INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

There are atleast 10 different types of Cocci so just because they've been exposed to one or some there's always the risk until they are older. That's one of the many reasons that it's recommended that you not wear shoes on your place from other grounds.

There's a ton of literature out there..go take a gander.
It's really been an eye opener for me and find being safe is better because it's really easy to prevent. I had some in the beginning with no issues but a couple different batches I wasn't so lucky. .that's all.

I mentioned that in a previous post, but thank you for reiterating. After an exposure on your own property, it can be assumed the chicks have had a chance to build up an immunity, and my own experience as well as Leahs Mom's kind of indicates that. Just because birds are outside on your property without seeing coccidiosis, though, doesn't mean that on someone else's property they will be immune.

None of this means anything to someone not following basic biosecurity measures, as you mentioned. If you're wearing the same clothes and shoes around your birds after visiting another farm, a show, a swap meet, even the feed store, then all of your efforts in trying to keep your birds healthy might as well be washed down the drain! Not only are you risking cocci contamination, but many, many other ugly things that aren't as simple as coccidiosis to fix.


I also wanted to note that the 'exposure' stuff I recommend for coccidiosis does not apply to most other diseases, especially respiratory ones! The vast majority of respiratory diseases in chickens leave them as asymptomatic carriers of the disease--and they will spread it! You do not want your birds exposed to respiratory disease!

(And one last note--technically, coccidiosis is a parasite infection, not a disease, but I'm sure y'all know what I mean in my last paragraph.)




I need to get more sleep before typing out posts--this has literally taken me an hour just to type with how slow my brain is processing right now. G'night, everyone!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I can usually keep up with the thread, but I've been bogged down with spring yard clean up. You guys have been busy, too!
Sad news:
I lost 3 more chicks to the cocci. An EE and then after a day, 2 Minorcas in one night. Those surprised me! I had seriously thought I had caught it in time. They had been running around really well the day before. Their wings were droopy, but I thought I had it nipped. What a total shame.
Went to my FIL's overnight, Saturday. I had to ask a friend to let out and feed everyone on Sunday. I thought for sure she was going to come and find the last Minorca gone, but the little thing lived! So far, so good, knocking on wood. I'm wondering if this breed is just more susceptible?

Better news:
All the adult birds were water logged tonight. My flock appears to enjoy the rain...? Is that even possible??? Even my silkie was acting like it was the best day ever. Weird little thing.
All the food is under shelter, so they honestly had no reason to be running about in this nonsense. I guess they're just happy it's not white.
My FIL lives out near Brazil, IN. I love it there! It's nice and quiet, very rural. We had a terrible experience at lunch, though. My FIL said "Well, it's a small town, they're not used to too many demands."
Really? So asking for ketchup, refills, and to tell us the NAMES of the beers on tap is not a common occurrence? Lol, whatever. I'm not picky, I swear!
Anyways, I couldn't help but wonder how many BYC Hoosiers I missed meeting up with??? I kept my eye out, on every farm we passed, in hopes of catching a glimpse of a backyard coop. Next time, I'll send a shout out and maybe I can clean out a coop or two and see what country life is really all about.
(I used to run a horse barn...I do actually know what it's all about) it would have been nice to have met a couple.
I think I'm collecting BYC members...

I am so sorry to hear about the babies

Hopefully we can have our event at a good time and you can come! If not, we try to gather at other events too. Last year OldSalt had a table for us at an event near mooresville. And theres swap meets throughout the year too!

very tiny doe vet had to help, and tubed her, her legs are like rubber and not getting any better, she was born at 8 pm 4 7 2014

good sized buckling born at 7:45 pm he is cold so he got a sweater.
I'm exhausted going to bed this was the last for the year.

Hope the lil doeling gets stronger. Buddy is doing great and growing fast!

FYI Free Yard Barn posted in Evansville Craigslist

Very nice possibilities with that one!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
No problem, I really wanted it to go where it would be appreciated

I even considered trying it ourselves but decided I have enough going right now, ugh!
Its a pretty big hive, When it was summer and we brought the trailer in, I was shocked to see how many stayed with the trailer. We moved it all the way from park 100 (NW Indy) to here.

