INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
I feel you on the having so many odds and ends.
I still have 2 extra roosters that I'm hoping to rehome. If they don't have homes by the 16th of Nov, they will be dinner but both are just so nice I wish someone wanted them. But at this time of the year it seams like everyone has too many roosters or they just want a "free" to $5 rooster. And I will eat my Heritage roosters before I rehome them for $5. After all a chicken in the grocery store cost more than $5 and it is not nearly as big as my RIR.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I feel you on the having so many odds and ends.
I still have 2 extra roosters that I'm hoping to rehome. If they don't have homes by the 16th of Nov, they will be dinner but both are just so nice I wish someone wanted them. But at this time of the year it seams like everyone has too many roosters or they just want a "free" to $5 rooster. And I will eat my Heritage roosters before I rehome them for $5. After all a chicken in the grocery store cost more than $5 and it is not nearly as big as my RIR.

I have a hard time selling extra roosters. It seems like the only time I can get rid of them is if I sell them in pairs, trios, or quads. Ameraucanas are my favorite breed and I am going to be breeding them. I am going to start a color project with the rooster I got from you in probably fall of nest year. I wanted to breed rose comb brown leghorns, but I only have one pullet and I dont want hatchery stock. But they no longer seem as appealing to me as she is getting to be really shy. And I just got all of these pairs. I might hatch out eggs and sell chicks, some are from good lines, but that would be just for fun, as Idont want to get serious into breeding 6 different breeds/colors. then I have a few cochins(LF and bantam), cornish, polish, d'uccles, salmon favorelles (LF and bantam), a white rock cockerel, easter eggers, OEGBs and I dont even remember what else.I am really liking my d'uccle and my favorelles. By the end of next year I am sure I am will have a ton of different projects. the thing that really irritates me that I do is start something and dont finish and then go start something else. Then Do that over and over Until I so many things to do. If I wanted I could sit and finish something, but I get bored doing the same thing over and over.

 

[julie0477]

Hey sally how is the injured hen? Did she get better?

 

[julie0477]

Well as I was searching for ducks to replace the two I lost I discovered welsh harlequin ducks. I want them! Sweet, docile, and adorable AND they lay a ton of eggs. Anyone familiar with or have these lil duckies?

 

[julie0477]

M2h- adeline is just beautiful!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

juile0477- how are the chicks your broody hatched out doing?

 

[julie0477]

They are doing great. One looks just like a buff brahma hen only the feathering on her legs is a bit scarce. She is a pretty girl. The other two look just like your hen but I am pretty sure one of mine is a boy. Pretty big comb and wattles already. And Skeeter, the sebright silkie cross turned out to be quite pretty too. I think she's a girl but being a mix its hard for me to tell. No comb yet anyway. Did your girl ever start laying?

I have a polish frizzle and EE that have recently paired up. I wonder how THAT mix would turn out!

 

[Mother2Hens]

Two Indiana Thread - Evansville - members meet
HouseKat told me about a backyard chicken presentation at a library branch near my house, so I invited her over beforehand to show her my chickens. It was great to finally meet HouseKat/Kate in person! We discussed her plans to convert a structure on her property into a coop in preparation for winter. If you recall, she's the one who converted a screen room kit into a swanky cabana coop for her Black Australorps and EEs. In addition, HouseKat witnessed my hens' nightly bedtime brawl. Normally, each evening after the hens settle down, I retrieve Adeline- my Jubilee Orp and Bonbon- my Chocolate Bantam Orp one by one out of a bush and place them in the coop. Tonight, for the first time, and with Bonbon's lead, they walked into the coop on their own and went to their preferred perch in the run. I've noticed the past couple of days that they have been hanging out near the Five Mean Hens who have seemed much more tolerant. With the temps dropping, I think the orps will soon be joining the crazy hens in the coop box.
P.S. I publicized our Indiana Thread at the library meeting.

