INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Morganalefey]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I"m going to try to reply to everyone. I don't know how to use multiple quotes.

I've been checking out breeds, and to be honest, I"m pretty overwhelmed! I think I would like to get the larger birds. I would like eggs, but mostly I want them as pets, and I thought it would be a cool experience for the kids. My oldest had eggs that they hatched in her classroom last year, and she was utterly heartbroken when the farmer took his chickens back.

I checked out the coop section as well. We happen to have one of those playschool houses that they have long outgrown. I think we will use that to convert to a coop. I never would have thought about it, if not for this site!

I live in Lake CO, not Porter. But I have neighbors with chickens and horses. In fact, there is a horse ranch right behind my house, so I really hadn't even considered zoning being a problem. I live in an unincorporated area. No HOA here.

What kind of chickens do ya'll have?

 

[SkinNFluff]

we had our first predator attack last night. is anyone has the link to the predator id chart please paste that to me i forgot to bookmark it. we lost 2 chicks from our aviary last night. looks like the attack happened while the chicks were standing/sleeping next to the fencing. (1" vinyl coated poultry wire with 2"x3" vinyl coated welded wire over top. one chick (white silkie) was still in the enclosure missing a leg (no longer living), one chick (silkie-maran mix) was pulled through the wire and looks to me mostly eaten right there. just bites ad pieces left but it helped id which chick it was. and we have one guinea (still alive and doing well) with a hole in its side. none of the wire not even the poultry wire was broke. but you can see some wire bent where the attacks took place. well its war time. i hope to take care of this before we loose any more chicks. *fired up*

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sounds like a raccoon, Skin N Fluff. Is there any way you could put smaller wire over the fence you already have up? From what I've read, raccoons will reach through anything larger than 1/2 inch square wire and pull through whatever they can reach.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

What kind of chickens do ya'll have?

I have had many different breeds over the years, but the ones I would recommend most for pets are Barred Plymouth Rocks and Marans. The barred Rocks can be a bit pushy when they want attention, but my hens are very sweet, love to sit in my lap, and don't mind being picked up or toted around in my arms. And, of course, my beloved blue splash Marans is the sweetest bird on this planet and runs to me for her attention when she sees me.

Easter-eggers would be a close third recommendation, but their personalities can be a little hit or miss. I have a few very sweet, friendly ones, but I also have a few that are shy and freak when I try to pet them. Their pretty blue and green eggs are worth it to me.

Speckled Sussex are nice as well, though mine aren't as friendly as I've read they should be. They are pretty birds and don't seem to mind me nearby, but they aren't the lap birds I read they would be. Still, they do make good pets.

Red sexlinks are nice for personality, but tend to have egg-laying problems the older they get. This can be heartbreaking to watch them go through if they are kept as pets. I would not recommend them as pets, myself, but many would.

The rest of the breeds I've had have been shy (Wyandottes, Rhode Island reds, Partridge Plymouth Rocks, and Sebright bantams), but I have read that some of them can be more friendly (especially Wyandottes--I don't know where they got their 'Dottes, but mine are very shy!). I've had no issues with any of these breeds in the cold. The Wyandottes and Easter-eggers seem to have a harder time in the heat, but they get through just fine.

And, of course, I have 8 5-week-olds (Leghorns, an Ancona, a Lakenvelder, a Campine, a Fayoumi, and two bantams), but I don't think I can say much about their personalities until they mature.

 

[Tirningirl]

Soon to be hen owners here! We're in the Indy area. Would love to find more local resources for purchasing our future hens and supplies. We're familiar with Naptown Chickens and are really looking forward to learning as much as we can about this new venture!

 

[Kiniska]

What kind of chickens do ya'll have?

I have black and blue laced 75%English/25%American cross Orpingtons. They are super fluffy, do well in the cold and are really sweet. They are fairly good layers and really pretty if you want some eye candy in your yard.

 

[pbirdhaven]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I"m going to try to reply to everyone. I don't know how to use multiple quotes.

I've been checking out breeds, and to be honest, I"m pretty overwhelmed! I think I would like to get the larger birds. I would like eggs, but mostly I want them as pets, and I thought it would be a cool experience for the kids. My oldest had eggs that they hatched in her classroom last year, and she was utterly heartbroken when the farmer took his chickens back.