I want to put my chicks out this weekend, but am a little nervous about it. I don't want to lose anymore, but they are stinking up my room! I am cleaning their aquarium that they are quickly out growing everyday. I had to take all of there leg bands off too, as they were getting to tight. Not that hard to remember who the boys are though. Both black and my favorite splash. (I know not suppose to have favorite lol). Anyways the lows are suppose to be 43 Friday, 54 Saturday, 43 Sunday. I will be using my new eating plate outside. Anybody used there's in these temps? And can't wait for Saturdays blood testing class. Only thing I am dreading is waking up that early. I plan on leavin someone between 4 and 5, which means I will have to get up sometime between 3 and 4. I am going to get home, get chores done, eat supper, and study. Then go to bed! Anyone else here going?

I wanted to, but it just didn't work out.

Maybe next year I can plan farther ahead and we can make an overnight stay of it.. The other class is just too far south.

Quote:
Love the color on the buckling! Both look really good.

Quote: And the million dollar question...

Does she still lay?

X2!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: OUCH on the framing nailer, that made me cringe just thinking about it! It looks lovely, you did a fantastic job!

I agree, my "pallet coop" was supposed to be a less expensive way to build a large coop. And granted it was cheaper than buying a shed or pre built coop. But I went with a new lumber floor and roof. Plus all the fasteners I will have $500+ in this coop. Not bad but I'm not rich so it took a toll and a lot of planing. In MPO the coop is there to please you not the chickens. They don't care if their shelter is painted or not new or used, repurposed or pre made. As long as it keeps them safe and sheltered. Quote from one of my fav TV personality's "Everybody's Happy Happy Happy!!!" (Phil Roberston)! I think there is a lot if pride in building something by yourself or with friends and family. But there is no shame in hiring help to get it done properly either! Just my two pennies

Agreed on all points!

Quote: Oh my, turkey poults are just ADORABLE like a puppy. They make sweet little coo sounds, and are just too loving and social. I don't hand feed mine, learned the hard way they associate hands with food. That's painful when its a full grown turkey, trust me! My favorite breed is Bourbon reds. I do want to add mini whites next year and try them out. I have only had some bad experience with the BBW's, but it may have just been the group. Very aggressive, and a strong food drive.

Yep...from what I keep hearing you could go out and purchase a shed for less ... and way less hassle in the build.... than building something yourself. Especially if you can find a used shed and move it or have it moved to your property. Even with the used shed, the interior work we did was very time consuming.

I, personally, would never purchase something that is called a chicken coop. I'd go for a shed or small transportable barn.

Now that assumes you don't really enjoy building. If you enjoy it, then do it.

Agreed, I like the headroom, and DH will go into the coop if he fits lol! Especially with larger species, its just a better set up and gives you room to work with roosts and nest boxes. The metal shed will be for my BR turkey pair. Runs ready, just have to net it, and bury the fencing/hardware cloth etc. The wood shed Is probably going to be divided for bantam breeds and my polish.

All the girls are home and hanging out together. Meet Maryanne, Ginger, Lovey and the yet nameless Buffs.

The screen doors are finished and installed (got one upside-down)

Love your babies! I think screen doors are fantastic for a coop.

And I just bought 6 lemon cuckoo and 6 lavender cuckoo bantam cochin eggs......I really have an addiction!

you are making up for not buying at the farm stores!

Decided to give the Cornish x Rock chicks a new feeder last night and they couldn't figure out how to eat from it.

This was too funny! CX that can't find the food, WOW!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Update: only 3 geese left! Lone gander and a pair!

Awesome!!!! Now you have room for some thing else.. any plans? Or are you going to just scale down?

