INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[JanetMarie]

I went to TSC in Dowagiac yesterday, and they had chicks for sale and I saw they posted the Production Reds as Production Reds and not incorrectly as Rhode Island Reds!

ETA: Normally all hatcheries do not offer Rhode Island Reds, but they are Production Red instead. It is nice to see that the hatchery, or the store is listing the bird as to what it really is. It really doesn't matter to many backyard chicken keepers if it's Production Red, but to the true preserver of the Rhode Island Red Breed, it's frustrating to see almost everyone confuse the Production Red as being the Rhode Island Red.

 

[oldrooster]

I went to TSC in Dowagiac yesterday, and they had chicks for sale and I saw they posted the Production Reds as Production Reds and not incorrectly as Rhode Island Reds!

I don't usually go to my local TSC, I usually go to rural king out of habit, better location, and bigger, more selection, but my local TSC at least was honest they advertised red pullets, I realized that meant RIR, production reds, any version of red sex links (it's my understanding depending on how crossed the adults end up looking different but the chicks are all sexed alike) was in the bin. I understand some people may not like that they don't know specifically what they are getting (esp. if they are such that they do not at all look like sop for any breed so it's a true mutt), but at least it's honest in the respect that it's a red chicken...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So I have some good/bad news. Probably all of you will think "NOO!"

My husband has always wanted a pet fox. And deep down I always did too.. Well despite all the terrible shortcomings we have had, We are getting a pet FOX! Shadow Arctic pet fox. All husband's idea and not a hint of mine! My husband has had a deposit on a fox kit for almost 7 years now. Sometime in May-June we will bring her home.

I was drawn to the Arctic fox too, they were offered at the reptile swaps at the lake co fairgrounds. Beautiful creatures. There's permits involved keeping them just like a raccoon or skunk, inspections. I already had rehab permits so i skipped them. Sometimes its too much, its all in what matters to you.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

RIR are easy to pick out, look for that black tail. Harder with chicks. Production reds are comet, cinnamon queen a dozen other names. Those hens are high production hybrid birds, will only live a few years. Its about what you want and how long you want your birds to live.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

A friend asked me today why I keep Leghorn. They lay white eggs. They are boring. They are flighty. Yep, they are if you see it that way.
I wasn't insulted, that's the outlook on Leghorn. They are the factory egg breed. YEP they are all of that unless you make the effort to imprint with them! They give me eggs everyday, all year long. I've had the same rooster 6 years and Foghorn is still fertile, still a polite gentleman to me and his ladies. Excellent free range birds, rarely broody. I will take boring white eggs over store bought all day. They are a heritage breed. I have 4th generation in my brooder.
I've got my EE/OE line brooding and the new Marans too. For eggs, my White Leghorns #1 egg production. The only other breed I found that's produced as well is the Comet/cinnamon queen or production red hybrid. These breeds won't breed true, they are a hybrid. Short lifespan, I do not want to replace my birds every 2 years. So for us, White Leghorn is #1. I do love my EE line but they are a seasonal layer.

 

[Faraday40]

A friend asked me today why I keep Leghorn. They lay white eggs. They are boring. They are flighty. Yep, they are if you see it that way.
I wasn't insulted, that's the outlook on Leghorn. They are the factory egg breed. YEP they are all of that unless you make the effort to imprint with them! They give me eggs everyday, all year long. I've had the same rooster 6 years and Foghorn is still fertile, still a polite gentleman to me and his ladies. Excellent free range birds, rarely broody. I will take boring white eggs over store bought all day. They are a heritage breed. I have 4th generation in my brooder.
I've got my EE/OE line brooding and the new Marans too. For eggs, my White Leghorns #1 egg production. The only other breed I found that's produced as well is the Comet/cinnamon queen or production red hybrid. These breeds won't breed true, they are a hybrid. Short lifespan, I do not want to replace my birds every 2 years. So for us, White Leghorn is #1. I do love my EE line but they are a seasonal layer.

x2 on what you said. I never cared Leghorns because they're so active & dusty as chicks, and they'd run away from "the hand" in the brooder. By 2 weeks I wanted them out of my classroom. My 1st hatch of non-leghorn chicks really changed my opinion of chickens. We ended up keeping some..... then I got hooked!

