INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Even though I am not an expert, I think your red pullet is a Golden Comet. Anyone else think so? I've only had chickens a year and I have been nuts ever since. My RIR, Nene, (who looks similar to yours except for the comb and tail feather ends) is a character! She is so nosey about everything and has to be right in the middle of whatever is going on. While my other hens retreat when a visitor comes, Nene is right up in their face as though she's asking, "Who are you and why are you here and shouldn't you be leaving?"

I partially agree. That is a red sexlink pullet. Golden Comet, Red Star, ISA Brown, Cinnamon Queen, etc. are all names for different hybrids of red sexlinks.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

It won't quote right for some reason, but so sorry for your losses, jchny, and best of luck catching the culprit!

 

[CountryHen19]

Julie, thanks. I am not one to cry but this sure brought tears to me, my poor little Hope was precious and has been a strong survivor for all the challenges she had. The pekins have really stole my heart too. I am so angry I could scream! Bottom line is security, and its my fault. I needed a covered run for them too obviously and I failed. Learned the hard way.

I'm so sorry for your loss Jchny2000! Im sure its not easy to wrap your head around your animals suddenly not being there. Best of luck for you to keep everybody else safe and sound.

 

[Quinstar]

I would suggest that the trusses go over the high side and overhang about 4 feet. You can always add on. It doesn't have to win awards, only be functional. Ours goes over the high side of the run about 1 ft, and it'd be nice if it had another 3. Our run works out to about a 16x8 also.

This picture shows before the run was added on, you can see the beginning of the fencing below/around the coop. The high side is where it would've been nicer to have more of an overhang. Our overhead ariel protection is attached to the top of the cedar shake roof. It would be easy to attach it below, with an overhang. The high point is about 6.5 feet.

Good to know. We'll definitely keep that in mind. I think DH already started on the trusses with 10ft beams. I'll have to check tonight. We can always cover a portion of the run next to the high side as well. We are actually going to enter from the side. The interior clearance of the coop is 6ft on the high side and 4 ft on the low side, so the high side from ground to top is about 9 ft tall.

So in the last week I have been busy with company and working on the chicken coop. I come back to the world of Indiana chickens and find that you all have not taken a break for the holidays and I'm more than 30 pages behind. WOW. Its so much fun catching up but I still have many pages to go. I really enjoy reading all of your posts.

Yesterday, I had my original 6 chickens and my wonderful husband was about chickened out. He's been building me the coop with the hopes that we can quit talking about them all the time, lol. So, today I was talking to my friend and she said that she and her husband have contained all of their bantam roos and they are finding new homes for them or her husband is going to shoot them and put them in the freezer. Well, I'm on the pet end of chicken keeping right now, so this makes me just a little queasy. I live on 10 wooded acres and I have too many bugs, so I was thinking rather than let them go to "freezer camp" I'd put them to work at my house eating my bugs. Apparently, they roost in trees, won't need a shelter until winter (which seems to be the schedule we are on for the other 6...our coop is taking forever) and they don't eat much. I am now the proud owner of 6 bantam roos and 2 year old Easter Egger hens. It turns out that one of the bantys and one of the Easter Eggers are in love with each other and can't be separated. Since these particular Easter Eggers won't stay in their coop area and fly a lot, they came home too. Am I crazy? Probably, but I still think that they can be useful and none of my neighbors seem to have a problem with crowing. I hope they won't end up food for something, but maybe when the coop is done, I can talk them inside. Either way, its got to be somewhat better than the freezer they were headed for.

Here are the new additions:
I have no idea what kind they are but I think the reds and the black are really pretty.
I think they are going to take over the woodshed. Not sure if its safe from predators, but I hope so.

The hens have had too much attention from the other roos where they used to live, but I am hoping they will get their feathers back here. It would be really nice if they can learn to be friends with my chicks someday.

Progress is messy and slow, but we have screened in windows, steps, siding, nesting box, and half of the roof. We still need to do the attached covered run, add the actual windows, add vents, and finish the inside.The covered run will have a layer of gravel and then about 3 inches or more of sand to keep them dry. I hope we are getting close to the halfway point because two of my chicks are roos and have started crowing in the basement. Its really unfortunate because my husbands office is also down there and he works from home. Its getting awkward trying to explain on conference calls.

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and thank you for sharing all of your information. I really appreciate all the knowledge.

Love the coop! How long have you been working on it? I would love to hear the person that asks your DH "Is that a rooster crowing?".

