INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[DarthLayer]

Its a little late to post this since today is almost over, but today we got our first frost. This is my favorite time of the year

Info on Lola:
My parents agreed we can take her and curly to a vet to be put down. I had it planned for this week but it was hard because my grandma past last week sunday. But today yet again Lola surprised me! After school I go outside to give them more food and water and Lola is standing and walking again! She doesn't sleep on the roost but the ducks keep her company at night so she stays warm. I'm not sure though if I want to put her down if she's recovering so I really don't know what I should do :/

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Greetings, fellow Hoosiers!

It's been a long time since I've been active on this site. Between work, life, and everything else, I've been rather busy for about a year straight!

My name is Matthew, and I'm looking forward to getting in touch with a few old poultry friends and making a ton of new ones!

I've been raising poultry on my little min-farm for 5 years or so now, and I'm setting some things up to raise, breed, and preserve a few heritage breeds. Looking currently for Barred Rocks, Buckeyes, and RIR's from quality lines, if anyone knows of any secret flocks!

I have 2 Heritage RIR roosters available from the Ron Fogle line. The older one (29.5 wks) is $30 The younger one (25.5 wks) is $25. I won't have any hens for a while though.

Its a little late to post this since today is almost over, but today we got our first frost. This is my favorite time of the year

Info on Lola:
My parents agreed we can take her and curly to a vet to be put down. I had it planned for this week but it was hard because my grandma past last week sunday. But today yet again Lola surprised me! After school I go outside to give them more food and water and Lola is standing and walking again! She doesn't sleep on the roost but the ducks keep her company at night so she stays warm. I'm not sure though if I want to put her down if she's recovering so I really don't know what I should do

Having gone through this with 2 hens at different times, I vote for putting her down. hard as it may be, I found out in both cases that the hen could not recover. The first case I really let go on too long and the heat finally did the culling in the summer. This most recent hen had a upper leg / hip injury and again I let it go for too long, by the time I finally admitted she had to be put down, she had lost way too much weight. She had been pretending to eat and hiding the food.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So I've been talking with a buyer of my quail eggs and what he was going to do with them. Come to find out he does falconry! I may have found a new hobby! Raptors have always interested me and I've looked in the past the requirements of owning them. Now I've spent all morning reading more about the sport.
Quote: WOW that is exciting! Falconry is a pretty interesting hobby!
They can be trained to hunt small game and bring back to you.
I have been so addicted to birds of late I saw many eagle hunters overseas on websites.
Those birds take down wolves and larger animals. Raptors are pretty amazing and intelligent.
Until they target my birds

So my fun and exciting morning... In addition to having sick kids. I meet a red tail hawk face to face! I knew there was one around but so far it's left my chickens alone. This morning it decided they would make a good breakfast. What surprised me is it's the same size as my chickens!! Thank goodness I was out there when it happened and it got stuck in the netting so maybe it's traumatized enough it won't try again. Guess I should start carrying my gun when I feeding the morning too!

I have my rifle out when my bird free range. We have a lot of fox and coys so I am always watching.

Quote: Sally, I am so sorry. Have become a lot more frugal on my chicks too.
I hate culling any of the new hatches, but you get to where you know that crippled chick wont thrive.
Leg issues if i can't correct in 4 days I will cull.
They are suffering if they cant or drink. and its not right to let them suffer and be picked on.
I still have my french fry stealer Crook. an EE roo with wry neck. I give the chicks 4 days to be strong and healthy.
Hatching birds with an incubator doesn't let mother nature decide as much.

