INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I am often up late too. I just don't sleep much or for very long.

Quote:
My very first order were my BAs and I didn't sleep, I was soooo freaked out, it was mid december!
But I did the math and wanted them laying by spring. It was well worth it!
Don't feel bad, I do the "egg oops" in the pocket at least 1x a week. There is always something I stop to do and crunch

 

[HouseKat]

Your EE lays large eggs? Is that the typical size for an EE? I got 2 EE this past spring and my eggs have only weighed in as mediums. And I've only had 1 blue/green egg at a time. Either one of the girls has never laid or her eggs are a different color. With all the different breeds we have I'm never sure which lays which color. The only ones I know for sure are the Isa Browns & Cinnamon Queens. I get a lot of lighter tinted eggs with variations of pinkish, peachy-ish, beige colors. This is a sample of the different colors we get...

My EE eggs have been 1.4 to 1.9 ounces. My BA eggs have been 1.6 to 2.2 ounces.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

My EE eggs have been 1.4 to 1.9 ounces. My BA eggs have been 1.6 to 2.2 ounces.

That's right about where my EE eggs are weighing in. I wish I could get some large sized ones since my customers like having them -- only those who buy medium eggs get the pretty ones!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Okay guys I have a mystery to solve. I have had my chickens in my big barn since the cold snap. They have a nice little coop area, and their daylight is pretty much the same. DH goes out in the morning before work and flips the light on, and then when I get up I open all the doors. When we first put them in I was getting 6 eggs a day. For the past 3 days, I only got 1, and so far today nothing. I have literally searched high and low in there, and found no hidden laying areas. Whats the deal??? I have 8 girls who lay, a cochin who still has teenagers at her heels, and hasn't layed since, well maybe ever, not sure, and 2 little 4 month old girls. So I should be getting at the most 8 eggs a day. They are scratching around in the nesting boxes. Just leaving after a few minutes to go about their business. It's weird.

Hmm, less light in the barn maybe?

 

[kabhyper1]

Hmm, less light in the barn maybe?

I thought thats what it was. Today I moved the boxes, and they layed 4 eggs. Gawd they are rotten picky. LOL

 

[Mother2Hens]

lesela ~ What did you see on FB today? It didn't show up.
You are SO lucky to have a pileated woodpecker visitor!! We had one for several years, it was a privilege to see it come to our tree by our deck. I've never particularly been a bird lover, but I do love all kinds of woodpeckers and pileated ones are the ultimate. (Chickens just don't seem like birds to me-- at least not like tiny wild birds).

leslea posted: Oh! This might sound silly, but do wild birds eat chicken feed? Do chickens eat wild bird seed? I'm thinking "yes" and "yes" but I didn't see any discussion of it anywhere.

As I mentioned earlier, my chickens leave the stuff they don't like for the birds. I know it's not the optimal situation, so I'm going to take the stuff the chickens won't eat like the corn and unshelled sunflower seeds, and milo and put it in the bird feeder that the chickens can't reach-- however the birds drop stuff to the ground. It's best to keep the wild birds and chickens apart, but it's pretty much impossible. One thing that wild birds can carry is Scaly Leg Mites, which my BR had. Not the end of the world, but it's a hassle to get cleared up.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

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lol, no worries, we are all immune to poop at this point

If that hen can be saved, you will do it! Maybe it will change her attitude in the process too. Good luck!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Did something new today. I had gotten a whole hog for the freezer from a local farmer & picked up the meat yesterday. I had the butcher bag up the fat trimmings and today I rendered it to make lard. It was pretty easy to do. Now I'm frying up the cracklings -- have a feeling they won't last long around here! All together I got 9 1/2 pints of lard plus a lot of drippings from the cracklings -- it'll be great to fry some eggs in

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: The tomatoes are fine for them, but not the plants. Usually they know tho what not to eat.
Love your plan tho, I bet they will too!

Quote: Thats unusual. I have seen some oddballs out of the GLW.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: LOVED this post, I use free wood chips too. My birds love it.
I ran out of ovations

Guess I like orpingtons more than I thought. I have a buff orpington already (she's not super friendly but she's good enough) but now I want a lavender orpington, jubilee orpington, and frizzle buff orpington.

I enjoy them very much. I only have lavender right now, they are by far my favorites.
They are friendly, in your lap and taaawwwlking their beaks off!
Adding black this year to keep my lavenders looking good!

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Oh geez, what till shipping day

I was at the post office at 5 am to get my babies!!!!