INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Has anyone seen this before????




This is what she looked like in July.

@Faraday40

Interesting you should ask this.

My ee has had those spots on her comb for years. None of the other birds in my flock has it. Only the ee.

Perhaps it's specific to EEs?

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: It's possible that it might e Favus (a fungus). My girl doesn't have any of the other symptoms and none of the other birds have it...and she's literally had those spots a couple of years.

Here is the description of favus and treatment. If you use the iodine, it couldn't hurt her if you want to try it. In fact, I may do the iodine treatment on my girl and see if it responds.



Quote: From Chicken Health for Dummies

 

[ellymayRans]

@Indyshent
Prayers to you and a big hug

Thanks everyone for the notes thoughts and kind words also.

Ditto to the both of you!

 

[ellymayRans]

So this pretty boy hatched from my Black bantam Cochin pair. I had 2 hatch like this of 3 but lost it to a drowning incident! First time I've experienced what I am guessing is the recessive white gene.
Anyone have experience with recessive white?

I also finally acquired my dream peafowl! 4 IB Pied. The Pied peacock father was white eyed and gorgeous! Super excited about these. Out of about 30 chicks I snatched up every Pied and pretty sure there's 2 boys and 2 girls. I need more females badly so at some point I will be having to decide who stays and who needs to go.

More Cochins hatching tonight. Hatched all 8 Muscovy eggs from my chocolate duck with 1 wild type, 1 Pied, 1 atipico and 5 barred. Now the waiting game to see what their colors will actually be!

No more hatching here with the exception of the bantam Cochin for the remainder of the year!

Absolutely always super busy as I'm sure most of us are!! Lol! We are constantly doing some project on the house. My DH is in the business of custom woodwork on homes, businesses and also does just about any other interior or exterior finishing work. Luckily he enjoys it enough to come home and work even after doing it all day. Latest has been redoing the basement. Some are poured walls with a brick mold, has always been just white which he hated. So the before and after, still working on it but this is what we've done. And yes I help!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello fellow BYC'ers! So long story short a slip on the back porch left me with a broken foot and my Rouen x Black Swedish duck hiding a little clutch of 2 eggs from me! After a fight with her today I was able to candle them and they look about 5 day along in incubation. So my question is with it being fall should I just see what happens? I don't have an incubator and with limited mobility is just letting her try to hatch the two babies my best option? Thanks in advance

I would let her also. I have had ducklings and goslings brooded in winter before, moms did great. Just be sure the babies have a non drowning water source.

Quote:
Thanks!

So this pretty boy hatched from my Black bantam Cochin pair. I had 2 hatch like this of 3 but lost it to a drowning incident! First time I've experienced what I am guessing is the recessive white gene.
Anyone have experience with recessive white?


I also finally acquired my dream peafowl! 4 IB Pied. The Pied peacock father was white eyed and gorgeous! Super excited about these. Out of about 30 chicks I snatched up every Pied and pretty sure there's 2 boys and 2 girls. I need more females badly so at some point I will be having to decide who stays and who needs to go.


More Cochins hatching tonight. Hatched all 8 Muscovy eggs from my chocolate duck with 1 wild type, 1 Pied, 1 atipico and 5 barred. Now the waiting game to see what their colors will actually be!

No more hatching here with the exception of the bantam Cochin for the remainder of the year!

Absolutely always super busy as I'm sure most of us are!! Lol! We are constantly doing some project on the house. My DH is in the business of custom woodwork on homes, businesses and also does just about any other interior or exterior finishing work. Luckily he enjoys it enough to come home and work even after doing it all day. Latest has been redoing the basement. Some are poured walls with a brick mold, has always been just white which he hated. So the before and after, still working on it but this is what we've done. And yes I help!

Wow so busy! Congrats on the gorgeous peas! Its never ending on house upgrades for sure.

 

[Indyshent]

@mpiownazoo Yes, they can brood fine outdoors. I had a Swedish Black hen who brooded pretty much constantly through the year--winters included. Babies are susceptible to drowning, so watch out. Most of my duckling losses were because of drowning--water dish issues, other birds standing on them. Ducklings are all pretty much Princess Elsa.