I checked out the coop section as well. We happen to have one of those playschool houses that they have long outgrown. I think we will use that to convert to a coop. I never would have thought about it, if not for this site!

I live in Lake CO, not Porter. But I have neighbors with chickens and horses. In fact, there is a horse ranch right behind my house, so I really hadn't even considered zoning being a problem. I live in an unincorporated area. No HOA here.

What kind of chickens do ya'll have?

Welcome, Morganalefey! BTW, I love your user name--I have a great interest in the Arthurian legends.
I agree with the recommendations that have been given here. I also have had success with Brahmas--they come in huge and bantam sizes. Have had problems with frostbite on the combs of Marans; otherwise they do well. Appenzellers are extrememly cold hardy (from Switzerland), but need a covered pen where they can roost high--they will roost outdoors if given the choice.
There will be swaps at Knox the second Sundays in September and October; that isn't extremely far from you and is a good opportunity to check out what folks have to offer. Shows are another great opportunity to talk with breeders and see different varieties. The show season is pretty much over during the hot weather, but you might find a couple in Illinois or Michigan; check PoultryShowCentral.com.
Good luck!

 

[pbirdhaven]

we had our first predator attack last night. is anyone has the link to the predator id chart please paste that to me i forgot to bookmark it. we lost 2 chicks from our aviary last night. looks like the attack happened while the chicks were standing/sleeping next to the fencing. (1" vinyl coated poultry wire with 2"x3" vinyl coated welded wire over top. one chick (white silkie) was still in the enclosure missing a leg (no longer living), one chick (silkie-maran mix) was pulled through the wire and looks to me mostly eaten right there. just bites ad pieces left but it helped id which chick it was. and we have one guinea (still alive and doing well) with a hole in its side. none of the wire not even the poultry wire was broke. but you can see some wire bent where the attacks took place. well its war time. i hope to take care of this before we loose any more chicks. *fired up*

I once had a pair of Japanese bantams separated in a dog crate inside the main coop. Coons tore the wiring away from the frame of the coop, and there was no trace of the Japanese hen. They had evidently pulled her right through the bars of the dog crate. Trapped the varmints and they went to live with a man who trained coon dogs.

 

[SkinNFluff]

Sounds like a raccoon, Skin N Fluff. Is there any way you could put smaller wire over the fence you already have up? From what I've read, raccoons will reach through anything larger than 1/2 inch square wire and pull through whatever they can reach.

if i had the wire i could. i have a trap i will set tonight. i plan to build a larger aviary using better materials for fencing later on. at least i am learning from this so i can build it better when i do.

 

[Quinstar]

Thanks for thinking of us! A couple of months ago, it seemed like everyone on the Thread was making things out of pallets. We currently have four pallets in our garage even though we're actually trying to get rid of stuff instead of making new things! After reading Old Salt's post the other day, it sounds like pallets are more hassle that they're worth. On the other hand, when I Google Image "Things to make from pallets" I get inspired to maybe try a project (even though like everyone else, I have many projects going on at the moment!)

"Everything you ever wanted to know about Pallet Wood."
I ran across this article that has good info about pesticides and bacteria on pallets, which some members expressed concerns about. The funkyjunkinteriors site is interesting, too.
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2011/04/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about.html

pbirdhaven~ Love the teddy bear and chick photo-- so sweet.

Quinstar~ Looking forward to hearing if you completed the run over the weekend.

bradselig~ Did you make the trip to Sally's with a car full of poultry? haha

jchny~ Catch any fish?

Well, the run isn't completed... surprise, surprise, but we did get it all framed in and the door put up. Hoping to get the 1/2" hardware cloth up during the week. I'll try to throw up a picture tonight. It's all coming together really well.

We've been letting the chicks free range while we're working on the coop and they are loving it. They stay close and let me pick them up without much trouble when it's time to go back into their pen or the coop. We've had about 3 hawks circling on a daily basis which makes me a little nervous, but the chick were really good about getting to cover when you could see the hawks. Hoping with all the ground cover and trees we won't have an issue with them free ranging during the day. The day I lose a chicken I'm going to be devastated.

Sorry to those of you that keep losing birds. I can only imagine the frustration you are all going through.

And.... a quick welcome to all the new members! Hope you have better luck than I do keeping up with all the posts!