INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Gardens tilled, raked. Got onions and taters planted! I have several types of trays I'm seeding, trying the cardboard box mulching method this year. Saved a ton of cardboard boxes. Already finding this easier, start everything inside, then plant when its ready! Far easier telling a seedling from a weed this way. I always plan for extra squash, pumpkin etc because the chickens and every other critter love the fresh food. I won't start corn indoors just too much! I usually try to plant around a pound of sweet corn.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Child services is a close second to that. They need to be funded better rather than giving our senators and Congress big fat salaries. Most of us barely live on 15k a year. They're living on 100k easy.

Not the case for us but we are in our 50s and I'm already retired. But I agree, the services most needed are often the least funded. And what funds they have are channeled elsewhere. I was the director of animal control for a city and 2 small towns, worked under the city's PD. My Sgt told me "spend it or lose it" every fiscal year when I turned in the budget.

 

[JanetMarie]

@JanetMarie I have to agree with you, but more enforcement rather than regulation.. Dogs running loose are my #1 peeve, lost livestock over the years especially goats. Stray cats abandoned here are a close #2. But I think the worst of all is keeping an animal and not providing proper care. Living conditions, food, water and sanitation. Animal control is always under funded and the first program to be cut.

I agree, more regulation would punish those who do take proper care of their animals, and more enforcement is needed, but for those who are lazy, apathetic, and stupid who don't take care of their animals need separate laws.

 

[faerydust16]

I finally moved the buns outside for some fresh air and fresh grass. They gobbled it up! Now to build their run pen.
Let the boy run with the girls and let the magic happen. Haha.
Next up is tilling the garden and mixing in the bunny ick. It did great for my cantalopes last year!
Peach tree is coming back this year. We thought since something chewed on it it wouldn't come back but boy we were wrong.

 

[Pollitos6]

Chick pics!!!

Here are my silkies.
I took the pics separately so I know each number is a diff chick. If anyone has gender guesses let me know. However, I've been looking at them for 4.5 weeks now & still have no clue. (click to enlarge)
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Seramas:
No doubt the silkied serama is male!
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DD's fav (named Noodle) is very, very spoiled. So far looking female.
View attachment 1357396

OEGs:
This is the smallest chick. She's always looked female.
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Here's my toughest from the bantam hatch. Mom was a blue brassy back but dad was another color. So far no color on comb/wattles.
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OMG they are so cute.

 

[Pollitos6]

Hello All,

I am new to chickens and two days ago we got our first 6 cute chicks. We are all very excited at home and googling a lot about them. They are still pretty small and I keep them indoors and of course with a heating lamp. However, I have been looking for coops (just to be prepare when the time come). I live in Indianapolis and I would like to know how do you winterize your coop? Do you guys change their diet? I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

 

[hbrown322]

Hello All,

I am new to chickens and two days ago we got our first 6 cute chicks. We are all very excited at home and googling a lot about them. They are still pretty small and I keep them indoors and of course with a heating lamp. However, I have been looking for coops (just to be prepare when the time come). I live in Indianapolis and I would like to know how do you winterize your coop? Do you guys change their diet? I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

Hello All,

I am new to chickens and two days ago we got our first 6 cute chicks. We are all very excited at home and googling a lot about them. They are still pretty small and I keep them indoors and of course with a heating lamp. However, I have been looking for coops (just to be prepare when the time come). I live in Indianapolis and I would like to know how do you winterize your coop? Do you guys change their diet? I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

Hi! I got my starter coop from Home Depot, it was a cute small coop, could house 2-3 larger hens, 4 small hens. The wiring was not strong though & I lost my first flock to a raccoon who broke through the wiring. After reinforcing it with stronger wire it was great! The following year I upgraded to a coop built by Agrarian, and my 4 hens turned into 11!
As far as winterizing the coop, I didn’t do anything other than put a heater for the water out in the run.

I did change the diet of my feed from layer to grower when my hens started to molt, but I changed back once their feathers came back in.

I have a tarp that I throw over my run when there is expected snow/ice/rain. Just to keep the mud pit manageable.

 

[faerydust16]

I cleaned my rabbit cages from the winter. One was roommates with an ant colony. Smh
And my big girl got her leash privileges today. She's enjoying the fresh grass and the lounge time while I clean everyone up.

 

[Faraday40]

Not the case for us but we are in our 50s and I'm already retired. But I agree, the services most needed are often the least funded. And what funds they have are channeled elsewhere. I was the director of animal control for a city and 2 small towns, worked under the city's PD. My Sgt told me "spend it or lose it" every fiscal year when I turned in the budget.

LOL Try living in IL. It's more "spend it as fast as you can"!

For 3 years the kids' 4H funding was tied up with the IL budget crisis. Although the funds were there and already earmarked for 4H, the $ could not be released because the state never passed a budget. Who can survive w/o a budget? Being frugal the 4H organization kept it going for 3 years, but 2017 was going to be the last year for 4H in our state. After receiving all the kids' letters, the money was finally released.

What's fishy is that the state writes a check & mails it - arriving about a week later. Then the regional office must distribute the checks to each child - add another week. Finally the check arrives & in the small print says "void after 30 days." DD got her summer 2015 & 2016 awards in March 2017. She had 12 days to cash the checks before void. No premiums given for any of the 2017 fairs. (It's a whole $5 for every project earning a blue ribbon.) I'm OK with the small amount, but it would be more meaningful to receive a prize right after the fair - not 1 to 2 years later.

 

[Faraday40]

I just finished my lesson plans for tomorrow & it's time for bed. I've had chicks hatching today on top of all my work, classes, chores, sick hubby, etc.

I don't have any good pics (or time to take them), but here's what's in the incubator:
8 chicks total (2 EEs, 1 Leghorn, 5 laced orps)
5 pips
2 eggs without pips.

In addition to those chicks, I got an extra one today. Someone bought hatching eggs from me for a 4H project & only one blue orp hatched. Poor little thing was lonely & not thriving. (Hatched Sunday) Since I happened to have chicks due today, I told her I'd take it off her hands. I also happened to have some extra orp eggs that were destined for breakfast, so I told her she could try again. I had experienced some egg fertility issues, so I wasn't sure if the problem could be my roos.

She brought over her incubator for me to examine; we discussed results and tried to figure out the problem. It turns out that her digital LG incubator has a box with heat coils. It looks about the size as a fan & even has openings - but no fan inside. Her eggs hatched 4 days late because she had it set for 99.5 (circulated air) and not 101 (still air). That also explained why so many had died.

Anyway, the little blue orp seemed weak and cried nonstop unless held. As soon as my friend arrived I popped the chick into the incubator. It was just as my 1st chick was zipping. It wanted a sibling so badly that it pecked away at the shell to help. I also put some food into the incubator & it went crazy. (1st time my friend saw it eat.)

The inner toes looked crooked at times, so I made little orthodics - chickie shoes. Not sure if the little blue will make it, but boy has it improved in just 6 hours! I need a good name like Lucky, Fortune, etc. Any ideas? Can you imagine hatching after being 2 degrees cooler throughout the entire incubation? It's got such a will to live.