INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

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

Welcome to BYC and our thread! I have open air coops. Just a roof, wire sides and floor (and electric fence!) During the winter I wrap them in tarps. All my coops are portable, no scooping or shoveling of poop. we pull them out and backdrag the deep litter 2x a year with the tractor. That goes on the compost piles.

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.

See thats so awful! Especially 4H programs, come on.. What better learning opportunity than that.

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.
View attachment 1370341 View attachment 1370342


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.

Aww great hatch! Good luck with that little baby.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Went through all my goats and did another deworm today and the kids final shots. We have 3 wethers, 5 does and 2 bucks. 1 doeling and 1 wether goes to their new home soon.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Finally geese are laying regular! Its that time of year, just waiting on the guineas. I have eggs coming out of my ears ! Will be setting duck and goose eggs tomorrow. Only plan for 1 more hatch on the chickens this year, want to increase my leghorn flock and a few more EE/OE.
Anyone ever try trellis gardening, looks like a great idea for several types of vining plants. Going to give it a try, curious to see if it increases yields.

 

[Faraday40]

silver laced orps

silver laced orps & blue silver laced orps

black orps (with chance of lacing)

Do these shoes match my outfit?

(This is the fighter who was determined to hatch even though the incubator was set 1.5 - 2 degrees low for all 25 days.) It's already the King of the Brooder and won't let the shoes slow it down.

I've got other chicks but these are the ones that made me very happy. The last two eggs still in the incubator. I believe I slipped them in later, because I didn't want to waste the silver laced orp eggs. Both are pipped tonight.

 

[Nyla]

Today My Son Jayce 2 years old, My Father Stephen, and me were in a car crash! A total of 13 vehicles. But our crash was only us and the semi. The semi who hit us caused the entire crash.
We were driving down I-80 towards Aurora,IL in the far left lane, when all of a sudden a semi driver smashes into us. He smashed into us in our lane then smashed us into the brick wall. My 2 year old son was on the right side of the car that the semi hit. The car is totaled but my son wasn't hurt! Me and my father have minor cuts but nothing too bad.
When the crash was done (us being dragged) we climbed out the car through the drivers window which was flush with the brick wall. As I was unbuckling my son from his car seat, a man tried pulling me out the car forcefully screaming forget the things and get out. I shoved him off of me which made him fall off the wall into the on coming traffic shoulders. He wasn't hurt and no cars where over there. I quickly grabbed my son and climbed out with him. The windows are super tiny so it was hard to get out with us both. Once I got out with him, the guy who tried pulling me out said he was sorry he didn't know I had a baby in the back. Then I checked my son all over for any damage, then changed his cloths so no glass was embedded into his cloths. I then checked myself. Durring which my father was mad and screaming at the semi driver through his window. He refused to get out till police where there. Once police were there, he got out and stood by the cops. Everyone in the crash grabbed up objects and started walking towards the semi driver. When everyone seen I had a baby in my hands they got more mad and all started screaming. I walked up to the semi driver while holding my son and told the man "Just so you know my sons okay". He says to me "I'm glad you two didn't get hurt. Some car cut me off and I ended up rear-ending him. First this I did was try to get over to the shoulder. I didn't have time to check my mirrors. It happened so fast I wasn't even thinking." Then he LAUGHED ABOUT IT!!! It took everything in me not to go at him. Also the car he hit was no where to be seen. Like the car disappeared. This semi who hit us caused the entire wreck. This is how the wreck started. He tried to get over in the lane on his right (we where on his left in the far left lane.) He didn't check his mirrors before getting over. He just tried to get over where he rear-ended a vehicle (that disappeared) and caused another semi to vear out his lane into another car but the car had only damage to their driver mirror and scratches. They were fine. But from our crash and the other crash he caused all of us to come to a sudden halt which caused others to smash into one another.
I'm so grateful that someone(s) was watching over us!
Here is the pictures!



And here are some videos my father took.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Nyla


From the looks of that car and the logistics of it, I would agree that Someone WAS watching over you!!!! Amazing. So glad you are all okay!!!!

 

[faerydust16]

Thank god everyone is okay.

@Nyla

 

[pginsber]

Today My Son Jayce 2 years old, My Father Stephen, and me were in a car crash! A total of 13 vehicles. But our crash was only us and the semi. The semi who hit us caused the entire crash.
We were driving down I-80 towards Aurora,IL in the far left lane, when all of a sudden a semi driver smashes into us.
And here are some videos my father took.

So glad you're okay!