An update on on our hatch. Momma silkie has 3 babies under her, a couple that don't have their land legs yet, so under her is best. There are 9 in the indoor brooder, who by the way no longer have bugs as far as I can tell. Momma cochin is in the barn with her three LF week and a half olds. Momma silkie still has 3 eggs under her, that I am not sure if they will hatch or not. One hatched yesterday with a little help, and I haven't seen him yet since he is under her. It is way too cold to look at them this morning. It is 31 here. It's nice and toasty under her so I am leaving them be. I hope the little guys who have the walking problem will snap out of it like Chance did. There was a little blue she hatched the other day that was the same way and it is fine now. SIde note, funniest thing ever is watching the littles, wiggle their buts and take three steps backwards to poop. Although one of them chirps loudly right before it goes, so I hope it is okay.

sounds like the babies are doing ok, lmao DH calls that the poop shake! Be sure to put ACV in thier water,

Alright, folks, there was mention of what to use for water in the winter, so brace yourselves for Pipd's big post of heating precautions!

By now, y'all are probably tired of hearing my speech about not heating your coop, but it is relevant here. You see, while I am opposed to heating a coop for a number of reasons, I still use a heated bucket for water in the wintertime. What's the difference?

The heated bucket I use does not have an open element, a light bulb, or any other part that could burn combs or set fire to a coop. Yes, heat bulbs can work to keep a bucket from freezing, but you run the risk of igniting dust or having the lamp fall and ignite bedding. Like it or not, chickens are clumsy. They will find a way to test how well you've hung up your heat lamp. Unless it is very secure, they can knock it down, and if it isn't high enough, they can burn themselves on it by sticking their head too close. I used to think the heat would deter them from doing so--then I witnessed one of my hens nearly walk right into a bonfire out of curiosity. Even if the lamp is out of your birds' reach and secure, chickens are dusty and dust can be ignited by the heat of the bulb or the lamp it is in. And dust or not, the bulb could shatter, making it an even greater hazard for a chicken coop. What causes the bulb to shatter? Often it's as simple as a drop of water landing on the hot bulb.

My heated bucket also does not get any hotter than just above freezing. It does not warm the coop up, it only keeps the water from freezing. The water in it doesn't even feel warm--and it doesn't need to, as long as the girls can still drink it.

Even with that in mind, I have no outlets in my coop and so I have to use an extension cord to plug in my heated waterer. Needless to say, unless you get the right kind, an extension cord can be as much of a fire hazard as a heat bulb.

You might then wonder why I risk using one. Well, the extension cord I use is a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord that is rated to withstand the amount of electricity that is run through it. You should never use an indoor extension cord outside, nor should you try to run more electricity throuhg one than it is rated for. Because I have a baby monitor out in my coop year round, I check the length of my extension cord for any signs of wear and tear regularly throughout the year. Both ends are dusted regularly to prevent them from igniting. I am meticulous with this thing.

Can the same meticulous regimen be applied to a heat lamp for your birds? Sure, but there are more risks to heat lamps than just the fire hazard they cause. For instance, what would happen if the power went out? You would have a flock of chickens accustomed to heat that may not be able to adapt so suddenly to the cold.

Almost every breed of chicken, even those that are supposedly intolerant of cold weather, will do just fine without a heat source. My Sebright bantams, a breed that supposedly can't tolerate the cold, have never had an issue in my unheated, uninsulated coop, even in temps below 0. As a matter of fact, the only breeds I've ever heard of needing heat are Seramas and Silkies, and the jury's still out on both of them--I've read many accounts of Silkies surviving the winter without issue, and I've even read about a Serama owner or two that have no problems with them in winter weather.

If you're still worried that your birds won't tolerate the cold, try a safer alternative like insulation. In the winter, this will help to keep the heat that your birds produce in the coop, and you never have to worry about the power going out--just make sure it's covered well or your birds might be tempted to eat it! I'm trying a sunroom effect with the coop addition I built this year, myself. It has five windows that will all have sun on them at least at some point during the day. This again is something that doesn't rely on power, although it does rely on there being sunlight, so I guess I'll see how well it works.


Fire safety tips in your chicken coops and barns: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/745178/fire-safety-in-your-chicken-coop-barn-important

Think it's too cold for your chickens?: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again

Extension cord safety: http://www.cableorganizer.com/articles/extension-cord-safety-tips.htm


If I can save one person from the devastation of losing their flock in a fire, it's worth it, so be prepared to hear about this over and over again through the winter--especially if anyone posts about heating their coop.

