INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[vickichicki]

Ok with all that being said more questions 1 how should I attach the 5 gallon buckets to make a nesting box and how many do I need?? 2 what's an easy bedding I can use??? That's easy to use. I've tried corn cob bedding ceder shaving straw and those get mess to clean (messes with my lungs) 3 the new coop is going to be 6ft x 12ft will that be big enough?? 4 how big does the run have to be??? 5 how do I teach chickens to use a poultry nipple??? 6 what's a good roof material that's easy to install??? Thanks for answering all my questions

1&2 . I made a bench for them to sit on top off (can get pictures later). They are crammed in there snug, so I did not affix them to anything. Cut the lid so there is a lip so they do not push out the bedding material. I use pine shavings and have to top it off when it gets low. I tried straw but they kept pulling that out. The pine shavings means you will have to dig for eggs in it. I double check the buckets and often find an egg I missed hidden underneath.

3. Depends on how many chickens and what breed. Some breeds deal better in smaller coops, bantams obviously do not need a coop as big as LF would need.

4. As big as you want or as big as your room will allow. I do not have a run yet and my girls are fine with it. I will be fencing a section off around 10x12 this spring, a small run is better than no run.

5. They will work it out. If you take out their water, they will eventually investigate the nipple as they are super curious. Once one does it, they will all see and want to have a go too.

6. Asphalt singles are not too bad to install, just hammer and nails. Metal siding/roofing is quick and easy, but can be a pain to cut. Rolls of rubber are ok, but requires a good sub surface to glue it to. Wood with a good coat of sealer or paint might give you a few years worth of roofing, unless you use cedar singles, at which point they are good for quite a while.

Hope that helps, any more questions or if you need explanations to the replies let me know.

 

[vickichicki]

I need advice. I have a week old Buff Cochin Bantam that is doing this odd clicking sound almost inaudible at times when she breathes. She has no discharge, is acting normal, eating, drinking, normal poops & has only sneezed once since I purchased her. She's in a brooder with 2 Australorps same age & another Cochin Bantam same age. None of them are doing the weird breathing. Should I medicate her with antibiotics or could this be an allergy or maybe food getting in her nostrils etc ? I don't want to ignore this & lose her or let something spread through my other 15 chickens. Please help & thanks.

Might not be this, however, anytime I feed my chickens cracked corn they sneeze and hack. I assume it is inhaling the tiny particles up their noses. Water can cause that too.. The nostrils being to close to the end of the beak means a good head dunk and they are breathing it in.


Hopefully someone else can chime in here and offer some suggestions.

 

[vickichicki]

Hey everyone, just wanted to shout out a reminder to old thread members as well as new Hoosiers that have joined.... We need help. Anyone that's comfortable with Excel or Google Docs, WE WANT YOU

We are trying to add contributors that will help keep our member list updated and events, co-ops and more added on our member page, Please PM me if you want to pitch in and keep our state thread active. If you have recently joined our thread, please send a PM to me, CluckAcres, bwindell, mother2hens if you would like to be added to the member list.
Posts may not be seen, so please send a message to one of us.
Members list and more can be seen here:
www.backyardchickens.com/a/indiana-bycers-members-events-links
We really need more people willing to help keep members updated! Thanks to everyone and am so glad to see so many people joining our thread.

As mentioned in a previous thread.. I am having the inhability to edit my typing without loosing half my text (which can be a good thing as I do rattle on a bit). I have limtied knowledge of Excel and never used Google Doc. Give me Excel 95 and I can rock your world. However, anything I can do to help, let me know.

You guys contribute so much to keep this thread active and the members list at peoples fingertips. It is appreciated by all.

Thank you!!!

 

[danand]

Cluck and Crafty- good luck with the new jobs!!

Animallover- I have my coups in an old small barn, so we enclosed the space with wire and for winter I stapled plastic over it. I've taken some off already and will take more off as it warms up.

Welcome to all the newbies!! Fun group here!!

 

[AmLambson]

Hens don't just stop laying eggs they just slow way down and dont produce as often. I would say after 3 years they will slow way down. It also depends on breeds. Alot of people who keep hens just for eggs rotate their flock. They will get new chicks every year and at age 2 or 3 they either put the older ones in freezer camp or sell them. You don't have to separate them at all if you don't want to. Some people will either put bands on them so they know which ones are not laying as good or they do separate them in different coops and runs. Hope this helps!

It does help thank you! I really thought they stopped laying between 3-4. My ladies shall never see the freezer I have a hard enough time eating the eggs as it is, I feel guilty because they did all that work and I just love all the pretty pretty eggs lol! My husband and kids however have no problem. These ladies are growing old here with me!

 

[AmLambson]

I knew I had missed some stuff so here is part two...