 

[Faraday40]

Today My Son Jayce 2 years old, My Father Stephen, and me were in a car crash! A total of 13 vehicles. But our crash was only us and the semi. The semi who hit us caused the entire crash.
We were driving down I-80 towards Aurora,IL in the far left lane, when all of a sudden a semi driver smashes into us. He smashed into us in our lane then smashed us into the brick wall. My 2 year old son was on the right side of the car that the semi hit. The car is totaled but my son wasn't hurt! Me and my father have minor cuts but nothing too bad.
When the crash was done (us being dragged) we climbed out the car through the drivers window which was flush with the brick wall. As I was unbuckling my son from his car seat, a man tried pulling me out the car forcefully screaming forget the things and get out. I shoved him off of me which made him fall off the wall into the on coming traffic shoulders. He wasn't hurt and no cars where over there. I quickly grabbed my son and climbed out with him. The windows are super tiny so it was hard to get out with us both. Once I got out with him, the guy who tried pulling me out said he was sorry he didn't know I had a baby in the back. Then I checked my son all over for any damage, then changed his cloths so no glass was embedded into his cloths. I then checked myself. Durring which my father was mad and screaming at the semi driver through his window. He refused to get out till police where there. Once police were there, he got out and stood by the cops. Everyone in the crash grabbed up objects and started walking towards the semi driver. When everyone seen I had a baby in my hands they got more mad and all started screaming. I walked up to the semi driver while holding my son and told the man "Just so you know my sons okay". He says to me "I'm glad you two didn't get hurt. Some car cut me off and I ended up rear-ending him. First this I did was try to get over to the shoulder. I didn't have time to check my mirrors. It happened so fast I wasn't even thinking." Then he LAUGHED ABOUT IT!!! It took everything in me not to go at him. Also the car he hit was no where to be seen. Like the car disappeared. This semi who hit us caused the entire wreck. This is how the wreck started. He tried to get over in the lane on his right (we where on his left in the far left lane.) He didn't check his mirrors before getting over. He just tried to get over where he rear-ended a vehicle (that disappeared) and caused another semi to vear out his lane into another car but the car had only damage to their driver mirror and scratches. They were fine. But from our crash and the other crash he caused all of us to come to a sudden halt which caused others to smash into one another.
I'm so grateful that someone(s) was watching over us!
Here is the pictures!

View attachment 1371855 View attachment 1371856 View attachment 1371857 View attachment 1371858 View attachment 1371859 View attachment 1371860 View attachment 1371861 View attachment 1371862 View attachment 1371864 View attachment 1371865 View attachment 1371866 View attachment 1371867

And here are some videos my father took.

Cars can be replaced; your family cannot. So glad you're OK.

 

[Pollitos6]

Today My Son Jayce 2 years old, My Father Stephen, and me were in a car crash! A total of 13 vehicles. But our crash was only us and the semi. The semi who hit us caused the entire crash.
We were driving down I-80 towards Aurora,IL in the far left lane, when all of a sudden a semi driver smashes into us. He smashed into us in our lane then smashed us into the brick wall. My 2 year old son was on the right side of the car that the semi hit. The car is totaled but my son wasn't hurt! Me and my father have minor cuts but nothing too bad.
When the crash was done (us being dragged) we climbed out the car through the drivers window which was flush with the brick wall. As I was unbuckling my son from his car seat, a man tried pulling me out the car forcefully screaming forget the things and get out. I shoved him off of me which made him fall off the wall into the on coming traffic shoulders. He wasn't hurt and no cars where over there. I quickly grabbed my son and climbed out with him. The windows are super tiny so it was hard to get out with us both. Once I got out with him, the guy who tried pulling me out said he was sorry he didn't know I had a baby in the back. Then I checked my son all over for any damage, then changed his cloths so no glass was embedded into his cloths. I then checked myself. Durring which my father was mad and screaming at the semi driver through his window. He refused to get out till police where there. Once police were there, he got out and stood by the cops. Everyone in the crash grabbed up objects and started walking towards the semi driver. When everyone seen I had a baby in my hands they got more mad and all started screaming. I walked up to the semi driver while holding my son and told the man "Just so you know my sons okay". He says to me "I'm glad you two didn't get hurt. Some car cut me off and I ended up rear-ending him. First this I did was try to get over to the shoulder. I didn't have time to check my mirrors. It happened so fast I wasn't even thinking." Then he LAUGHED ABOUT IT!!! It took everything in me not to go at him. Also the car he hit was no where to be seen. Like the car disappeared. This semi who hit us caused the entire wreck. This is how the wreck started. He tried to get over in the lane on his right (we where on his left in the far left lane.) He didn't check his mirrors before getting over. He just tried to get over where he rear-ended a vehicle (that disappeared) and caused another semi to vear out his lane into another car but the car had only damage to their driver mirror and scratches. They were fine. But from our crash and the other crash he caused all of us to come to a sudden halt which caused others to smash into one another.
I'm so grateful that someone(s) was watching over us!
Here is the pictures!

View attachment 1371855 View attachment 1371856 View attachment 1371857 View attachment 1371858 View attachment 1371859 View attachment 1371860 View attachment 1371861 View attachment 1371862 View attachment 1371864 View attachment 1371865 View attachment 1371866 View attachment 1371867

And here are some videos my father took.

Wow scary!!. Glad everyone is ok.