INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[leslea]

I have not used them but I have seen posts on facebook for a chicken / pet sitting company in Indy.
https://www.facebook.com/happyathomeindy

Personally, I would want another chicken owner in some ways but then the bio risks might mean a non chicken owner is better. I think it depends on how much stuff you have going on too. Right now I would not think of asking for someone to watch my chickens unless it was an emergency. I have laying hens, breeding pens, growout coups, ducks, tiny brooders, and incubators finishing up 3 different sets of eggs. It is not as simple as feed and water right now. Come summer or early fall after the extreme heat is over, maybe it will be feed and water all pens, gather eggs.

I will just have the six pullets. IF we do this.

 

[minmin1258]

I

 

Moved 5 ducklings to the grow out coop.  There is a heat light out there since some of the birds in that coop are not fully feathered.  The heat light is plugged into one of the themo cube outlets.  Even with today's temps the light was not on for some of the day.  The chickens, 2 adult ducks, and now 5 ducklings were creating a lot of body heat.  Dh said he would check on the youngest ducklings as the temps went down.  If they look cold we will bring them back inside.  But for now, I'm trying so hard to get the stinkiest birds out of the basement.


I keep watching the weather and making a day by day plan of which of the little stinkers are moving out next.

Hi "Sally", the ducklings I got from you are doing great! They've been adopted...by my dog!!! Lol she herds them around while they are out of their "brooder". I swear they have double in size since I got home! You forgot to warn me of one thing though...THEY STINK! Lol. So with that in mind I have a question for you... How long before they can n moved into their duck box outside? Do they have go b fully feathered like chickens do? They really love their bathtub! I bought a large rubber bowl and put about 3/4" of water in it. So far they haven't managed to splash all th water out of this one. I had to buy a much larger bin for them also because they were spilling SOOOO much water in their smaller one they were in constantly soggy bedding.

So many things to consider.  First the weather, what are the day time highs.  Mine are not out in the grow out run unless it is above 40.  Ducks grow faster than the average chick but they do need some feathers to stay warm.  I have a heat lamp in my grow out pen along with many other birds.  Last night's low was 20 so if the grow out area got to 32 the light would come on and stay on till it warmed up to 45.  I was up several times during the night and did not see the heat light on once.  I have not gone out to check on them yet.  Just finishing up with the toddlers 2nd breakfast of the day.  Then I'll deal with the chicks inside then the birds outside. 

I would not recommend moving the ducklings to a pen with no heat if that pen will get below 45F / 50F.  Kind of a do as I recommend not as I do. I think the other chicks and older laying ducks I have are keeping my pen warm and providing a nice snuggle area for the ducklings. 

Also once outside I would limit their water exposure so they could not swim until their feathers are in.  I have read many sites that say swimming too early for ducklings can be fatal.   I guess in nature the mother duck can dry off a duckling and get it warmed up but left to their own means they don't have the right oil glands until they have feathers.

I wasn't aware about th oil glands... Learning sooo much! It's another challenge that's for sure. Is very hard for me, with my legs th way they are, to get the bins cleaned daily. I put all the babies in new bins so they all have more room today and are MUCH quieter! I still hav a heat lamp over the duck and chick bin but they seem to be congregating away from the heat, it's far enough away that it's barely changing the temp in the brooder, is more for a "night glow" light. My dog is very upset that the bin is deeper and she can't lick the ducklings like she could before. She loves when I let them out to run around. I think they are hers not mine! Lol

 

[racinchickins]

I'm on vacation right now. Out of the country. Every time I have an internet connection, I'm emailing home to find out how everything is going. The DSO is a little annoyed. Especially since I didn't get the days right and had chicks still hatching days after we left. I thin the incubator was running cool since a lot were hitting day 23. I don't even know how many hatched in total or what they are. All I get from the niece is 'a lot of chicks'.

 

[leslea]

I don't go on vacation lol. No but seriously I haven't been on vacation for a few years. I finally have plans for spring break-2 days of scrapbooking. But that doesn't require me to go very far. I am sure my family would help out though. Then there is always the option of paying a responsible kid to take care of them, but I barely trust my family with them lol. Not that they aren't perfectly cable of feeding and watering them, I just like to have things done a certain way.

Hubby really needs a vacation but we're both realizing it just might not happen this year. We were planning one for 2015 but he emailed me today that he needs a break sooner...

I might just try and convince him to stay home for the first year at our new house! See what it's like, right?

Maybe he will go for a staycation if we plan to go to the drive-in and go swimming or something...?

 

[leslea]

I'm on vacation right now. Out of the country. Every time I have an internet connection, I'm emailing home to find out how everything is going. The DSO is a little annoyed. Especially since I didn't get the days right and had chicks still hatching days after we left. I thin the incubator was running cool since a lot were hitting day 23. I don't even know how many hatched in total or what they are. All I get from the niece is 'a lot of chicks'.

Oh my gosh. That is intense!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I'm on vacation right now. Out of the country. Every time I have an internet connection, I'm emailing home to find out how everything is going. The DSO is a little annoyed. Especially since I didn't get the days right and had chicks still hatching days after we left. I thin the incubator was running cool since a lot were hitting day 23. I don't even know how many hatched in total or what they are. All I get from the niece is 'a lot of chicks'.

YIKES that would drive me crazy!

 

[leslea]

Maybe we should all hire each other to watch our farms while we go on vacation, and then pay each other in eggs and chicks.

That is so smart! I would have to do an IOU on eggs bc my pullets will be just out of the brooder this time.

If only it were that easy, though! Man!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Hubby really needs a vacation but we're both realizing it just might not happen this year. We were planning one for 2015 but he emailed me today that he needs a break sooner...

I might just try and convince him to stay home for the first year at our new house! See what it's like, right?

Maybe he will go for a staycation if we plan to go to the drive-in and go swimming or something...?

Say you have a 7 room house, each day you vist a new room. Day 1 tour of the kitchen. This is the microwave, this is the..........lol. I am not a movie person, but I love going to the drive-in. Or you could go gocart racing, camping-if it ever warms up, or go to a museum. There are lots of fun things you could do without actually going to far from home. But since you are only going to have 6 chickens, it shouldn't be that hard to find a negihborhood kid to hire for a few days.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

YIKES that would drive me crazy!

X2!

My first hatch, I wasn't there for the beginning. I text my dad what had hatched. A black one. Ya, thats specific lol

 

[leslea]

Say you have a 7 room house, each day you vist a new room. Day 1 tour of the kitchen. This is the microwave, this is the..........lol. I am not a movie person, but I love going to the drive-in. Or you could go gocart racing, camping-if it ever warms up, or go to a museum. There are lots of fun things you could do without actually going to far from home. But since you are only going to have 6 chickens, it shouldn't be that hard to find a negihborhood kid to hire for a few days.

LOL!!! omg that would get me smacked, for sure.

TBH I think he's just had enough of this weather. Haven't we all?

Our new neighbors are really nice. Not sure about their sons. No girls around. Would it be wrong if I did a drive-by of the local 4H in my minivan? "Pssst! Hey, little girl...wanna watch a chicken?"

Headline reads: Local Loony Spends Staycation in County Jail: won't stop asking if someone has fed the chickens.