INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ChickCrazed]

Quote:
Oh I'm so sorry. He was such a spectacular boy! I'm glad he lived a nice couple of years with you.

As far as the automatic door question, I love my Ador doors. The only issue I have had with them is when we get freezing rain, they tend to get iced shut. I can't see any other door fairing any better in those circumstances though. I always change the batteries quarterly, and this year I plan to actually convert them so I can plug them in and get rid of the batteries (now that I have electric in the coop).

 

[chick rookie]

There are some heritage type breeds known for laying well in the winter. Bielefelders were bred in Germany and are known for being good winter layers. I know there are others out there as well. It might be a good idea to invest in at least one of those heritage breeds for the winter alone.

Here are Bielefelders for any that are new to the thread!

I first saw these here and did always like the look of them and have heard a few say they were lovers. Maybe I will start looking for some this spring. Are they good in a mixed flock? I remember someone saying something about they had to keep them to their own because they get picked on allot but for the life of me I can find the post, it was a while back.
Good to know that there are some heritage breeds that lay well in winter cause I really am trying to get rid of the hatchery birds, just to much illness it seems, and they don't live long even without getting sick, or prolapsing and all that bad stuff that I have had with hatchery birds. Just turned off by it all.

we got our first biele's last year & once they start laying, theyve been pretty consistant so far . our leghorns have been too . our Iowa Blues have started back up recently.

I have had hatchery leghorns and they laid well, great in fact, But they were very mean and I didn't like that at all. Are thier hertiage leghorns around and are their temperaments better?
I will look into the Iowa Blues as well. thanks for the info.

BAHAHAHAAHHAHA! Ducks mating for life; what a riot!

Nope, nope and nope. Drakes are the horniest, most rapacious little swingers God has ever made, I think. Muscovy are better than Mallard-derived (my Muscovy drakes have yet to get busy with anyone). Geese are monogamous (supposedly, though research into different wild geese has found that there is some fooling around that happens between largely monogamous couples).

Hatchery birds are probably more likely to lay well because hatcheries make their living on eggs, and the customers generally want eggs more than beautiful type. Heritage birds tend to lay smaller eggs, less often and get a really late start (7 mos to a year). Size and number may pick up as the bird ages (to a point). Champion egg layers are industrial, commercial strains that are as far from heritage as you're likely to get.

EDIT: Regarding winter layers specifically: Look for huge birds. Brahmas, Faverolles, Cochins, Bielefelders, possibly Giants and big Orps. Huge birds don't feel the cold quite so much and keep plugging along right through it (if you're lucky). My Brahmas and Cochin have been really, really good layers this winter. Oddly enough, an Australorp and one of the EEs have been pretty good too.

ok ok jokes on me... as I said I don't know anything but what I have been told when it comes to ducks, geese and turkey's.
I am getting away from hatchery birds if at all possible, I am tired of all the health issues with them and the short life span, My " grave yard " is full!! Heritage birds live longer and are stronger health wise, I am told, so I am going to give them a try. anything has got to be better then what I have had in the past 5 years. I will still have the hatchery EE's cause to my knowledge there are no heritage EE unless I breed my own and I dont have a clue how to go about doing that. And that is fine with me really cause I have not had the issues with them that I do the other. I have some EE still laying at 6 years old, and I have only lost any of them to dogs, coons and hawks. I had 1 unexplained death in my Rooster ( was a dang good roo ) but that is it. I have not lost a single grown EE due to heath.
I have 2 SF and as for eggs they suck!! Nice birds, they are pretty and get along with everyone but I'm lucky to get 2 eggs a week out of the 2 of them and that was in the summer, this winter I have got 0. I love cochin's and have had a couple before and have 1 still, but they didn't and don't do well in the egg department. We are going to try heritage BJG ( if I can find any and they aren't toooooo expensive ) we had 3 hatchery before and they did well at first in all departments, but after their 1st year 1 prolapsed, 1 is still here and is an OK egg layer, and the 3rd got mean and killed all her chicks!! the 1st time she hatched out chicks she was great, the best mom, then the 2nd hatch she killed and left laying around.
We would like to try heritage Buff Brahmas, but that has yet to be decided on for sure.

 

[racinchickins]

What breed of turkey is good for meat and what breed is good for breeding and hatching.

Turkeys are different from chickens in that they haven't been quite a specialized. There are really just three different types, Broad Breasted commercial, Non-Broad breasted domestics, and wild types. And the different types of turkeys you hear everyone talk about are just color varieties of the same breed.

Broad Breasted Commercial come in White and Bronze. - Huge meat birds, so much so that breeding is not physically possible. All procreation is done through artificial insemination. The females will lay eggs though. None of these can fly, most can barely walk after 5 or 6 months.

Wild Types - exactly what it sounds. The smallest of the three types, very seasonal egg laying. Eastern and Rio Grande are the most common. They fly the best of any of the types.

Everything else falls under the Non-Broad Breasted domestic type. Not as big as BB, but larger than wild type. Size can vary with Bronzes being slightly larger than average and Midget and Beltsville whites being slightly smaller (no such thing as a bantam turkey). Egg laying is mostly seasonal, and you can definitely get broody hens in all varieties. I've read that some people think some taste better than others, but I'd attribute that more to diet than variety myself. I've found that the females fly pretty well, but the males tend to get too big to truly fly. My big bronze tom can get himself up on top of my 6 ft pens every night, usually with an intermediate hop to the top of a garbage can. The females and smaller males easily get up to my barn rafters.

To sum it up. Can't beat BB for meat, but they will not reproduce. All other types will breed and hatch just fine, and I've found they have plenty of meat on them. So if you want good meat with the ability to reproduce, any domestic non BB will do. Just pick your favorite color variety.

