INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Hi all, life has been super busy and I am getting ready to start grad school on top of my 60 hour work weeks. I haven't had time to look at my chickens in weeks other than rushing in to feed and water them. I just noticed one of them has a giant swollen foot and now I'm feeling super guilty about my lack of attention and care. So I have decided to either downsize or rehome them all (a couple are 4+ years, I'd love to find a retirement home for those but will keep a few of them so they don't end up in a pot if that isn't possible).

The following will be free to good homes. All are hens and most are under 2 years old.

5 silkied ameraucana (may already be spoken for), four black and one lavender
5 mottled breda (may already be spoken for)
3 Bielefelder hens
2 Easter Eggers (one is 4+ years old)
1 Welsummer (5+ years old)
2 barred rocks
2 Isbar/Bielefelder mix

All are vaccinated for Mareks and MG

I'm happy for you going to grad school (what are you studying?—if you don't mind me being nosey!), but I'm sad that you're finding homes for your flock. I know you've worked hard building nice accommodations for your chickens and have taken such good care of them. Maybe you'll end up keeping a few for pets, and hopefully you'll check in with the thread when you can. Just let us know how you're doing.

I remember creating these Boredom Busters for Chickens two years ago when you were looking for ideas...
I think that @MikeTodd recently asked for ideas to keep chickens entertained, so I'll recycle this information:


@pipdzipdnreadytogo ~ After owning one LF American Orpington, two LF English Orps, and one Bantam English Orp, I always said, "Orpingtons are my favorite" —until I was blessed with a Bantam Cochin named Screech. Then I switched to "Cochins are my favorite." Of course, both breeds are known for sweetness, but we know that individual personalities can vary. My Orps were sweet, but I never had a chicken like Screech who'd run up and want me to hold her. If I couldn't pick her up at the moment, she'd fly/hop and perch on the top edge of my rainbows! She was sweet and full of personality. I'd love to have LF Cochins some day to compare them to bantams. I also want to have more Orps in the future. Since you have LF Cochins and Orpingtons, I'm interested in you comparing/contrasting them as they grow up together.

Your beautiful Cochin — what is her color called?

Your beautiful Lavender Orpington

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hey everyone, I don't know why I didn't post this sooner. I saw someone posted that they went on vacation and were worried about leaving their chickens alone for so long.
I am a pet sitter in the Indy area (I live in the Castleton area)! I don't discriminate with animals-big, small, furry, scales, feathers, I'll watch them all!
My website is indyhelpconcierge.com it has all my contact info on there.
Lmk if I can help!!

I'm in the process of predator proofing my coop. My chicks are probably dying to be outside, I just haven't had time to put the finishing touches on it, and don't want to take any chances until it's ready! The BYC app still won't let me post photos for some reason, or I'd share a few. I'll work on that too!

Thanks for sharing that information! Since Chicken Sitters are in demand, you could probably post an ad at the Agrarian store in Broadripple. www.agrarianindy.com
BYC has a Google Map page with Chicken Sitters listed: https://mapsengine.google.com/map

 

[ellymayRans]

Thanks @Mother2Hens, I am healing up from the shingles...ugh what a pain! Now my other side is all bruised and hurt! I slipped and fell down our deck steps Saturday night. ..a little too much fun with fireworks and the family. Lol!

I set your eggs last night. Stinker went 2 days without laying so i was holding out for another. Of course she layed today. Im going to continue gathering and setting every 5-7 days! I need more myself and it seems like there's a few others that may have an interest.

So anyone looking to add some black bantam Cochins with a chance at frizzles let me know.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo [COLOR=8B4513]~ After owning one LF American Orpington, two LF English Orps, and one Bantam English Orp, I always said, "Orpingtons are my favorite" —until I was blessed with a Bantam Cochin named Screech. Then I switched to "Cochins are my favorite." Of course, both breeds are known for sweetness, but we know that individual personalities can vary. My Orps were sweet, but I never had a chicken like Screech who'd run up and want me to hold her. If I couldn't pick her up at the moment, she'd fly/hop and perch on the top edge of my rainbows! She was sweet and full of personality. I'd love to have LF Cochins some day to compare them to bantams. I also want to have more Orps in the future. Since you have LF Cochins and Orpingtons, I'm interested in you comparing/contrasting them as they grow up together. [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Your beautiful Cochin — what is her color called?[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Your beautiful Lavender Orpington[/COLOR]

Oh, I hear you. I was a Plymouth Rock gal, through and through, right up until I got my first Dorkings. Dorkings have 5 toes, all the better to grab on and steal your heart with. And they are just like you describe Screech, they just run right over and want to be held all the time. Here is Elly's 'You want to hold me, right?' face:

But man, Rooska (my lavender Orp) sure is making a good case for Orpingtons. I can definitely see why people love them so much! Bantam Cochins are on my list, too--I've only owned one rooster, but he was a love, just not very touchy-feely. He had a manly reputation to keep up, after all. My LF Cochin girls so far are a bit standoffish, though they do sit in my lap with all of their floofiness. I have hope that it's just a phase and they'll grow to be big, fluffy, snuggly girls! Flury (the Cochin girl in your quote up there) is a Splash Cochin. You can't see her splashes very well from that angle, though. Her mannerisms and little quirks actually remind me a lot of my beloved Splash Marans, Frou-Frou, who was also a bit standoffish when she was young. Gives me something to smile about. Flury's splashes:

I'm so anxious right now because now that the fireworks have died down, I set the babies up outside for their first night in the big girl coop... My precious babies! We'll see how well I sleep tonight, anyway. Good night, everyone!

