INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

I've seen that several people have the ecoglow has anyone used this one?
I wish it had some customer reviews with it!

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=120893&cat_id=144

I've got 26 chicks coming the end of feb and this would be much better than the heat lamp.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Bantam? I have 3 partridge hens and a Roo. They have yet to lay, but as soon as they do, I'm debating rehoming them.
If you can wait, I'll eventually have fertile eggs. My group can't be much older than yours. My Roo started crowing in the fall...

He is actually large fowl or I would jump all over that!

 

[Mother2Hens]

On another thread, someone shared the RatZapper trap which I'd never seen before. No poison for the birds to get into and they can't accidentally be snapped in a trap.

http://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Ultra-Rodent-RZU001/dp/B00CM859OA

Don't start a fire by using it outside. The directions say for Indoor Use Only.

I went in my barn today to find a clump of feathers. They were wild bird feathers though, not chicken feathers.My stupid barn cats have caught a robin, baby sparrow, and this mystery bird in the last week. They don't eat them though just kill them. But the dang things won't touch a mouse. They are easier game! I love my barn cats, they are pets, but they are starting to tick me off. The wild birds have began to learn to not go near the chickens, I scare them away. I don't mind them (actually enjoy them) coming around, but I don't want them around my chickens. I don't really want to kill a bunch of mice, but I don't want to lookout my window one day see my barn being carried away by mice (so It doesn't bother me as much if the cats kill them). So long story short they keep killing wild birds that aren't really causing harm, but won't catch any mice. Just got a new barn cat the other day, maybe she will be a good micer. Any way these feathers are different than from birds I normally see around. They have a white tip, the bottom of the feather is black with a blue sheen and the top is blue, with black stripes. These aren't very large feathers either, maybe 2 in long. Anyone know what It is?I never found the actually body just this clump of feathers on my barn floor.

Maybe a Mockingbird? They are really mean to cats and dive-bomb them. So what if the cat ate its family. Mockingbirds are also aggressive to other birds. (When they're alive), you can identify them by the way their tails point upward.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Don't start a fire by using it outside. The directions say for Indoor Use Only.
Maybe a Mockingbird? They are really mean to cats and dive-bomb them. So what if the cat ate its family. Mockingbirds are also aggressive to other birds. (When they're alive), you can identify them by the way their tails point upward.

The only birds I see around here are sparrows, robins, very few pigeons and doves, and seldom a cardinal or blue jay.

 

[chick rookie]

Too Fast ~ Only a guy would notice the dagger and think that thought! Haha

jchny ~ That's really interesting to see how the peacock's feathers come in.
Chickcrazed ~ Chewie is handsome! That's funny that the other roo's departure may have led to Chewie stepping up to the plate and learning to crow.
I'd love a lavender Cochin, but I can't wait a year.

chick rookie ~ It's great that you're not afraid to ask. There's TONS of chicken info out there that is written in various styles, and many times the advice is conflicts with what another expert said, so confusion is common!

thanks M2H my grandpa always said you never know until you ask. just sometimes I think I ask too much and annoy people. I found another hen almost dead tonight. Got to be something going on, she will be gone by morning. if not sooner. another of my old one's. ya think they just cant handle the cold this year? I'm just at a loss. I don't know that much in the first place and then something like this is happening and I'm really at a loss. this sounds bad but if it starts happening to my younger laying hens, I don't know what I'll do.

I'm really sorry about your peafowl.

My DH's all time favorite show is West Wing. I have not watched it because I had three jobs back then and never watched TV. I gave him the box set with all the episodes for Christmas this year and he asked me to watch the first episode with him. Now I am like a puppy waiting everyday for my treat. I get everyone fed and to bed then immediately ask him if we can start another one. I was so crunchy (my version) last night because he was already watching the football playoffs. Now seriously, I get that its two great teams and it may have been a good game, but I felt like saying "Its going to be one of those two, so now can we watch?" He's out of town for ten days and I've promised not to watch ahead so I think we could have forgone the game last night.....Just my opinion.

He's really pretty. Do your Cochins lay speckled eggs? I only have one laying right now but she lays the prettiest brown eggs with white speckles. I just love them.


