INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[CluckAcres]

Have big plans for the weekend, getting the new sheds Sunday. Looks like we will be adding the new puppy Saturday.
More room, more coops, and more critters

Be so glad to give my peas and turkeys more room.

you will love your puppy. We are very happy with ours. Our is being trained very fast very smart dogs. Im glad i was able to help make this happen for you. On the other note i am to expanding room for my flock. I acquired a 10x10 kennel for a very good price now just need to get shelter in it for my silkies. sent from your friendly neighborhood poultry raiser! cluck... cluck...

 

[alliejean]

One of the main studies on LACTO-FERMENTED feed was done with chicks and the benefits they get from it. This article has links to the studies done with chicks.

Part of it might be the kind of feed you're using. Some of bagged feeds can become quite glue-like when they dry. I have always used a mash-type feed made of coarsly ground grains so mine doesn't get like that....but they can get it on themselves for sure

Edited to add a photo of some of my babies eating ff.

With a few mealworms on top

Im using Nature's Grown Organics starter and it is pretty finely ground. So yes, it basically turns into cement and I never thought about that before I gave it to them. I couldnt find anything with whole pieces of grains in it locally and Im still too new at this to take on mixing my own food. Maybe someday though, I can see from your photos how that would be a MUCH better option. Thank you.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
When I first started, I searched to find a feed mill that makes feed to order as I wanted a special blend with no soy and no gmo. I was able to find Honeyville Feed which is about 40 minutes from me and had them make it for the first year..then I just went off their recipe and still buy the components from them. I had to buy 300 lbs minimum when they were mixing for me and I found someone to share that with me.

You might want to check around your area to see if there are any working mills. If I'm not mistaken you're not too far from Shipshewana/Topeka which is where Honeyville feed is. May be worth the drive...but I'm not sure where you are exactly...I may be way off!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Love these pics! Do you make their little clothing? Is it to protect them from the Roos?

Yes, my daughter & I whipped up about 35 of these over 2 evenings right before the first artic polar vortex freeze thingy. We still had a few girls missing feathers on their backs from molt & roos & I was afraid the frigid cold would be too much for their bare skin. We used scrap fleece & cottons to make double layer aprons -- decided to make them for all the girls to help keep them warmer. We had a couple extra & you can see the roos wearing them too!

 

[jsummers]

Does anyone want to trade or maybe buy? I have 2 white chinese ganders and a hen for sale $45 for the pair and $15 for the gander. Willing to trade for an american buff goose pair and or muscovy hens. I also have 3 one year old drakes for sale $5 each, golden hybrid, khaki campbell, and cayuga with white spots on chest. Please email [email protected] if interested. Thanks!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Th
Quote: try to get a close up pic of the comb, and the saddle area of the birds & tail. Wyandotte roos have a very wide plate where the comb grows in, you see if very early on. Australorps tend to feather out slower in roos, looks like they don't have tailfeathers and the body feathers are scarce compared to hens the same age.
Seeing that in RIR and JGs also.

Quote: It can't hurt, but the dominant roo will probably attack them. The best method there is to crate your "bad boy" at the same time you introduce the new roosters.
Give them a week or more to get established, then let the bad boy rejoin the flock. That has worked the best for me.

I am looking for a broody Plymouth Rock not hatchery. Thought I would put that out there just in case.

You want a heritage bird. That's what to search for when you go to look at breeders.

Early Friday morning pond party count: 3 pairs of redhead ducks & 1 pair of geese. The wood ducks showed up around noon yesterday and they all stayed throughout the day. I'm wondering if they will return today. Oh -- and around 5 pm last evening I counted 25 geese on the pond with another 15 in the field right next to us. We'd prefer if they would find another pond to hang out in. 1 or 2 I don't mind so much, but not 25

!

If you're able to make the first picture bigger you can actually see a pair of redheads. The male has the red head. Unfortunately I couldn't zoom in any more & I didn't want to get right up to the pond in case I would scare them away.


I took this standing in the front of our barn. There were a few hiding in the tall grasses/weeds at the back of the pond. I think having our geothermal furnace empty water into the pond helped it thaw faster. The water enters the pond right behind where the tree stump is sitting. There was an area of water right there that never froze all winter long. Sure wished it looked more like spring in these pics instead of fall!!

I am so jealous! The canadians are a problem tho, they may push out the smaller waterfowl.

Quote: Hear you there! I really cut my egg flock back. I have 4 roos left to go and I will be happy with the boys in there. All 4 are a big headache, and making my hens uncomfortable.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Well I decided it was abouttime I joined in on my state thread. Maybe find some more crazy chicken people like me. I am from Randolph county. I keep heritage Plymouth Rock in a few different colors. Right now I am down to 3 hens just turned a year old. Minnie a Barred rock, Mamie a black rock, and Maggie a splash rock. I also just filled my bator or pretty close. I have 10 blue barred/barred, 4 blue sexlink rocks, and 25 silver penciled. Hoping to find some more birds at the troy, ohio swap meet next month too.

mlongworth ~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread! Please see info about our thread on page 2428.

