INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

I take care of my parents full time. Its my "job" for several years now. Both are 80+ have contracted Whooping cough. I had no idea this virus was still active! Both are in their 80s and its really impacted my Dads health. One of my siblings were not thinking and visited, had been sick with it too. Dads very sick and not recovering from it well at all. Working with their DR.
I am sharing this because I hope others won't go through it. Think about your health before you visit elderly family or young children.

 

[Indyshent]

They are around 16 weeks and the sebright mix has been crowing for several weeks now and I'm almost positive the black Cochin mix has crowed a few times

Cochin and Silkies are notoriously difficult about gender and late bloomers. I believe (if memory serves correctly here) most Cochin roos really like to strut their stuff early but never take that for granted. Really assertive girls can crow too sometimes, though it's still really rare. Watch out for shoulder patches on the Cochin mixes. Right now, they look like girls, but sometimes saddles and shoulders decide to show off their colors later for some birds, so go digging through some fluff and see if anything shiny and pointed is budding out in their lower back region or if darker feathers are coming in on their shoulders. Do this for the Sebright too while you're at it because it's most likely a boy (go ahead and put money on it now!) and should show you what to be looking for in the other birds (provided the hen-feathered trait didn't pass to him, of course).

 

[JanetMarie]

I take care of my parents full time. Its my "job" for several years now. Both are 80+ have contracted Whooping cough. I had no idea this virus was still active! Both are in their 80s and its really impacted my Dads health. One of my siblings were not thinking and visited, had been sick with it too. Dads very sick and not recovering from it well at all. Working with their DR.
I am sharing this because I hope others won't go through it. Think about your health before you visit elderly family or young children.

Thanks for posting this. It's so important also, and many people won't even if they're ill, to eat unprocessed, organic, nutrient dense food. It makes a big difference in health.

 

[Indyshent]

Cochin and Silkies are notoriously difficult about gender and late bloomers. I believe (if memory serves correctly here) most Cochin roos really like to strut their stuff early but never take that for granted. Really assertive girls can crow too sometimes, though it's still really rare. Watch out for shoulder patches on the Cochin mixes. Right now, they look like girls, but sometimes saddles and shoulders decide to show off their colors later for some birds, so go digging through some fluff and see if anything shiny and pointed is budding out in their lower back region or if darker feathers are coming in on their shoulders. Do this for the Sebright too while you're at it because it's most likely a boy (go ahead and put money on it now!) and should show you what to be looking for in the other birds (provided the hen-feathered trait didn't pass to him, of course). 

Sunnie sent me some new pics of the darker Cochin mix, and it definitely is a boy. Has some lovely gold saddles coming in. I'm curious if the other birds are getting them, too, because it's a much easier way to sex them

.

By the way, welcome to the thread, Sunnie!

 

[twoacrefarm]

@twoacrefarm @pipdzipdnreadytogo How did you get your chickens to sit still so you could take their picture? lol

I've posted a few pictures that I took of our chickens. I took about 15, but only 3 turned out well enough to share. Most of the others were blurry because the chickens were running around the pen!

HA! good luck! I remember thinking that when I wanted to post my chicks to see what sex they were... how do I get them to stand still? Now my older ones LOVE to come visit. So they will stand still all day long. My new babies... not so much.

 

[twoacrefarm]

I actually like this out-take.
I also take a lot of pics & think I get some good ones only because of the volume.


Here are some pics from this morning:

Some chickens always strike a pose:



Others just look grumpy. LOL


I actually took my camera outside to take pics of what has become our daily visitor. I kept the flock inside the run longer than usual, so that explains all of their the grumpy expressions.

Look at those GRUMPY ladies! Haha!

We have a serious hawk problem this winter too. I'm hoping they go away by summer time. I never noticed them last summer...

 

[hbrown322]

Hi all! I'm trying to find a place where I can get a silkie chick. I'm in Indianapolis. Any information would be great!

 

[HoosierSilkie]

Hi all! I'm trying to find a place where I can get a silkie chick. I'm in Indianapolis. Any information would be great!

My local RK does special orders. I just got Silkies there yesterday. You may check with farm stores in your area, but most require you to buy a minimum of 6.
Edited to add: I'm in the Bedford area, about 70 miles south of Indy. There is also a hatchery in Salem that breeds Silkies - Akers Hatchery and Eggs.

 

[sunnie7]

Hi all! I'm trying to find a place where I can get a silkie chick. I'm in Indianapolis. Any information would be great!

I

I have a friend by me that sells them...we are about an hour and a half south of Indy not too far from Henryville. Message me if you want her info.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Agreed! I prepare whole foods only for them. No canned or processed stuff. Both are heart patients, diabetic and moms on dialysis. It helped improve my health too! When I worked full time, I was close to 160 lbs.. now about 100. Being 5ft all, thats a big change! I no longer have to use blood pressure meds, and lost almost 60 lbs. Yes its more work, but absolutely worth the health benefits.

Hi all! I'm trying to find a place where I can get a silkie chick. I'm in Indianapolis. Any information would be great!

Rural Kings got em! They have chicks now in several stores.