Quote: LOL sounds very motivational, I have to till up and get the soil tested, I WILL plant a garden this year, even if its just a few rows. Bell peppers are crazy expensive, and I love romas. Oh gotta have jalepenos... and squash! OK maybe several rows

Turkeys are just bigger chickens basically. They have a few different needs, but if you socialize them, you may love them more than the chickens. (just don't tell em that) I love poults, they sleep on your lap, follow you, and coo to you like you are mom or dad. Snoodles my little tom still sits on my lap when he isn't trying to be a big puffyTom. Anyone really wanting to learn about turkeys, check out this thread... full of great info!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/838701/turkey-talk-for-2014
The 2013 thread is great too, lot of reading but excellent info.

What do you guys think of this? I can see a lot of areas where I can cut costs. The roof for one!
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/02/building-chicken-coop.html?m=1

Its very cute!

Quote: Good luck, wet or damp, cool conditions outdoors will bring it on too. Its a terrible experience, I had it in my CX 2 years ago and lost 2 of 25.

Quote: Hehe, I still have an opportunity to get one of those big ones they use at ports. I just don't know how to get it here!
Thats a lot of weight, and the cost wouldn't be worth it.
PM me on the shed, if we can work it out we will.
I betcha we can talk DH into it! He will probably help out, he likes doing things like that.
We are working on a work co-op Idea for this very reason, so many of us have skills in different areas.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: I put an old truck cap in the run of the egg coop for younger birds to have an escape if they need it. The muscovy love it. I keep it dry as possible. and they also dust bathe under there.

Quote:

Sounds like my DH, he has 3 sheds and an office trailer. Still says he needs more room!
It would not work for us to be in the city for sure, I would be nuts. We lived in Anderson a while, ugh.
I like being in the "sticks" and having my critters, bonfires and quiet starry nights.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

One of my chicks

and our thread

Absoloutely precious baby!

So, incase people are getting stressed out a out the price of coops, remember that anything that will keep them dry and out from the wind will likely work great as a coop. Example: my 3 clearance $15 or $20 dog houses!


Obviously they aren't going to work for a lot of birds, but I have a trio of tolbunts in one, 5 bantam Cochins in another and,y pair of LF in the other.

So true! I love this idea too.

Wow, I have been missing all the fun. I just found this thread.

I am lookin for some silkie hens to go with my newly acquired silkie too... Anyone want to part with two or some hatching eggs?

welcome to our thread, jump right in and enjoy the fun!

Quote: Fantastic, looking forward to it!

 

[Mother2Hens]

Quote: lajohnston ~It seems like 30 degrees would be too cold for your chicks if they are used to being in the house, but I really don't know. As I mentioned before, it's very frustrating when all of the chicken resources warn about not exposing your chickens to sudden temperature changes, but they don't give say how much or what to do in your case where you have 5 chicks that can huddle together in pine shavings in a coop. That's one area of chicken raising where there's not enough info! Very vague.

My five -- 2 LF Orps and 3 Silkies (3 months old) sleep together in a shallow rubbermaid box with shavings, which is inside part of the coop with a heat lamp.

I've got some plans and help so I think I can do it. I think I could over complicate it and make it hard and expensive but I have built a small coop for bantams before and it turned out really well. I think my biggest issue would simply be one of scale.

LonelyPageTurne ~ I didn't realize that you had built a small coop before (or had chickens). I was thinking that you were a total newbie, so that's why I was concerned.

I echo M2H...we built our coop two years ago from scratch.
A combination coop/shed/potting shed. Easy, right?
I started as soon as it was warm enough to pour a small concrete floor and planned to be finished before Memorial Day.
I stuck to the design I made, but the timeline turned out to be a joke. Finished it before it snowed though!





My budget was triple from what I had planned to spend. (Of course that does not include the hospital bills from accidentally shooting myself with a framing nailer!)
Anyway...we love our shed/coop and it is exactly what we wanted. If I knew then what I know now, I would've just paid a professional to do it!

pginsber ~ That is more of a house, than a coop! It is beautiful.

