INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[shellybelly]

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

 

[ChickCrazed]

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

I can't help with either question but welcome!!!! I'm sure some of the super helpful folks on here will be able to share some ideas. As far as the hawk question, it might help if you post a bit more about your chicken setup. Do you free range? How big an area is the "hunting ground" so to speak. What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[goodb]

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

There are a couple things you can do depending on how much area you have to cover. I came across this idea on youtube and made my own:

and here as a followup:

Not that this is the only way but it's a start. Hope it helps.

 

[pginsber]

I've been meaning to post that I am making a trip to Indy on Wednesday evening (tomorrow), and I'm willing to offer chicken train services although my trip is going to be a short one. If anyone would like me to pick up/deliver a chicken or whatever fits in my car, just let me know. Sorry for the late notice. I go to Indy and Bloomington regularly since I have a daughter in each city, so next time it should be a longer trip and more flexible. However, this is my schedule if it helps anyone:

I'm taking my English Orp cockerel (originally from Kiniska) to jchny's in the Indy area, but first I am going to meet Kiniska who lives in Indiana near Louisville. She's meeting me after she gets off work around 5:30 pm Wednesday. Kiniska has another English Orp cockerel that I'm taking along with mine to Janet's. I'm also bringing Kiniska a broken tall dorm frig that's only a few years old so that she can transform it into an incubator. From there, I'll head up 65N to downtown Indy to pick up my daughter who will ride out to Janet's with me-- probably dropping off the orps around 9:00 pm. Meredith has gone there before with me on some of her weird mother's poultry escapades

. I'll stay with Meredith that night and have lunch with a friend the next day, and then may stop in the Greencastle area on my way home to have Coffee & Chicken Talk

with CRSelvey. So if anyone needs poultry transported along that route and timeline, just let me know.

When I take the Orps to Janet, she's giving me some bantam hatching eggs since my little bantam orp (on my avatar) Bonbon is broody!

I always wanted a broody hen, but I kinda hate to see the strange behavior changes. She's sitting on three eggs that were left in the nesting box, so that's one reason why I'm coming home from Indy the next day-- to "refresh" her eggs.

Also, I am feeling sad about breaking up my strange family of chicks-- the three silkie children from bradselig and the two orps from Kinska who are the same ages and were raised together. But one orp turned out to be Mr. Rooster, the most "chicken" rooster ever! I know they'll be calling for each other! boohoo

Thank you to those who've been helping sex my silkies -- I'll wait to post guesses so I don't influence anyone else's guesses. Very scientific, you know!

My black bantam Orpington Peanut is broody, too. We don't really want a broody hen, in fact her eggs are my favorites. Small, cute, shiny light brown. I'm trying not to be tempted to get a hatching egg or chick for her. We don't really have the room for another beak to feed. She'll just have to get over it.
Although--I'm hoping to help LonleyPageTurne move a shed tomorrow, and she's trying to get rid of chicks to those who help.....Must...be.....strong!

 

[racinchickins]

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

I don't know about the keets, but as far as hawks go, there is nothing you can do about the hawks themselves. They are protected and it is illegal to kill them, even if they are killing your chickens. The only strategy is to protect your chickens. I make sure my pens are covered on top, and when free ranging, I provide as much cover as possible for the chickens to run to if necessary. You can also try to reduce the open space the hawks need to fly in to get to the chickens. Some people have reported success with hanging ropes and fishing line across their property to block the hawks.

 

[pginsber]

I got a new tool that I'm hoping will help with my chain link fence work this summer. It's called a MANSAVER.

This MANSAVER is a pneumatic post driver that's painted bright pumpkin orange. Looks like any other post driver, only you hook up an air hose to the side of this one. I'm planning to drive my fence posts 3' into the ground instead of digging post holes.

I tried using it to drive the posts in my recently renovated raised bed, but the square posts didn't fit in the round hole.

Anyway, this pneumatic driver that's supposed to save the effort of hammering each post weighs 36 pounds, and is about 3' long. I'm imagining myself (5'5") holding an 8' tall post with a 3' 36lb machine on top of it, and trying to drive it into the ground straight.

I think my neighbors will enjoy watching me do this. Maybe as much as the time I was home alone, on the roof, and my ladder slid away from the side of the house, or the time I was bouncing on of the end of a branch a few feet off the ground to try to get the wood to break....or the time....(you get the idea.)

Has anybody used a MANSAVER that can give me some tips using this tool?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

Janet is north of Indianapolis and she has guinea hatching all of the time.

As for the hawks: The idea is to make your area not welcoming to them. People have used fake owls, flags, and nets to cover the runs. We have an owl and use the nets. I let some of the chickens out to free range last summer but I haven't yet. Eagles can also become a problem.

 

[CRSelvey]

Is your coop double-walled and insulated, like a house? I'm trying to decide on the final setup for mine. The shed I've converted is a stud-and-sheath construction, but right now there's nothing covering the studs on the inside. I'm going to panel the inside before winter, for sure, (probably with 1/4 inch osb) but I haven't decided on whether or not the expense of insulation will be worth it.

I have half inch plywood on either side of the studs and I really wish I had insulated it this winter. Our birds survived, but the stress of wondering each day what I would find almost did me in. Maybe its because it was my first year, but I still wish I had. All of our ventilation is up high in the winter and they had no drafts, but we did have a few little bits of frostbite on combs and wattles.

This forum moves too fast! lol and to tell the truth is a bit intimidating bc it seems yall know each other rather well.
So dive in head first right?
Well I know this is the chicken section, but it's the right area- anyone selling guinea keets around northwest indiana?
Also I think I have a hawk problem, any suggestions to deal with those killers?
Thanks in advance!

Yes, we do and you are right, just head first and hold on, lol. Pretty soon we will know you too! We talk about anything on this thread, which is partially why it moves so fast, so if you want to talk about Guineas, there are many here to join you. Janet just asks that you keep it all family friendly as we have several younger members and follow the BYC guidelines.

If you want to be included on the members list, just send me a PM with any of the following info that you'd like to share (its all optional):

User Name:
County:
City:
Species (Chicken, Duck, Geese, Guinea, etc):
Breed:
Color/Variety:
LF/Bantam:
Breeding?:
Facebook ID/Website:


Welcome and good luck!

 

[raisinemright]

It's my weekend and I'm ready to watch my newest batch of eggs hatch out!!!

 

[shellybelly]

I only have guineas at the moment- and I had seven this morning and six when I got back from the post office! I have 5 acres that has a bunch of mature trees on it and where there aren't any, mostly the hill which we don't mow so long grass/hay the guineas don't even venture, other than that the area around our garage is fairly open. I let the birds free range all day they usually head into their coop around sunset. I usually open their run in the am but the gate rusted off the hinges this winter so it's open for now. No other seeming predators, there is the neighbors dog but we are new to the area and haven't properly introduced ourselves yet. I don't wanna be like oh hi I'm Michelle and is your dog killing my birds? If so can you stop it? Thanks and Have a a great day. lol I think I'll get one of those fake owls and invest in some flags, pirate flags!
I'm getting chicks in May so I want my yard safe when it's time for those fluff butts to go into the yard