INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CochinCuddlr]

Thanks for the input! So it sounds like if we want meat turkeys it's too late to do heritage for Thanksgiving but maybe next year if it takes 9 mths to a year and a half.

On that note, does anyone have any turkey hatching eggs to part with near s side Indy/Mooresville/martinsville or close? What breed and what's your cost on eggs? Then I can research more on the breeds. I saw somewhere in martinsville someone does the bourbon red.

We have an automatic chicken door. It doesn't seem huge. It is 13" high 10.5" wide.

@wheezy50 we might be interested in a few extra. I'm going to read up and talk to the hubby.

We have Narragansetts, but we are just outside Fort Wayne (well north of Indy). I've got a few eggs (2-3 unexpected extras) I was going to toss into the incubator. Let me know if you have any interest... if you happen to have any Guinea eggs to swap, I'd be thrilled to drive halfway to meet you!
Carlene

 

[hbrown322]

How's everybody else holding up with all this rain? My poor hens went to bed early tonight and when I went to check on them they were soaked! *their down feathers were dry, they just looked so pitiful! I know they are capable of going into the hen house when necessary but I just felt so bad for them. So they are inside the house tonight. I thought since today is International Respect for Chickens Day, the least I could do was give them one night without rain & wind!

 

[twoacrefarm]

Advice needed...

We have a coop big enough for maybe 45-50 chickens to sleep (roost wise, we have 52 feet of perches). We had 12 chickens inside the coop, and then in the run we had a 10ft by 10ft dog kennel with perches inside (and covered) to integrate 21 "teenage" chicks. They are now 15 weeks old. They have been inside the run (and the door has been open, so really everyone is together completely) for about a month now. During the day, the run door is open and they have access to 2 acres.

Having said all that............... The babies have made the dog kennel their home. They want no part of the coop. They don't explore it (that i've seen) and I don't want them in the kennel forever. I have the nest boxes (17) in the coop and I want them to use those.

Any ideas on getting them to go in? Should I take down the kennel and give them no choice? Should I put them in the coop and close the door for the night? I'm not sure if the bigs will run them off, but that is a fear of mine.

 

[Faraday40]

Advice needed...

We have a coop big enough for maybe 45-50 chickens to sleep (roost wise, we have 52 feet of perches). We had 12 chickens inside the coop, and then in the run we had a 10ft by 10ft dog kennel with perches inside (and covered) to integrate 21 "teenage" chicks. They are now 15 weeks old. They have been inside the run (and the door has been open, so really everyone is together completely) for about a month now. During the day, the run door is open and they have access to 2 acres.

Having said all that............... The babies have made the dog kennel their home. They want no part of the coop. They don't explore it (that i've seen) and I don't want them in the kennel forever. I have the nest boxes (17) in the coop and I want them to use those.

Any ideas on getting them to go in? Should I take down the kennel and give them no choice? Should I put them in the coop and close the door for the night? I'm not sure if the bigs will run them off, but that is a fear of mine.

I have a similar situation. Last year's teens preferred to sleep inside the run. In the heat of the summer, it was cooler. In the winter, we put up storm windows, so even then the young pullets continued to sleep in the run. Since the coop & run are both predator proof & weather proof, I usually just let the chickens choose where to sleep. However on those single digit or below zero winter nights, I carried them into the insulated coop.

Today my flock dynamic has completely changed. Only a couple old hens sleep inside the coop. The 1-2 yr old hens still sleep in the tall covered run. This year's teens will get a head peck for trying to sleep in the run. The 4-12 week old pullets must sleep in the coop with the mature hens.

I'm sure your "teens" will explore the coop- especially as they get closer to point of lay. Until then, you'll see 2 groups - like 2 mini flocks. The older ones have a higher pecking order, so the younger ones will want to stay clear. Eventually, they meld together & develop a new pecking order. If you want the younger ones to explore the coop, you could just let the older ones out to free range but keep the younger ones inside the coop/run area for a few hours. (Just don't do it too long, so your layers can have their daily nest-box time.)

 

[Dayrel]

How's everybody else holding up with all this rain?

I'm well into the Ark-building process now. Took me a bit to settle on the design. Had to figure out how to accommodate 53 genders.

 

[jonesfamily6]

We have Narragansetts, but we are just outside Fort Wayne (well north of Indy). I've got a few eggs (2-3 unexpected extras) I was going to toss into the incubator. Let me know if you have any interest... if you happen to have any Guinea eggs to swap, I'd be thrilled to drive halfway to meet you!
Carlene

No guinea yet! Just Chicks so far. I'm writing your name down for when we are fully ready and I'll touch back if we go with the Narragansett! Thankyou! And good luck finding guinnea. I have several friends with feathered friends. It none with fertile guinnea eggs!

 

[CochinCuddlr]

I'm well into the Ark-building process now. Took me a bit to settle on the design. Had to figure out how to accommodate 53 genders.

Oh, lordy ... please, someone, send us some blueprints--and swimfins--before it's too late.

C.

 

[Faraday40]

I don't need guineas, but I really love their feathers.

Our daughter's in a recital this weekend, so I made headpieces for the dancers. I bought a couple peacock feathers & also boiled & died some molted chicken feathers to match their dresses. A friend sent me some guineas feathers & they really made it pop. (Just don't tell the girls that they're wearing mostly chicken feathers in their hair. LOL




Most of the feathers came from our beloved Appenzeller Spitzhauben. She was sadly killed by a hawk just before Christmas. She was the most photographed chicken we ever owned & loved to strike a pose. It seemed very fitting that her feathers would live on to be part of the show.

RIP, dear Spitzie.

 

[CochinCuddlr]

No guinea yet! Just Chicks so far. I'm writing your name down for when we are fully ready and I'll touch back if we go with the Narragansett! Thankyou! And good luck finding guinnea. I have several friends with feathered friends. It none with fertile guinnea eggs!

Sure thing. We love our Narragansetts. We started out many years ago with broad-breasted bronzes; the hens were nasty, mean wenches! I came home one day & found one chasing a friend & her six-year-old son around & around their car. They were terrified; I'm sure that poor boy is now a man of 27 suffering from turkey-induced PTSD. He likely requires weekly therapy & spends Thanksgiving huddled in his closet.
Our bronze gobbler grew to be so bold & arrogant he thought he could bully our Bulldog. Not. He inadvertently committed suicide-by-dog that day.

The Narragansetts are MUCH milder in temperament, in our experience. Our current gobbler is bullied by the itty-bitty Guinea cock. And he is also currently gone broody on a clutch of eggs.

What a guy!!

Take care,
C.

 

[jonesfamily6]

Sure thing. We love our Narragansetts. We started out many years ago with broad-breasted bronzes; the hens were nasty, mean wenches! I came home one day & found one chasing a friend & her six-year-old son around & around their car. They were terrified; I'm sure that poor boy is now a man of 27 suffering from turkey-induced PTSD. He likely requires weekly therapy & spends Thanksgiving huddled in his closet.
Our bronze gobbler grew to be so bold & arrogant he thought he could bully our Bulldog. Not. He inadvertently committed suicide-by-dog that day.
The Narragansetts are MUCH milder in temperament, in our experience. Our current gobbler is bullied by the itty-bitty Guinea cock. And he is also currently gone broody on a clutch of eggs. What a guy!!

Take care,
C.

These are the stories I need!!! It helps me maneuver my brain. I did read in a hatchery catalog that they are very docile! Glad to see you experience the same. How big do they get inch wise? I know the expected weights but being new I can't translate that into size! Do you have pictures? Is a 13x10 inch door going to be sufficient? It sounds like they run with your chickens?