INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Crazy busy time of year. We processed our bull 2 weeks ago, finally. Just way too aggressive! Had to do it at home all the butchers are booked solid.
Last weekend, we added a new bull and 2 heifers! Zero is a yearling bull, and Frosty and Elsa are 13 and 11 months. I've looked at a ton of Herefords locally. Found these guys east of Lafayette. Well worth the 4 hour round trip. They are already almost the size of my adult Jerseys.

 

[Faraday40]

Crazy busy time of year. We processed our bull 2 weeks ago, finally. Just way too aggressive! Had to do it at home all the butchers are booked solid.
Last weekend, we added a new bull and 2 heifers! Zero is a yearling bull, and Frosty and Elsa are 13 and 11 months. I've looked at a ton of Herefords locally. Found these guys east of Lafayette. Well worth the 4 hour round trip. They are already almost the size of my adult Jerseys.View attachment 1605654

I can't imagine processing a bull. It must be a huge job! How many people & how long does it take? I guess your freezers are stuffed!

 

[Faraday40]

Get ready to smile....

Here are the chicks that hatched yesterday:
SERAMAS:
white chick


chipmunk chick


yellow chick


ORPINGTON:
(I think a mauve or dark blue)


Sisters! LOL Just wait another 3 weeks to see the difference!


SILKIE X SERAMA mixes

 

[Faraday40]

I thought I should be fair & get some better pics of the silkie twins. They were in a posing mood this afternoon.




... and I moved the orp back to the bigger hen. This way each hen only has 3 chicks to focus on. This is going to be the new family:

 

[Leahs Mom]

A giant chick!!!

 

[Faraday40]

Seramas are 5 Days Old:


White:


Chipmunk:


Yellow:


They're already getting little wing sprouts. They're also getting spoiled. Mama is DD's fav silkie, so of course no one complained when they just showed up inside the house. This is the 1st time we have a broody raising seramas. They are so tiny compared to the mama. (Normally it's reverse: a bantam broody raising giant sized chicks.)

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Looks like you've got a bunch of complainers. Way too cute! I never actually put up my incubators after my last hatch and all these pictures are making it awfully hard for me to ignore them...

 

[Faraday40]

Looks like you've got a bunch of complainers. Way too cute! I never actually put up my incubators after my last hatch and all these pictures are making it awfully hard for me to ignore them...

Well, my incubator's still in storage above the garage and it didn't do me any good!
My silly hens went broody in winter & it was more temptation than I could bear...... Now I know my serama roo is doing his job, and we have chicks in the dining room.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I can't imagine processing a bull. It must be a huge job! How many people & how long does it take? I guess your freezers are stuffed!

It's a lot! We have 4 small freezers now. I usually do get help! Its never easy. I barter with a friend for roof repairs etc. Its a week to get everything in the freezer. I allow 14 days to age the beef, we have a large commercial fridge in the barn. its mostly myself and my brother doing the final packing. Hubby helps with the initial bad day. From there we package large roasts. ground beef and primal cuts. Its usually 3 or 4 of us on that bad day. I want to be sure that animal didn't suffer. If its just DH and I its a calm quiet end for them. Its respect and thanks to them.
With all the food recalls lately I can't imagine going back to store bought food.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Great pics guys!
I just discovered my "wild" Khaki Campbell duck has a clutch of eggs hatching, ugh. She is a huge escape artist, and will disappear for weeks. Heard peeping, sure enough under the back porch. I may try to take them if she doesn't attack us, although I really prefer she brood them.. This is not the time of year to brood ducklings, brooder has to be cleaned at least once a day. Ducks are very messy.