@ellymayRans congrats on the peas and Cochins! I knew a lady who got a recessive white Marans rooster in a surprise clutch. Recessive white crops up in all kinds of breeds. Your boy's adorable!


****
Updates from here:

Yesterday morning, I went out to feed everyone, and there was blood everywhere. Eventually found Hershey the chocolate jenny and realized she'd torn off most of a toenail and some scales on her other leg. Had blood all over her face. She seems in excellent spirits but a little less friendly. Bandaged her up, and she's recovering well. I'm not sure if she got into a fight or tore it on a fence in a rough dismount.

Came home after last night's organic chemistry test to find out that, according to my parents, Sadie (Chi-Pug mix I adopted from jchny2000) and the ducks had been raising a terrible racket while I was gone... and one of my Cayuga ducklings has gone missing along with two rooster chicks. Set up a trap but may have to alter what I'm baiting with because eggs don't seem to be working. Found one hen, one turkey poult and the male golden pheasant all sick with a respiratory illness.

All in the day I got the "15% chance of ovarian cancer" news.

Today, I came home from class and found that one of my Polish died when someone tipped over the brooder, and the other two are sick. Dosed the bejeezus out of everyone tonight.

Been too busy with schoolwork to get an ob/gyn appointment. No friggin money so I'm not sure how to pull any of this off. In-laws are taking the boys in for some of the weekend and next week, and that should help me get a bit more done around here.

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: What she said. So calm and friendly, more so than any other breed I've had.

Quote:
Couple questions for you both:


I usually avoid feather footed breeds because my range. Have you had any problems with that?

Have either of you raised them for meat? Results? At what age do you process?
first time with boys. Got two girls with my very first chicken order from McMurray. They are the reason I got more. They developed slower than my Bresse, but are now bigger in height., but haven't bulked up yet.

Quote: I hatched out some brahma chicks of various colors this spring. I actually have a couple of roos available. I'll need to decide which one I want to keep, but not keeping multiple boys.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks @racinchickins

Have you ever had Buckeyes? Your descriptions sounds like the Buckeyes so far in personality, cold-hardiness, etc.

If the Buckeyes turn out well personality/eggs/meat, I'd probably stick with them but I don't like a whole bunch of red birds that all look alike. I am fine with just a few of several breeds. I am considering discontinuing SFH but I LOVE their appearance/yard candy.



So...EVERYONE....

If I want heritage/breeder quality birds that have the following characteristics, what would you all recommend:

-Primarily for eggs but dual purpose so if I have to process roos it will be worth it.
-Range smart but also nice personalities.
-Yard Candy....(I love that sfh are all different colors/land race so that all the colors are acceptable).
-Cold hardy.

 

[Indyshent]

So...EVERYONE....

If I want heritage/breeder quality birds that have the following characteristics, what would you all recommend:

-Primarily for eggs but dual purpose so if I have to process roos it will be worth it.
-Range smart but also nice personalities.
-Yard Candy....(I love that sfh are all different colors/land race so that all the colors are acceptable).
-Cold hardy.

Avoid white birds of any type.

Are you wanting one breed or a mix of breeds?

If one single breed that's a decent egg-laying, dual-purpose, friendly breed in a lot of colors that can be kept together throughout the year: Orpingtons, Marans, Sussex, Sumatra, Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks.

1. Marans come in a bunch of colors and the majority of them free range well and blend in surprisingly well (I'd avoid splash). Mine have been friendly and ranged well. Hens are good mommies and lay eggs from brick red to milk chocolate brown. Most colors are partridge or birchen based, seemingly. Single combed so watch for frostbite.
2. Orpingtons come in a rainbow, a big birds, lay well, profusely fluffy and sweet-natured. Most colors are solid. single combs can have frostbite.
3. Sussex are basically Orpingtons with an all-new variety of colors. A jubilee Orp is pretty much a speckled Sussex. Lord only knows why the colors have to get new brand names for skipping breeds. Sussex also come in "coronation" which is one of the prettiest varieties of chicken color I've ever seen (looks like a lavender Colombian). Big bodied, friendly, docile, pretty birds. "Speckled" is a dark red mille fleur, basically, and it's super pretty, too.
4. Sumatra are one of the prettier breeds on God's green earth. Come in lots of colors but super hard to find in most of those fancier colors. Can typically be found here in splash, blue and black, and they're all eye candy. Lay light brown eggs like crazy, from what I understand, and weigh a substantial amount more than you'd think (certainly worth eating). Chivalrous, alert roosters who are willing to give it their all defending the ladies. Pea combed and surprisingly cold hardy.
5. Wyandottes are the chicken rainbow with a trademark and cherry on top. They have a reputation for stubborn, somewhat aggressive dispositions, but I've yet to have a problem with them. Come in about every color known to poultry. Stunning birds. Mine laid super often and were one of the best layer I had. Fluffy, rose-combed birds. Wily, alert dispositions so they free range well. Roosters are very protective and can be aggressive, depending on breeder.
6. Plymouth Rocks may be one of the more perfect chickens, but sadly, like with other breeds, hatcheries have really botched up this breed (like they're doing with most of the breeds on this list). Generally good-natured birds that come in a nice variety of colors (usually white, partridge and barred). Lay and range well, and big enough for the table.

