INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

As far as health...quote from compost article:


Quote:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/A+Paradigm+Shift.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Sure would be an interesting business to get into..... Free food for the chicos, processed compost to sell, eggs to sell....

 

[Leahs Mom]

I guess I should give a little "disclaimer"... While I do believe that chickens won't ingest large quantities of items that will harm them, I do know that they will taste lots of things that they won't continue to eat.

You definitely have to be careful about things like broken glass pieces, "shot" from guns, etc. They'll definitely be attracted to small items like that. I often think of how, when I throw certain feed items on the ground, they rush to get there first and in the frenzy may swallow something quickly to "be the winner"! But I have also seen them pick something up and begin to run away from the others then, when they figured out what it was, spit it back out.

Some chicken breeds are more adept at such things and some are not...

 

[bloonskiller911]

I've seen that too. I think the thing that has amazed me most with what they will eat is milkweed....I really thought that they would be sick from it but the will eat all of the leave and jump for the higher ones. makes my wife so angry. she likes the butterflies. I would have thought it would have been too bitter for them

 

[danand]

Wow!! Now that's cool!!

 

[ellymayRans]

Hi bnunes8 I'm new to chickens as well. I have two sets atm, 8 weeks and 3 weeks. Two separate brooders and getting mats for our coop. My days revolve around them lol. Well them and the grand baby I watch. Who is the love of my life!

I agree to read as much as you can. Lots of stuff on the internet, also check out the local library, I found lots of good books there. I agree that the book The Small Scale Poultry Flock is a fantastic book. I checked it out 3 times to read. Lots of fantastic information in that book. He covers just about everything! And so many things that I never thought about. It's an eye opener for sure.

Also agree that everyone has their opinion on how things are to be done with chickens. I have read so much in the last two months and have come to the conclusion that everyone can have their own opinions. I am trying to listen to all advice, and working with what I have. And doing the best I can.

That being said, the only real advice I have (other than too read that is) is to have your coop ready when you get your chicks. We bought chicks in Jan of this year, figured we'd have a cpl months before we needed the coop. Boy does that time fly by. It is cold for them here, highs in the 30 lows in the teens in Northern Indiana for chicks to be outside. So until we get some decent temps, 8 are in the 8' brooder in my computer room. And the other 6 are in the x-large dog kennel in my bedroom. Trust me when I say I can't wait for warmer weather! We are getting supplies for the coop now. A little at a time. Feels like its going to take forever!

Enjoy this experience! And welcome to BYC.

Deb

Deb,

I had a similar situation as you...2 sets about 4 weeks apart. I found it to be much easier to put them all in the same large brooder in my home office space. #1 it allows them to socialize and be together as it's much easier to do at their young age then to introduce them once they're older...even at 8 wks they will be rough on the 3 wk olds for a bit...but sooo much easier to have them together now. Not to mention you're only having to keep up on one brooder!!

Right now I'm dealing with 3 different brooders! Just got 13 day old NN's about a week ago, got the bantams that are about 2 mos old from the older 5 mos old LF! I can't wait til it warms up enough to finish our larger coop! We have a small one now that housed 6 older girls...Plan is to build a big one in the next few weeks and put all of the bantams *silkies&cochins* in the smaller one. I would have never guessed that when we built our small one for 6 chicks that I would have moved up to 40 so quickly!! LOL Might as well build it as big as you have space for because if you're anything like most of us you'll need the space eventually!!

Enjoy and good luck! OOOOO And go IU!!!

 

[chknbrdr]

Just wanted to let the list know that there is supposed to be a swap meet at the fairgrounds at Martinsville, Morgan County, Indiana on March 30th at 10 am. I will be bringing several exhibition quality birds and breeding stock to sell.

Matt

 

[Lindsay9]

Hi southern Indiana here specifically Rockport I got started a few months ago with the chickens. Wow what an addiction. I currently have 7 baby lavender lf orps. Blue black and splash lf orpingtons. I have chocolate bantam orpingtons as well as blue black and lavender bantam orps. I have splash and motteled cochins. So not to bad for just getting started. I also plan on selling eggs and chickens. Almost forgot I have bantam blue laced red and gold laced wyandotts

 

[Crafty chick]

Oh lindsay! Sounds like you have a beautiful flock! Do they free range? Are they all together? I have buff orpingtons 6 mos. Old laying. 6 bantam chicks Iweek old (one a silkie ), and 4 eggs hopefully to hatch in the next day or too from my orpingtons. My first hatch, hoping to fill my home made incubator this next time

 

[jhfamily5]

5 more chicks in the incubator this morning.  quite a few more pipped! my DW, who is not as excited by the chicks, asked me why i set eggs knowing i will be at work on hatch day. ( i have a rotating schedule)  it took me a minute but i figured it out!!! it so i don't drive myself crazy from 6 pm to 10 pm i bet i checked the incubator 60 times!!! 

Crafty--did you have anything happen with your eggs??


also to any one else, do you feel scraps to your chickens? other than citrus is there anything you won't let you chickens have?  ours eat any scraps or spoiled food that goes out of the kitchen.  just wondering if anyone had preferrences on what they wouldn't feed them.

Mine love scraps but never give anything moldy or truly rotten. Also, no apple seeds, tomato plants or leaves, avocado seeds or skins. Nothing too greasy or sugary either. Mine love warm oatmeal on a cold day and scrambled eggs (I know it seems wrong but its good protein and a good use if extra eggs). Just run them through the food processor and scatter. They also love grapes, watermelon, blueberries, bananas, cereal, rice (cooked) and most dinner leftovers. Not much gets wasted here anymore.