Here is his site: http://shop.chickenfountain.com/. I started following his page on FB when I read about his products on the Chicken Chick page. I love his fountain and cant wait to get one when I figure out the water solution. He has an option for keeping the water from freezing at the nipples too. I'm sure I could figure out how to do this, but really, I'm just happy he has already done the work (besides that, he seems to genuinely love chickens). The first time I used it, it didn't work. It turns out that I wasn't thinking very clearly. I used a smartwater water bottle and couldn't figure out why the water wouldn't come out. DUH, I didn't put a hole in the bottle. Anyway, I put a small bowl under the nipple with a little grit in case someone gets over enthusiastic about their water. Its so much better than cleaning out all the wet bedding. It also works well on the 2L bottles, so I use them in the garden during the summer so I switch them out easily. I froze water in the bottle half full, then put some fresh water in before taking them outside. It stayed cold most of the day. They were rigged up with bungee cords on the fence. In the brooder, I used small jewelry wire to wire the bottles to the crate.
That is such a good idea. I might have to try that. I still really like the sand, but those could be a great alternative for us.

Lucy Update:

I've done some more research on the thrush and it doesn't seem possible that she could have gotten it, but I am still going to move forward as if she does. Our coop and water are always clean and have good ventilation, so it would be hard I think, but I'm happy to have a direction to try. I am going to trim her vent feathers today when I give her another bath. I've also started with the probiotics and I looked around for vets. I was not able to find one within 1:15 of my house, so that's tricky. I called around to see if anyone would be interested in giving me guidance via webchat, but obviously, they said no, lol. I have an appt on Friday, but it means my youngest doesn't get to go to preschool. At least its just one day.

This is the vet I am seeing unless anyone has any feedback otherwise:http://www.exoticvetclinic.com/posts/pet-owners/

Oh and my drunk roo is gone. He couldn't stand at all today so I took him to my friend's house and they put him down for me.

I hope you are all doing well.
Kabhyber- really cute chicks!

sorry about your Roo and I hope Lucy gets better fast.

Bantam? I have 3 partridge hens and a Roo. They have yet to lay, but as soon as they do, I'm debating rehoming them.
If you can wait, I'll eventually have fertile eggs. My group can't be much older than yours. My Roo started crowing in the fall...

I heard a Cochin Roo crow today for the first time and I couldn't help but lmbo.... it was awesome. Sounded like he was really horse...

 

[racinchickins]

I've seen that several people have the ecoglow has anyone used this one?
I wish it had some customer reviews with it!

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=120893&cat_id=144

I've got 26 chicks coming the end of feb and this would be much better than the heat lamp.

There was some discussion on here about this one yesterday. I and several others have ecoglows that we really like. I am going to buy the larger one from premiere1 for when my Java chicks are here. But I don't believe anyone has one yet. I'm pretty sure they haven't offered it for long.

 

[lilmizscareall]

He is actually large fowl or I would jump all over that!  

Well boo, mine are bantys.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Oh, BTW- Mother2Hens you are just awesome. I really appreciate all the feedback and ideas you have been sending me.

CRSelvey ~I enjoy problem-solving, only the problem is, I'm not a vet! I'm sure it's a relief that Peanut Butter is put out of his and your misery. I'll be happy to change your avatar photo. I picked up Jersey from Freezer Camp at the veterinarian's today so that I could bury her before the next arctic blast hits. I buried her in the front landscaping that the chickens and I totally re-did last summer. Violet is buried there, too.

Btw, I know that several of our members have gone to the Exotic Animal Vets in Indy. I just did a Search This Thread for exotic: Look on page 1663 and scroll down to AmLambson, kabhyper, and brown cow's discussions. Page 1324 pginsber Page 1319 Mr. Tattoohead

My pullet turned into a roo, so I am on the hunt for a female Cochin. There are not many in Indiana and I am considering making a 5 hour round trip to Ohio to get one

ChickCrazed ~ Considering all of our members who rave about and have Cochins, are there any who breed them? Or are they difficult to breed? bradselig may be hatching some LF Cochin eggs for me if he has time.

The water was the main reason I went with the pelleted bedding in the bottom of my brooder. It is meant to absorb water like no other! When using this bedding in horse stalls, you are not supposed to pick out the urine. It absorbs and neutralizes the urine and then breaks apart. You just keep mixing dry pellets into the wet spots until there are no more whole pellets and it is all broken down. Then you treat like normal shavings (pulling out the wet) until it is time to add more pellets. It is pretty cool stuff. Since chicks don't really pee it won't work quite the same here, but it DOES absorb the spilled water!

