INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[bradselig]

Went out a little bit ago and took some pictures. I apologize for the quality of the pictures I'm no photographer also I apologize for the coop its a mess. Anyways, here are a few pics. a couple of the older girls going out to the coop one of my two younger pullets some of the younger ones one of my many roosters one of the older girls my surrogate mom and my baby another pic of the youngens i have way too many roosters my sole surviving hatch-ling i'm thinking rooster all the way Birchen Marans #1 Birchen Marans #2 i'm thinking both are pullets but not really for sure. anyone's input is appreciated. Sorry about the pic overload.

Everyone looks good! I'd agree the sole surviving hatchling being a roo and both birchens hens. What breed is the "sole surviving hatchling"? I love the color!

 

[HouseKat]

My first egg! I just happened to go check on the flock, one last time, before I headed to work and there it was.
Phew! One of the Cochins is finally paying her rent.
Edited to add: My husband told his coworkers and they're all asking him what we are going to do with it... *le sigh*

I saved our first egg, blew it out, let it dry, and coated it inside with watered down ModPodge. I'm going to paint it gold and keep it for a Christmas tree ornament.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Disclaimer: This is just my view and husbandry method....so take it with that disclaimer.


REGARDING CULLING
I didn't think I would ever be able to cull an animal either. I am one of those kinds of people that swerves to miss hitting a wooly worm on the road

so it didn't seem like I'd ever be talking about or in favor of culling.

But...
It came to my conscience that if I am willing to take on a farm animal to raise and provide for it, I also have to be willing to cull (read "kill") if it is for the benefit of the animal or the flock. I believe that it is my responsibility to do so even if I don't like it or want to.

If these animals were living a non-domesticated life, the weak would be culled by the flock for their own well-being. A sickly animal would draw predators and be a detriment to the flock. If there were illness that is a danger to the flock, those with strong immune systems will survive while those that are of a weak nature will be naturally culled. This leaves a healthier, stronger flock to breed and perpetuate a healthy progeny.


ENTER GOOD HUSBANDRY
I am raising chickens because I want a healthy food source. I started thinking I'd only do eggs but I may progress to meat in the near future. Even if only for eggs, I also don't want to be dependent on a hatchery to breed healthy stock (since that's not their goal). I want to be able to have a healthy group of birds that are capable of producing more healthy birds...self-sustaining though some years of obtaining a broad breeding stock. This is not to sell to others, but to have a self-reliant, healthy food source that is different from what I can already purchase from "factory farm" sources that perpetuate unhealthy animals, environment, and food through poor husbandry methods.

I make it my goal to try to mimic what would happen if they were on their own - the way they were created to live and procreate - as if I weren't in the picture. Of course that's not totally possible, but there are things that I can do to mimic their natural state as much as possible and let these birds have the life they were created to live.


SOME OBSERVATIONS
Through observation of other's flocks, listening to folks that have raised animals for many more years than I have, and trying to use common sense, I've observed some things.

One of those things I've observed is that flocks that are receiving antibiotics and lots of medical attention/intervention seem to be perpetually sick flocks. They get treated for something and then get another thing. The medications they receive seem to be dragging those flocks down farther and farther into more illness...A "lifestyle of illness" would describe it.

And just like in the human world, anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria become stronger and stronger and the animals are ill-equipped to fight the infections due to compromised immune systems caused by the very medications that were thought to help.

I've also observed flocks that aren't medicated and are allowed to develop their own strong immune systems. The longer I observe, the stronger and healthier these flocks seem to be. The very few that are weak are either culled by caring flockmasters or just failure to thrive naturally. The strong become even stronger without having to recover from medicines that weaken them and then they produce some amazing offspring that mostly continue the strengths. Those few that don't are mercifully removed.

Interestingly, the animals I've observed that receive the least medical intervention have been the healthiest of all when they are fed a healthy diet that they were designed for as well.