Last year after the loss of my only white egg layer, I ordered some Leghorn eggs for a classroom hatch. (White eggs are great for candling with students.) We kept one pullet & wow, am I impressed! Tillie is quirky & fun. DS is the one who claimed her as "his" chicken. She's been laying every day since her 1st egg. (We actually thought she missed 2 days that 1st week, but later discovered where she hid those eggs. LOL) Tillie gave us consistent eggs throughout the winter. She's the 1st one to greet me - mostly because she can run faster than my waddling orps. She loves to jump up on a roost next to me and hang out and "talk" with me as I clean the coop. She doesn't enjoy being held, but she's calm when we do.

It's good to hear that Tillie could live longer than 2 years. We kept her for 2 reasons: 1) white eggs for candling with students and 2) high production. I didn't expect the quirky Easter egg hunt in her early days of laying, the daily fence hoping so she could meet me at the back door, the morning "chats," and seeing my son cuddling & babying her. I knew the production was very high, but I expected her to take a day off about once every 1-2 months. We're at 6.5 months without missing day!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

After raising the chicks this winter, seeing how much they love fresh greens I'm going a step further. I already give my chickens garden/food scraps of course. Fodder is OK for a small flock. Its a bit too much mess for all the birds I have to keep up with, there's around 23 chickens/Guinea fowl total 5 flocks. Add in the waterfowl 14 more birds.
Its been very convenient since I moved the indoor garden into our house. Ive got 8ft of T5 grow lights now, and the brooder is right next to it. The whole setup is upstairs in the hallway, next to our den. Our primary heat is a pellet stove, all that heat rises upstairs even with ceiling fans going. There's a spare bedroom for guests up there I could use for plants, but my oldest DD uses it when she's home to visit.
I'm going to expand what we grow, and plant extra for my birds and the livestock. We don't have enough land to do feed crops but I can do supplements! I was surprised how much they loved kale and chard. This is my first year growing it, so I'm really liking it too. I already grow pumpkin for the critters yearly, so just adding a few new things.

 

[JanetMarie]

RIR are easy to pick out, look for that black tail. Harder with chicks. Production reds are comet, cinnamon queen a dozen other names. Those hens are high production hybrid birds, will only live a few years. Its about what you want and how long you want your birds to live.

Hatcheries and farm stores, don't sell RIRs, even if it has a black tail, it's not a RIR. True RIRs are only available from breeders who have made sure to keep the breed pure, and they didn't obtain theirs from hatchery stock.

 

[JanetMarie]

After raising the chicks this winter, seeing how much they love fresh greens I'm going a step further. I already give my chickens garden/food scraps of course. Fodder is OK for a small flock. Its a bit too much mess for all the birds I have to keep up with, there's around 23 chickens/Guinea fowl total 5 flocks. Add in the waterfowl 14 more birds.
Its been very convenient since I moved the indoor garden into our house. Ive got 8ft of T5 grow lights now, and the brooder is right next to it. The whole setup is upstairs in the hallway, next to our den. Our primary heat is a pellet stove, all that heat rises upstairs even with ceiling fans going. There's a spare bedroom for guests up there I could use for plants, but my oldest DD uses it when she's home to visit.
I'm going to expand what we grow, and plant extra for my birds and the livestock. We don't have enough land to do feed crops but I can do supplements! I was surprised how much they loved kale and chard. This is my first year growing it, so I'm really liking it too. I already grow pumpkin for the critters yearly, so just adding a few new things.

We also have T5 lights. They're hanging upstairs in what would be considered a bedroom. They work great.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hatcheries and farm stores, don't sell RIRs, even if it has a black tail, it's not a RIR. True RIRs are only available from breeders who have made sure to keep the breed pure, and they didn't obtain theirs from hatchery stock.

Truth there, hatcheries sell "production RIR" and not true Rhode Island Red breeder quality stock. Big difference! The true RIR are much more impressive, larger and robust breed.