ChickCrazed ~ That does sound like a great invention! What's the name of the product? Do the bags only come in Horse Size? I assume it could be used for cat litter.
Originally Posted by Penny Hen
Oh, and about electric fences: This is borrowed from another shepherd who lived out West. She puts aluminum strips on her electric fence and smears peanut butter on to bait them. When the coyotes (or other wild preditors) lick the peanut butter they get a full shock of the fence without their thick coats being able to insulate them. They don't challenge her fences after that.
That sounds sadistic-- isn't an electric fence enough?
And CCCHICKENS ~ glue traps for rats is slow torture. I think I need to be on a PETA thread! lol

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

CRSelvey ~I enjoy problem-solving, only the problem is, I'm not a vet! I'm sure it's a relief that Peanut Butter is put out of his and your misery. I'll be happy to change your avatar photo. I picked up Jersey from Freezer Camp at the veterinarian's today so that I could bury her before the next arctic blast hits. I buried her in the front landscaping that the chickens and I totally re-did last summer. Violet is buried there, too.

Btw, I know that several of our members have gone to the Exotic Animal Vets in Indy. I just did a Search This Thread for exotic: Look on page 1663 and scroll down to AmLambson, kabhyper, and brown cow's discussions. Page 1324 pginsber Page 1319 Mr. Tattoohead
ChickCrazed ~ Considering all of our members who rave about and have Cochins, are there any who breed them? Or are they difficult to breed? bradselig may be hatching some LF Cochin eggs for me if he has time.
ChickCrazed ~ That does sound like a great invention! What's the name of the product? Do the bags only come in Horse Size? I assume it could be used for cat litter.
Originally Posted by Penny Hen
Oh, and about electric fences: This is borrowed from another shepherd who lived out West. She puts aluminum strips on her electric fence and smears peanut butter on to bait them. When the coyotes (or other wild preditors) lick the peanut butter they get a full shock of the fence without their thick coats being able to insulate them. They don't challenge her fences after that.
That sounds sadistic-- isn't an electric fence enough?
And CCCHICKENS ~ glue traps for rats is slow torture. I think I need to be on a PETA thread! lol

The traps are checked daily, so they aren't usually dead. You have to do something

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Those are the water nipples on smaller bottles. I tried 2 different kinds of nipples and both of them dropped a lot of water onto the litter below. I actually would put a pan under them and it would overflow there was so much dropping. NOT LEAKING.... they just drop more water than goes in the bird's mouth while they're drinking from them.

That was MY experience with nipples...and I tried 2 different designs with much the same result.

What has worked best for me is one of the little canning jar waterers. Fill the water bowl part with MARBLES which keeps them from getting into it. Then raise it up high on a block or something that is a several inches higher than the bedding which can be covered with the non-skid shelf liner for footing. You can give them a lower platform or step to jump up on to reach the water....water should be higher than the "step up". That way when they're scratching in the litter, it keeps litter from getting into the water trough.

I often use upside down clementine boxes with the shelf liner on top to make various levels of platforms.

That's been the best solution I've found for not getting wet bedding.

Thanks for these ideas!

Here is his site: http://shop.chickenfountain.com/. I started following his page on FB when I read about his products on the Chicken Chick page. I love his fountain and cant wait to get one when I figure out the water solution. He has an option for keeping the water from freezing at the nipples too. I'm sure I could figure out how to do this, but really, I'm just happy he has already done the work (besides that, he seems to genuinely love chickens). The first time I used it, it didn't work. It turns out that I wasn't thinking very clearly. I used a smartwater water bottle and couldn't figure out why the water wouldn't come out. DUH, I didn't put a hole in the bottle. Anyway, I put a small bowl under the nipple with a little grit in case someone gets over enthusiastic about their water. Its so much better than cleaning out all the wet bedding. It also works well on the 2L bottles, so I use them in the garden during the summer so I switch them out easily. I froze water in the bottle half full, then put some fresh water in before taking them outside. It stayed cold most of the day. They were rigged up with bungee cords on the fence. In the brooder, I used small jewelry wire to wire the bottles to the crate.
That is such a good idea. I might have to try that. I still really like the sand, but those could be a great alternative for us.

Thanks for sharing & the site info!