ONE LADY'S STORY
I knew a lady that had chickens for over 30 years. In the early days of her chicken keeping she had so much illness and misery that she quit keeping them for about 10 years. Then she began to research and read about more natural, healthy husbandry by providing an environment that was aimed at prevention through healthy practices. She has over and over told us how grateful she is to have learned this after all her prior experience with illnesses, etc. among her flock, and what a joy it is to now have healthy birds that aren't always getting various illnesses.

This is not to say that I wouldn't treat an animal for an accident or injury...

But I am saying that if there is perpetual illness in a flock, there is either something out of kilter in the environment, feed, husbandry... If that's the case, figure out what is causing it and take measures to change the husbandry for health and prevention.

If it's just a bird now and then that is of a weak or ill disposition, I would cull...so that they aren't living in perpetual misery.

Okay...time to get off the soapbox.

 

[barb s]

He's a Golden Laced Wyandotte/Australorp cross. I really like his coloring as well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS:
(And you thought I was off my soapbox

)



I did want to say that I do recognize that some folks are raising farm animals (including cows, goats, chickens, etc.) as pets rather than livestock. But...the same is true when it comes to health.

Good husbandry consisting of the food they were designed to eat for the specific type of animal, plenty of space for the number of animals, fresh air, grass, sunshine, clean water, etc. aimed at preventing disease still applies.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Disclaimer: This is just my view and husbandry method....so take it with that disclaimer.


REGARDING CULLING
I didn't think I would ever be able to cull an animal either. I am one of those kinds of people that swerves to miss hitting a wooly worm on the road

so it didn't seem like I'd ever be talking about or in favor of culling.

But...
It came to my conscience that if I am willing to take on a farm animal to raise and provide for it, I also have to be willing to cull (read "kill") if it is for the benefit of the animal or the flock. I believe that it is my responsibility to do so even if I don't like it or want to.

If these animals were living a non-domesticated life, the weak would be culled by the flock for their own well-being. A sickly animal would draw predators and be a detriment to the flock. If there were illness that is a danger to the flock, those with strong immune systems will survive while those that are of a weak nature will be naturally culled. This leaves a healthier, stronger flock to breed and perpetuate a healthy progeny.


ENTER GOOD HUSBANDRY
I am raising chickens because I want a healthy food source. I started thinking I'd only do eggs but I may progress to meat in the near future. Even if only for eggs, I also don't want to be dependent on a hatchery to breed healthy stock (since that's not their goal). I want to be able to have a healthy group of birds that are capable of producing more healthy birds...self-sustaining though some years of obtaining a broad breeding stock. This is not to sell to others, but to have a self-reliant, healthy food source that is different from what I can already purchase from "factory farm" sources that perpetuate unhealthy animals, environment, and food through poor husbandry methods.

I make it my goal to try to mimic what would happen if they were on their own - the way they were created to live and procreate - as if I weren't in the picture. Of course that's not totally possible, but there are things that I can do to mimic their natural state as much as possible and let these birds have the life they were created to live.


SOME OBSERVATIONS
Through observation of other's flocks, listening to folks that have raised animals for many more years than I have, and trying to use common sense, I've observed some things.

One of those things I've observed is that flocks that are receiving antibiotics and lots of medical attention/intervention seem to be perpetually sick flocks. They get treated for something and then get another thing. The medications they receive seem to be dragging those flocks down farther and farther into more illness...A "lifestyle of illness" would describe it.

And just like in the human world, anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria become stronger and stronger and the animals are ill-equipped to fight the infections due to compromised immune systems caused by the very medications that were thought to help.

I've also observed flocks that aren't medicated and are allowed to develop their own strong immune systems. The longer I observe, the stronger and healthier these flocks seem to be. The very few that are weak are either culled by caring flockmasters or just failure to thrive naturally. The strong become even stronger without having to recover from medicines that weaken them and then they produce some amazing offspring that mostly continue the strengths. Those few that don't are mercifully removed.