 

[Jntnrmn]

@Mother2Hens
Those ideas for keeping chickens entertained look cool but I had no idea chickens would PLAY! My RIR hens act hoity toity and bossy and my barred rock girls just seem to care about dirt baths and keeping their eyes on the red girls to keep from becoming their next target. And the bantams just sit on top of pen or coop all day. They all follow us around like crazy and are super involved (TOO involved) when we are out there working on projects but I just never see any of them play.
I wonder if I should encourage more light hearted activity or if they just aren't a playful bunch. We finally achieved an integrated group without as much harrassment but it still isn't a comfy group of girls just hanging out and getting along. Maybe if I come up with activities, the road island reds will mellow out and let up on the poor barred rocks. Don't get me wrong, they don't typically act aggressive anymore, except one still does) but they still keep the others from being able to just relax. They will chase them off for no apparent reason several times a day. And they will block them from entering the coop unilateral they see me, then they step aside. Some days It's like dealing with a bunch of bratty 8 year olds all day grrr!

 

[Leahs Mom]

They'll do what they want to do. If you "let your chickens be chickens" they'll do what chickens do

 

[Leahs Mom]

they still keep the others from being able to just relax. They will chase them off for no apparent reason several times a day. And they will block them from entering the coop unilateral they see me, then they step aside. Some days It's like dealing with a bunch of bratty 8 year olds all day grrr!

I had some BRs that used to stand at either side of the coop door and keep the younger ones from coming in. They were intimidating little sentries at the entrance, and it was winter which was unacceptable.

I finally made a decision that I wouldn't let any birds stay in my flock that just agitate for no reason. It's understandable that the younger birds need to learn to stay clear at feeding time, etc., but when I have an aggressive bird that just goes after others for no reason, they don't stay.

I have tried putting an aggressive bird in a dog kennel away from the flock for a time to change-up the pecking order then bringing them back in after that week or so. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

But...
I finally decided that there are enough chickens in the world that I don't have to put up with bully behavior.

 

[Jntnrmn]

I had some BRs that used to stand at either side of the coop door and keep the younger ones from coming in.  They were intimidating little sentries at the entrance, and it was winter which was unacceptable.

I finally made a decision that I wouldn't let any birds stay in my flock that just agitate for no reason.  It's understandable that the younger birds need to learn to stay clear at feeding time, etc., but when I have an aggressive bird that just goes after others for no reason, they don't stay.

I have tried putting an aggressive bird in a dog kennel away from the flock for a time to change-up the pecking order then bringing them back in after that week or so.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

But...
I finally decided that there are enough chickens in the world that I don't have to put up with bully behavior.

@Leahs Mom
I think that is how the mister feels. The RIRs were our 1st set, they lay VERY well and they are such wonderful pets toward me and they interact well with my gandson. So I am fond of them. But I was about ready to give up on them when it took almost THREE months just to get them to stop being aggressive toward the barred rocks. As of now , only one barred rock still gets pecked and all of a sudden, a RIR has begun mounting her but she is the only one not laying yet so I am hoping once she starts to lay, things will calm down for her.
We are going to add another door this weekend. And maybe even some more floor space but they seem to roost fine with one another.some nights there will even be blacks and reds side by side on the roost.
I have also noticed, the worst behavior happens when they are kept in the pen longer than usual. They DO NOT like to be kept in but I won't turn them out til I get my eggs. And some days if I see a hawk or whatnot, I won't turn them out. The pen is a very large fenced in yard but they choose to sit at the gate screaming and yelling at me to let them out rather than explore.

 

[Leahs Mom]

When you say you don't let them out until you get the eggs, do you mean that you wait until they are done laying?

 

[tmctlt]

@Leahs Mom
I think that is how the mister feels. The RIRs were our 1st set, they lay VERY well and they are such wonderful pets toward me and they interact well with my gandson. So I am fond of them. But I was about ready to give up on them when it took almost THREE months just to get them to stop being aggressive toward the barred rocks. As of now , only one barred rock still gets pecked and all of a sudden, a RIR has begun mounting her but she is the only one not laying yet so I am hoping once she starts to lay, things will calm down for her.
We are going to add another door this weekend. And maybe even some more floor space but they seem to roost fine with one another.some nights there will even be blacks and reds side by side on the roost.
I have also noticed, the worst behavior happens when they are kept in the pen longer than usual. They DO NOT like to be kept in but I won't turn them out til I get my eggs. And some days if I see a hawk or whatnot, I won't turn them out. The pen is a very large fenced in yard but they choose to sit at the gate screaming and yelling at me to let them out rather than explore.

I have found that as long as I leave the doors to the runs open while they're " free ranging " they ( as needed ) go back inside and use the nesting boxes....so everyone is happy. I even made and set a couple outside the coup in the back of our barn up off the floor and they use those as well.