INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mishlerfarm24]

So last night I finished up the expansion of our chicken run! As I was picking up I went into the coop to do my chicken headcount and while I step to the other side of my coop to count the other half something ran into my foot!!! Ugh!! Went in the house for a better light my spotlight, and saw two rats!!! I've caught a rat before but it took a couple days to finally caught it!
How do you all catch your rodents!!!?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Mishlerfarm24
I haven't had rats, but I have had chipmunks. (Hope I never see a rat......)

But when I had that problem I wanted to use something that was safe for the chickens so wanted to try the non-poison route first. But having a chicken get caught in a trap was also a concern.

Someone suggested these traps below to me and I got them. Have worked great but you have to check them regularly because you can't just tell if something is caught by looking.

I DON'T use the poison in them, just the rat trap. They are made so that their full sized rat trap fits inside. It is in such a position that the chickens can't get where the trap snaps but the chipmunks sure can! They also have a "key" so that an inquisitive child can't just pop the top open.

It was suggested to get a stick, paint it red, punch a hole in it and string the key on it with a piece of sting, and hang it in a place you wouldn't lose it as there is a charge to replace the keys. We actually did that with a paint stick and have it hanging on the indoor kennel pen that the chicken use.

I put in some nice chicken feed grains or whatever they like. Put the chicken's food away at night. Set them along edges where the mice and rats like to run.




http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/proteca-evo-ambush-bait-station

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/trapper-t-rex-rat-snap-trap

Edited to add a link.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

More smiles from the feather-duster squad! I was FINALLY able to take them outside for the first time today, and they were torn between absolute terror and having a total blast!

The three R's: Rigby, Ramsay, and Rowena:

Rigby, Abra, and Ramsay standing tall. They were watching something, I think someone was walking by or something:

Rowena, cute as can be, with Ramsay and Lucky in the background:

And Abra being cuddled again. She was not feeling as generous with the cute faces this time around.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo

How many boys do you have there?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo



How many boys do you have there? 

Three boys out of the five; Ramsay, Rigby, and Lucky. Pretty much my usual odds, as I can get close to 50-50, but there will always be more boys in the end.

 

[JanetMarie]

Oh, my, that was a while ago! I believe this is the picture you're thinking of? Miss Elly at under a year old. I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but she'll be 3 this year!

Been a love since day one, though!




Abra (the Silkied Cochin baby) has a lot of the same traits, but she's a lot sassier. It comes from being a bantam Cochin, I think. All the sweetness of the large Cochins with twice the attitude!

Cochins have definitely gotten a firm hold on second place for my favorite breed, only second to my sweet Dorkings.

The similarity is rather uncanny, though, isn't it?

That is such a sweet picture. She looks so hugable.

 

[JanetMarie]

@JanetMarie
Now I have questions! (And I'm thinking you could discuss this on the Natural Chicken Keeping Thread too....)

I have been pretty negative about shipped chicks and birds myself in general for many reasons that I won't go into here. Suffice to say that I've done some "chicken pick-up" drives in my chicken keeping days!) Anyhow....

-What kind of incubator are you using and how did you decide which one to get?
-And.....Can you give us an education on the Colloncas? From what you said before they are monogamous? You have my interest piqued!

The first incubator I purchased was plastic, and I don't remember the company name, but it was recommended to use bubble foil insulation around the outside of it, which only confused the incubator's thermostat. The heating element was a light bulb. It also had a fan which seemed to dry up the humidity too much inside. The turner was rough on the eggs. I made the mistake of not keeping the incubator in a room with a steady temperature, and the incubator temperature would have severe spikes, and would not turn down! I would have to unplug it. At hatch time there were deformed chicks, which of course had to be killed, and ended up with 5 healthy chicks out of 18 eggs.

I threw that incubator away.

I now use a still air Little Giant model 9200 that has the heating coil around the perimeter with a turning tray that tilts the eggs from side to side at a very slow pace. When I needed a second incubator I purchased the newer model with the heating element in the center, and the temperature wasn't staying regulated, so I took it back and exchanged it for the last older model.

The first hatch with the Little Giant, I kept in a temperature controlled room and ended up with 13 chicks out of 15 fertile eggs. I kept a log with drawings to do everything the same, and as long as the eggs are good, have great hatching success.