Too fast - I agree with the survival of the fittest. The silkie I have will not be a bred chicken. I am hoping it turns out to be a girl for brooding. I heard they do rather well at that. The fact he/she is still having problems means I am sure there is underlining issues. I no longer clean the silkie up, but it is still messy back there. If it does not happen to live to a ripe old age I would not be surprised.

Am - See I should have gone back through the posts further.. welcome to the thread! Hope this thread will be a good learning experience for you. Lots of people here have wonderful advice and suggestions. Just ask away.
In reference to the questions you did ask. I no longer put out oyster shell for my girls. They were never really having an issue, but after I introduced it I started getting warty looking shells. Completely fine, but as I sell mine, I felt bad about them being in there next to some perfect looking eggs. I occasionally get the wavy shell too. Not often. Those we keep for us. Your chickens should not need grit if they have the ability to forage for themselves. They will eat small stones during there ventures. Grit is more for birds that are confined and do not have the ability to find there own stones and grit.

Me me - We are currently trying to divert some of the water off our property. we are backed up to a stream/drainage ditch. Over time the drainage swail between us and our neighbour has become built up, so rain no longer drains to the stream. I think some french drains would be a good idea as well as maybe some gutters on the coop so I can divert the water.
I figured the exposed concrete would make the chickens excited about the new 'wet bath'. I can envision chickens being stuck in the concrete in hilarious poses, like the good old cartoons.

Sir - What a great looking flock. They kind of look like Red Stars or Red Sex link.. But I may be way off.

Bloonskiller - Not sure what to suggest for the Crawdads. We have garden snakes galore In our yard, drives me crazy as I have mowed over several of them. Having to explain away whats all over the mower to my wee one is difficult. I will ask my DH if he can offer some suggestions.

New note.... So I go back to edit some of my post due to bad punctuation, spellings or leaving off letters (I am good at that one). However when I type it starts eating all my words after what I have clicked too. Driving me nuts. So excuse the grammatical issues. if I fix them I end up with half of my sentence eaten away by the letter monsters.

Thanks for the advise I appreciate it!

 

[animallover2202]

I have 30 chickens 28 LF and 2 bantams

1&2  . I made a bench for them to sit on top off (can get pictures later).  They are crammed in there snug, so I did not affix them to anything.  Cut the lid so there is a lip so they do not push out the bedding material.  I use pine shavings and have to top it off when it gets low.  I tried straw but they kept pulling that out.  The pine shavings means you will have to dig for eggs in it.  I double check the buckets and often find an egg I missed hidden underneath.

3.  Depends on how many chickens and what breed.  Some breeds deal better in smaller coops, bantams obviously do not need a coop as big as LF would need.

4.  As big as you want or as big as your room will allow.  I do not have a run yet and my girls are fine with it.  I will be fencing a section off around 10x12 this spring, a small run is better than no run.

5.  They will work it out.  If you take out their water, they will eventually investigate the nipple as they are super curious.  Once one does it, they will all see and want to have a go too.

6.  Asphalt singles are not too bad to install, just hammer and nails.  Metal siding/roofing is quick and easy, but can be a pain to cut.  Rolls of rubber are ok, but requires a good sub surface to glue it to.  Wood with a good coat of sealer or paint might give you a few years worth of roofing, unless you use cedar singles, at which point they are good for quite a while.

Hope that helps, any more questions or if you need explanations to the replies let me know.

 

[AmLambson]

Since bantams were mentioned, Do the bantams lay eggs?? Are Bantams basically just smaller versions of whatever breed of chicken you want?

 

[oldrooster]

I have a bunch of coop questions but ill only ask a few tonight ...ok me and my dad figured out a design but ran into a few problems 1 can we use chicken wire for a wall and put plastic up during the winter?? 2 how big does the nesting boxes have to be?? 3 how big does the breeding pen have to be?? More questions tomorrow

chicken wire is a big no no while it keeps chickens in it does not keep critters out. You do not want to loose a chicken to a raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel. welded wire or woven wire should be used in a run or on window openings they are stout enough to keep the critters out. If you had a barn or large coop and wanted to keep chickens out of an area and you knew the environment was critter proof that is what you use chicken wire for. there are lots of threads on coop construction on here with some interesting materials used and stuff you might get free or cheap that you wouldn't think of. look under coops tab, also under forums tab there is a coop and run design and predators and pests listed under the raising backyard chickens, and managing backyard flocks might yield an idea or two if you wish to raise different birds in the same coop like turkeys also and also if you wish to have a breeding program.

 

[oldrooster]

Since bantams were mentioned, Do the bantams lay eggs?? Are Bantams basically just smaller versions of whatever breed of chicken you want?

yes and yes and also there are some breeds that are only availible in bantams. they also lay smaller eggs and if you butcher them they yield less meat of course.