INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

@jchny2000

Are you using the fly predators? I remember looking into them when @SallyinIndiana told us about them. Right now, with only the chickens, I don't have a huge fly population.

On the predators, I wondered if it might introduce a bug into the area that's not native and cause any unforeseen problems.

This is my 2nd month now. I released 20,000 each time and I do see a difference. There is a calculator tool you enter the head count of your animals. The biting type flies are almost nonexistent now. They were just relentless a little over a month ago, and i started to see blood spots on my Holsteins' legs. That's when I ordered the first batch! I think they are native here, i remember looking them up when she posted about them. We all know whats happened when importing a non-native insect, especially the ladybugs! Of course there are chemical sprays etc. but I value bees too much to use more than necessary. And honestly, I just hate using so many chemicals on the animals. We fogged around the barn a few weeks ago due to mosquitoes being so bad. I felt so guilty!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Anyone know of places to buy bulks of sand? I want to buy truck loads if possible. My Muscovy's have turned my freshly laid sand into mud already! It's only been maybe 2 months! But all the rain helped them too.

You should be able to go to a stone Quarry, Like IMI and get a truckload. ETA its possibly cheaper for a dump truck load too. Construction sand is a little more grainy and would help to add drainage. Scovys are better than your average mallard derived breeds for mud, but still do make a mess!

 

[Faraday40]

I caught my penciled rock pullet behind the coop with a young lav orp cockerel.
Is it just me or does it look like I was interrupting them?

Brick didn't look very happy about it. LOL

 

[Faraday40]

My Welsummer may be joining the laying club soon. I just noticed that she's starting to look red. (Hatched March 4th)

Even my blue orp, Jewel, is getting red. For me that is strange since my lav orps can take 7-9 months to lay their 1st egg. She also hatched March 4th.

Jewel is Oopsie's chick. Oopsie came from @Junibutt and has a lovely round shape. Unlike my lav orps, she matured faster & was my 1st LF orp to go broody. (But I think Jewel got some size from her Daddy = Moose.) Oopsie just left her chicks this week & started laying again. What a pro!

If you remember Oopsie was given chicks from the May 5th hatch at a preschool and the May 7th hatch here.(about 2 doz) However, I already had the April 26th preschool hatch in the brooder with a couple remaining chicks from my April 15th hatch. (10 more) When I added Oopsie to brooder, she didn't mind them being there & eventually adopted them as well. Finally, a lonely only hatched at another school on May 17. The teacher didn't know what to do, so someone gave her my name. Oopsie cared for that little chick too until we could find it a home. We kept 3 chicks (for now) & found homes for all the rest.

 

[Nyla]

Is that a child's play pen? That is an awesome chicken brooder idea!

My Welsummer may be joining the laying club soon. I just noticed that she's starting to look red. (Hatched March 4th)

Even my blue orp, Jewel, is getting red. For me that is strange since my lav orps can take 7-9 months to lay their 1st egg. She also hatched March 4th.

Jewel is Oopsie's chick. Oopsie came from @Junibutt and has a lovely round shape. Unlike my lav orps, she matured faster & was my 1st LF orp to go broody. (But I think Jewel got some size from her Daddy = Moose.) Oopsie just left her chicks this week & started laying again. What a pro!

If you remember Oopsie was given chicks from the May 5th hatch at a preschool and the May 7th hatch here.(about 2 doz) However, I already had the April 26th preschool hatch in the brooder with a couple remaining chicks from my April 15th hatch. (10 more) When I added Oopsie to brooder, she didn't mind them being there & eventually adopted them as well. Finally, a lonely only hatched at another school on May 17. The teacher didn't know what to do, so someone gave her my name. Oopsie cared for that little chick too until we could find it a home. We kept 3 chicks (for now) & found homes for all the rest.
View attachment 1062131

 

[JanetMarie]

@nenebynature A new insect killer that we started using this year contains Spinosad (by Fertilone). We use on our grapevines. It is a bacteria affecting the stomach of the insect. It's used on a variety of plants and insects, and should not be used on anything while in bloom because it's toxic to bees, as most OMRI listed insecticides are. Don't know if it kills aphids, and using around chickens, not sure about.

Some people use homemade sprays made from dishsoap, and hot peppers. I think that would be safer.

Pyrethrin kills aphids, and I think most are OMRI listed, but don't know about use around chickens.

The Japanese beetles are attacking my rose blooms, so I set out a bag trap yesterday. There's too many to keep squishing.

What are the insects attacking your rose bushes?

 

[nenebynature]

@nenebynature A new insect killer that we started using this year contains Spinosad (by Fertilone). We use on our grapevines. It is a bacteria affecting the stomach of the insect. It's used on a variety of plants and insects, and should not be used on anything while in bloom because it's toxic to bees, as most OMRI listed insecticides are. Don't know if it kills aphids, and using around chickens, not sure about.

Some people use homemade sprays made from dishsoap, and hot peppers. I think that would be safer.

Pyrethrin kills aphids, and I think most are OMRI listed, but don't know about use around chickens.

The Japanese beetles are attacking my rose blooms, so I set out a bag trap yesterday. There's too many to keep squishing.

What are the insects attacking your rose bushes?

Thank you so much @JanetMarie I will look that up online. I'm not sure what's getting to them. There were tiny green things on the back of the leaves a couple times this spring. The green foliage is so chewed up it looks lacy. I fertilized couple days ago and I'm finally seeing some new growth on both bushes. I cut out some of the older most damaged greenery this week. And of course Japanese beetles are beginning to descend. Although I'm not having as many as I had last year (at least not yet).

 

[Andrew10]

Hm. Large dual purpose, good at foraging, and broody. It sounds like my Black Langshans! I have about 18 growing babies that I need to move out of here. Do you need some birds to start your project with?

.
No probably not this year, I probably won't start the project till next spring

 

[Faraday40]

@nenebynature A new insect killer that we started using this year contains Spinosad (by Fertilone). We use on our grapevines. It is a bacteria affecting the stomach of the insect. It's used on a variety of plants and insects, and should not be used on anything while in bloom because it's toxic to bees, as most OMRI listed insecticides are. Don't know if it kills aphids, and using around chickens, not sure about.

Some people use homemade sprays made from dishsoap, and hot peppers. I think that would be safer.

Pyrethrin kills aphids, and I think most are OMRI listed, but don't know about use around chickens.

The Japanese beetles are attacking my rose blooms, so I set out a bag trap yesterday. There's too many to keep squishing.

What are the insects attacking your rose bushes?

The Japanese beetles are attacking my rose blooms, so I set out a bag trap yesterday. There's too many to keep squishing.
Don't your chickens eat them?
We used to get those pretty green beetles all over the raspberries & apples. They seemed to disappear once we got the chickens. I guess if you use traps, you can feed them as free treats.

 

[Faraday40]

Is that a child's play pen? That is an awesome chicken brooder idea!

Since I passed mine along to my niece, I ended up garbage picking it. It had a moisture smell & was a little too wobbly for a baby, but good enough for a free brooder. I like that it's big enough to hold a broody if I have one & can be folded up for storage when not in use.