INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Oh yeah, you'd be surprised how kids love them. We've had chickens on/off since she was 3, so she's a pretty good wrangler. I've taught her how to approach them to where they aren't frightened and end up running to her like raptors. Our young ones found the dust bathing spot of our old gals. Behind the bushes along the house. They didn't quite know what to do. The one she's holding rolled onto its back and laid like a cat looking up at us like "Am I doing this right?" I think they got the job done, they were pretty dusty and seemed content. I'm glad it's not as hot and humid, but it doesn't look like it will rain up here for a while. Back to watering the garden every evening.

ROFL on the dust bathing!
We got rain today. Still have puddles too, hoping things dry out soon. Ugh my garden, Have some tomatoes and very little corn showing promise. Just too much rain here the last few weeks. Doubt if I will plant again next year. Been a lot of work and last 2 years being in a valley everything is drowned out.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thanks! I am doing so. I'm probably moving closer to your hood. I'm hoping to end up either reasonably close to 65 or 74, so I'm looking at the Whitestown/Brownsburg/Danville areas. Really hoping to get my commute under 40 minutes but I love the NW side of Indy and am hoping to stay in that area! I want at least 3.5 acres and I need a shelter/fencing already in place for horses. I'm negotiable on everything else. I'm ok with a project house too (clearly I need more to do .

I think Julie asked a while back and I forgot to answer, I am going back for my Masters in Business Administration (MBA). I was accepted into the West Virginia University program last week! It will mean some trips back and forth, but a lot of it will be online. It's been so long since I had homework and tests! I can't even wrap my head around it!

Congrats for having the initiative to make a plan to go back to school and to also move/improve your commute! Major changes in your life, but positive ones!
My BFF lives in Fishers (and hates her daily commute downtown), my doc is in Carmel, and DD is downtown, so I have travelled those routes many times. Just last weekend, I was in Zionsville luring @kittydoc 's chicks away from her. Anyway, I understand the traffic problems, standstill traffic on highways, etc. Those burbs have grown too fast!
I am glad to hear that you are keeping your horses and it sounds like you'll have plenty of room for some chickens, too!
@Leahs Mom You posted such nice photos of your chickens. It's thoughtful of them to pose so nicely! I've been trying to take photos of my new chicks, but they race around excitedly like toddlers, so maybe tomorrow I can take them out of the room one at a time for a photo session.
Your buckeyes are pretty! I looked up some information about the breed...


You may have mentioned this before, but I think this info from wikipedia is interesting:
Buckeyes are the only American Poultry Association (APA) standard breed of chicken known to have been created by a woman, and the only one in the American Class to have a pea comb. As of 2014, Buckeyes are listed as “Threatened” by The Livestock Conservancy.

My chickens are still laying well! Some of my youngsters are giving me pullet eggs too. We are selling so many eggs (DH's co workers, neighbors etc) not freezing as many as I'd like. Now that we have rotational free range the eggs are normal. Having everyone confined reminded me I hate caged chicken eggs, yuk.The extra produce is really helping the eggs too.

Well my corn and tomatoes are growing, but geez.. the weeds this year! I planted 21 rows of corn (bicolor sweet) and 13 beefsteak tomato plants. Barely keeping up with it all. my geese are weeding the garden too, but don't disturb the fruits or plants. Our garden is 50ft deep, and who knows how long. It was enough to plant all that corn, lol. Estimating around 60 feet.

Calves are growing and doing great. got their vaccines so we can immunize this weekend, and hopefully band and dehorn the younger boys. Going to do my annuals for the goats and hogs at the same time, so I am on the same schedule for everyone.. We always worm late fall and late spring so will keep that schedule for everyone. My chickens are not wormed on schedule unless I see issues, or they are around the livestock regularly.