Today has been a horribly sad day for me. I am going to be spending tomorrow with my rifle in hand watching my goose pen. Late this morning, I went out to check my geese & ducks, discovered grey feathers everywhere and some very frightened birds. All was fine around 6 am when I checked them. My oldest DD checked at 10am before she went to work, since we had merged the birds we wanted to make sure no one was being picked on. So between 10am and 1145am, something entered the pen, and took my little wry neck goose. Hope is gone

my poor baby girl. I am just heartbroke over it. She was still pretty small, maybe 5 pounds at the most. My geese stayed in the pen this week, I combined them with the babies Monday evening and all was going very well. So tonight, I go back out and feed them, check again... Now my pekin drake isn't out there either!?!?!

I AM JUST LIVID! I am just sick over it, and he was a fairly large duck! This may be a large fox, or possibly coyote? If I have to sit in the middle of the pen all day, this animal will be dispatched! Only evidence is feathers. Last week, my muscovy drake was attacked and had puncture wounds on his neck. Its happening in the late morning hours. I assumed it was because he and the girls were out with the chickens like they usually are. So, I penned all of them up. Every bird here is locked up and not free ranging! I am strongly suspecting a fox, our neighbor on the corner lost his entire duck flock a month or so ago, and saw the creature with the last one dangling from its mouth. By time he got his rifle it was gone. Until I can secure their pen and cover it, they will move back to the main chicken coop, with the enclosed top. Not risking any more of my babies safety. We had purchased wire for electric fencing Tuesday & already bought the charger unit a few weeks ago. Its going to be put up this weekend!
I have always let all my birds free range and my original flock is just pacing at the fence, they don't understand why they cant be out. This last 2 weeks has been terribly dangerous for them, and it will change immediately. they will remain penned until this problem is resolved.

So sorry! That's absolutely terrible. I hope you figure out what it is soon.

 

[tumbles]

Hi, we are on the south side of Indy & have had chickens for 6 days. I love Tumbles & her flock. I don't know anything about chickens, other than what I've read here so any help, advise would be great!! We have a flock of 8 laying hens all different breeds.
You can see their pics in "raising chicks" all of my posts there start with " Tumbles...."

 

[bradselig]

So in the last week I have been busy with company and working on the chicken coop. I come back to the world of Indiana chickens and find that you all have not taken a break for the holidays and I'm more than 30 pages behind. WOW. Its so much fun catching up but I still have many pages to go. I really enjoy reading all of your posts. Yesterday, I had my original 6 chickens and my wonderful husband was about chickened out. He's been building me the coop with the hopes that we can quit talking about them all the time, lol. So, today I was talking to my friend and she said that she and her husband have contained all of their bantam roos and they are finding new homes for them or her husband is going to shoot them and put them in the freezer. Well, I'm on the pet end of chicken keeping right now, so this makes me just a little queasy. I live on 10 wooded acres and I have too many bugs, so I was thinking rather than let them go to "freezer camp" I'd put them to work at my house eating my bugs. Apparently, they roost in trees, won't need a shelter until winter (which seems to be the schedule we are on for the other 6...our coop is taking forever) and they don't eat much. I am now the proud owner of 6 bantam roos and 2 year old Easter Egger hens. It turns out that one of the bantys and one of the Easter Eggers are in love with each other and can't be separated. Since these particular Easter Eggers won't stay in their coop area and fly a lot, they came home too. Am I crazy? Probably, but I still think that they can be useful and none of my neighbors seem to have a problem with crowing. I hope they won't end up food for something, but maybe when the coop is done, I can talk them inside. Either way, its got to be somewhat better than the freezer they were headed for. Here are the new additions: I have no idea what kind they are but I think the reds and the black are really pretty. I think they are going to take over the woodshed. Not sure if its safe from predators, but I hope so.

The hens have had too much attention from the other roos where they used to live, but I am hoping they will get their feathers back here. It would be really nice if they can learn to be friends with my chicks someday. Progress is messy and slow, but we have screened in windows, steps, siding, nesting box, and half of the roof. We still need to do the attached covered run, add the actual windows, add vents, and finish the inside.The covered run will have a layer of gravel and then about 3 inches or more of sand to keep them dry. I hope we are getting close to the halfway point because two of my chicks are roos and have started crowing in the basement. Its really unfortunate because my husbands office is also down there and he works from home. Its getting awkward trying to explain on conference calls. I hope you all had a great holiday weekend and thank you for sharing all of your information. I really appreciate all the knowledge.

very nice! Love the new chickens as well particularly the white with red! I wonder if those are red shouldered Yokohama?

