INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kittydoc]

@jchny2000 You will be pleased to know that Roadrunner, the lav Orp I got from you, is out with his harem. I sneaked him in during the night on Tuesday, and the next day they all acted like he'd always been there. Jay said he was breeding the heck out of them on Thursday.

I'll have to take some photos of him soon. He grew a lot while he was in isolation, and his comb is really big now. He's still working on his tail. Hopefully I'll know which (if either) of Cogburn's black daughters our of my English blue hens is split to lav or not. Honestly, since I have Cog and his two black split lav sisters, I am hoping his daughters are pure black (at least one of the two I kept). I think I'll set four eggs from each black pullet, and if I get no lavs, I am going to assume they are pure black. There is only a 1 in 16 chance they will have all black chicks if either carries lavender. Half should be lavender, but "should" doesn't have to work.

Does 4 eggs per pullet sound reasonable to you and everyone else? I don't want to breed more chicks than I need to just to uncover one recessive gene. I did not plan on breeding splits except for one person who wants a cockerel. I kept these pullets because they are 100% English, whether they are splits or not.

 

[kittydoc]

@Mother2Hens I am SOOOO sorry about Screech! I had not realized how old she was. I hope you get an answer to why she died from your vet. You do realize she was very aged for a domestic chicken (even a pet chicken!), I'm sure. We found one dead (looked asleep, too) in the nest box last year, a hatchery BO, but she was nowhere near 12, and it happened while we were on vacation (we seem to lose one every time we go on vacation for a week or more), so she was in no condition for necropsy when I got home. I suspect egg binding in mine. Was Screech still actively laying?? One thing for sure, their immune system conks out just like ours does with age, which may also have contributed to whatever was going on with her head skin/feathers. I do hope you get answers.

Did you get to see Oliver at Michelle's by chance? He's a cross between Cogburn, my English black Orp, and Sammie, our (Jay claims her, LOL) red wheaten Ameracauna. Jay was very happy he didn't have to go to Freezer Camp! He's black with the most intense beetle green sheen I had ever seen. He walks like an Orp but he is nowhere near as big since his mommy is our smallest chicken.

 

[Hholly]

@Mother2Hens Sorry for your loss.

 

[tmarsh83]

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.

Are you talking about the one in the old Kroger down on 24?

Every time I am in there they have chicks. They seem to vary, as when I was in last (right around Christmas) they had only australorps. But I've never been in and not seen chicks.

I'm checking the TSC in Columbia City today.

 

[chick rookie]

I'm a little behind because I was in Indy for my voice treatment. On my way back late this afternoon, I stopped in Terre Haute to see @chick rookie 's property full of exceptionally beautiful creatures (more on that tomorrow). She had saved a Bantam Cochin Birchen Hen to give me since she phased out her bantams due to predators. chick rookie said the hen was used to being either with her or alone, so that is perfect for quarantine. The hen's name is Lacy, and she knows her name, so I need to rename by SLW named Lacey who is my only chicken who doesn't know her name! chick rookie thought that Lacy would be a good friend for Screech.

When I arrived home, my husband told me the heartbreaking news that Screech had died! I was hysterical —she was my special tiny baby that Bonbon hatched from @ellymayRans 's hatching eggs. DH had tears streaming down and said, "Screech was my favorite." He said that this morning he let the chickens out and didn't see Screech, so he peeked in the coop and she was sitting in a nesting box, and that is normal. DH came home at lunch, which he rarely does, and said that he noticed Screech wasn't with the others when he fed them some seeds. He looked in the coop, and she was in the nesting box, so he looked closer and she looked like she was sleeping, but she was dead. He left her there so I could see in case I could gather any clues. When I went out, my five other hens were roosting for the night. I sobbed and sobbed as they watched me hold Screech. Then I went in and put her in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator because I'm going to have my avian vet will do a necropsy. This is my third chicken death this year. Besides Eliza's leg mites, none of them had symptoms of anything. The only clues I could think of that may have caused her death are egg binding just because she was in a nesting box (she hadn't shown any signs) or maybe something was wrong since she was extra tiny (much smaller than the one from chick rookie). Thankfully, it looked like she just fell asleep. I am so devastated to lose my baby Screech! Her death has been the hardest I've had to take.



This photo of Screech below with flock leader, Tweedy, shows Screech's cute shape.



