INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

Anyone want a 8*16 brooder set up for a garage? The last 4*8 feet are the shelter area and the rest is open play area. it works well for chicks 4 weeks and up. Please message me if you are interested. I really need it gone and I could use the money too.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Just wanted to say thanks for the condolences. I obviously was still very emotional when I posted. I guess the hardest part was that I had been holding her that morning. Thursdays are my longest days of class this semester, and I really needed to get packed up and going, but she was giving me the sweetie face and talking with that soft, sweet voice she had, and I couldn't help but sweep her up in both arms and give her a snuggle. Her feathers were so soft and lovely, as usual, and she kept chattering at me as if to let me know that Dorkings are meant more for laps not arms... I didn't know that would be the last time I would hold her or I would have held her so much longer.

I saved as many feathers as I could that were not too damaged. Not sure what I'm going to do with them, but at least I have them. Poor baby... I guess now I really do need more Dorkings.


Reuben is actually really impressing me again with all of this as well. Yesterday, Marge had gone broody, so he just happened to be in the flock. When I got home, he was actually standing outside of the coop and keeping the hens inside. Today, he's been keeping the hens closer to the coop and standing out in the yard, almost like he's standing sentry. I can't blame him at all for not being able to keep all my girls safe, being that he's one small rooster in a flock of 32 hens, but he is really stepping up. If nothing else, I'll definitely try to hatch eggs from the flock a little later in the spring. Hopefully he'll get some sons to train up.

Mom and I have been planning a covered area in the chicken yard, which was originally just going to be like a sturdy winter run that would keep some space snow-free and allow me to block out the English Sparrows that I just can't stop any other way. Now we have yet another use for it; hawk-proof winter space for the girls. We unfortunately can't start building until we get some warmer weather and the ground thaws, but we're going to try and get a bit of lumber each paycheck so that we can put it up as soon as we possibly can. It won't be much, definitely not enough space for a permanent yard for 33 chickens, but enough space for the girls to hang out for a while if we're snowed in or have a hawk attack.

[COLOR=8B4513]OMG! I feel so bad for you and for Kit! Did your mom or anyone see the hawk or are you making an educated guess? That is so horrible! I know you do everything you can to protect your babies. [/COLOR]

When I arrived home, it was still sitting on Kit's remains. It was a Cooper's Hawk. I thought it was either a Sharp-shinned or Cooper's, but it was WAY too big to be a Sharp-shinned. It was just about the same size as she was. It actually came back this morning right before I had to leave for class. Luckily, Reub was on high alert and got all the girls to the coop that time.

Oh No!  So Sorry Pipd.  Yes. We know how much you love your Dorkings.  Thank you for sharing all your wonderful descriptions about your birds.  It's certainly not fair that you've had a few terrible chicken losses this year.

Well, Kit was actually my first loss this year. It's been a little more than 4 months since the last, so that's something, I suppose. I thought I might lose Elly at the end of the year, but she pulled through, thank goodness. I'm so sad that she's lost her sister, though, while on leave from the flock.

 
So sad to hear.  Your girls are the reason I have some dorkings ordered for this year.

Oh, I really hope you like them! They are so easy to adore!

[COLOR=3864A3]www.in.gov/boah/2390.htm[/COLOR]


I am sorry to report AI in found Dubois county Turkey Farm..

This makes me feel so sick... I had hoped this nightmare was over...

 

[iamfivewire]

sorry for the chickie losses amw & pip - we lost our Iowa Blue roo - found him yesterday eve - skin was scalped back & a few other wounds - assuming one of our other roos challenged him for alpha rights - brought him in & cleaned, disinfect, & glued scalp closed - wrapped in towels to keep warm & put in a cage in the house - was dead this morning
;- (
ps: he the guy that was attacked by the dog a couple years back

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Lol, thanks! I love it! Its a little harder when its so cold out, but I wouldn't trade it for a minute. Our food supply has been such an improvement the last 4 years. Both my parents Drs are pleased that we eat whole foods, and say its helped them a lot. Now that FDA has decided we don't need to know the country of origin our food came from, I am determined to raise the majority of our food here.

Two surprises yesterday. I found a muscovy egg in the nest box (actually three surprises, since it was actually in a nest box....) I didn't think I'd see any of those until March or April. Second, I walked into my barn and my pea was displaying. But it was the peahen and not the peacock! The peacock was just standing there staring at her like 'What the heck are you doing?' She quit before I could get a decent picture. He apparently hasn't gotten the hint yet as I've not seen him display yet.

That tells me that we have an early spring, hope so! I have also noticed the scovies are poking at nest boxes, no eggs yet. My 2 oldest girls have picked fellas already! I noticed my peacock is holding his train up more, hopefully he will be strutting soon.

