INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

For an adult hen, sand is too small for grit. It needs to be a larger size or it won't accomplish it's purpose.

 

[CRSelvey]

For an adult hen, sand is too small for grit.  It needs to be a larger size or it won't accomplish it's purpose.

I use construction sand and it has up to small rocks so they can choose what they need but I agree that it's probably not best to add it to her food. I can figure out another bowl for that purpose and use some of the oyster too.

 

[chick rookie]

For an adult hen, sand is too small for grit. It needs to be a larger size or it won't accomplish it's purpose.

my ground has allot of sand in it. they must be finding bigger rocks, cause I have not had to buy grit. Lucky I guess, but good to know.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: so sorry about you loss.

I was coming in from feeding animals last night, and had three eggs clutched in my hand. I hit the frozen ice moat around my barn and started doing a road runner on the ice, then pitched to the right and almost went down. I rallied and managed to stay upright and did not tighten my hand and break a single egg during the whole debacle! For the win! Also I am really sick of winter. From Snowpocolypse to mud and flooding, to ice, now back to snow on top. I'm ready for Spring!

ugh glad you didn't fall

Quote: i think people do,seems like i read that on the turkey thread last year.

Ugh deleted quotes and typing twice!!

Timmons feed in Lebanon is where I have my cattle feed mixed. They are very friendly and helpful! I've not had them mix chicken feed for me but I have bought prebagged feed from them. It was Heinold brand out of Kouts IN. I think it was about the same price as rural king or tsc.

Brad- I store my cattle feed in plastic 55 gal drums. They hold about 250-300# each if you dump the feed out of the bag, so you would need 4 for 1000#.

I think there was more but I can't remember at the moment.

oooh thats good to know on the drums.

 

[CityHen-Indy]

So I just caught up on [COLOR=FF0000]2275 posts! My chicken hibernation is hopefully over. My EE, "the survivor" has survived through the neg 0 temps and is being such a trooper as the only feathered friend I have right now. She has not cozied p to the pups at all.[/COLOR]

SO, to catch up on the last month and a half...

[COLOR=FF8C00]I AM FREE AND CLEAR!! More chickens for me!! (I had to put all my chickens and turkeys down due to a communicable disease last fall).[/COLOR]
I think I'll be getting some chicks in the spring, but is there anyone that has pullets that they are needing to re-home? I'm wanting plain ole backyard birds, no show birds or anything. Not wanting to pay a bunch, but willing to pay what they're worth. I am just itching to have some girls following me around! And eggs, how I miss my own eggs!!

I would be willing to drive within 2 hours of Dubois county, so like say Bloomington area down to the Kentucky line. PM me if you have anything!

Good to see other than some bumps and bruises and COLD weather, everybody is doing relatively okay! :yiipchick

I might have a few backyard mixes of Speckled Sussex Roo wit Barred Rock, Cuckoo Maran, Salmon Faverolles, and RIR in a couple of weeks to rehome. Diva, my Silkie went broodie while I was out of town for two weeks and I got home to find 6 eggs under her, but the other hens keep giving her eggs and I found 11 under her today! Too much chicken math for me to handle! I thought the hens stopped laying due to the cold weather. Will post on BYC if she hatches a bunch successfully. Oh dear...

 

[Mother2Hens]

Bonbon MIssing -- and Found with The Motherload!

I arrived home a little after dark from a meeting and my DH had just gotten home and was going to lock the coop, but noticed Bonbon was missing! I tried not to panic because I had a feeling she was broody. The past week, we've noticed her not being with the others and then showing up later. I had seen Bonbon display an interest in sitting on eggs in the coop one time before. I also had been wondering if she and Adeline were taking a break from laying or if she had a stash somewhere. I hadn't taken time to look around, but had planned to tomorrow. Then she disappeared. Adeline seemed to know where Bonbon was because she hadn't been calling her like she normally would have done. DH and I were both out with flashlights calling her and looking everywhere. We noticed a lone egg by the (covered) swimming pool. I eventually found her inside a big plant of ornamental grass. She was quietly sitting on eggs, and then I looked farther back and saw even more! There were at least 16 of both Bonbon's and Adeline's eggs with a few cracked. DH got some thick gloves to pick up the broody bantam with as though she was a giant condor! She didn't seem too upset, and we put her in the coop next to Adeline. DH was a little miffed that Bonbon didn't answer when called! lol