Best of luck to everyone and their birds!

Pipd cant say enough thank u! There has been some terrible losses from heat lamps. It can, and will happen with the dust.
Well done to post the reminder

From Mother2Hens:
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."

Oh, believe me, my brother is not working for free! He is a skilled finish carpenter and is charging me the full hourly rate he charges his other customers. No family discount here. And he is a prima donna who always works alone. Currently, we are his full-time job, as he is also working on remodeling our house. Argh. I have lined up heritage pullets for a coop that was supposed to be done weeks ago. I am afraid the sellers will change their minds if I keep asking them to wait. I'm kind of in a Catch 22. Hiring someone else would make for very bad family feelings - Christmas could be ugly. But, having my brother work for us may cause me to lose my chickens, and it is turning my hair gray.

I'm sorry to be such a cranky complainer. I should look on the bright side - at least gray hair doesn't look too bad on me.

LOL please rant all you need to

our thread is ours. Great to have somewhere to just holler and scream!

I have a brother and a brother in law that are much the same. Promises...not kept, or at a snails pace.
If you have to hire the builds out, its enough to make you crazy

I do the majority of my stuff myself.
Angie's list is a good source as others already mentioned.
Its hard to do higher stuff but I just keep at it. I do a lot of egg/bird swapping to get things I need or work done too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hey there everyone! Very excited to find a Hoosier BYC thread! I wish I had found this thread sooner. I have 11 hens (Black Stars, Jersey Giants, RIRs and an Ameraucana) and 18 Speckled Sussex eggs in the incubator, on day 2. In the Terre Haute area, haven't looked to see if there is anyone else from my town.

and our thread!

If you look to the bottom of my post, theres a link for our member list

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

ugh, double post

 

[Mother2Hens]

Evansville/Vanderburgh County Poultry Ordinances
I forgot to mention the best information that I learned last night when HouseKat and I attended the chicken presentation at the library. I knew that if you live in Evansville, you can only have 6 animals, so if you have 2 dogs you can only have 4 chickens, and they all have to be registered. A chicken coop must be 50 ft. from the neighbor's house. I live a mile outside the city limits and I could not find the ordinance, nor did I want to call attention to myself by asking county officials. Last night, I found out that I can have as many chickens as I want! (or as many chickens as I can get by with before DH files for divorce!) The only restriction in the county is if a person lives in a subdivision with a neighborhood association that forbids chickens. Luckily, my subdivision does not. I am so excited to make my shopping list! Or at least, be able to dream.

pginsber~ My daughter lives a mile from downtown Indy and her neighbor has a rooster. I assume you must have a neighborhood association. As far as sexing your RIRs, our first chicks purchased as pullets a year ago were six RIRs, and by month five, we started commenting that our one pullet looked really strange next to our other pullets with their long shiny green tail feathers! Duh! Needless to say, we had no prior experience with chickens.
toodlesmom posted: Oh, believe me, my brother is not working for free! He is a skilled finish carpenter and is charging me the full hourly rate he charges his other customers. No family discount here. And he is a prima donna who always works alone. Currently, we are his full-time job, as he is also working on remodeling our house. Argh. I have lined up heritage pullets for a coop that was supposed to be done weeks ago. I am afraid the sellers will change their minds if I keep asking them to wait. I'm kind of in a Catch 22. Hiring someone else would make for very bad family feelings - Christmas could be ugly. But, having my brother work for us may cause me to lose my chickens, and it is turning my hair gray.
toodlesmom~ That is a "****** if you do, ****** if you don't" situation! House remodeling is enough stress to make everyone crazy. Maybe if you put the pullets in a cage next to where he's working in the house, then he'll smell the urgency of finishing the coop.

My DH and I have decided to consult Angie's List for a carpenter or buy a ready-made coop for now.
Don't get me started on Angie's List! It is just a bogus as regular online "customer" ratings. People easily plant fake ratings for friends' businesses. The company also pressures businesses into joining Angie's List through fear of retribution. Reminds me of organized crime tactics.

