INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Have started discussion with a few different Artificial Insemination (AI) techs regarding my cows and goats. My vet does it but he is over an hour away, and normally only does commercial dairy farms. As much as I like to own the buck and bull siring both herds.... I lose 2 pastures to the boys only off season from breeding. AI is a more reasonable expense than keeping your own sires also. Think we are going to give it a try this year. If it goes well I may quit keeping the sires for better pasture rotation. Both fellas need replaced due to genes and relation to our current herds. Its a good time to do this.

Leghorn flock are "grounded" for a month from free range rotation. They suddenly decided they wanted to roost in the Muscovy coop! One of my Muscovy, Psyco is brooding a large clutch and was really angry. She will full out attack anything near her nest. So she was tearing into them, leghorn screeching and running everywhere ugh. Poor Foghorn, he was calling them to his coop and very upset they weren't behaving. My roosters will not coop up until all the hens are accounted for. My young cockerel was AWOL and finally found him in the Cornish flock! Long story short, bedtime was a mess for both flocks. Teenagers SMH .

 

[CountryChic63]

We live outside of city limits. I spoke to a Lake County Official and he said we are allowed to own any animals and as many as we want, as long as they have proper housing and proper permits. My neighbor just doesn't want a rooster crowing when he is sleeping during the day. He works night shift at the mills. I only plan to have chickens to do brooding for me. So the rooster isn't an issue, until I get the hatching bug for chicken eggs.. Hopefully Muscovy's and Quails hold me over!

I called the Co-op Extension Office and asked for the "Educator" but the receptionist said we currentl y don't have one. So she put me in contact with the "Instructor" of the Leaders, he was very nice. He didn't think there was a limit since I don't live in the town limits. (As long as my neighbor doesn't complain.)
As mentioned, I only meant to have 1 rooster, but I believe we have two. But they're only 10 days old, so I hope I'm wrong.

Joined the FB page. Thank you!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I called the Co-op Extension Office and asked for the "Educator" but the receptionist said we currentl y don't have one. So she put me in contact with the "Instructor" of the Leaders, he was very nice. He didn't think there was a limit since I don't live in the town limits. (As long as my neighbor doesn't complain.)
As mentioned, I only meant to have 1 rooster, but I believe we have two. But they're only 10 days old, so I hope I'm wrong.

Ugh, good news but he is leaving it open. This is why I live out in the sticks. New neighbors are hard, I have one that I do not care for one bit. Lets their dogs run free and often show up here. Kept chickens himself but complains if he sees mine loose, they don't travel to his yard. He was an egg customer until I just couldn't accept his rude attitude. His dog a husky got into our pasture a few weeks ago and I am amazed my bull didn't kill it. If that dog harms any of the livestock or my birds it will be shot. Several years ago, 2 stray dogs killed one of my Dads bottle goats. Just killed him and left him lay. That's the first time I had ever seen seen Dad cry. I called the police and they said shoot the dog if it comes back. This dog dragged the baby through an 4" opening in the fence even its horns were broke off. Those 3 bottle babies had no reason to fear anything. They wanted to nuzzle that dog and it killed them.

 

[JanetMarie]

Ugh, good news but he is leaving it open. This is why I live out in the sticks. New neighbors are hard, I have one that I do not care for one bit. Lets their dogs run free and often show up here. Kept chickens himself but complains if he sees mine loose, they don't travel to his yard. He was an egg customer until I just couldn't accept his rude attitude. His dog a husky got into our pasture a few weeks ago and I am amazed my bull didn't kill it. If that dog harms any of the livestock or my birds it will be shot. Several years ago, 2 stray dogs killed one of my Dads bottle goats. Just killed him and left him lay. That's the first time I had ever seen seen Dad cry. I called the police and they said shoot the dog if it comes back. This dog dragged the baby through an 4" opening in the fence even its horns were broke off. Those 3 bottle babies had no reason to fear anything. They wanted to nuzzle that dog and it killed them.

That is so extremely sad. I have no tolerance for loose dogs who do these things. Around here if someone's dog is loose the neighbors are driving up and down the road calling it, as everyone knows here it's not tolerated by anyone.

Loose chickens are tolerated though. My neighbor (who grew up in our house) misses our chickens who used to go over to visit her. That was before we put up fencing to keep the foxes out, and now the chickens can't go over to visit her.

 

[Faraday40]

Had a nice morning, so I took my camera outside with me....

Oreo & Double Stuff (silver laced orp pullets hatched in June)


My Dominique BB2 hatched March 4th with my big Blue

Gold Laced Orpington

Some more misc. pullets
Project bird:

"Cupcake" my Buff Colombian Orp - hatched end of March

Below is Precious (my 6 yr old barnyard mix....Shhhh, she's still my favorite.)
Poor Precious has a swollen abdomen, but she walked over to me & insisted on some lap time. What else could I do but give my dear old friend some loving?

My photo session had to pause because when Precious is around, only pics of Precious can be taken. (She's a HUGE photo-bomber and always striking a pose!)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hope everyone had a great Labor day weekend! DH and I had a weekend away to our campground. Little bit of fishing each day, found a couple of new "spots"! Had good friends come and stay Saturday thru Sunday in their "mini camper" on our lot too. Had a lot of fun.
We have decided to start looking for another camper. Ours is a 94 prowler and its just starting to deteriorate terribly. Our kids are grown so its not like we need that much room either! We have fixed and repaired what we can but its about done for.
Lost Lila, one of my older leghorn hens . No idea why, just dead under the roost. She was an adult that was given to me few years back. She and Lilly are not the normal flighty leghorn, more like a pet. Hope Lilly will be with us a lot longer. I can't help but think all the heat and humidity didn't contribute playing a part in it too. I have been giving them chilled watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes as daily treats and to help keep them cooler.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000
Yay for camping!!!

You are right - this heat has been pretty crazy. And not consistent. One day cold; the next day extreme humidity and miserable. Kind-of hard to get acclimated to that!

 

[Faraday40]

I have to get my numbers down.... It's so HARD!

I sold 2 hens, GG and Glow, today. I already miss them.

I also hope to sell the rest of my summer pullets and misc. chicks.....

The good news is that I sold Glow at a discount, so I may use her for breeding next spring. The woman will house her, feed her, and love her, but I can borrow her... or more likely try some artificial insemination with my Mr Wonderful. Glow is a beauty but I don't have the space to keep all the colors of orps that exist. (Wouldn't that be fun, though!?!)

 

[JanetMarie]

I have way too many birds also. I can't let anyone else hatch eggs until numbers are down quite a bit. Even then I plan on specific breeds.

I now have two broodies.

Yesterday I followed a muscovy hen back to about where her hidden nest is. When I see her off her nest again, I'll have to hurry to find the nest and dispose of her eggs. She's only been setting a few days.

 

[Faraday40]

I have way too many birds also. I can't let anyone else hatch eggs until numbers are down quite a bit. Even then I plan on specific breeds.

I now have two broodies.

Yesterday I followed a muscovy hen back to about where her hidden nest is. When I see her off her nest again, I'll have to hurry to find the nest and dispose of her eggs. She's only been setting a few days.

I completely understand. I currently have 4 of my July pullets for sale, but 3 more hens went broody in August. There are only 8 chicks total between the 3, but that's 12 extras I do not plan to keep. I also take back any of my former chicks that turned out to be male, so add 4 more.

.....and now look who's going broody again!