So, I've said a million times that I'd love to have a broody hen. I do have concerns like kabhyper had about her Cochin -- that she's too young. I guess I will wait to see how she acts. I might be asking some of you about purchasing fertilized eggs. I would have to move her to the garage or basement if I do let her get broody. One amazing thing to note is that a raccoon, opossum, etc. didn't get all of those eggs. Bonbon's nest was located next to the fence in the fenced-in part of the yard. Behind the fence is the open part of the backyard with grass, trees, etc. That area is where the wild animals come from when they visit our fenced-in yard.

As far as the wrinkled egg photo I posted the other day, now I know that it has to be either my RIR or my SLW.

I should have taken a picture of her on the nest, but here's the nest and eggs.

 

[goodb]

Bonbon MIssing -- and Found with The Motherload!

I arrived home a little after dark from a meeting and my DH had just gotten home and was going to lock the coop, but noticed Bonbon was missing! I tried not to panic because I had a feeling she was broody. The past week, we've noticed her not being with the others and then showing up later. I had seen Bonbon display an interest in sitting on eggs in the coop one time before. I also had been wondering if she and Adeline were taking a break from laying or if she had a stash somewhere. I hadn't taken time to look around, but had planned to tomorrow. Then she disappeared. Adeline seemed to know where Bonbon was because she hadn't been calling her like she normally would have done. DH and I were both out with flashlights calling her and looking everywhere. We noticed a lone egg by the (covered) swimming pool. I eventually found her inside a big plant of ornamental grass. She was quietly sitting on eggs, and then I looked farther back and saw even more! There were at least 16 of both Bonbon's and Adeline's eggs with a few cracked. DH got some thick gloves to pick up the broody bantam with as though she was a giant condor! She didn't seem too upset, and we put her in the coop next to Adeline. DH was a little miffed that Bonbon didn't answer when called! lol

So, I've said a million times that I'd love to have a broody hen. I do have concerns like kabhyper had about her Cochin -- that she's too young. I guess I will wait to see how she acts. I might be asking some of you about purchasing fertilized eggs. I would have to move her to the garage or basement if I do let her get broody. One amazing thing to note is that a raccoon, opossum, etc. didn't get all of those eggs. Bonbon's nest was located next to the fence in the fenced-in part of the yard. Behind the fence is the open part of the backyard with grass, trees, etc. That area is where the wild animals come from when they visit our fenced-in yard.

As far as the wrinkled egg photo I posted the other day, now I know that it has to be either my RIR or my SLW.

I should have taken a picture of her on the nest, but here's the nest and eggs.

Glad you found her safe!

 

[minmin1258]

Hi Everyone. I just wanted to share today's chicken adventure I was channeling Mother2Hens and gave my limping chicken, Lucy, a bath and a new crate. She has been limping for several days and I moved her out of the coop when she wasn't able to get back up the ramp herself. At first Lucy was in a smallish cat carrier and while it was ok when she was little, she is now too big. She ended up getting poo all over her backside and I just can't handle that. So...she got the bath first. What an angel she was. I have washed dogs from poodles to bullmastiffs, cats, and guinea pigs, but never a full-sized chicken. She fell asleep in the bath on my arm. After her blow-dry (on medium), she took a rest on the counter while I cleaned out her area. Then we went to the store and got her a small foldable crate that I am sure will come in handy when isolating other birds in the future. In the past I have borrowed my friends rabbit hutch, but I have been doing it too much in my opinion. Then, we made a sling out of remnant fabric I had in the basement and wrapped it around a dishpan so that she could hang to rest her feet/legs. I wish the dishpan was a little deeper though. No, I cant see anything wrong with any part of her legs, but she won't put any weight on the one. I'm really hoping she doesn't have a dislocated hip or something that she can't recover from, but I guess time will tell. Should I mix some grit or sand into her food? Also in answer to your question M2H, I ran out of the organic food about 2 days after the really cold weather, but I will keep you posted on the switch. I like your idea of us buying someone's chicken though. There is a farm here in Greencastle that I can buy from, but they do not use organic grain. If I have a sick rooster is taking it to the vet to be put to sleep my best bet? He is not getting any better at all.