Has anyone heard of this before?

http://about.usps.com/publications/pub370/pub370_tech_016.htm

I was on another thread and a poster there said she uses it exclusively to ship her eggs. They always arrive in better shape and get much better hatch rates. It's a surcharge over regular shipping, but if the buyer hatches out even one more chick, it has paid for itself. If it works the way she says it does, I'm surprised I've never heard of it before.

Interesting! Definitely worth the few extra bucks. I have had so many poor hatches from shipped eggs, I wont even buy out of state anymore.

Quote: She is so adorable!

@jchny2000 - yep, I just got a call from the turkey farmer that it happened to. He and my dad are friends and I live close to him now. He called me to give precaution. I thought that was really nice of him. Over 60,000 turkeys are being put down. I'll probably be sending eggs out for testing before long!

And here I am, sitting at work...wanting to rush home and gather my babies like a crazy woman, "Come on children, inside now!!"

@pipdzipdnreadytogo so sorry for the loss of your dorking. I know each of your girls hold a special place with you, and I hate seeing that you have lost several now. I'm right there with you.

And thanks to everyone who made a comment on my recent loss. I have a plan of action to work on things this weekend (weather permitting) to help the security of my coop.



And...rain, rain, go away!!!

Tired of the soggy mess outside!

Oh my. I know I would be in panic mode too. I have over 100 resident canadian geese next door at the park pond now. I chase them out of my yard if they cross the street, but it has me concerned. They stay year around, so am not as worried as I am with the mallard population. I only see them late spring through summer.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

sorry for the chickie losses amw & pip - we lost our Iowa Blue roo - found him yesterday eve - skin was scalped back & a few other wounds - assuming one of our other roos challenged him for alpha rights - brought him in & cleaned, disinfect, & glued scalp closed - wrapped in towels to keep warm & put in a cage in the house - was dead this morning
;- (
ps: he the guy that was attacked by the dog a couple years back

I am so sorry.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Guys, wanted to mention those new to keeping Muscovy ducks, they absolutely prefer a nest box. My girls lay in the chickens nests. Thats one of the things I don't miss with the pekin type breeds, it was a daily egg hunt often by the pond. Pekin especially just drop the eggs wherever they are at the time. My older scovys play "steal the egg" and will even try to brood goose eggs. The mature drakes will sometimes eggsit and guard the nest too. They are also minimum 35 days to hatch, and harder to incubate than a mallard type breed. I have had better luck, and save incubator space letting the moms do their jobs. My 2 oldest hens produced over 120 duckling combined, alone last season! I also have found I only have to hand Huey 15 eggs or so and she becomes an insta-broody! I watch to see where she's chosen to nest, wait til she's laid and mark the eggs in there. I take all the other duck eggs I collected and put them in also..marked as well. 15 or more seems to be the number she wants to brood. Either way, if she is on the nest when I hand her the remaining eggs, or just laying she takes one by one. Tucks them so carefully under her, and "poof" brooding commences

Physco is not as social, but will take eggs from me to brood! I don't dare take any back without a lot of arguments from her, she isn't as patient as my Huey.

I will be confining my Snow Mallards next month to ensure pure breeds in the scovy and mallards. My drakes are already fighting, so breeding seasons coming! Going to be much easier only raising 2 duck breeds this year.

 

[Hholly]

@jchny2000 - yep, I just got a call from the turkey farmer that it happened to. He and my dad are friends and I live close to him now. He called me to give precaution. I thought that was really nice of him. Over 60,000 turkeys are being put down. I'll probably be sending eggs out for testing before long!

And here I am, sitting at work...wanting to rush home and gather my babies like a crazy woman, "Come on children, inside now!!"

@pipdzipdnreadytogo so sorry for the loss of your dorking. I know each of your girls hold a special place with you, and I hate seeing that you have lost several now. I'm right there with you.

And thanks to everyone who made a comment on my recent loss. I have a plan of action to work on things this weekend (weather permitting) to help the security of my coop.



And...rain, rain, go away!!!

Tired of the soggy mess outside!

That's so sad about the turkeys. Is there a reason that they can't process the birds for human consumption? I've heard the horror stories of the millions of chickens and turkeys destroyed because of AI. Seems like such a waste if they could be eaten.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Not sure of the reasoning behind it. Does raise a very good point.. So far the claims are that its not contagious to humans. Does make you wonder...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Anyone want a 8*16 brooder set up for a garage? The last 4*8 feet are the shelter area and the rest is open play area. it works well for chicks 4 weeks and up. Please message me if you are interested. I really need it gone and I could use the money too.

Its a well made, huge stand alone cage brooder. I have seen it, and would be getting it myself if our truck wasn't dead! Ideal for cornish cross or a large rooster grow out pen.

 

[amwchickin]

I guess I am within the 6 mile "buffer" zone of the turkey farm. I guess I should expect to see some visitors this weekend if they're looking for all poultry. Kind of freaks me out...AI found 4.5 miles from my house!