INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[DarthLayer]

Delawaremommy, Indianapolis, IN 4 beautiful Delaware pullets (15 weeks as of 9/2/13), no eggs yet, they don't roost but sleep piled up in the corner even when it is in the 70's at night!! They love their supervised free range play time and their dog sister Poppy (5 year old puggle who thinks they are her children!) They terrorize the cat which I find funny. Pay back is a witch my little furry black friend!!

Welcome! Your chickens sound like my chickens when I just put them outside. All 24 would pile up in a corner and ignore the roost. Slowly week by week more went onto the roost.

My girl did stay on the nest to the bitter end. NONE OF THE SHIPPED EGGS DEVELOPED. Candled them on Monday morning after she came out with the 3 that did hatch. All shipped eggs were liquid inside; hatched eggs were all from my flock. I only have one poor photo right now.

Congrats on the beautiful chicks! I want to thank everyone for helping back sometime ago with my chick with the injured leg. Thanks to everyones help, the chick can now run around and walk well (and join its other brooder mates escape the brooder).

 

[Webechickens]

Welcome from Modoc!

 

[Mother2Hens]

I had posted: Speaking of colors-- My reply box has no color choices today! And my PM box has glitches, too. Geez.

Too Fast responded: Just click more/less button on the right side of the reply box to get the colors back.

Thanks for the tip, but it didn't work. I don't know why it suddenly changed. Is anyone else not able to use colors? I am lost without colors!

I am still reading posts, but I'm going to go ahead and post photos I took today. Yes, I realize that taking photos of brown chickens against brown mulch/dirt is not the smartest decision.

Bantam Chocolate Orp, Bonbon, in front, Jubilee Orp, Adeline, facing backwards
Both 4.5 month old pullets, not yet laying


This photo shows the chocolate color better. She is very sweet, friendly, and much more
bold around the five big hens than Adeline who is as large as some of the hens.


Out of focus, but she's reddish brown. I'll have to take a photo of her neck feathers
when the sun illuminates them because they are iridescent orange. Adeline has always
been sweet, but very nervous. She was a great nurse for Violet.


Love those feathery bustles! Both orps are SO soft.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Welcome Delawaremommy! I had not heard of Delaware chickens before, so I just looked them up and learned something new! That's one of the great things about this thread; it doesn't matter if you are a newbie or have a lifetime of experience. We are also friendly, encouraging, fun, and love photos.

Craftychick~ Hope your doggie is recovering.
Housecat~ I thought you split your chick order with a friend. If you just have one boy out of a dozen, you are lucky!
CHHHICKENS~ Not sure what tests you want to do for your chickens, but don't forget about the Free Flock Health Screening through the Indiana State Poultry Association. www.inpoultry.org/.../T-12%20Flyer%203-1-12%20With%20form.pdf‎
Originally Posted by Leahs Mom

I give up...
Missed one day and I just can't catch up. Not enough time. If anyone wants to give me a recap of the last 2 days that would be great.

Leahs Mom~ I don't have colors anymore and I haven't seen that emoticon before either! What's going on-- I am left out!

Btw, great hen and chicks photo!
julie0477~ Exciting photo-- Congrats on your surprise chicks!
CRSelvey~ I sure hope you find your blue girl. In the past year and a half that we've had chickens, there have been many times that I've forgotten to shut the door at dusk and remembered later after dark. It's just human nature to forget or become distracted by something else-- like children. Hopefully she'll be okay.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Farker Farms~ Sorry you're having difficulty with your layers. From what I've read, I'd say stress, especially changing coops, adding flock members, as well as some of your hens being young layers can affect egg production. So four of yours were ones you bought they are over a year old? No problem with that; I'm just figuring out what you have. Many of us have hens who've experienced quirky laying patterns this summer. Hang in there!

pginsber~ My BR has a few times laid long, large eggs like your photo.


