INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pbirdhaven]

On the subject of broodies, my barnyard hens simply brood wherever they choose (as long as it's not out by the fence or something!). They hatch the chicks and protect them, and there has never been any problem from the rest of the flock. I guess because that's how my grandparents did it, I didn't consider anything else. My actual breeding stock, however, is separated by pairs or trios.
One white rock hen hatched 16 chicks, watched over them, and didn't lose any--sold all 16 when they were a little older. That's one of them in my avatar. They wanted to roost on the top of the pen but couldn't quite make it on their own. Varmint was quite gentle and didn't mind being used as a stepping stone.

 

[Kiniska]

I have a 125 gallon tank in the family room with an overflow going to a basement 95-gallon refugium/sump.  A 3600 gal/hr pump returns the water to the tank.

The tank has an anaerobic bottom chamber and a deep sand bed.  I seldom do water changes because the natural cycle keeps up with breaking down the ammonia produced by the fish.

The lighting is 4 160 watt fluorescent tubes which provide enough light for the soft coral.

John

That is a sweet set up! Wish more people understood that you can't keep a "Nemo" in a goldfish bowl.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: That sounds like a great set up. My DH used to have fish in the house growing up, but as a youngster he knew very little about cleaning. Now he says fish smell. I guess that is what happens when a kid tries to keep nemo in a fish bowl.

 

[bradselig]

[COLOR=333333]Good points. Id also like to mention that when I attended PU, we always used these when going to the farms. I'd think if they didnt have any benefit what so ever, I would have thought PU would have known and not wasted money (be it my tuition money, but still lol). Now you got me curious, Kiniska. Are you in the healthcare field or a mad scientist [/COLOR]
Not a mad scientist, well unless I have been up set. [COLOR=008000]I work in medical research and mice are involved. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=008000]All the points being made about these shoe covers are appreciated. As for a facility using them well... Hospitals use them, research facilities use them, and chemical plants use them. Just because everyone does something does not mean it actually works. Really depends on situation, but in the application you all want to use them everyone needs to be aware that they won't be effective. It would be awful if someone thought they were protecting their flock and instead infected it. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=008000]I hate that shoe covers are used at some of our facilities at work. Shoe covers, in many instances, are more a liability than a help. Shoe covers are one of those things that have been used for so long without testing to prove their worth that they have become a fixture. Recently testing has been done that has shown how ineffective they are. Where I work the vendors take the guy who does our protective equipment purchasing out to eat and they give him tickets to shows etc.... So even though we all know they are useless and half of us don't use them the facility still buys the things.

Take this example. The first surgeon who decided all medical equipment should be sterilized in between patients was thought a mad idiot by his colleges. He knew he was right, he had concrete numbers to back it up, but it took years for the medical community to acknowledge it and thousands of people died from secondary infections until his findings were acknowledged. Now if a doctor came at you with a dirty needle or crusty scalpel any of us would loose our minds on them. It is considered "common" knowledge that things have to be sterilized. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=008000]If you guys want to use shoe covers that is your choice, just be aware that they may not do what you hope they will. What will be very effective is dedicated shoes, like rubber crocks, that can be bleached and sanitized regularly. [/COLOR] [COLOR=008000]Forgive me, I really hate shoe covers. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=008000]And like John said, if they have a known disease where they are coming from, give them a pair of binoculars. [/COLOR]

Nope wasn't setting you up. I was just curious as I said. I appreciate your info. I don't use them nor plan to, but it just seemed odd that many places use them even though they are ineffective.

 

[kabhyper1]

So I moved her. After finding multiple eggs that weren't marked under her today, and three hens in the nesting box with her enabling her egg stealing problem, I moved her to the barn. She was a bit confused at first, but ate and drank and pooed and went back to the eggs. I accidentally broke one of the eggs she was sitting on this morning, so there are twelve now. But it was developing, the blastoderm/ target, was larger than a fresh egg. I felt badly, but she has twelve more to work with and there are three eggs in the silkie coop this morning, plus the four layed by the big girls, so I'm not short on fertile eggs at all. lol

She's in there, just hard to see.

 

[strssdmom]

So I moved her. After finding multiple eggs that weren't marked under her today, and three hens in the nesting box with her enabling her egg stealing problem, I moved her to the barn. She was a bit confused at first, but ate and drank and pooed and went back to the eggs. I accidentally broke one of the eggs she was sitting on this morning, so there are twelve now. But it was developing, the blastoderm/ target, was larger than a fresh egg. I felt badly, but she has twelve more to work with and there are three eggs in the silkie coop this morning, plus the four layed by the big girls, so I'm not short on fertile eggs at all. lol

She's in there, just hard to see.

I am so jealous. We had to rehome our rooster recently, due to neighborhood rules. I can't wait to move and have some hatching going on. I hope you plan to post pics when they hatch.

 

[kabhyper1]

I am so jealous. We had to rehome our rooster recently, due to neighborhood rules. I can't wait to move and have some hatching going on. I hope you plan to post pics when they hatch.

I will! I hope everything goes smoothly.

 

[kabhyper1]

So I gave my mother in law my bantam cochin rooster Oliver... This is what she posted on fb that he is doing today. Can you say spoiled! He does live outside with his two big hens, not sure why he was in the house LOL.

He is also a therapy chicken for my husbands grandmother who has alzheimers. He sits with her outside all the time.

He thinks he is a big rooster. He is a war dancing toe pecker, but he is adorable!

 

[Old Salt 1945]

CRSelvey - I re-heally like your coop! Shake shingles are the perfect touch.

Well, I had two eggs that were laid from a top a roost this morning (newbies!), so if my assumptions are correct I now have all five of my 22 week old pullets laying. Hurray! Next in line is my 18 week old RIR and my lil sebright girls.

Line up pillows under the roosts so the eggs don't break.

John

 

[Old Salt 1945]

Nope wasn't setting you up. I was just curious as I said. I appreciate your info. I don't use them nor plan to, but it just seemed odd that many places use them even though they are ineffective.

They keep your shoes from getting dirty.

Poop free soles, until the cheap plastic tears.

John