INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

playing catch up.. wanted to yell HI before i go off to read.. didn't make it to our thread yesterday and long day today.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

http://www.wthr.com/story/24502683/...deter-increase-in-coyote-attacks-in-greenwood
Coyotes in greenwood

They can get really bold. During my AC days, I had an elderly gentleman that was walking his little dachshund and it was taken.
Horrible experience.

 

[racinchickins]

Welcome!!

HA! That was my same thought last week. Brad is the worst.

He will tempt you to like all sorts of birds that might seem strange at first. Pretty soon, you'll be trying to get some chicks.

So, I'm a little confused today. Lucy is not doing any better today but is fine from the neck up. Her comb is starting to fall over and its just so sad. I called the vet again today and she got on the phone with me. She's still happy to see Lucy on Friday, but said my best bet is to take her to Perdue and have them test her because it will be significantly less expensive than the tests they run. The kicker is that they will put her down first. If I would have known that, I would have taken the roo there instead of having him put down by my friend. They want me to put the whole flock down if its Marek's. Now I know that this is the protocol, but I don't understand it. If the rest aren't showing any signs and I'm not adding to the group, why do I need to put them down until or unless they show signs of illness? And then what do I do. I want chickens now and in the future, so if I take Lucy in for the good of the flock, how do I treat my property? I can't find explanations for that. And I have read a million articles (it seems) and nothing explains why my one hen actually did recover after a long time. Everything says it can happen, but not what happens if it does. Its so defeating.

Wish I could help you, but don't have the experience. Hoping someone else here does and can help.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Got up this morning and decided to check on the chickens. I normally feed and water at night, and then don't see them again until after work. But since it is snowy and blowing I thought I'd look.

I found all their pens and the entire north half of the barn had a pretty good dusting of snow, including on the backs of all the birds on their roosts. Ugh. I realized it was coming in because the wind was blowing from the North and Northeast. My barn has two doors on each side, and I always leave the Northeast door open to let light in the barn (and because the wind never blows in there....or so I thought). So a lot was coming in there, but not enough to reach the pens. The North wind was blowing right against the north side of the barn and blowing snow through the barn slats and in the pop doors of the pens.

Soooo, at 5:30 in the morning (who said chickens weren't all fun and entertainment!), I was screwing plywood onto the north side of the barn next to each set of roosts, and also putting plywood over each pop door. It definitely cut down on the drafts into the pens, and I'm not worried about closing off the pop doors, since the chickens won't go out into the poison white stuff anyway. I'm wondering if this contributed to my frostbite problems during the last cold snap. I'm hoping this helps with the coming freeze. I also closed all the barn doors, which meant I had to leave the lights on, or it stays pretty dark in the barn all day.

Back in BC (before chickens), my biggest worry was if I had clean clothes to wear to work. Now, I'm up half the night hoping they aren't freezing and then doing construction before hurrying to work. And I'm not as worried about clean clothes either.....

Its funny how we develop a "6th sense" about our birds. You just know something is up..Good thing you checked on them.
If I wake up in the middle of the night, I go look now. Like finding a stray cat that had snuck into the utility area of my coop!
I had left the door adjar while getting oyster shell out of the garage. Closed up and went in... Woke up and went to check

I let it go, but am watching how it acts. I am putting cameras out and catching these people yet. Poor animals.

You are so not kidding! I sure do a lot more laundry now, too!
I cannot count how many pooped on shoulders I have experienced.. lap, arm, head...

I wouldn't trade it for anything, been worth every minute with my birds.

PS: Most vets do a fecal sample (even if they're not an avian vet) for a very reasonable price...usually less than $20.

I think its was $13 about last time I had one done.
I do agree with your outlook on worming. If late winter/spring shows no signs from the fecal I take in, I skip the birds.
I wont skip the fall treatments, just too many birds to risk by then.
I have never had a positive, but I see them eat so many gross things I am a little paranoid.

I do rotate my worming program to different products, I currently use ivermec and am using valbazen on the next treatment.
Pigs especially, and the other hooved livestock are a different story.

 

[CRSelvey]

Patrick you and everyone else here already have. It's great knowing I can vent some frustration, have people who understand my chicken obsession, then calmly get back to reading everything I can find. I don't know why I didn't use the search this thread first. Over the last week I have read so many sites not here and the info is frustrating. Today I did search this thread and all the links and videos posted in the past have helped most. I'm almost positive it's Mareks but I have more options than culling my whole flock. As much as I don't like the idea, I'm trying to work my way to taking Lucy to Perdue for testing. It makes sense that it would keep everyone else alive and then I'd know for sure what we are facing. I just think its crap that she'd have to die to be sure. There is a DNA blood test but I need to find out more about that like who does it. I just hope we have the time.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I have Br hen, GLW roo crosses. Huge rooster, nice sized hen. They have the wyandotte comb.
I will get pics when its warmer, I just love the mix!
I processed the first roo 2 weeks ago, and it was much larger and meatier than my GLW roos the same age.

Joining late but I am from NW Indiana (Crawfordsville area) and have had our chicks just under a year now. We are lvoing it and have to say we have learned a lot this winter about chickens and what they need during this time (I know we have had a bit more difficult winter than normal). Glad I found you other IN chickens lovers

and our thread, nice to meet you

Never too late, just jump right in!

Quote: Very interesting mix!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
Wait out the last one, she is keeping it for a reason...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Well, this is what I woke to today:




Four kids to entertain today meant not much time for Mom to cruise BYC! Sounds like y'all have had your hands full, too.

I did snap some pics of my "nest box shelves" while in the garage today. I couldn't help but notice that two shelves down from where I'd stowed this, I also had a leftover piece of wood from our kids' playset that I might also be able to use for the "top" of my nest boxes (so I have something to staple curtains to).





Maybe they weren't meant for this purpose, but they look like they'll be the perfect size for bantams, don't they?


That also got me thinking about other things in the garage I might repurpose for the run. We have an IKEA bunk bed that we decided we did not have the mental wherewithal to reassemble, now that we've moved. It was hard enough the first time! I might try to salvage as much of that wood as possible for the frame of the run. It won't be perfect, as I'd have to piece the boards together. I'd really rather have longer boards for the frame...but I'm also trying to be frugal. I guess I could use them for the outside of my raised beds, too, although I also had thought of using bricks for those. Feel like it has to be one or the other. Thankfully I have plenty of time to change my mind...until I lose it.

I might try that Premiere warming plate! It seems like a great idea!

So that's all the future-chicken news from here tonight! Hope all of y'all had a great day today.

Love the woods, lovely picture!
I think the corner shelf is perfect for nestboxes!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I remember before having chickens, thinking that people who discussed the weather were very very boring. Now I am checking the weather predictions at least twice a day. I have turned into one of those boring weather people.

Ugh me too! I am looking at it on my phone all the time.

Quote:
I got a rough count today too...
I am around 90 on chickens, including chicks.
(Several are roosters that won't be staying)
My chicken numbers change weekly. Hard to keep track..
38 quail
5 turkey
3 peafowl
7 guinea
7 pekin
4 muscovy
1 oddball duck (my oldest pekin hen laid, possibly mallard cross?)
14 geese
I feel like I've forgot something...

OH EIEIOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[minmin1258]

S

So the eggs that looked "black" hatched? I'm so frustrated...seriously! I have 12 eggs in the incubator. There are only two that "look black" but I've not seen ANY movement. I'm taking all of the eggs but those two out tonight and hoping they make it to lockdown. I'm not going t touch them again and pray they make it! Lockdown is 1wk from tomorrow. Crossing my fingers!

I hope you are still going to turn them

Automatic egg turner.