I am so glad to have chick rookie's Lacy!!! She has helped divert my attention, and she is so beautiful and sweet! She sat on my lap as I drove home, and she's been content in a small dog kennel where we admired her. DS came over to see her, too. Her dark eyes remind me of my RIP Eliza's eyes and my RIP BJG Jersey's eyes.Lacy is very conversational and acts pleasantly interested in everything like she's enjoying her adventure. I'm going to put her in our room tonight, and put her in my office while I work. Thank you, chick rookie/Michelle!!!
I just took these photos—if she looks sad, it's just because she's sleepy—way past bedtime tonight.

Wow I have no words. I am so very sorry you lost her I know she was your special girl. I am so sad for you.
I'm glad you have Lacy to provide a small distraction for you right now. Yes she is a talker, she will tell ya all kinds of stories. She likes to get on your shoulder but watch her wing as she gets there, I have been smacked many times lol but then she will sing me a song to say she is sorry... lol
I knew she would end up in your lap on the way home lol. She looks like she is content and ready for bed.
again I am so very sorry about Screech.

@Mother2Hens I am SOOOO sorry about Screech! I had not realized how old she was. I hope you get an answer to why she died from your vet. You do realize she was very aged for a domestic chicken (even a pet chicken!), I'm sure. We found one dead (looked asleep, too) in the nest box last year, a hatchery BO, but she was nowhere near 12, and it happened while we were on vacation (we seem to lose one every time we go on vacation for a week or more), so she was in no condition for necropsy when I got home. I suspect egg binding in mine. Was Screech still actively laying?? One thing for sure, their immune system conks out just like ours does with age, which may also have contributed to whatever was going on with her head skin/feathers. I do hope you get answers.

Did you get to see Oliver at Michelle's by chance? He's a cross between Cogburn, my English black Orp, and Sammie, our (Jay claims her, LOL) red wheaten Ameracauna. Jay was very happy he didn't have to go to Freezer Camp! He's black with the most intense beetle green sheen I had ever seen. He walks like an Orp but he is nowhere near as big since his mommy is our smallest chicken.

She got to watch Oliver chase Lacy around for a min. Lacy was riding on my arm helping me give her the tour when she decided she wanted down and Olie was on her like white on rice... lol but Lacy was too fast for him.

 

[racinchickins]

Thanks for the info...where do u get Denegard? Is that something that you can get at Farm and Fleet or tractor supply or does it have to come from a vet?

Quote: I waited a month. But I also have that big barn for them to feel safe in. They roost in the rafters or on top of the chicken pens. The second pair will get released tomorrow. I want to be there all day just in case they don't get along with the first pair.

I have also noticed the females are much more skittish than the males. I can get within about 10 feet of the male before he vacates, but it's about twice that with the female. If I have anyone else with me, they crowd the far end or the barn even if we are at the other end (about 100ft away.)

 

[Faraday40]

Mother2Hens
My sincere condolences on the loss of dear Screech. Through your writing, we have all gotten to know your special little hen.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Mother2Hens
Tears in my eyes as I read about Screech. It's really hard to lose a pet and especially one that was special to you.

You'll have to let us know if she was really 12 yo as I'm guessing that was a typing error.

 

[Indyshent]

@Mother2Hens I am so sorry for you and Screech.

I'm glad you have Lacy, though. She seems really sweet, too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@jchny2000 You will be pleased to know that Roadrunner, the lav Orp I got from you, is out with his harem. I sneaked him in during the night on Tuesday, and the next day they all acted like he'd always been there. Jay said he was breeding the heck out of them on Thursday.

I'll have to take some photos of him soon. He grew a lot while he was in isolation, and his comb is really big now. He's still working on his tail. Hopefully I'll know which (if either) of Cogburn's black daughters our of my English blue hens is split to lav or not. Honestly, since I have Cog and his two black split lav sisters, I am hoping his daughters are pure black (at least one of the two I kept). I think I'll set four eggs from each black pullet, and if I get no lavs, I am going to assume they are pure black. There is only a 1 in 16 chance they will have all black chicks if either carries lavender. Half should be lavender, but "should" doesn't have to work.

Does 4 eggs per pullet sound reasonable to you and everyone else? I don't want to breed more chicks than I need to just to uncover one recessive gene. I did not plan on breeding splits except for one person who wants a cockerel. I kept these pullets because they are 100% English, whether they are splits or not.

I agree with you, Its really easy to get overloaded on chicks.
So glad Roadrunner is out and doing his job! His tail should plump out more as he matures.