INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Ninjasquirrel]

Well, I just got through a life lesson.

My eight-ish month old silkie went broody. I had read that young broodies can have a bad go of it, but it worked out with my other silkie momma, so I let her nest. From the get go, there were problems. She would get up off the nest often. Only one of the eggs fully developed and it took 26 days to hatch. The day of hatching, she kept getting off of the egg. It took 30 hours for the chick to hatch from when it started. I had to keep moving the egg under my mature broody to get it warmed up. Finally, the egg did hatch and I thought all was well. It was up scratching in the coop with her. That was three days ago. This morning, I got up and the silkie was outside by herself, and I knew that was a bad sign. Furthermore, I didn't hear the chick. Sure enough, when I got there, it had died. It was still warm, and I held it for a while to warm it up. But its heart wasn't beating and it was clearly gone.

Anyway, just my anecdotal evidence that a young silkie who doesn't show committment is probably going to be more of a frustration than not.

So sorry for your loss! Especially after all the work you did to protect that egg from her inexperienced mother. Thank you for sharing your experience so we can all learn from it

 

[Faraday40]

Well, I just got through a life lesson.

My eight-ish month old silkie went broody. I had read that young broodies can have a bad go of it, but it worked out with my other silkie momma, so I let her nest. From the get go, there were problems. She would get up off the nest often. Only one of the eggs fully developed and it took 26 days to hatch. The day of hatching, she kept getting off of the egg. It took 30 hours for the chick to hatch from when it started. I had to keep moving the egg under my mature broody to get it warmed up. Finally, the egg did hatch and I thought all was well. It was up scratching in the coop with her. That was three days ago. This morning, I got up and the silkie was outside by herself, and I knew that was a bad sign. Furthermore, I didn't hear the chick. Sure enough, when I got there, it had died. It was still warm, and I held it for a while to warm it up. But its heart wasn't beating and it was clearly gone.

Anyway, just my anecdotal evidence that a young silkie who doesn't show committment is probably going to be more of a frustration than not.

So sorry the chick didn't make it. We have a beautiful (but dumb) silkie named Mai Mai. The 1st 3 times she went broody, she sat on a food dish instead of eggs. (I guess she wanted to hatch another bowl for treats.) I usually had another hen broody at the same time as a back up. The 4th time she went broody, she was on/off the eggs but a great mama after they hatched.

edit to add:
I only trusted her with one orpington chick and allowed her to adopt a 3 mo old serama pullet. Here are some pics of the cute, but odd family.

She never did abandon them. The serama still sleeps with her. I sold the black orp girl because she was getting too big for my little bantam coop.

 

[Pollitos6]

Well, I just got through a life lesson.

My eight-ish month old silkie went broody. I had read that young broodies can have a bad go of it, but it worked out with my other silkie momma, so I let her nest. From the get go, there were problems. She would get up off the nest often. Only one of the eggs fully developed and it took 26 days to hatch. The day of hatching, she kept getting off of the egg. It took 30 hours for the chick to hatch from when it started. I had to keep moving the egg under my mature broody to get it warmed up. Finally, the egg did hatch and I thought all was well. It was up scratching in the coop with her. That was three days ago. This morning, I got up and the silkie was outside by herself, and I knew that was a bad sign. Furthermore, I didn't hear the chick. Sure enough, when I got there, it had died. It was still warm, and I held it for a while to warm it up. But its heart wasn't beating and it was clearly gone.

Anyway, just my anecdotal evidence that a young silkie who doesn't show committment is probably going to be more of a frustration than not.

I am sorry to hear your baby silkie didn't make it. I appreciate you sharing your experience about your new silkie pullet because I always thought silkies are the best hens hatching eggs. I heard so many times that silkies are very determine when they become broody. We have three silkie pullets about 8 months old and one of them is broody. I personally preferred for them to hatch eggs during spring/summer. But your comment is very helpful..

Thanks

 

[Pollitos6]

So sorry, hope she gets feeling better, I've never encountered something like this before. But you've been trying so much already.

Thanks... actually her eye seems to be improving. I have been cleaning her eye with chamomile tea (room temp) and keep putting the antibiotic gel inside her eye.. The swelling is doing better and she has been opening her eye more often.