Your chickens and chicks-to-be sound wonderful. I think the silver penciled are especially pretty although I'm pretty crazy about my Barred Rock hen. Such a classic chicken.

Hi! New to site and live in NW Indiana in Porter County. I'm excited to be here, to learn from you all and to become a new Chicken momma!
tiffmw~ Welcome to the Indiana Thread! Please see info about our thread on page 2428.

Can't wait to hear about your chicken plans!

ellymayRans~ Thank you for the frizzle boy offer, but I just want girls.

kab??? You're thinking of rehoming Gus!!?? I suppose his services are called for. He's such a handsome fellow.

minmin ~ Good luck with your tiny silkie. Sounds like our new member, atrueb00, gave you excellent advice!
Mama 2 Silkies ~ Your little Cochin chicks are so velvety and sweet looking!
jchny ~ What dog breed did you decide on? I know you've been looking and thinking for a long time. Happy for you!

 

[Leahs Mom]

It can't hurt, but the dominant roo will probably attack them. The best method there is to crate your "bad boy" at the same time you introduce the new roosters.
Give them a week or more to get established, then let the bad boy rejoin the flock. That has worked the best for me.

@jchny2000
When you crate to "change the pecking order", do you keep them totally away from the flock so they can't see/interact with the others?

 

[chick rookie]

That IS a bummer.

I've been trying to figure out what I want to plant at the front of this property which is a state highway that they have now added sidewalks to

Definitely not the same as it used to be in the old days...and I'd like to feel a little more "isolated". It just seems like by the time it grows I'll be dead and gone!

Have been considering some tall grasses. That way it doesn't put out any stumps to rid the place of in the future if someone doesn't want them there. But I can leave them up all winter and they'll recover relatively quickly after they're cut down in the spring.

Anyone have any experience with the tall grasses as a privacy fence?

my neighbor has the tall grass and they just love it they cut in down every spring and it grows very fast, and I love the look, they dont plant real close together but from what I see of it, it would make a good privacy fence planted close together, it is thick, and tall, I am 5' 4" and it is over my head at full height.

There is the option of bamboo. There is a bamboo farm in southern Indiana. It's something to consider. It's fast growing in comparison to a tree and they offer some diversity for repurposing! Plenty of types that do really well here.

would love to see some pic's of those, am going to look it up ( if I ever get some time ) will be glad when kidding season is over, I'm wore out. BTW I have a new Doeling and Buckling, pic's As soon as I can.

Good point. I should of went outside today and worked, but I didn't feel like it lol, funny how that works. Nice day I don't want to go outside, crappy day I want to go outside. I had planned on working outside Saturday, but it is suppose to snow again! Maybe Sunday

I am so sick of hearing that word!!!!!

Snow needs to be gone!!!!!!!

we all have things to do and it keeps buggin us!!!!

This is a pic I had posted last fall when my daughter hard boiled dozens of quail eggs & then made a plate of deviled eggs with them.




We didn't have a camera with us the time Honey was on Hershey's back, but here she is cuddled up to him one morning.

your making me hungry... but I now know what to do with my Silkie eggs thanks for the ideal, don't know why I never thought of eating them... DUH!!!!

the cat is great, if everyone could get along as well as our critters did what a wonderful world it would be....

I've bn dosing her with poly vi sol for th last four hours. At least twice an hr. I feel so useless watching her suffer like this! I think I'm cried out! Can't believe my luck with hatches, don't know what I'm doing wrong...or not doing.

Sorry for your losses

. I am sending you good luck vibes with the others

the people on the Silkie thread are very nice and helpful.

sounds pretty would they look something like this? Im trying to picture it. This is my slw x ee , Pickles....

I love pickles,

Pretty

I hope you all don't mind my pond posts, but I am just absolutely stunned at the visitors we've been getting the last couple of days. A pair of wood ducks has just joined the party! With the exception of the mallards & geese, I had never seen any of these ducks before. I'm spending way too much time trying to ID them online! So at this moment we have 2 pair redheads, 1 pair wood ducks, 1 pair mallards & 2 canadian geese (for awhile there was a geese love triangle going on -- got a bit loud briefly!) I can keep such close tabs because the pond is fairly close to the house & I just look out the living room windows. If anyone wants to stop by for a look let me know!

I don't mind at all, I love them. I wish I had a pond to see all the different birds you are seeing, but I don't, so post away so I can smile at yours....

Here are a few chick pics I know I've been busy with goats.
Easter one of our EE's

One of the Black Australorps pullet?? Anyone guess?

The next 4 are of a GLW strait run can someone sex this chick?




Sorry about the bad pics!! But if someone could sex the Australorp and GLW that would be awesome!

cute chicks, kidding season is fun but also stressful. And I for 1 will be glad when I can relax and just play with the babies. Good luck with the rest of the season.

Sorry if I posted anything late, but I have been rather busy with the kidding does and the car hit dogs and DH's P T. and just the normal stuff to.... but I am trying to get caught up as fast as I can.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Do you know how they cut it down? I'm thinking that stuff is too coarse to use a mower so I was wondering if they have to use a scythe or something.