INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

vickichicki~ Glad you're back-- it wouldn't be the same without our tea (and vodka) member! Your new business sounds exciting. Can't wait to see photos!

pipd~ Thanks again for labeling the photos of your wide variety of cute chicks! Very interesting to see the changes.

CRSelvey~ My sister has been in Greencastle the past several days for her Depauw reunion-- I told her that you had a new guest house where she could stay! Ha. Your coop is so nice. As far as the floor, mine is dirt since it sits on the ground, plus I've added some play sand. I have pine shavings in the enclosed part where the perches and nesting boxes are, which includes cat litter boxes with shavings that are located under the perches. That's the main place where they poop since they are outside during the day. Since you have a wooden floor, it seems like it would be good to protect it with some type of washable covering in case you need or want to do a deep cleaning. From what I've read, it's best to avoid a slippery surface (even if you add pine shavings and or sand), and linoleum might be slippery. Btw, your husband and son look like they're enjoying your fun family project.

Quinstar~ Hope you get some sleep tonight! Your coop looks nice and big enough for you to just put a wall mounted bed in there for yourself. haha They are lucky chickens!

Idymelissane~ Glad you're feeling better-- this humor is for you:

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

hehehe making me hungry!

 

[jsummers]

Quiet day, finally! No losses, and my birds are all pretty content. Lots of mealies, extra treats and a lot of cuddling on my geese. Every bird I have outdoors is housed in the big coop, its a fortress. My 4 guinea are still in their flight pen, or they will start fights with Red my GLW roo. Not selling, or hatching until the breeds are separated again. We are setting up electric fencing for all of the coops now. jsummers, thanks so much for the bait, you rock girly!!! Already got one coon in the trap and a snare too Starting to feel like I am gaining control of my land again. I have learned to never get too relaxed and assume that "it won't happen here" because it does, and it will. I am fortunate that I only lost one of my original flock, squawk, one of my muscovy hens. We have lost close to 20 of this years babies, just makes me sick. Squawk is top left. Next clockwise is Donald, Stanley and Huey. Stanley is our only drake. My first pekin has pipped!!! can't wait to see the babies

Hey no problem! I just hope u catch those theives! Let me know how it goes! Are the pekins hatching from the drake and hen that u had or others?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Its all from your pair, they are doing great and hatching early! I haven't got any from another breeder yet. Cant wait to see the babies. they are hit and miss so far, about 50% but with the move its understandable.I just love the hen, she is a real sweetie.

 

[vickichicki]

Still trying to catch up, made a note of the last page I read so I knew where to go back to carry on. Well everyone decided to have a conversation over load last night it seems

Fortunately I have just finished reading through all those and will be keeping on top on any new postings from here on out.

But seriously people.. SHhhhhhh... until I am done catching up if you don't mind

 

[sirbuster]

Here are some pics of my babys they are getting so big now 11 weeks for the older ones and 9 weeks for the younger ones.

 

[Quinstar]

Well, today my dh made great progress. The window is installed and the flower boxes are waiting. The roof is on the coop, but we still need to extend it out for the run on the other side. You can see the hardware cloth is attached at the bottom under the siding, but still needs to be buried. He also got my tiller working this morning so I can till up and dig out the dirt. I was debating putting in shrubs in too, but I think it would just make it harder to tell if something was digging out there...maybe just a rock garden or some smaller flowers.
This is my wonderful husband. The painting is my job.
This is my son. The windows are covered with hardware cloth too under the siding and will be trimmed out too as well as doors or shutters to keep out the cold in the winter. There is still so much painting to do and then gravel and sand for the run.
This was the inside before the inside siding was put in. You can see the nest box on the right (currently full of tools). On the left side are doors that go the width of the coop so that I can clean out under the roosts that will be there. I'm hoping there will be room for a table to hold the little dog crate I've been using when someone needs to be separated.

My next issue is trying to decide the flooring. I'm planning to put down a layer of linoleum but then I was thinking I could either use sand for quick cleaning or shavings, which would go in my garden later. If I go with sand, is playground sand ok or too fine?

This is looking fantastic!!! We also put down some linoleum and I went with shavings. Going to try out the deep litter method and if I don't like that I may switch to sand at a later date.

 

[Too Fast]

I see a lot of you guys are losing animals to wild life. Did I really build a fortress or am I just that lucky? Coyotes cross around my house all the time, some wolves too I seriously suspect. Not to mention the plethora of weasels minks raccoons and opossums. And hawks are plentiful. What is the deal?

I think you did a great job. We have all the same types of those around here. We built ours like a fortress also and have not had any problems with predators. No sign of any digging either.

 

[Too Fast]

My live trap caught a barn cat from down the road.  When I let it out, it accelerated from 0-60 in 1 second flat.

John

Funny how they do that eh? Cats are so spastic that way. AFV with cats are some of the funniest!

 

[Too Fast]

...

Thanks John, my in-laws gave me a very large very heavy dog house.  I am looking at buying a 4 by 4 sheet of plywood to make a floor.  I currently have 8 bantams. the biggest are the sebrights smallest are the OEGB.   I am housing them in a great dane size wire dog crate tight now that had 3 perches/tree limbs stuck threw it.  The dog house is a bit wider but not as tall.  


 I really liked the look of the coop with heavy duty run built around it, and then opening a door to let them free range for some of the day.

I know I can build an a frame style coop on my own for a bachelor pad, since it wont need a nesting box.  I was just worried about the bad snow and cold we get up here by the lake.  I don't want chicken-cicles.

Was just informed my husband has a 3 day "weekend:" this Tuesday to Thursday so Tuesday is coop retrofit day!  the power tools are calling my name.  But I know I won't get to play with them, get a couple of stitches and suddenly you aren't allowed sharp objects. geez.

[COLOR=FF0000]Bantam question : is there a type of food folks have found is too big for them?  I was mincing an apple up today and thinking it was silly.  I don't really see me cutting all the kitchen scrap up really tiny s.  Plus I got a bag of corn on sale its whole not cracked, I saved it until they were bigger but will they ever actually be big enough for whole corn and sunflower seeds? Thanks[/COLOR]
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We have let ours free range with a secure run and have kept the pop door open for about 6 weeks. One of our 2 roosters is crowing and getting better every day.