Although I don't find incredibly large eggs from my hens, all of the photos and weighing of eggs has me intrigued. Just for comparison, here's what my hens usually lay:

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hey, folks, I'm fighting off a cold right now, so sorry I haven't been posting much. I've been keeping up on posts, though, so I'm not backlogged just yet.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for scales to use with their birds, preferably a digital and at least 10-15lb capacity scale that would hopefully be accurate without breaking the bank? I got a scale to go with my chicken first aid kit (see my signature), but it's a cheapo toggly 200lb capacity bathroom scale and reads about 5 lb for each and every one of my adult LF hens.

So yeah, any thoughts?

I got a postal scale off ebay, and still need an egg scale like johns. This is like the one I bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Accuteck-Dr...142?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d43a09206
(

Hope i don't get flagged!) I use it for processed turkeys/roos to get before and after weight, and to monitor sick birds if needed. Its worked really well.

First time chicken mom here...again, I need advice from you experienced folks.

We have one Cream Legbar that has been laying for a month and 6 other girls that are just coming into laying. We have 2 nest boxes, one with a wooden egg to show the girls where to go. It's been great, over 2 dozen blue eggs from only one chicken. We're loving the chicken life.

This past weekend, we got our first non-blue egg from Edith, our Barred Rock. That same day, we got the last egg from Aretha, the CL that has been laying religiously for the past month.
NOW-Aretha (the CL) is in one of the nest boxes, trying to hatch the wooden egg.

Edith, laid her 2nd egg in the nest box successfully, so we felt comfortable taking out the wooden egg. TOO LATE! Aretha still stays in one of the nesting boxes and won't come out.

I read in Storey's that we need to keep getting her out of the nest box, so we repeatedly pick her up and put her outside of the coop. She HATES that. She chortles and has every feather on her body out as far as it will go. I call it BIG HAIR.

Thankfully, we have 2 nestboxes, so anybody else that feels like laying can do their business. Yesterday, we got our 3rd egg from Edith (the BR). The shape was very odd. I'm guessing it's a double yolker. Whaddya think?

We live in the city near the Art Museum, so our space is limited--we don't have a second coop area. I'm not being successful at keeping Aretha out of the nest box, and now we're back to only getting one egg a day. Any ideas? I have dog crates, will that work for a solution?

Wow may be a double yolker! You can use a dog crate, But I just kept removing the broodies from the nest, welding gloves on... I left no eggs, even the fakes and golfballs. It took 3 weeks but finally broke 2 australorps, 1 EE and one GLW that way. I have 6 boxes, so that many broodies was not going to work!

Quote:

No kidding, you can find out just about anything these days if you put effort into it.

Quote: Apple Cider Vinegar is ACV. I use the regular stuff for the waterers and any pools the waterfowl are in. I also use the unpasturized ACV with mother to ferment my feed. Very safe and healthy for all the birds.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

What is wrong with people!?!? Someone has been in my coop AND left the door open! Chickens are very skittish (like the get if someone chases them around) and I had to chase a couple down on the yard. Thank goodness for my almost 4 year old chicken wrangler. The last one was a young bantam rooster, Small and quick, panting very hard! What is wrong with people? Anyway...End of Rant...as you were...

UGH I agree! I watch close when a customer with kids come, or a chicken sitter other than my DD.

Too funny. I just got an egg yesterday that looks exactly like that huge one. It had double yolks. I have no idea which of ours laid it. I could not close the lid on the large egg carton. It was a whole inch taller than the normal sized ones.

Congrats! I have yet to get a double! (that i know of)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So my plans for the pen i am building
is to stretch bird netting up the side and over the top, so that they cant fly out. the front piece of pannel is where i will be able to get in and out. Of to the side farthest away there will be a roost for them and on the opposite side is where there hanging feeder and waterer will be. And i am only going to have 2 nesting boxes, since it is such a small pen. the bedding is going to be sand.

I should have some chickens to put in this pen in 2 months. I am going to get a barred rock rooster and some black ameraucana hens I already have to put in there. Barred EEs are really pretty I cant wait to hatch some out

Another one of pullets started laying. It was the size od a quail egg! All the chickens in that pen are LF. Smallest first egg i have ever had. I had to crack it open, becuase it seemed pretty impratical to eat it with just one of them. It had no yolk, it was that small.

you will see a lot of odd stuff with new layers.

