INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Hello Indiana Peeps
I'm new to BYC. I moved from Phoenix Az to the Lafayette area. I'm technically in Tippecanoe County. Last year i started my little backyard farm with Khaki Campbell ducks. My hen has started laying so very excited. I decided to expand to chickens. So I'm the new mama of 4 feathered legged bantams and 2 silkies. Excited to my chicken journey!
Sincerely Tina
@tigerlilyAZ Glad you joined us!

@Edenbridget ~ Good to see you post again! Sounds like fun at your house!

Originally Posted by Leahs Mom
...My husband and I were able to get a garden shed from Habitat for Humanity for $250...

@Leahs Mom ~ I didn't know that Habitat built houses for chickens, too! Haha
Originally Posted by pipdzipdreadytogo
I can't help myself with these babies--more pictures! I just want to sit out there all day and snuggle them!! They are discovering their wings now! Bennie looks like a little jet plane in this picture!

@pipdzipdnreadytogo ~ Now I have the song, "Bennie and the Jets" in my head.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Mother2Hens

Whoops....Should have said through habit restore

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I forgot to ask...how do I add info to the bottom of my posts? (The signature area) I did not see that option on my profile.

At the top of the page if you are on a pc, go to My Profile.
Once you are there, scroll down to where it says "Forum Signature"
Click "edit signature" and you can paste a link, a favorite saying or anything thats acceptable to BYC guidelines.
If you need more help, just holler!

Oh my word am I behind!!! What a week this week was with getting back into the routine of thing such as school, my son's school, his first soccer practices (which were cancelled due to rain and wind) plus a friend of mine from Kansas surprisingly showed up at my house Wednesday and stayed with me until she had her volleyball tourney in Indy, it was a wonderful visit since I only get to see her once a year if that! Plus this weekend me and my fiancé were getting things ready to get a couple pigs. This will be our first time and I am actually nervous about it all!

Anyone with pigs that has any advice would be greatly appreciated!! And on top of that I was working on the chicken coop because my babies are running out of room, not so much my chicks but my ducks! Man do ducks grow like a weed!!!


Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Awesome to visit with an old friend!
Yes, ducks grow incredibly fast. Pekin especially reach mature size in 12 weeks, the other common breeds are not far behind.
Pigs, you will love them! They are super easy, piglets even easier. Main things are PLENTY of fresh water. Weeners, baby pigs thats just left Mamma, I start on warm milk soaked into pig feed. I look for around 16% protein in the feed. Let them eat all they can and remove in an hour. I feed piglets a few times a day, and give chopped cooked eggs also as I have them. They need to be draft free, dry and warm. I feel them, if the ears are cold I increase the heat. I start mine out in a livestock trailer heavily bedded in hay and shavings.
Since I keep a boar and breed my own, I just move my sow thats due into the trailer at least a week before the due date. I stagger my breeding so I always have a sow either bred, due in a month, or with piglets. I have 4 sows for my boar, its working out well. Its taken me 3 years to settle on the breed I like for temperament, and find the right boar! My fella Oreo is a Hampshire, and is a real pet hog, lol. What ever the end purpose is, it makes keeping hogs much easier to make them a "pet".#1 reason is injuries. Daily handling and care is #2. Active handling and interaction makes the whole process much easier. Bottom line, they have a good quality of life while they are with us and only one bad day at the end. You also have peace of mind knowing what that hog ate, how it was treated, and a humane end for that one "bad day".

Who says this nest is just for chickens? I fit just fine!

isn't that the truth!

Been busy but here are some updates from across the border.

Cuddles:
My dear sweet hen seems to be doing well. Her abdomen is not normal, but not as hard as it was. She's eating normally & back to fighting over treats. I have no idea what she has, but I at least know what she doesn't have. I still feel that it's some type of reproductive or digestion issue. She's been treated with Corid, de-wormed, treated for mites, given protein, electrolytes, vitamins, & probiotics. The symptoms have cleared for a month now, but she shows no sign of laying. For now, I'm just happy to see her acting like her old self.

Chicks:
hatched some adorable Orps & Spitzhaubens

I'm not having much luck with hatching Bielefelders this spring. I got 6 eggs from a friend. 4 hatched & all 4 were mixes. (I had a 50% chance of getting a pure Biele.) They gave me another 6 eggs; 4 of which developed. Today is day 21 & so far no pips. I kept my little broody sitting on blank eggs so she could adopt whatever hatches. I'd hate to disappoint the poor girl.

Cookie hatched some Bieles & Orps last year. By 3.5 weeks they were almost her size.

I am still hoping Cuddles turns around and surprises you! They are so much a family member, I adore the Orps so much.
The Beilies are going to be a someday later thing for us, the roosters don't seem to thrive here.
Loved your pictures, WTG Cookie!

Quote:

I am glad you are seeing a Doctor, it sounds like you are struggling with hormonal issues, indicates other things going on too. Will PM you on some of what I went through not much younger than you.
DH wants the fast turnover of Pekin for the table. We just ran out of whats in the freezer and he wants Ducksqetti, ugh.