I read about the Colloncas, and the other South American breeds on BYC, and one of the reasons for becoming a member was to track the South American breeds to see if I could someday obtain one. The Colloncas is actually the breed I wanted most, and it happened after some time, that someone close has some! They are a different class than the modern chicken breeds. They are one of the parents of the Araucana, and come in different colors, and don't have tufts. There is no SOP.

Since they are monogamous (and I'll know for sure after experience) I believe they can be kept in pairs, and the roosters get along with each other as long as they have grown up together. That seemed to be true, because the ones I saw where I picked up the hatching eggs, had two roosters and two hens together. Their offspring was one rooster and one hen, that has to be kept separate from the parents. Possibly if the moms and dads raised the chicks they could be all kept together. I'll find out hopefully.

 

[flyladyrocks]

@Finnie
Similar color patterns to what you are looking for: @Leahs Mom does have some very nice swedish flower hens. @racinchickins a couple years ago you were breeding mottled java. Or was that last year? Are you still? All birds I want, including the Mille Fluer and speckled sussex. My daughter calls it my chicken pattern. I want crests on my Swedish Flower hens- I love crests!


In other news, I really wanted some EE pullets this week. Wanted them out of the brooder by the time my next chicks come at the end of April. Agrarian had them last week I think but didn't want to pay their price for EEs. None of the stores had EEs this week.

Feeling sad.

I need a chick fix and my Broody needs some babies!

 

[flyladyrocks]

So last night I finished up the expansion of our chicken run! As I was picking up I went into the coop to do my chicken headcount and while I step to the other side of my coop to count the other half something ran into my foot!!! Ugh!! Went in the house for a better light my spotlight, and saw two rats!!! I've caught a rat before but it took a couple days to finally caught it!
How do you all catch your rodents!!!?

 

[Faraday40]

The first incubator I purchased was plastic, and I don't remember the company name, but it was recommended to use bubble foil insulation around the outside of it, which only confused the incubator's thermostat. The heating element was a light bulb. It also had a fan which seemed to dry up the humidity too much inside. The turner was rough on the eggs. I made the mistake of not keeping the incubator in a room with a steady temperature, and the incubator temperature would have severe spikes, and would not turn down! I would have to unplug it. At hatch time there were deformed chicks, which of course had to be killed, and ended up with 5 healthy chicks out of 18 eggs.

I threw that incubator away.

I now use a still air Little Giant model 9200 that has the heating coil around the perimeter with a turning tray that tilts the eggs from side to side at a very slow pace. When I needed a second incubator I purchased the newer model with the heating element in the center, and the temperature wasn't staying regulated, so I took it back and exchanged it for the last older model.

The first hatch with the Little Giant, I kept in a temperature controlled room and ended up with 13 chicks out of 15 fertile eggs. I kept a log with drawings to do everything the same, and as long as the eggs are good, have great hatching success.

I read about the Colloncas, and the other South American breeds on BYC, and one of the reasons for becoming a member was to track the South American breeds to see if I could someday obtain one. The Colloncas is actually the breed I wanted most, and it happened after some time, that someone close has some! They are a different class than the modern chicken breeds. They are one of the parents of the Araucana, and come in different colors, and don't have tufts. There is no SOP.

Since they are monogamous (and I'll know for sure after experience) I believe they can be kept in pairs, and the roosters get along with each other as long as they have grown up together. That seemed to be true, because the ones I saw where I picked up the hatching eggs, had two roosters and two hens together. Their offspring was one rooster and one hen, that has to be kept separate from the parents. Possibly if the moms and dads raised the chicks they could be all kept together. I'll find out hopefully.

That's such a weird & cool looking chicken! I looked up some pics & it looks like someone had cropped off their tails. I also never knew a roo could be monogamous.

Our young bag of walking horomones just claimed himself ruler of the flock. He's not letting the former head roos breed & is always trying to rape the hens. There's lots & lots of chasing going on! He's only 8.5mo. How long until he calms down & becomes a gentleman? He's a beautiful, giant, lav orp and not aggressive at all toward people, but making my hens unhappy. If he keeps it up, I'll have to get rid of him. Just wondering how long I should wait.