INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[iamfivewire]

he looks similar to this guy . . . . .

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

he looks similar to this guy . . . . .

He sure does, gorgeous fella as well!

 

[tiffmw10]

I need this sign on my Orpington pen!

Agreed, sorry to hear it.

If you process prior to 6 months, they usually are not tough. Problem is most heritage breeds don't have much mass at that point! My Gramma would pressure cook older birds then deep fry, but after they hit a year, they are hard to process. Tough bones, skin etc. about all they are good for is dumplings, pot pies or soup.
If I plan for meat birds, I go with cornish cross. Trying out raising dark cornish to see how they do.




Hi! Check our member list here also:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zqcpdsOAzQeuVVHn8z-MK57ml5LMd7-F167MOavaFl0/edit#gid=0

 
WOW!!! What a handsome fella!!!

Thank you for this list!!

Wow! That's a big boy! He's gorgeous!

 

[pginsber]

I'm unhappy that our hen goes broody so much, but it is awfully fun going through the hatching experience.

Our first baby Svart Hona chick just hatched! She’s still wet from the shell. Check out her feathers, beak, and eyes… Totally black!

 

[ChickCrazed]

I'm unhappy that our hen goes broody so much, but it is awfully fun going through the hatching experience.

Our first baby Svart Hona chick just hatched! She’s still wet from the shell. Check out her feathers, beak, and eyes… Totally black!

Fun! Dibs! Lol! What all did you put under her this time around?

 

[daskhan]

So have a question I have a friend/customer who has only resently moved to the country and wishes to expand her "farm" she mentioned that she is eventually gonna want a goat and I remember somebody on her sales them she mentioned she was interested in pygmies so if anyone knows of some for sale or would be in the future please give me prices and dates so I could pass it on to her/them

 

[pginsber]

Fun! Dibs! Lol! What all did you put under her this time around?

Put BCM and Svart Honas under her this time.
So far, lost 1 egg during the sitting period, hoping the other 7 come through it. There's one that looked unattached when I candled on day 10, so I won't be surprised if I lose that one.

 

[racinchickins]

Got my first Olive egg yesterday! Excited to add another color to the egg basket. I just wish when the olive eggers hatched out, I could do better than one girl and 7 boys!

 

[pginsber]

Got my first Olive egg yesterday! Excited to add another color to the egg basket. I just wish when the olive eggers hatched out, I could do better than one girl and 7 boys!

One girl and 7 boys are TERRIBLE odds!

 

[chick rookie]

There is one kind of heating pad that is supposed to stay on all the time - and be completely washable so it should do okay for animal bedding. Some folks have made brooding "caves" with them for brooding chicks under rather than using a light. Lots of people are doing it; I'm a little nervous of fire myself with something that's not made to be outdoors.

The heating pads are a Sunbeam and have a control that allows you to have it run continually. I'm not sure which specific model, but it is not just the cover that's washable but the whole heat pad from what I've heard.

I need to check that out would love to get rid of what lamps I still use. I'll have to find them and see if they are cheaper than the foot warmers I have.

Welcome! We're almost neighbors--I'm in Jennings County.

Like you, I have too many pens to have attractive houses in each, so a lot of make-do. Last winter the only frostbite I had were two cocks that were actually penned inside (good ventilation, etc.). Those outside with tarps and doghouses fared just fine. Go figure!

My free rangers took over a shed that was supposed to be my storage area. They roost on the shelves and my farm dogs sleep in there also. The door is open completely except in cold weather, when I prop it with just enough room that they can go in and out. I don't worry about predators with the dogs in there; they are very territorial. And the shed is only about 15-20 feet from the house.

Yep you gotta do what ya gotta do... lol DH don't think he will ever get his garage back...

Lots of good discussion on tractors and summer versus winter housing. DH has been building a 4x4x8 square tractor with 2 perches 4 feet long each. Its working out great for trio/quad groups of breeders.Come winter, I will go back to the sheds and main flock groups. I like the tractors because I can choose who, if any free ranges that day, and I know my breeds are pure. I have 2 tractors now, and need a lot more, lol!!! I want to be at the point where no one is freely roaming unless I choose them to be

someday.
He is working on Turkey sized tractors now, since I added Holland Whites from porters. Its time to get more organized with Indiana's BOAH laws coming in September regarding poultry sales.

Not looking forward to that.

So been wondering something coop vs tote tractor I'll call it
But anyway I put my buffs in the tote tractor and left my rirs in the main coop.. About a week ago I noticed that the rir had a clutch of eggs and one would sit on it all day then I noticed the buffs weren't sleeping in the raised coop but were on the ground.. Were even laying there eggs on the ground so I added another tote to the lower portion as a temperary fix ok couple days go by every day check they seem to enjoy the new tote and are happy well I finally get time to check at night and notice only three are in the bottom one I open the top tote and there's Thelma sitting on ten eggs and I think good for her Louise is just outside the tote in the main coop sleeping guard I guess lol but today I night checked the rir who earlier in the day tried to rip my head off when I tried to pet her while she was sitting on her eggs and she was not sitting on the eggs but was purched with the rest of them so my question is either of these clutches going to hatch? The rir doesn't seem to sit on hers at night when it's the coldest so low hope there but the buff sits at night but not the day.. Tote stays kinda warm during the day so I have some hope... But any input from anyone?

I don't think they will hatch. Your girls sound like they aren't truly broody. They wouldn't leave other then to relive themselves and eat and drink, then maybe a fast dust bath and right back to the eggs. Sorry.

Aaargh! I posted about my free rangers that roost in my shed with my dogs to protect them. I had another (notice had) group of 10 Marans that free ranged during the day but had a pen for bedtime. This pen is further from the house and toward the front of the property. When I went down to feed this evening, there was not a single Marans to be found.

This had to be a group of predators to get all 10 at one time--probably too many for the dogs to handle. There was no sign of carnage--just a few feathers in one spot.
I also had the thought that it could have been two-legged varmints, but there is a pair of Polish penned there and they are fine. However, they are in a dog crate up by the house now until I get their pen moved closer.
Six acres and basically everybody is going to be in my back yard!

Sorry for your loss that sounds real strange. Hope you figure it out soon.

Sorry to just drop in again. I am looking forward to fall and the possibility (I can hope) of life slowing down a little. I had to share these pics. There are on my phone so not the best quality.

The Indiana State Fair - a great place for people to learn about livestock. So glad the fair is educating people so well!

Here are a couple examples:
1. In thepoultry/rabbit barn by the only poultry there- the hatching eggs & chicks:


2. Next we head to the FFA/Tractor Supply buildings:



We were laughing and asked the teen with the eggs and chicks where the sign came from and his response was "some idiot who doesn't know what they're talking about"

When I first got into chickens I was told it was the color of the legs that told ya the color of the eggs....

didn't take me long to figure out that was a load of hog wash... lol