INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[nenebynature]

We left at 4am for Springfield, walked several miles around the fair, enjoyed the exhibits & fantastic weather, and drove home with not one but TWO state champions. (DD’s friend came along and both girls earned a "superior ribbon" in addition to the regular state fair red/white/blue rosette.) After 4 years of going to the fair in search of poultry, this was the 1st one we were present on the same day as the poultry. (In past years we either couldn’t find the building or the poultry were already sent home.) DS was so excited when he saw another Sp Sussex like his Chizzy and liked naming the different breeds. Because of judging times & project pick up, we had to return to the 4H area every 2 hours, but we managed to see the annual “butter cow” in the dairy building, walk through the animal barns, buy a souvenir in the expo hall, explore the conservation area, and eat a picnic lunch that I had packed. All 3 kids were fast asleep in the backseat for the ride home! Great day!View attachment 1110243View attachment 1110242 View attachment 1110250 View attachment 1110244 View attachment 1110245 View attachment 1110246 View attachment 1110247 View attachment 1110248

What a lovely day!

 

[kanina]

So we're not quite done with the run, but while I'm waiting for DH to get home I figured I would post where we were and where we are.

TL;DR Scroll to the bottom for the new run.

Nov 2016: My journey began with my grandma's old coop and her three hens, and rooster.

DH and I agreed to six chickens, 5 hens and a roo. Shortly ended up with 17 chicks.

5 Buff Orpingtons, 2 EE, 2 Light Brahma, 1 Australorp (assuming 3 days old, wing tips coming in):

1 Black Maran, 1 Blue Maran, 5 Ameraucanas
(hours old, as you can see, one was still wet):

Narrowed it down to six and set this pre-fab up with the idea of adding a run:

The white pipes are "automatic" feeders, with some tweaking they work well. The Lowes bucket is connected to PVC for a nipple waterer.

At this point I had no layers, and was restless for an egg,so I purchased two laying hens. I was under the impression they were British Tailed Araucanas, but after discussion on here, decided they're Araucana-Polish crosses (you live, you learn). We rearranged our flock with ours in the above and grandma's chicks in her coop (already returned grandma's grown birds) and sold the extra.

After two years of being here, we finally put our privacy fence up. Since that was up, I could start on my run. We kept it simple, and locked them up at night. By this point we had integrated my grandma's flock with mine so everyone could be outside. With my great-grandma's decline I didn't expect my grandma to take her girls.

Things were going well, but the mid day sun is unbearable, so we began an over haul. Everything with great grandma, I was out of town a lot. DH helped me get a tarp up to cover half of the run so they would have some shade. It looked terrible, but it did the job.

Part of it was held up with 2x4s, so we ran with that idea and slowly, bit by bit developed it, until we got here.

We struggled with the door since nothing is square (lol), the vertical 2x4s are driven 2 feet deep.

We framed the doors and got the chicken wire up, but problem, we ran out of chicken wire. Exactly enough wood, but not enough wire. Story of my life.

Where the hose is hanging out is our opening, today we finally added a little door to it, so I can open the little door to throw scraps in.

The left door stays bolted shut, but is able to be opened. Last thing to get is some bird mesh or the like for the top. We're currently at 12 birds. Two in the original set up and 10 in our new run.

DH currently has a car project he's working on, so a new coop is on hold but thats more time to plan.

Tada, sorry for the long read.

 

[Leahs Mom]

yay! Thanks for the photos!

 

[kanina]

Oh the wood we used is pressure treated. It is AC2 Green, we found at Menards. Its a green color but its also green for the environment vs normal pressure treated wood. The AC2 is rated for ground contact and is ok/safe to bury which is why we elected to use them. The run is roughly 12x20, so 240 sq ft.

I would love some feedback on a coop size for 12-14 chickens, even a link to another post. Do I want 3 boxes or 6 boxes? I'm still doing research. I'm looking to sell two of the pullets (June and Elsa) and replace them with 2 Polish or Silkie girls. If we don't manage to sell them, we'll keep them which is why I don't know if we'll be at 12 or 14 chooks.

 

[pginsber]

Welcome! Where in Indiana are you located?

We're in Indy, Northwest side, near the Indianapolis Museum of Art

 

[Leahs Mom]

@kanina

As large as you can practically make.

In the summer it's not a big deal since they are only locked in at night. But in the winter they don't like to go out and it can be really tight and a miserable existence if too small.

If you have to make it small, be sure your run can be blocked off in winter from wind and snow so they have room enough that they're not confined so tightly. That way the run can become additional housing for winter.

Think of it like inviting all your extended family to spend the winter in your bathroom. Someone will bring you food, but you can't get out much. Imagine the squabbling and injury that could ensue.


Then plan your building accordingly...with a little extra space because you'll likely end up with more birds in the future

 

[hbrown322]

I went out to buy peat moss for the girls dust bath area. When I got home I realized I grabbed the fertilizer peat moss instead of the regular peat moss. Is this okay for them, or do I need to go back and exchange it?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Exchange. Don't use anything with chemicals. They are very sensitive to anything inhaled.

 

[hbrown322]

Exchange. Don't use anything with chemicals. They are very sensitive to anything inhaled.

Thanks!!

 

[Indyshent]

Still waiting on the duck buyer, but sold all my chicken girls today. The turkey hen might be going broody. She gets nippy when my hands are too close. I'd been hoping to have a little extra cash after this giant purge, but the device my husband was needing for work is actually closer to $120 and not the $60 he'd quoted earlier... so I'm not going to have money to get any girls for my lonely, frustrated Jake Jake, Optimus Prime, and David Bowie. Everybody's Broody! (Sounds like a chicken sitcom done by Lego, don't it?)

Fired up the incubator so the mostly developed eggs have a place to go once the ducks sell. Will probably try to sell more EE chicks once they hatch.