INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Eggs are sure increasing, will be able to resume selling eggs very soon. I sell mostly to neighbors and friends. I do donate eggs to planned events for schools or DNR summer camp. Everyone likes the fact my birds free range on rotation and the yolks are so orange. Each coop has its own rooster so the eggs are always fertile. In chickens, we keep BR, WL, AB, LA, BCM, EE&OE.
I'm not sure if I will hatch this year yet. My vet talked about bringing goose eggs over. He uses geese to prevent aerial predators attacking his flocks. He wants to raise his own goslings this year for his children to experience! Goslings are just precious little lives. Bond to their humans fast and can live 20 years+ so geese are a long term commitment. 90% of my goslings go to his farm already. He contacted me several years ago asking if geese repel aerial attacks. YES! Adult geese will repel a hawk or owl. He uses electric fence as we do, problem solved. Huge decrease in losses he was very pleased. He sells quality processed poultry and was seeing huge predator loss before he learned about geese.

 

[Pollitos6]

Eggs are sure increasing, will be able to resume selling eggs very soon. I sell mostly to neighbors and friends. I do donate eggs to planned events for schools or DNR summer camp. Everyone likes the fact my birds free range on rotation and the yolks are so orange. Each coop has its own rooster so the eggs are always fertile. In chickens, we keep BR, WL, AB, LA, BCM, EE&OE.
I'm not sure if I will hatch this year yet. My vet talked about bringing goose eggs over. He uses geese to prevent aerial predators attacking his flocks. He wants to raise his own goslings this year for his children to experience! Goslings are just precious little lives. Bond to their humans fast and can live 20 years+ so geese are a long term commitment. 90% of my goslings go to his farm already. He contacted me several years ago asking if geese repel aerial attacks. YES! Adult geese will repel a hawk or owl. He uses electric fence as we do, problem solved. Huge decrease in losses he was very pleased. He sells quality processed poultry and was seeing huge predator loss before he learned about geese.

Hello,
That's nice of you to donating eggs, that's a great idea. I actually thought on contacting a local church and ask if they take egg donations. I also sell eggs to friends and family but sometimes I get too many eggs to keep up. I usually cook the extra eggs and give it back to the chickens (for protein) or give it away to friends.
I was thinking in getting me a gosling this year to protect my flock. Some online Hatchery required a minimum of 3 goslings. I heard that for protection purposes its better to get just one goose, if you get more than one they will bond and will not do their job protecting the chickens. Do you know if this is accurate?

Thanks

 

[man_of_fishers]

Thanks for the advice on the eggs, everyone! We’re on day nine and my Silkie has been nesting so well. She jumps off first thing in the morning to relieve herself, grab a quick bite, a drink, and then she runs back on the nest. And to think, she’s only about 10 months old.

I plant to candle the eggs again the 15 day mark and think out any of the maybes that I had, since I’ll for sure be able to see development by then.

Last night, I dreamed that she hatched them and they immediately started bouncing around and playing. I realize they won’t come out like that, but you can tell it’s all I’m thinking about these days.

Related, I do have a camera set up in the nesting box. I use it to check in on her, but I plan to start recording on day 21 so that I can capture it. I’m not sure if there’s much to see, but I’ll catch it if there is.

 

[Pollitos6]

how exciting!! I wish you could record when the baby hatch and post it here for us to see. I heard silkie birds are very delicate ( they can't get wet and stay wet like the other chickens) is that true? do you keep them in a closed run?

 

[man_of_fishers]

how exciting!! I wish you could record when the baby hatch and post it here for us to see. I heard silkie birds are very delicate ( they can't get wet and stay wet like the other chickens) is that true? do you keep them in a closed run?

I don’t know about silkies and the wetness. :-/ That being said, my run is 100% covered, so my birds never get wet.
I’m definitely going to try to record it. Will post it here if I get good footage!

 

[Pollitos6]

Raising chickens is really addictive and my chicken math is not helping LOL. I lost a few days ago a pullet who was attacked by a hawk and I found out that among my girls I have a rooster. That means I am down two pullets now. Great excuse to order more baby chicks LOL. To be honest I have only purchased poultry by mail once, that was when I ordered my ducks last year. My ducks arrived fine but I was very stressed out thinking they might not make it. I am not a fan of ordering by mail but to be honest in the local store they don't have the variety that you can get by ordering through a Hatchery. So I decided to order 8 female chicks from a Hatchery. They should arrived on Tuesday and yes I am worried. I live in Indianapolis and the weather doesn't seem to be too horrible by Tuesday. Since I have a rooster now I might just hatch my own chicks this year. I usually have two broody hens in my flock so I might let them hatch some eggs this spring. What do you guys do when you get too many roosters?

Thanks

 

[Finnie]

What do you guys do when you get too many roosters?

I put them on Craigslist. I also learned how to process them, so that is an option, but not exactly my favorite one.

 

[Pollitos6]

I put them on Craigslist. I also learned how to process them, so that is an option, but not exactly my favorite one.

Honestly, with all these crazy "recalls", processing the extra birds is the way to go, at least you know what you are eating was raised healthy. The thing is that I don't have the heart to do it myself. However, there are people who get "meat birds" and take them to a butcher to process them. If I decided to get meat bird, i don't even know any local place that will process poultry.

 

[hillbillhip]

I got my very first egg today! It's tiny, but I'll take it!
I wasn't expecting it to be this exciting
I'm not sure which of the 10 laid it, but I have a suspicion it was one of my Plymouth Rocks. Two of them have been "assuming the position" when I pet them the last couple weeks.

 

[Faraday40]

What do you guys do when you get too many roosters?

If you're willing to learn how to process there are people willing to teach. My handyman grew up on a farm and was also a hunter. He knew how butcher many types of animals, so when the time came to get rid of my 1st few injured hens or roosters, he did the deed. After a year, I had the courage to assist. About a year or two later I was able to do any of the jobs. When he passed away last year, I was of course very sad, but so thankful that he shared some of his skills with me. I was even able to help another BYC member get her rooster number under control. It felt good to pass along his wisdom.

Honestly the hardest part is the emotions. It's not for everyone and it's not like anyone "wants" to kill livestock. It just needs to get done and some one has to do it. I could accept the logic but it took me several years before I could it. There's also a big sense of accomplishment when you cook a meal made by yourself.