Now I know why you were lamenting that you didn't have room for additional chicks this year. It wouldn't be a simple thing just to build another coop!! I've always wanted something like that in my backyard as an office for me!-- to feel like I could get away from distractions in the house. I had to have our coop built in a hurry, so I bartered with the construction company that I do freelance graphic design/marketing work for. The company usually has jobs like upscale kitchens and additions, so a chicken coop was an unusual job.

Luckily, the two guys who built it are brothers who grew up on a farm, so they knew about making it predator proof.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Hey guys!! I found a shed someone will sell to me for 100$!!!! Is there ANYONE here who is familiar with how to move one and can help me haul it???? I can pay you! This would work really well from what people are saying. It looks like it just needs a little paint and some trim. Of course I'd need to figure out a bottom...


Can anyone help??

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:

Just messing around trying to figure out some spots for roost. The "big girls" are digging the new set up lol oh yeah the kids still playing monopoly!

Thats just too cute!

Oh...and so far all my littles go right into the coop with the old deep litter from everyone else with no problems w/cocci so far. And no medicated feed. Exposure builds immunity.

But my litter is dry.

And if I was brooding in the house, I'd take some of the litter right from the hen shed and mix it into the shavings I give the littles to expose them as soon as possible.

Quote: http://www.plamondon.com/faq_deep_litter.html

Thought I'd edit to say that a bit of ammonia in the litter has actually been found to deter cocci. I know everyone is afraid of ammonia and for good reason if it is in EXCESS with not enough ventilation. But a little is a good thing to deter cocci and if there is a litter build-up there will always be a bit of ammonia present.

Update on my eggs in the 'bator.

I actually intended to just do one setting in my cabinet incubator so that I could hatch them in the incubator, but.....Jchny2000 gave me 3 BR turkey eggs, THEN my turkey eggs turned out to be fertile, THEN I saw an auction for Blue/Gold Partridge Brahmas that I just HAD to have. THEN a fellow BYCer on here asked if she could rent space in my incubator to hatch eggs for her......suddenly the addiction had been just a bit overfed. So i'll have to break out the hatcher too.

Candled all the eggs tonight, and (break for product endorsement.) I used a Brinsea Ovascope. It is amazing! You can even candle the eggs in a lit room during the day. It magnifies too, so you can see so much detail. I could spend hours watching the chick moving around in there if I didn't have to get them back into the incubator. (end product endorsement).

Day 17 (lockdown tomorrow!)
I started with 28 Bresse eggs. I'm down to 26. I had two early quitters and one that on day 7 looked iffy, but looks great now.

Out of 10 Cream Legbar eggs, 7 left. 1 quitter at 7 days, 2 more between day 7-15.

Day 16
All 3 BR turkey eggs from Jchny2000 are going strong,,,,Yay! I think the Bourbon Reds are soooo gorgeous.

Day 11
All 7 Brahma eggs are a loss. no development and thoroughly scrambled air cells. No kudos to the post office on this shipment.

Day 7
7/10 of my turkey eggs showing veins and development. 3 clears. These will be either pure Royal Palm or a Palm/Narraganset cross.

Day 0
Just set 18 more of my turkey eggs and 12 'rental' chicken eggs.


If anyone is interested, I'll have the Bresse chicks, and all RP and RP cross poults for sale/trade/barter upon hatching. Possibly legbars depending on boy/girl ratio.

Awesome! I am still thinking hard about the Bresse, may do it yet!

Quote:
Originally Posted by bradselig

So, incase people are getting stressed out a out the price of coops, remember that anything that will keep them dry and out from the wind will likely work great as a coop. Example: my 3 clearance $15 or $20 dog houses!


Obviously they aren't going to work for a lot of birds, but I have a trio of tolbunts in one, 5 bantam Cochins in another and,y pair of LF in the other.

Looks like a chicken camp -- do they get to sign up for recreational activities & have meals in the dining hall?!

Just messing around trying to figure out some spots for roost. The "big girls" are digging the new set up lol oh yeah the kids still playing monopoly!

Hope the chickens don't add their own "playing pieces" to the gameboard

Congrats on the coop!