 

[Pollitos6]

Hello , I need your guys advise please .
I have a hen that had a swollen eye for a few weeks . After some research I think she had respiratory infection. I treated her by injecting her tylan 50 1/2 cc twice a day for 4 days . She weight 4 lbs . I have algo been putting and antibiotic gel in her bad eye and putting some vetrx in her comb. At first she was discharging some mucus from her nose. She has been doing better , no more mucus , her swollen eye has gotten a bit better but still swollen and even though she has tried opening the eye I don’t know what else to do to help her . She has been isolated for a few weeks . She acts normal , she eats , drink , is active , lay eggs . What else can I do ? I don’t know any vet that handles chicken .

any advice ?

please and thank you

Hello update on my hen . I saw a YouTube video where they were carefully digging in the chicken swollen eye and pus came out and OMG . I did the same tonight being very careful and you guys are not going to believe what came off her eye , pus the size of a pea and hard too . I know she must feel a whole better . I put some ointment and let her rest . Poor baby . She should be able to return with her flock soon . Sooo relieve !!

 

[Andrew10]

Hey all, been inactive for a bit, but am here to let ya know that I have some very nice New Hampshire stock now. My profile pic is a example of one, so if anyone is interested in some hatching eggs shoot me a DM. I'm planning to hatch some in about a month, but after that I'm up for helping out others

 

[Finnie]

Hey all, been inactive for a bit, but am here to let ya know that I have some very nice New Hampshire stock now. My profile pic is a example of one, so if anyone is interested in some hatching eggs shoot me a DM. I'm planning to hatch some in about a month, but after that I'm up for helping out others

Nice to see you back, Andrew! Nice that your quest for New Hampshire breeding stock has paid off.

 

[Andrew10]

Nice to see you back, Andrew! Nice that your quest for New Hampshire breeding stock has paid off.

Thank you Finnie, it took a couple years but I was finally able to find some good ones

 

[Rodrad]

Hello everyone! Good to see people coming in and joining! Do we take the original list, or start fresh? What do you guys think? I think lets keep it simple, your town or general location, and user name. And maybe your preferred breeds/species? I plan to do a hard copy in Excel, so its easy to re-sort as we add members.
I've sent the request to moderators to get direction as to how to add contributors. Be sure to post here on this thread if you are willing to help (update/edit the lists).

Hi,
I am in Columbus (of course Indiana). Plan this spring to get a small flock of chickens. 2-3 of each of these breeds; australorp, barred rock, buff orpington, wyandotte and Rhode island red.
Where is the good source for these chickens?
thanks

 

[Rodrad]

Hello all! I'm at Westport, about 19 miles east of Columbus, so not too far from you Monroe County folks. Have been on several threads in BYC that tended to die out as folks got too busy or went on to other pursuits, so am glad to see some fresh starts.
Got into chickens about seven years ago, although had been around them a lot when I was young. Wanted 4 laying hens, so went to Orscheln's and bought 2 Plymouth rock and 2 RIR chicks, but the bantams were oh-so-cute and my aunt always had them, so 4 of those.
As of this summer I had around 200, including the peeps, but have thinned my flock considerably for the winter. I show bantam white crested black Polish, large fowl white Polish, LF black copper Marans, silkies, and bantam cochins. Also have peafowl, Appenzeller spitzhaubens, a pair of tolbunt Polish, a few light Brahmas, Americanas, and other miscellaneous barnyard birds.
Unfortunately some of my thinning was because of a virus, possibly brought home from a show. On the plus side of that, my show stock was completely isolated except a young BCM cock of whom I was particularly fond and who had shown well. I lost him and several barnyarders and am in the process of vaccinating everyone else and doubling or tripling my biosecurity. Obviously I can't sell or show any of those who might have been exposed even after vaccinating, so guess they'll be hanging around. I guess this is something of a caveat to those new to poultry--practice biosecurity.
Happy to see some old (not in age, certainly!) BYC friends as well as new blood here!

I am in Columbus. Looking for a source to buy few chicks from these breeds: australorp, barred rock, buff orpington, wyandotte and Rhode Island red.
thanks