If a mix of breeds: Welsummer, RIR, New Hampshire, Buckeyes, any Brahma color but "light", bigger EEs.

1. EEs. I have some fricking huge ones here--seriously, one of these hens has to weigh ten pounds or more. EEs crossed with big breed roosters (usually with the aim of making green layers it seems) get really big. I have a bunch of 1/2 Brahma EE hens here, and they're just monstrous and likely to keep getting bigger as they continue to age. Stands to reason that other EE crosses are likely the same way. They're not a "breed" per se, so all colors are admissible, in their own way. All you're going to get from them is more variety. Wily, spunky, vigorous birds and fantastic layers.
2. Welsummers, RIR, NH and Buckeye only come in one color each (red or partridge), but all have the other qualities you're looking for in spades. Welsummers were voted the #1 breed to have in case of a zombie apocalypse. They're spunky, wonderful birds to have around.
3. Brahmas can come in a bunch of colors, but most of the ones you see that aren't "light" (Colombian) will be "dark" (silver penciled) or buff Colombian (both are stunning, imho). Watch out they don't get mites or frostbite on their feet because the feathers like to exacerbate both. Incredibly friendly, sweet birds. Never had a mean one. Light Brahmas are pretty popular, which means hatcheries have really screwed them up bad.

Also, try ducks. Pekins are a popular breed for a reason--they get to weight faster and bigger than chickens and lay like crazy. not much yard candy, but they're adorable. Swedish ducks come in two pretty colors, Cayuga in one (but it's gorgeous), Ancona are pretty and lay well. Look into ducks unless you hate the taste of duck meat. Rouen only come in one (but it's a mallard on steroids). Runners come in a rainbow, but they're strictly egg-laying and not worth the effort of eating, from what I understand.

 

[Indyshent]

Lost another Polish chick, so I'm down to one lonely little chick.

Turkeys are all trying to figure out where everyone is in the hierarchy. Hershey, a little chocolate jenny, has developed a real attitude with the new creme Legbar rooster. The two Spanish Black sisters (Drogon and Balerion) had been top ladies, but I brought in two older gals (Sweetie and Sydney from @jchny2000 ), so they're trying to figure out where the new gals are... and everyone's losing to little Hershey. Sweetie's gone broody. Must have a dozen (mostly stolen chicken) eggs under her. The only one who seems to know where she stands is shy, bronze Pancake, who's about in the middle by size, but just isn't fighting with anyone. Pancake is the Zen turkey.

Major Tom (1-yr-old Midget White tom) is spending more time harassing the BBW jake (Princess) than trying to do his job by the ladies. Princess is three times his weight easily, but he spends a lot of time hiding from Major and keeping company with the poor, tiny, stunted-looking lavender jenny, Tintaglia (Bonus points if you know where that name came from). It's adorable to see my biggest and smallest turk-turks all cuddled up

Hoping everyone figures out where they stand and things calm down here.

Princess seems to be getting about the same sort of foot problems poor Saphira had last year, so I'm going to have to put him down. He's such a lovable, huggable guy though. Breaks my heart. getting an adorable little "goatee" now. I think I'm going to enjoy what time I've got left with him because it's not like I wont' be brokenhearted anyway when that time comes around.

Going to have to get some pictures, I think.