INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Question for those of you with goats--can dwarf/ Pygmy goats be house trained? Has anybody had or heard of having them in the house as pets?

Here's a link: Pygmy Goats Can Make Good Pets! - Pet Columns, Office of Public …
They live 8 - 12 years. Just make sure ordinances allow it. There was a story here last fall about a guy who had to give his pet goat up because of a city ordinance that doesn't allow goats (chickens and some other animals are okay'd). He argued that his goat was smaller than many dogs, and it didn't bark, run loose, etc., but once ordinances have been on the books for decades, it's difficult to have them changed even if they make no sense.
CCCHICKENS~ It's so funny to see how they react to something new. Mine look at me with suspicion like I'm trying to poison them. Apparently your white rock rooster thought that's what you were trying to do! Mine become very annoyed if it's anything slightly mushy that would cause them to have to wipe their beaks repeatedly. Next, they'll be requesting their food be placed a silver tray with a linen napkin to wipe their beaks.

 

[PimentoPlymouth]

Im in the process of building a new coop and am wanting to expand my flock. Problem is dont want to purchase an incubator so would prefer to buy chicks. Not a big fan of the local RK or TSC. They aren't to bad but went to RK once and was looking and they had the chicks all mixed up and some were labeled wrong. So im looking for fairly close breeders who I could pick up chicks from. Breeds im interested in are BLRW, Lavender Orps, Blue Splash cochins, Buff Brahma, JG and EE. If anyone could get me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.

 

[CRSelvey]

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This wasn't at TSC, but Ruarl King. That was not why they were having the minimum. This was also past easter. They were just trying to be difficult, they wanted me to spend more money. I had 3 chicks, they wanted me to get 5. I had more at home too.There reason was warmth. My parents have bought me chicks for easter, but it is usually more like 10 and they have each other and then the rest of my chickens once they grow up. Just buying one is ridiculous.

It makes me so mad at easter time when I see the chicks at farm stores died random colors. You arent suppose to do that until 8 weeks of age I believe (even blu-kote). 

I can understand the frustration. I was actually hoping for three chicks when we started this adventure and had to get 6 because of their rules. I did some research last night and it turns out that there are several states where the Department of Agriculture has made regulations that farm/feed stores may not sell less than 6 because of the reasons that I was told. It's not just tsc, but all stores of its kind. The rule does not apply to farm co-ops or individual breeders although it can if the individual breeders are selling at the stores swap or if the chicks are under a certain age. I haven't found anything to say it is a rule here in Indiana but it has become a corporate policy in several chain stores.

It might be easier for us to get the chicks we want from someone like Brad or Little Ameraucana Mom that just can't help themselves from hatching

 

[ChickCrazed]

Im in the process of building a new coop and am wanting to expand my flock. Problem is dont want to purchase an incubator so would prefer to buy chicks. Not a big fan of the local RK or TSC. They aren't to bad but went to RK once and was looking and they had the chicks all mixed up and some were labeled wrong. So im looking for fairly close breeders who I could pick up chicks from. Breeds im interested in are BLRW, Lavender Orps, Blue Splash cochins, Buff Brahma, JG and EE. If anyone could get me in the right direction I would really appreciate it.

Akers Hatchery in southern Indiana has BLRW and Lavender Orps I believe. They said they would start having chicks in Feb or March so we are close.

 

[CRSelvey]

Akers Hatchery in southern Indiana has BLRW and Lavender Orps I believe.  They said they would start having chicks in Feb or March so we are close.  

Those sound pretty!

I found this post about a chicken playground and it sounds like something m2h needs for her girls. These people couldn't get their chickens out in the snow so they set up ramps for their girls. Over The Snow Chicken Playground - BackYard Chickens Community
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/over-the-snow-chicken-playground

Oops the Link didn't work

 

[Kiniska]

Agreed, probablymore. Like most coorperations (sp), all they care about is the money

The only way to effect them is to have a large number of people stop shopping there. Kinda hard when they are pretty much the only source for miles.

 

[PimentoPlymouth]

Akers Hatchery in southern Indiana has BLRW and Lavender Orps I believe.  They said they would start having chicks in Feb or March so we are close.  

Thank you for that so I suppose my next question is how long do chicks do ok in a car ride. It'll be about two hrs in the car. Should be ok right?

 

[ChickCrazed]

Thank you for that so I suppose my next question is how long do chicks do ok in a car ride. It'll be about two hrs in the car. Should be ok right?

Mine three did about 1.5 hours in the car in the middle of January. I put their box on the floor with the feet warmers on. You could also get one of those cheap hand warmers to put in there with them. Those lavender orps are on my list, but probably for next year. I have a super pretty Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, she is spectacular but was not handled as a baby and is super shy. She is getting better though. I think I'll have my hands full with the three new breeds I'm getting this year and am trying to forget about the lavender orps this year . I also really want one of the frizzle orps that akers has. I see a trip down there in my future at some point!

 

[ChickCrazed]

The only way to effect them is to have a large number of people stop shopping there. Kinda hard when they are pretty much the only source for miles.

Social media is pretty powerful too. Someone could start a facebook page to share. Corporations actually really do respond to large amounts of negative publicity on social media. I had a college acquaintance who was battling Stage 4 colon cancer get his insurer to agree to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of treatment (previously no covered) after getting into a twitter battle with the CEO of the insurance company.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news...ter-debate-gets-medical-bills-paid/56791952/1

 

[bradselig]

Ok, here is my rant about retail bashing. Maybe it bothers me more than most because I actually work in retail.

First let all understand that the minimum chick number is not a store by store policy. EVERY single rural king, TSC, and Big R and a single Family Farm and Home (only one store remotely located to me) have this minimum number of chicks. I have only been to an Orschelns that does not have a minimum. While I don't know the reasoning behind such minimums, it is still policy and to think an employee is going to break policy for you, you are crazy! Why would I risk my job for a customer? Sure you are more than welcome to ask if you can get less chicks, but to start arguing and complaining is flat out ridiculous, IMO. If you don't like the stores policy, then shop somewhere else! Very simple!

For all the "idiots" working in the stores, most employees are hired for areas that are their strengths. Not everyone will be a chicken expert. These stores typically have a lot of specialized areas and to assume every employee is knowledgeable in every area is also ridiculous.

Now, letting a animal become injured and/or diseased and not treating it is not acceptable. As some mentioned, businesses are in it for money (I thought that was obvious), so if you don't like the business take your money elsewhere. But to go in and just become argumentative, loud, and quite honestly a pain in the butt, is not the solution. The vast majority of the time you will be yelling at the messenger who has no control over policies. When customers beat down employees like this, you are just causing the employee to not care and not want to improve him or herself. Why would they go try and help an employee in an unfamiliar area only to get yelled at by a customer?

I know I will try to go above and beyond to help my customers, however I don't do to well when you yell at me. And don't tell me how to do my job. And nots lot forget that I am NOT a dog and will not come to you when you whistle at me! Working in cabinets, I'm dealing with high dollar projects. Things go wrong that are out of my control. If a customer is reasonable I'm more than happy to try to correct the issue, be it compensation or upgrading for same price. However, if you start yelling and becoming unreasonable, my willingness to help is gone! Retail employees are still people and still should be treated as such!