pginsber posted: We have a poop board/roost similiar to zippy's, too. It's a 3" deep tray filled with PDZ and we call it the litter box. The girls have a roost board that sits on top of the PDZ-filled tray and they poo right into the PDZ. The liquid is absorbed and we use a cat litter scoop/sifter to scoop the poop from the PDZ. No smell, no mess. We love it.
pginsber~ That is a great idea! I sprinkle PDZ around, but never thought about using it as litter. I use cat litter boxes, so I might as well use litter in them instead of pine shavings. Btw, I agree with your comments to toodlesmom about over-thinking coop plans. That seems to be such a common practice and it's also common that no matter how much planning and research taken, people end up saying that they should have changed this or that. There's just such an information overload about coop design, and like all other aspects about chicken-raising, there are a wide variety of opinions on how it should be done.
Originally Posted by toodlesmom
My-brother-the-carpenter has not shown up for work on the coop for a week. When he shows, he works at the pace of molasses in January. I have my chickens all lined up and waiting, and he has barely started the job. Wow, am I frustrated!
toodlesmom~ I'm guessing that if he isn't getting paid (as in he's doing a relative a favor), then it's not a high priority, especially if he has a full-time day job. (I am just conjecturing). It would go faster if he had a buddy to help since they would have to schedule time to meet and because there are many large components in building a coop when a helping hand is needed. Just dealing with stretching out hardware cloth to cover the coop and bury in the ground is much easier with two people. "IMO."

julie0477 posted~ Well as I was searching for ducks to replace the two I lost I discovered welsh harlequin ducks. I want them! Sweet, docile, and adorable AND they lay a ton of eggs. Anyone familiar with or have these lil duckies? M2h- adeline is just beautiful!
julie0477~ Thanks re Adeline! About the ducks-- I'm beginning to think there are as many duck breeds as chicken breeds. I learn something new everyday.
HappyHappyHappy~ That's great about your two mother hens sharing the chicks and all getting along well! It's also nice to hear that through your egg business, you demonstrate to others how superior "homegrown" eggs are to factory eggs, but more importantly, it reduces demand for factory eggs. Every addition of a new customer demanding fresh eggs helps!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Just finished catching up, wanted to say hi guys! We are supposed to see temps below freezing tonight.
I wanted to say a big WELCOME to any new members on our thread!!
Am so disappointed I didn't make the Lebanon show, but kinda glad too cause I am wimpy about getting cold LOL.
If I missed anything directed at me, please PM me and I will answer.
M2H your ladies are beautiful

You are an awesome chicken mom

Kab I just loved all the baby pics&video

So tiny and adorable!
Old salt/John, The peafowl, OH MY I love them.how did they know they are male peas so early on?
I am guessing daily on mine.
danand, heritage turkeys are sweet, inquisitive birds, I may not have got chickens had I known
(shhh dont tell them)
I have royal palm and bourbon red. I am adding holland and mini white next year, really enjoy raising turkeys.
Most geese are territorial. Sebastopol geese are beautiful and sweet,
have read they need heat for the winter.
If any member knows better from experience, please shout out!
julie0477 I love my pekin. They are messy but grow FAST and lay almost daily.
EMR your silkies are lovely too! Your pullet and roo pictured are very attractive, color is striking!
TM poop boards are fantastic, scoop and be done. I have roosts for several perches and totes for laying.
We are tearing down the old coop. The new one WILL have poop boxes and plan to use sweet PDZ.

My winter watering method is to carry a lot of water

I have a heated bucket for the goats, need another for Bo since he doesn't live with his girls.
Will be buying a livestock tank heater for the pigs.
One of the main reasons we are reducing flocks is the water issue.
My waterfowl will get heated buckets also, but will just carry water til they do.
I change water frequently but I am usually home most of the day except for moms dialysis.

 

[HappyHappyHappy]

I have heard a lot of people talking about winter solutions for keeping water from being Frozen Here are a couple great ones for all of you to check out...

Here is another good Idea