They make the girls behave. Good luck. I hope you don't have to take serious measures, either. My mixed flock is mostly hatchery birds. We used to have more bullying and squabbling before we included roos.