Today has been a horribly sad day for me. I am going to be spending tomorrow with my rifle in hand watching my goose pen. Late this morning, I went out to check my geese & ducks, discovered grey feathers everywhere and some very frightened birds. All was fine around 6 am when I checked them. My oldest DD checked at 10am before she went to work, since we had merged the birds we wanted to make sure no one was being picked on. So between 10am and 1145am, something entered the pen, and took my little wry neck goose. Hope is gone my poor baby girl. I am just heartbroke over it. She was still pretty small, maybe 5 pounds at the most. My geese stayed in the pen this week, I combined them with the babies Monday evening and all was going very well. So tonight, I go back out and feed them, check again... Now my pekin drake isn't out there either!?!?! I AM JUST LIVID! I am just sick over it, and he was a fairly large duck! This may be a large fox, or possibly coyote? If I have to sit in the middle of the pen all day, this animal will be dispatched! Only evidence is feathers. Last week, my muscovy drake was attacked and had puncture wounds on his neck. Its happening in the late morning hours. I assumed it was because he and the girls were out with the chickens like they usually are. So, I penned all of them up. Every bird here is locked up and not free ranging! I am strongly suspecting a fox, our neighbor on the corner lost his entire duck flock a month or so ago, and saw the creature with the last one dangling from its mouth. By time he got his rifle it was gone. Until I can secure their pen and cover it, they will move back to the main chicken coop, with the enclosed top. Not risking any more of my babies safety. We had purchased wire for electric fencing Tuesday & already bought the charger unit a few weeks ago. Its going to be put up this weekend! I have always let all my birds free range and my original flock is just pacing at the fence, they don't understand why they cant be out. This last 2 weeks has been terribly dangerous for them, and it will change immediately. they will remain penned until this problem is resolved.

so sorry! I went into owning chickens that I would have losses, but still amazes me how hard it is.

Here are some of my turkeys they are doing much better now

adorable! One day ill get som turkeys!

 

[bradselig]

Hi, we are on the south side of Indy & have had chickens for 6 days. I love Tumbles & her flock. I don't know anything about chickens, other than what I've read here so any help, advise would be great!! We have a flock of 8 laying hens all different breeds.
You can see their pics in "raising chicks" all of my posts there start with " Tumbles...."

Welcome! Nice looking chicks.
Here is a direct link to the photos. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-sisters-of-a-different-feather#post_11315130

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
ahh more chick pictures. addicting little critters aren't they?

 

[CountryHen19]

Hi, we are on the south side of Indy & have had chickens for 6 days. I love Tumbles & her flock. I don't know anything about chickens, other than what I've read here so any help, advise would be great!! We have a flock of 8 laying hens all different breeds.
You can see their pics in "raising chicks" all of my posts there start with " Tumbles...."

welcome! Where did you get your chicks from?

My first chicks are starting to hatch right now in fact (at bradselig's house and another "local" lady's house-- the two breeds are Blue Laced Red Wyandotte & Swedish Flower Hen). I have absorbed lots of information from the internet, books, other chicken owners on here and people who I know and/or met but I will see if I have retained enough when I pick them up in a couple days and actually start raising them.

I peeked at the link bradselig posted and they are some cute chicks

 

[ellymayRans]

So sorry that I've not been around .... nor do I have the time to read 40 pages to catch up! So I hope all is well with everyone!
I have been having a horrible couple of 3 weeks it seems!! Maybe more! lol

I've dealt with dead babies from the post office...had 9 survivors from that bunch...one day after a little over a week had one just drop dead!...then I had some of the older ones...NN's of approx 4 mos old with cocci...lost 1 of them...newest member of the flock, a showgirl who was actually laying had gapeworm and died...then all of a sudden the 8 babies of 3 weeks oldish got cocci and I lost 2 more of them!

Now I'm battling a 22 week old silkie with something unknown...can't figure it out! I've never been so stressed! I've also never dealt with so much sickness...seems to just be one thing after another! Blah! Sigh...Sniffle....

Ok.. so anyone out there experience the odd behavior of a silkie besides the obvious odd behavior they exihibit typically! I have one that has always been very active and stood upright with no quirks...all of a sudden one day he was wondering around the yard which was odd but not "shocking"...the next day I realized he was sitting by himself with his head swaying from front all the way to over his back over and over...similar the way chickens do when you're holding them walking with them. It's been about 3 days and he is not as bad as I've been giving him water with Poly in it...hoping it's a vitamin deficiency since being on the Corid. If I direct him to the food and water he will ferociously eat it for about 5 seconds then stop and back to his belly. He doesn't appear to be experiencing any paralysis as with Merek's nor grey eye... It's almost as if he's going blind...seems that he doesn't really "see" the food or water in front of him right away...just so wierd. I don't know what to do for him! Anyone??