Survived my first month with the chickens! Still feeling like a total Noob though We were doing so well on eggs the first week we had them, now out of the 8 we are only getting 1 egg every three or four days. Four of them are young, though, and just around the age they should be starting to lay. I can't tell how many are actually laying. When they start laying, how long is it before they are laying regularly? Two of the older hens are definitely moulting. One of them is almost totally bald and another is down to only one tail feather. She looks pretty stupid They stopped laying about 3 weeks ago. How long before they start back up? It sure is frustrating getting them the week before they start moulting! I feel like it is an awful lot of work for 1 egg a week! We also added birds and threw in a coop move, so I rationally know that might have hindered the egg laying business further. Still super frustrating!

WOW a lot of changes for the hens. Be patient, stress, feed changes, fear are all there.I am surprised any are laying. Check for mites too, if their stress is high resistance is down.

Quote: I know of a lady in NY up in the hills (bycer) that used the billboard covers, and straw bales for insulation around the outside of the coop. gets pretty cold there and worse than Indiana. Works very well. she left gaps at the roof at both ends with no tarp covering it.That did very well for venting, and did an overhang on both ends so no rain got in. I would use them as summer breeding pens, and possibly meat birds. Pheasant if i ever get any.
Thinking about building one with half inch hardware cloth cover for the quail too. Then tarp it. I really enjoy the little guys, they stumble climb and carry on like little miniature chickens.
just adorable! So far all of mine are on wire but they sure love dust baths and dirt! I use the square sandwich storage containers to add dirt for them to bathe in. They still hop up on my hands. My first ones are 9 weeks old now. I have around 100 from chicks to adults.

Quote: LOL, john. I will very definitely take you up on that! Agreed, they do have some stunning breeds, and many i just drool over.
If anyone else wants to get in on a CL order or another breed they carry, pm me.
I am also looking at ordering heritage turkeys from porters. Never heard a wisper of any bad opinions on their stock.
I already have one member possibly going in on a porters order, if anyone else is interested pm also.
I plan to add 10 Bourbon Red, and 10 Mini white poults. (yep a lot) I know of bycers from all over the country recommending both breeders.
This is a great way to lesson the cost of shipping and quantity, and have quality birds too!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I give up...

Missed one day and I just can't catch up. Not enough time. If anyone wants to give me a recap of the last 2 days that would be great.

Someone was asking about mobile pasture coops way back there somewhere. There are some ideas here too in the links. There are several kinds:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Pasturing+the+Flock.html

Good things to consider when building:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Pasture+Shelter+Design.html

lol, i know. If i miss a day i have to just skim. Thanks for the links!

Delawaremommy, Indianapolis, IN
4 beautiful Delaware pullets (15 weeks as of 9/2/13), no eggs yet, they don't roost but sleep piled up in the corner even when it is in the 70's at night!! They love their supervised free range play time and their dog sister Poppy (5 year old puggle who thinks they are her children!) They terrorize the cat which I find funny. Pay back is a witch my little furry black friend!!

and our thead!

My girl did stay on the nest to the bitter end. NONE OF THE SHIPPED EGGS DEVELOPED. Candled them on Monday morning after she came out with the 3 that did hatch.

All shipped eggs were liquid inside; hatched eggs were all from my flock. I only have one poor photo right now.

she did her job! Shame the others were infertile. Have had 2 shipments like that.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

so this lil guy happened today. My silkie has only been sitting on these two leftover eggs in the evenings/over nights since her chicks were born last week but I didn't have the heart to pull them yet. I really didn't think they'd make it. This morning at about 7am I saw that one had pipped. Hurray! When I got home from work today I expected a new little fluffy, but the egg was unchanged and of course mom and babies off the nest. I made a tiny hole with my finger nail (it hadn't made it thru the membrane) and I could see it breath and move around. I was worried it would dry out since mother of the year was ignoring it so I put a couple drops of water around the pip. In an hour voila! Baby! Momma hen ignored its pleas though so I put it under a lamp to dry off. Just put it back under momma this evening. I hope she accepts it!!

hoping it works!