@jchny2000 You're lucky that your crops are doing well! It's been bad in our area (including my crop of two lackluster tomato plants - lol) We've had too many drought/torrential rain —extreme weather patterns since spring. I always plant some flower annuals that normally do well, but I shouldn't have bothered.
My three chickens have been laying regularly. I figured it's resulting from the three large fans that point at them 24/7 plus plenty of watermelon. It's easy to take care of three chickens! I've said it a million times, but I don't know how you do all that you do!
Does anyone know what this weed or sapling is? It's not a vine—haven't seen them climb anything. I see these growing under trees and in other shaded areas. It has a narrow stem with opposite branches and opposite compound leaves. I had previously held our local Purdue extension guy in high esteem until he told me that it is a Golden Rain Tree. Whaaat?! A Golden Rain Tree has alternate leaves. Geez It's so frustrating to try to figure out what a tree, shrub, or weed is because there are so many details and possibilities.

 

[Mother2Hens]

This is a section and one opposite section broke off — but the general pattern may be more distinguishable.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Y'all better take a look at @pipdzipdnreadytogo s interview!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1124231/byc-member-interview-pipdzipdnreadytogo

 

[Crafty chick]

Awww pipd that was great. Makes me wonder if we've ever crossed paths living in NE Indiana. My family is spread out up here.

 

[LocosHuevos]

Hello and good day to everyone from our family to yours. My name is Tiffany. I'm a mother of 2 children (girl 7 yrs & boy 17mo old), dog owner (Ruby-Black lab/PitBull mix), cat owner (LaLa -unsure of breed but has 6 toes on each front paw

, pretty neat), homemaker & now egg rancher.
Sorry for the late introduction, just been busy getting my family's egg ranch going

. Super excited about it too. When we first started off three years ago, that Winter took out our entire flock of 9 except for 2 hens (Toastie-Leghorn & Comet-Black Sexlink), which we still currently have. Of course I was completely bummed but determined to have a family egg ranch. So when April came of last year, we bought 6 more chickens (King-Americana rooster, WhoWho & Skitch-Americana hens, Fluff & Puff-Buff Brahma hens, and Star-Black Sexlink hen), which we currently have as well. So as the year went on into Winter, I had my fingers crossed that we wouldn't lose any of the new flock or even what's left of the last one. Well Winter came and we didn't lose any

. I was so thrilled & tickled, because that meant more than just 2 eggs a day. So my birthday is in March and my Mom asked me what I wanted this year for my birthday. My reply was baby ducks (odd gift I guess for someone to ask for right LOL). My Mom laughed and said okay with a smile, we will get them this weekend. Birthday gift was 7 Peking ducklings, which turned out to be (Ace,Duke,&Loui-drakes and Lily, Daziy, Suzie & Lucy-hens). Since my birthday gifts, I have slowly been building up my ranch

. I also have bought 4 more Americana hens, Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, 2 Buff Orpington hens, 2 ISA hens, 5 Snowy ducklings(sexes unknown) 2 Peking drakes (rehomed to us), 1 Americana rooster (rehomed to us), 1 Moskovery duck-drake and 4 Swedish ducks 1 drake & 3 hens (all rehomed to us). All of our birds are free range on 3+ acres of land, but do have access to coops (chicken & duck), which is in a pinned on area right behind our house and get locked in at night til morning. They also have access to a manmade pond done mostly by my wonderful husband with a little help from myself

. It's two ponds at opposite ends that are connected by a channel (which the ducks totally love) and has a waterfall in one of the ponds. Eventually we will plant flowers by the pond area, mostly by the waterfall but it's a working progress for sure. I will have to take pictures and share with everyone our family's ranch. I'm not sure if I'm leaving anything out.
Well I hope everyone has a wonderful & safe day.
-Tiffany
God Bless

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello and good day to everyone from our family to yours. My name is Tiffany. I'm a mother of 2 children (girl 7 yrs & boy 17mo old), dog owner (Ruby-Black lab/PitBull mix), cat owner (LaLa -unsure of breed but has 6 toes on each front paw

, pretty neat), homemaker & now egg rancher.
Sorry for the late introduction, just been busy getting my family's egg ranch going

. Super excited about it too. When we first started off three years ago, that Winter took out our entire flock of 9 except for 2 hens (Toastie-Leghorn & Comet-Black Sexlink), which we still currently have. Of course I was completely bummed but determined to have a family egg ranch. So when April came of last year, we bought 6 more chickens (King-Americana rooster, WhoWho & Skitch-Americana hens, Fluff & Puff-Buff Brahma hens, and Star-Black Sexlink hen), which we currently have as well. So as the year went on into Winter, I had my fingers crossed that we wouldn't lose any of the new flock or even what's left of the last one. Well Winter came and we didn't lose any