Hope your girl recovers soon! Just a suggestion but could you not use parrot cups that hang on the side of the pen for her feed and water/ grit etc. ? Would leave her more room to move around and wouldn't get knocked over because they fasten to the side.

 

[minmin1258]

Fr

[COLOR=800000]Bonbon MIssing -- and Found with The Motherload![/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I arrived home a little after dark from a meeting and my DH had just gotten home and was going to lock the coop, but noticed Bonbon was missing! I tried not to panic because I had a feeling she was broody. The past week, we've noticed her not being with the others and then showing up later. I had seen Bonbon display an interest in sitting on eggs in the coop one time before. I also had been wondering if she and Adeline were taking a break from laying or if she had a stash somewhere. I hadn't taken time to look around, but had planned to tomorrow. Then she disappeared. Adeline seemed to know where Bonbon was because she hadn't been calling her like she normally would have done. DH and I were both out with flashlights calling her and looking everywhere. We noticed a lone egg by the (covered) swimming pool. I eventually found her inside a big plant of ornamental grass. She was quietly sitting on eggs, and then I looked farther back and saw even more! There were at least 16 of both Bonbon's and Adeline's eggs with a few cracked. DH got some thick gloves to pick up the broody bantam with as though she was a giant condor! She didn't seem too upset, and we put her in the coop next to Adeline. DH was a little miffed that Bonbon didn't answer when called! lol[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]So, I've said a million times that I'd love to have a broody hen. I do have concerns like kabhyper had about her Cochin -- that she's too young. I guess I will wait to see how she acts. I might be asking some of you about purchasing fertilized eggs. I would have to move her to the garage or basement if I do let her get broody. One amazing thing to note is that a raccoon, opossum, etc. didn't get all of those eggs. Bonbon's nest was located next to the fence in the fenced-in part of the yard. Behind the fence is the open part of the backyard with grass, trees, etc. That area is where the wild animals come from when they visit our fenced-in yard. [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]As far as the wrinkled egg photo I posted the other day, now I know that it has to be either my RIR or my SLW.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I should have taken a picture of her on the nest, but here's the nest and eggs.[/COLOR]

Glad you found her safe!

From the looks of that "stash" they've bn laying there for several days!!!!

 

[Mother2Hens]

That redheaded woodpecker is just precious! I fed one outside my office for several years.
Tons of mealies! it would tap on my window every afternoon.
They get really big. My boss thought he was just amazing.

Since woodpeckers are the only wild bird that I know anything about, here is a Woodpecker Lesson for this evening - lol!

The amazing one that leslea photographed is a Pileated Woodpecker (It can be pronounced both ways-- like Pile-eated or like Pill-eated). And it's the one that inspired Woody Woodpecker's look. There are many varieties, but these are the ones that I see the most often, especially the red-bellied (it's hard to see their red bellies when they are always against a tree!) and the Downy (smaller and fluffier). You're lucky if you ever get to see a Pileated one because I've read that many bird-watcher people have never had the luck to see one in person. We were so lucky to have one live in our far backyard for several years.

Btw, you are absolutely right, jchny, that we shouldn't have our bird feeder near the chickens-- especially after we've dealt with scaly leg mites.

The feeder is in such an otherwise perfect place.