Thanks for letting me vent!

You really need some more birds, brad!

Haha --I think you're trying out for the Guinness Book of World Records. About about this falcon-- a white-headed vulture. She would be a good mate for that man-bird.





What about Homing Pigeon Racing? They're pretty cute.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hey there everyone! Very excited to find a Hoosier BYC thread! I wish I had found this thread sooner. I have 11 hens (Black Stars, Jersey Giants, RIRs and an Ameraucana) and 18 Speckled Sussex eggs in the incubator, on day 2. In the Terre Haute area, haven't looked to see if there is anyone else from my town.

kkelsh ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread!
Please go to page 1584, post 15838 to find info about this thread.
Originally Posted by MnMPoultry
Greetings, fellow Hoosiers!
It's been a long time since I've been active on this site. Between work, life, and everything else, I've been rather busy for about a year straight!
My name is Matthew, and I'm looking forward to getting in touch with a few old poultry friends and making a ton of new ones!
I've been raising poultry on my little min-farm for 5 years or so now, and I'm setting some things up to raise, breed, and preserve a few heritage breeds. Looking currently for Barred Rocks, Buckeyes, and RIR's from quality lines, if anyone knows of any secret flocks!

MnMPoultry ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread!
Please go to page 1584, post 15838 to find info about this thread.
Darth- Good to hear from you. So sorry to hear about your grandmother! You've had a rough time. As far as your chickens, I would be hopeful about Lola, too, but isn't she the cornish that probably doesn't have a good outlook? I would think that your vet might give you a better deal if you brought both in at once. I know it's hard because I held out hope for my Violet, but in hindsight, I shouldn't have prolonged her life so long because it wasn't a good life for a chicken and it wasn't good for Adeline to have to be Violet's kennel buddy for so long. It was horrible to have Violet put to sleep, but it was a relief in many ways.

Keep in touch because this thread helped me so much when I was going through that. Only Indiana BYCers understand the love of a pet chicken!

 

[toodlesmom]

Its a little late to post this since today is almost over, but today we got our first frost. This is my favorite time of the year

Info on Lola:
My parents agreed we can take her and curly to a vet to be put down. I had it planned for this week but it was hard because my grandma past last week sunday. But today yet again Lola surprised me! After school I go outside to give them more food and water and Lola is standing and walking again! She doesn't sleep on the roost but the ducks keep her company at night so she stays warm. I'm not sure though if I want to put her down if she's recovering so I really don't know what I should do

So very sorry to hear that you lost your grandmother. That must be very hard for you. I lost mine 13 years ago when she was almost 101, and I still miss her every day. Grandmothers are so special.

That Lola! She has a lot of heart! The vet would be the best person to advise you. He/she should be asked to evaluate both of the chickens before putting them down. Maybe there is a little hope for Lola yet.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: The drakes are an easy sell. I had more ducks hatch than drakes, was so relieved to have 1 hatch!

 

[Too Fast]

Very jealous! I raced karts for several years. Still have my racing kart and plan on building a small track on the property in a year or two for it. I like the New Castle track, It's a very nice facility. And hanging out with the pros will be a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Yes a kart track around the chickens/turkeys would be great out there! They'd love it, and want some rides! There was a blurb on the local news last night about the Wheldon Challenge. Makes me feel even more intimidated.


Oh, if anybody sees any 205/55R16 Potenza RE 970 tires for sale, with rims, please let me know. We were out of town from Monday about 11 AM until Tuesday evening 9 PM. Our winter car got stolen, (classic 1990 Cavalier Z24, lol) they then abandoned the car minus the wheels, stereo, mini-spare tire(!), jack, subwoofer and trashed the steering column. The car is now at the impound lot, it's not worth it to me to spend the ~$1300 to get it back together. I don't think, gotta make a decision quickly.

Anybody have a cheap reliable car for sale? Don't want to drive the Trans Am this winter, and the '68 drop top Le Mans isn't coming out either. The DW has a Trailblazer, but she needs it during the day.