 

[Dish chickens]

id guess the EE/Orp cross would give you a lighter olive egg
the Maran/Orp prob some type of brown tone egg

That is what I was thinking, just wondered if anyone had done it.
Thank you

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Hog panels are awesome until they get around 300 pounds. That's when they can walk right over them, ugh. My year old sow Double Stuff has climbed over and she is probably about 275# most. Its all in what weight/size you grow out to.
We set up temp pens for our freezer pigs with the panels. Agreed on shade, pigs can't sweat. The love mud 365 days a year. Mine will turn over 100 gallon stock tank if they think they need more mud. @racinchickins is also doing pigs now and can probably comment on his experience so far.

Perspective. This pic puts new meaning to . the term "Point of view".

Oops. still haven't gotten on to commenting. This went with the picture of the bird with its tail out of the nest box. A few posts back.

LOL, so not kidding! My broody girls no matter what breed will take on any challenge to steal a nest of eggs.

Wow 11 out of 13 was way more than expected. Can't say my rooster isn't doing his job I guess lol. I read too many posts from people with my incubator saying less than 25% hatch especially on their first try. @pbirdhaven, that picture is hillarious, especially with the comment. Pic without the horrid red glow

Babies and cuteness overload!! Congrats!!!

Thanks for the breed on that chick @Indyshent ! I looked them up and I am excited! May even have to go see if some more just happen to jump in my vehicle...

No kidding, they are an awesome breed.

I got home last night and knew right away that the feathers in the front yard were fresh. So whatever...in broad daylight...got my white easter egger. I can't say it was the dog again, but when I know it was coyotes, they would kill quickly and take off with the body. There were 3 different spots were it looked like a chicken blew up in the yard, just like several that had definitely been killed by the dog. I really hope they will actually get rid of that dog!!

I am so sorry for your loss. I have one white EE roo I worry over daily, he will not coop up. I would be calling someone to let them know its happened, again and costing you emotional loss, and your eggs as well.

I hatched out 3-EE and 2- Maran eggs that the roo was a Black Orpington. Anyone made that cross before? any idea if the green or dark brown eggs will be dominant. I put the eggs in with 30- of my Splash over black orpington eggs just to see what happens with egg colors.
any help would be appreciated.

Olive Eggers from EE/maran for sure. Depends on how far back the blue egg gene is though for the EE. I have 2 true Ameruacana Roosters for my EE and OE crosses. BA/Orp is honestly the same breed, just from a different person for lineage.. if you search the history it was 2 guys created the orp breed. They had a falling out and the Aussie fella continued on, creating the Austral-Orp.
You may see olive egger if your EE's have a strong blue egg gene.

 

[Mother2Hens]

@amwchickin So sorry about your white EE! You may want to take pics and document. I bet if your landlord's father is upset (and rightly so!) that the wild dog killed his 12 year old cat, he will see to it that the dog is rehomed. It's sad that the owners didn't train the dog in the first place! It will be difficult to find a home for such an out-of-control dog.
@jchny2000 ~ The reason I haven't been able to find out how long to wait to eat eggs after my hens have been treated with Tylan Soluble is because it isn't approved for laying hens. (I know that many meds are used off label). FDA: Tylan Soluable Since Tylan was added to their drinking water, and it was given during several days of rain, I doubt they consumed much since they have a way of finding the tiniest puddle to drink from. Thanks for offering to help, though!
@Indyshent ~ Your post about getting older chickens vs. chicks was good advice! As we've discussed on the thread before, there are generalities about chicken-related issues like chicken vs. chicks, breed behavior, and the list goes on…but chickens are individuals—lol—and they refuse to be labeled! Haha So while I suggested that getting chicks is a good idea because they get used to being handled, you pointed out that it doesn't always work out that way, which is true. However, one point that I made is an absolute universal truth: Chicken TV aka staring at sweet, comical baby chicks in a brooder for hours!

On another note, I am sorry that you've been going through unknown health issues. Well wishes for your doc appointment!

@tmctlt ~ Great to see your post! So, you and your wife are ADDING to your flock? So surprising! Haha Keep in touch and post pictures.

@Crista You'll have to keep us posted, too, about your new arrivals!
@pbirdhaven Hilarious photo! And I like @Christa 's comment: Perspective. This pic puts new meaning to the term "Point of view".

Originally Posted by Leahs Mom

@Mother2Hens
Whoops....Should have said through habit restore

I know what you meant…I was just kidding about Habitat building chicken houses! Haha

 

[Leahs Mom]

Originally Posted by Leahs Mom

@Mother2Hens
Whoops....Should have said through habit restore

I know what you meant…I was just kidding about Habitat building chicken houses! Haha

Well... they WOULD be homeless if they hadn't gotten their Habitat house.

 

[Dish chickens]

Black Orp./ EE and Black Orp./ Maran........I'm thinking EE eggs will still be green or olive eggs and maybe just lighter brown egg then the deep brown of the true Maran color egg. ???????????

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Terrible picture.. I didn't want to upset my goose hens. First gosling this year from my Embden pen.

 

[Mother2Hens]

What kind of training do you have to do with pigs?

Probably the usual commands that you'd teach a dog or cat or chickens. Pigs are smarter than all of them, so you could teach them to play video games and put their toys away!
Pigheaded: How Smart are Swine? - Modern Farmer
In this study, pigs used mirrors to find their food...
In Pig Cognition Studies, Reflections on Parallels With ...

@jchny2000 ~ Your new yellow gosling looks like a plush Easter toy—adorable!