INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Faraday40]

Just saw a coyote in the field behind us for the first time yesterday! The dogs were in the fenced pasture with the alpacas & I heard them barking up a storm. I could tell the bark was a bit different than usual. When I looked out to see what was up I saw a coyote standing in the field looking towards the dogs/barn a couple hundred yards away. Not sure if any of the chickens were in the pasture or if they were hanging out in the barn. It eventually went off across the field. Unfortunately when we built/moved here neighbors said they've heard and seen coyotes. Fortunately this was the first time in about 4 1/2 years we've seen one. Hope it was just passing through and not a full time resident!

Likewise. Let's hope your noisy dogs encourage the coyote to keep moving along.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Credit: Christine Pitts on Facebook

 

[Leahs Mom]

Looking for some ideals from people with experience with chickens in wooded areas. The way the new property is laid out the woods ( about 5 steps from the side of the house ) will be the only place I can put my chicken pens, and the horses and goats still have grass. Eventually they will have the pastures the free rang in ( I hope ) depending on predators, but for the time being I need to make them as safe as I can next to the woods.
Ideals accompanied with pictures would be awesome.

I MUCH PREFER having a wooded area for the chickens. It gives them lots of brush to hide under if there are hawks in the area. MUCH BETTER than open pasture.

They also have the great ground that is covered with leaves and forest debris. Makes a great area to scratch through and get lots to eat.

If you're concerned that they'll go to far - or that dogs, etc., may come through, I highly recommend getting portable electric netting. I use it to deter ground animals. Mine free-range while I'm away at work and part of it is the woods. I plan on expanding them more into the woods as time goes on as it's so healthy for them!


There is a regular fence to the front but the back side toward the larger woods I use the electric net with a solar charger. Any ground predator will hit the fence with nose first and get a shock, deterring them from going back for more. Fully movable. I get mine from Premier. I use the Poultry Net Plus with double spikes https://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/fencing.php?fence_id=30 But there are lots of other choices. Mine is the 48" high.https://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/fencing.php?fence_id=30 100 ft green roll but I kind of wish I had gotten white.

These photos show the netting at the back of the little woods. Since these were taken I've moved their territory farther back to include more of the "larger woods".

I also keep an outdoor run for times that they need to be confined so they can still go outside. You can see it in the background of the first photo.










Can you find the camo kids?

 

[ellymayRans]

Hugs for all you've been dealing with @Mother2Hens and @jchny2000.

All of a sudden i went from getting 1 or 2 eggs from the ladies outside to BOOM! Spring has sprung here!
Now disclaimer its a muddy mess here and my girls are horrible at getting in with each other when trying to lay so most of these are just filthy! ! @Mother2Hens has me beat on egg art for sure!! Loved that! Lol

Beauty of an olive egg there though! There were 5 more in a box i didn't have room for when gathering! So glad everyone is picking up!

Called @racinchickins in a panic already this morning as this is a first time for me witnessing my turkeys mating and geez! Honestly i would swear he's going to kill her! I guess we will see! Poults or death?!?! SMH!

 

[tmarsh83]

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The chicks have arrived! Murray McMurray included an extra Sussex and extra Delaware, both pullets. (I split the order with a neighbor, so not all birds are pictured.)

Only one Delaware didn't make it thru the snow storm to us alive, I'm happy with that.

Of course there was the odd-ball straight run thrown in as well. At first blush we both thought it was a dark brahma or black cochin, as he is feather footed.

Going back and checking the images of the chicks, he doesn't seem to have the right look. To be honest it looks most like a silkie, as it doesn't seem to have the lighter belly or sides that the cochin or brahma has. It's just as big as the others though. So i'm a little confused. Going to give it a while and check it again.

All are moving around, drinking and eating. Happy so far!

Forgot to remind everyone what is in there. There's the mystery bird, three Sussex, three cuckoo marans, two new hampshires, two Delaware, two australorps. A fair mix.

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

Credit: Christine Pitts on Facebook

Oh my word!!! Too Too Too Too Funny!!! And just what I needed after a stressful morning dealing with my insurance!!!

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

I want to get to a farm store sooooo badly to get some more chicks!!! It's killing me! I'm waiting for the snow and coldness to pass to go get some but so nervous that there will be none left!!! I want 10 more baby chicks and 2 ducklings!!! Always wanted ducks so I'd figure now is the time to start slow and start my duckling flock!

 

[tmarsh83]

Got a better look at him now and there is some lighter fringe to him, so perhaps my silkie fears are assuaged for the time being. He is a fair bit darker than what looks normal for dark brahma or cochin though. Going to take time I'm sure.

 

[Indyshent]

Got a better look at him now and there is some lighter fringe to him, so perhaps my silkie fears are assuaged for the time being. He is a fair bit darker than what looks normal for dark brahma or cochin though. Going to take time I'm sure.

If he's black and white, he's most likely a black Cochin. Dark Brahmas are more brown and "muckledydun" (as my mom puts it); they feather into black and white later, and some have brown feathers up until their adult molt. Black Cochins can have various amounts of white fluff on them (just like Giants and Australorps); some look more like penguins than others, and once in awhile, you can find them with no white at all. What kind of comb does he have? If it's a pea, he's a Brahma; if it's a single comb, he's a Cochin (unless he has muffs, crest and/or an extra toe, in which case, your LF options just got a lot more interesting). Dark Brahmas actually look very much like muted partridge chicks--lots more gray in their down than normal partridge chipmunks.

 

[Indyshent]

I want to get to a farm store sooooo badly to get some more chicks!!! It's killing me! I'm waiting for the snow and coldness to pass to go get some but so nervous that there will be none left!!! I want 10 more baby chicks and 2 ducklings!!! Always wanted ducks so I'd figure now is the time to start slow and start my duckling flock!

Research which ducks you want first! Just like with chickens, there are better layers, pets and/or meat birds. Mallard derived breeds have loud girls and raspy boys. Muscovies are seasonal layers, are exceptionally tasty, quiet all the way around, but they fly and are more susceptible to cold. Both have rapacious boys (Pekins are among the most notorious rapists in barnyard settings). Runners require less water and look like a roving herd of bowling pins; they're also champion egg layers (rather the Leghorn of the duck world). Khaki Campbell are also champion layers, but they like lots of water (like all the other ducks, really even Runners will take a swim every opportunity they get). Pekin hens lay huge eggs all the time--some reports claim hens occasionally lay twice a day. Ducks don't peck at their food; they shovel it in, so, pound for pound, they eat more (and waste more) than any other animal I've kept (except maybe Cornish and BB turkeys, which were both bred to have enormous appetites and get big fast).

I'm most partial Runners, call ducks and Cayuga. Never had a Cayuga but they're gorgeous, small and can lay black eggs. Runners are roving bowling pins and lay tons of eggs. It's just all the ones I ever get to pick up are ALWAYS male. I can't buy male Rouens, and can't buy female Runners or Pekins. It's a curse. Calls are just bantam ducks; they're adorable-ness incarnate.