Interestingly, the animals I've observed that receive the least medical intervention have been the healthiest of all when they are fed a healthy diet that they were designed for as well.


ONE LADY'S STORY
I knew a lady that had chickens for over 30 years. In the early days of her chicken keeping she had so much illness and misery that she quit keeping them for about 10 years. Then she began to research and read about more natural, healthy husbandry by providing an environment that was aimed at prevention through healthy practices. She has over and over told us how grateful she is to have learned this after all her prior experience with illnesses, etc. among her flock, and what a joy it is to now have healthy birds that aren't always getting various illnesses.

This is not to say that I wouldn't treat an animal for an accident or injury...

But I am saying that if there is perpetual illness in a flock, there is either something out of kilter in the environment, feed, husbandry... If that's the case, figure out what is causing it and take measures to change the husbandry for health and prevention.

If it's just a bird now and then that is of a weak or ill disposition, I would cull...so that they aren't living in perpetual misery.

Okay...time to get off the soapbox.

I agree completely. I have been researching bees like crazy because that is this year's crazy addition. A lot of people have a lot to say on the demise of the honey bee and although most immediately jump to GMOs and pesticides (some pesticides do contribute, but it is not the main cause of hive collapse), it is actually seen more as overtending of hives and the intervention of man being the cause. We as humans have developed hives that suit our needs, and then to "proactively" protect against loss hivekeepers tend to pump the hives full of medications for every common ailment. What has happened is that generations of weak bees have been bred in inhospitable environments. They are susceptible to mites and diseases because we have made them that way. More and more people are saying you shouldn't treat and let the strong survive to breed more strong. That will be the salvation of the honeybee. I think the same can be said for any animal. Although we can keep a weak pet inside, or even outside, it should not be passing traits on genetically. We can love and coddle our imperfect pets, but a strong breeding program should only be breeding strong specimens.

 

[browncow15]

I have given this a decent amount of thought.    At first I was of the same mind you are, never kill a healthy bird just for not meeting the SOP.  But then I got my HRIR chicks and the majority were roosters.  I was able to re-home a few.  However in the future I am going to be very careful about re-homing any of the HRIR.  Now my HRIR are dual purpose so narrowing down the flock and eating the ones that don't meet SOP is a good way to provide food for the freezer as well as prevent future instances of fake HRIR breeding ~ where the pet quality roo is breed to a hatchery hen and the chick is sold as a show quality chick from "my" line. Thankfully I only re-homed 2 locally and both are far enough away that I don't think the breeding will be an issue.  Plus I'm not a name brand breeder by any means so it won't be my name on their fake heritage line. 

Aw man you're on to me

Your roo is doing well; I heard him crow for the first time yesterday

 

[oldrooster]

My first egg! I just happened to go check on the flock, one last time, before I headed to work and there it was.
Phew! One of the Cochins is finally paying her rent.
Edited to add: My husband told his coworkers and they're all asking him what we are going to do with it... *le sigh*

He should have said he's going to build a nest at work on a chair and sit on it to hatch it. I mean there are only 2 things an egg is good for 1 is for breeding the other is eating....

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
Ha Ha, I was surfing ebay and saw it happening out in CA.

But really your rooster crowed, mine rarely crow. I have a tiny sumatra that crows more that the HRIR. But my HRIR sure do mate well, and they love showing me how often they mate. Since i want them to mate I don't put a stop to it but I will carry them around the coop for fun. It is amazing to me that such a large rooster is so calm and easy to hold.

 

[minmin1258]

My first egg! I just happened to go check on the flock, one last time, before I headed to work and there it was. Phew! One of the Cochins is finally paying her rent. Edited to add: My husband told his coworkers and they're all asking him what we are going to do with it... *le sigh*

I saved our first egg, blew it out, let it dry, and coated it inside with watered down ModPodge. I'm going to paint it gold and keep it for a Christmas tree ornament.

I've made many "blown" egg ornaments. They turn out beautiful! Several family members and close friends have them on their trees.