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: You were closest with Geese. They prefer one partner, but studies have found it that partner is killed, they will find another. Turkeys are harem breeders. One male with a flock of females. As noted above, drakes will take whatever will hold still long enough for them to climb on. My muscovy drakes prefer ducks, but if you don't have enough females, they will chase and harass chicken hens (and the occasional slow moving roo) too.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I'm new to the forum and planning on getting my coop built in a few weeks. I am wanting to buy some pullets so I don't have to wait all summer for them to start laying. I am curious if any one knows any reputable places in east central Indiana. I am near Muncie. I haven't see a whole lot on craigslist yet. Curious what there is here in the Hoosier state.

 

[MarshallPrime]

I have a rooster that has been sick for a couple days. It seems to be respiratory. He is VERY wheasy, keeps his mouth open most of the time and extends his neck to breath most of the time. I dont know what I can do for him, he MIGHT be getting a little better the last day or so but still looks sickly.

Is there something I can put in his feed or do I need to take him to the vet?


I also had a rooster just out of the blue die on Sunday. I didnt notice any problems in the morning, then he was VERY wobbly and pale at lunch and dead in the evening. I have never lost a bird so fast. I dont know if they are related or not. None of my other 28 look sick or show signs.


I will see how he is when I get home from work just thought i would see what you all think.
thanks

 

[farmguy2007]

If any fellow Hoosiers have a few extra guineas for sale please PM me,I have two and would like to add a few more,they have gotten along really well with the chickens in fact the room seems to boss the guineas around!! I would prefer the guineas to have been around or raised with chickens!! Thanks FG07

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

If any fellow Hoosiers have a few extra guineas for sale please PM me,I have two and would like to add a few more,they have gotten along really well with the chickens in fact the room seems to boss the guineas around!! I would prefer the guineas to have been around or raised with chickens!! Thanks FG07

I do. I will send you a PM. I have some lavender, pearl and dundotte. Mine are comingled with everything here, chickens, ducks turkey geese and livestock.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

What breed of turkey is good for meat and what breed is good for breeding and hatching.

Welcome to our thread

ISO: Jubilee orpingtons

Welcome to our thread

Anyone raise Jubilees?

Quote: We wish you were too!! Well, you are an honorary one in our book lol!

Well, the AI scare has calmed down for the most part. My flock gets tested next Tuesday to verify that they are clean. If the wind hits just right you can smell the decay of the turkey houses. I wish there was a better way to handle the situation for the farmers. A Farbest worker I talked to said they were already working on repopulating - I'm thinking they better be in other turkey houses or something because it is WAY too soon to be using the ones that were infected. I didn't push the person to say anymore because they aren't supposed to be talking about it at all. I know the BOAH, Indiana Dept of Health, and other agencies have a handle on things, but I hope that the company owners (who are hardly at any $$ loss here) are not pushing things to go back to normal too soon.

My Silkie/Sizzle chicks are getting big! This pic is even seems old, they have feathered out more since it was taken.

I think the bottom right will be the only Sizzle.

I also added another member to the family!

I've kind of been wanting a rabbit for awhile, and I broke down at Rural King and bought her. All I had been seeing there were the all white ones, and I need color! So, it has been fun trying to get her to not run away from me or Roxy! I think I have named her Prim.

And this is my morning, every morning:

It is quite ridiculous! If I don't pay attention to them early enough, they are pecking at the glass door! I love waking up to my chickens!!

What I do not love: roosters fighting! Two Marans boys were going at it for over 2 hours. I tried my best to break them apart, and so did Roxy, but they were determined to keep going. I think the reason they were fighting was for dominance. Unfortunately, the other night, Ozzie, the Birchen Marans I got from @ChickCrazed , passed away. He was 3+ years old and got bad frostbite last year on his comb and toes (because he was stubborn!). He was a good boy though and even though a little disabled, remained the Alpha male. I believe he went in his sleep because I found him kind of curled up on the coop floor. RIP big boy!

Sorry for your loss. Loved your pictures!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

[COLOR=8B4513]Your forest is a little drab (joking!) so you could liven it up with some metallic used car lot flags! [/COLOR]

That area's usually fine, but I'm thinking this area could use a bit of the used car lot charm.

Despite b vitamins, the chick did pass away this morning. The other 14 seem to be doing well. In good news, a couple neighbors have decided they would like to buy me out of eggs. They bought every egg I had and pre-ordered two more dozens

So sorry the baby didn't make it. Sometimes, there's just more wrong with them than we can fix. But good news on the eggs! I wish I had that many to throw around.

I did finally remember to take a couple pictures of our Peafowl today! BS cock, IB hen.

I didn't know you had a BS Pea!! Gorgeous birds!

Here are Bielefelders for any that are new to the thread!

I have got to get my hands on more of these... I so miss my sweet Violet, such a big, lovable gal she was.

My Silkie/Sizzle chicks are getting big! This pic is even seems old, they have feathered out more since it was taken. I think the bottom right will be the only Sizzle. I also added another member to the family! I've kind of been wanting a rabbit for awhile, and I broke down at Rural King and bought her. All I had been seeing there were the all white ones, and I need color! So, it has been fun trying to get her to not run away from me or Roxy! I think I have named her Prim.

Glad the AI scare is settling down over there! And cute babies!! I've been seeing bunnies at RK as well, but they're usually white. I agree, they need more color! Sorry for the loss of your rooster. Speaking of, I was in the Fort Wayne Rural King a couple days ago and they had chicks then. Just a few red sexlinks, production RIRs, and Cornish crosses. No guarantees, though, 'cause there weren't very many left.