. I was so thrilled & tickled, because that meant more than just 2 eggs a day. So my birthday is in March and my Mom asked me what I wanted this year for my birthday. My reply was baby ducks (odd gift I guess for someone to ask for right LOL). My Mom laughed and said okay with a smile, we will get them this weekend. Birthday gift was 7 Peking ducklings, which turned out to be (Ace,Duke,&Loui-drakes and Lily, Daziy, Suzie & Lucy-hens). Since my birthday gifts, I have slowly been building up my ranch

. I also have bought 4 more Americana hens, Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, 2 Buff Orpington hens, 2 ISA hens, 5 Snowy ducklings(sexes unknown) 2 Peking drakes (rehomed to us), 1 Americana rooster (rehomed to us), 1 Moskovery duck-drake and 4 Swedish ducks 1 drake & 3 hens (all rehomed to us). All of our birds are free range on 3+ acres of land, but do have access to coops (chicken & duck), which is in a pinned on area right behind our house and get locked in at night til morning. They also have access to a manmade pond done mostly by my wonderful husband with a little help from myself

. It's two ponds at opposite ends that are connected by a channel (which the ducks totally love) and has a waterfall in one of the ponds. Eventually we will plant flowers by the pond area, mostly by the waterfall but it's a working progress for sure. I will have to take pictures and share with everyone our family's ranch. I'm not sure if I'm leaving anything out.
Well I hope everyone has a wonderful & safe day.
-Tiffany
God Bless

Hi Tiffany! Welcome to BYC and our thread!

Wonderful mix of chickens, and Pekin are awesome layers.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo Congrats and certainly an interesting, enjoyable interview. Just awesome for you! You know we all love your pictures! Appreciate very much the information you share on our thread also.
@Indyshent I can't remember if I answered you. Mr. July is doing fine. He lives at my neighbors farm now with all the other Sumatra, the breed is gorgeous, but some of the hens and roosters were acting aggressively. All the children that visit, and my parents I just can't have aggressive birds here.

Super busy lately. Working on flock numbers to prepare for fall, downsizing my chicken breeds. Will still be keeping my EE/OE flock, Orps, WL, Wyandotte and DC.
Waterfowl, my geese of course, Mallard, Pekin and Muscovy. Peas and Quail without a doubt. I am considering that the turkeys are leaving. I may start up again in the future, but the broodiness is very frustrating. My girls will go broody on 2 eggs! My 3 hens have 4 eggs and are glued to the nest box. Poor tom is so frustrated, he keeps trying to pull them off the nest! I am going to candle tomorrow and see what I have. I may just pull the eggs regardless and hope they will lay a few more this year. The turkey flock is beautiful and love my tom's gobbles and struts!

Livestock news, DoubleStuff my Hampshire sow is in the farrowing trailer now. Milk is in.. She is just the sweetest hog! She isn't due until August10th but I don't want any surprises. She wants a lot of tummy rubs, which tells me we are not far away from farrowing (giving birth to the piglets).
I got 2 pictures to upload after several attempts. Here is how you feed 6 bottle calves at the same time, ROFL! This is a bottle box.. as our neighbor called it.
He came over and built this for me when I told him we traded for the calves. Each of these boys weigh around 100 lbs and up. Feeding them individually would take hours. First 2 days, i did one calf at a time. 2X a day and was almost 6 hours total. Ugh, I do not have that much free time.Now it takes about half an hour to make the bottles up. The calves finish the bottles in about 4-5 minutes at most.

What a lifesaver! Not seen in the picture is Moose, I hold his bottle to give him his milk. Its highly diluted (1 pint milk 3 pints water) since he is a month older, and ready to be weaned.


My tired nephew in the background top right.Poor kids working a lot of hours lately.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@LocosHuevos
Great to have you!

I live near South Bend so we're not "too" far from each other. And...I wish I could see your pond. We're contemplating making something but likely somewhat small.

So...
Do you have any pond photos?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000

Love the feeder and the little guys!!!!

What are you thinking about the Buckeyes.... I didn't see them in the list so was wondering if you are going to test them out over the next year.