INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Minminme]

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?

Ive never used one but you are not going to believe this. I am pretty sure that my neighbor (Mathew Baldwin) holds the patent on that thing. He is a very handy guy to have as a neighbor. if there is an issue with using it and i can get any information from him I will be glad to ask him. Wish you luck!

 

[ellymayRans]

Following...

Welcome! Don't hesitate to speak up share...opinions. ..updates! Oooh pics...we love pics!

Do you have chickens or contemplating? !

 

[ellymayRans]

I'll be honest, I'm posting this post so I'll have 20, and I can participate in the buy-sell-trade forum.  :-D

Oh wait, I thought of a legit question!

I've been reading up on fermented feed, and I still have some reading to go, but this occurred to me last night - since I'm buying half-grown chickens from other people's flocks, will I need to do a gradual transition from the food that they're used to, like you do with a cat or a dog?  Or will chickens go directly from one feed to another with no problems?  From what I've read about chickens' eat-anything-that-holds-still-long-enough tendencies, I suspect that a transition would not be necessary.  What do you think?

I have always just fed whatever meets their age that I already have. ..I do tend to give Life-lytes mega tabs (poultry vitamins) or poly vi sol just depends whichever I have. Just to help their bodies with the stress of change.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Quote:
Mother2Hens posted ~ I was wondering what jchny was alluding to re good and bad at racinchickins chicken fest!?

I really feel if there was any issues that arose, personal conversation is always the best way to go. Honest feedback one on one answers all!
I think we all had a great time! But Racin made a good point too, bio-security should be stressed and followed at any house hosting an event.
A small flock, that rarely or never free ranges, could be at risk from a pair of shoes worn at a farm with a hundred free range birds, like mine.
I don't invite folks into the coops and runs. I also don't go into their coops and runs unless its shoes and clothes that either have never seen a coop, or can be disinfected thoroughly. My flock poses a risk to the average small backyard flock, absolutely! They eat worms, grubs, mice, frogs, snakes,and I have even seen them with a wild bird in their beak on occasion, really not a good thing...who knows what else out here! I respect others enough to make that known up front.

To newer members who may be confused about discussions about biosecurity and Indiana thread get-togethers ~
I just want to clarify that at the time of racinchickins' chicken fest get-together last July, our thread had not yet discussed biosecurity. I don't want newer people to think that members showed up at racinchickins' place without their "chicken shoes" and trampled all over his property totally disregarding his request for biosecurity measures. That wasn't the case at all; there was no mention of biosecurity in his posted invitation, and I know that jchny, racin, and others weren't implying that in recent posts, but I was afraid it might be misinterpreted. It was after last summer's event at racinchickens' place that the thread began discussing the concept of biosecurity. After much discussion it was determined by most of us that biosecurity is smart and necessary to avoid spreading poultry diseases.

So, when members began discussing plans for getting together this summer, racin explained that at the time of his event last summer, he hadn't been aware of the importance of biosecurity, but he urges everyone to follow biosecurity measures for future get-togethers.

Here's an informational link: biosecurity-for-the-rest-of-us - BackYard Chickens Community

 

[ellymayRans]

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 haven't mastered keeping the hawks at bay...well I can only assume as I occasionally still have youngins and bantys disappear. I do use a fake owl and my dog does an excellent job chasing at them or "treeing" them til they leave. Unfortunately he's an inside dog so he can't be there for them 24/7.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My roaming broody girl's eggs are hatching after all! She had 9 eggs and last evening during chores the kids saw a couple of babies under her when they checked. Chloe thought there were at least 5. Later last night we tried to peek again & saw 1 part way out of the shell and another had broken through a small hole. She didn't have any babies out in the coop yet this morning so it's either too cold (my vote!) or they haven't finished hatching yet. I think I'm going to have too many chicks unless a bunch of them end up being roos for the freezer. I pick up my hatchery chicks today and our great guru enabler hatcher (yeah -- that would be Brad) just got lemon cuckoo & lavender orps to hatch for me (super excited about that!!)

Woohoo congrats!

I have one chick out so far and lots of pips. There are 2 other chicks that are close to being out. It kind of makes up for the snow.

congrats!

think easter, and no more snow!

Quote: Ugh..have you pulled one or 2 and candled? I hate slow hatches, makes me nervous.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Here are my roosts

We converted an old mini barn that was on the property. The only problem is they have to be cleaned off. We put some laminate flooring on the shelves which makes them much easier to scrape off and then I can either scrape it into an empty feed bag or right into the deep litter depending on my mood.

I've not noticed any pecking order issues with this and when I introduce babies (think 6 week olds) into the flock it gives them a safe place to go during the day because the big girls stay on the floor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really like your roosts!

Quote: The do lay very well! Why not mix it up and get a few different breeds, then you will see what you like best.

 

[ellymayRans]

I have used both sides of handling roosters; handling and not handling. And I think both work, although neither works all the time. 

I currently have 15 roosters
-hatchery barred rock
-white rock
-white rock
-salmon faverolle bantam
-blue ameraucana
-black ameraucana
-black ameraucana bantam
-black ameraucana bantam
-blue ameraucana bantam
-mixed breed frizzle
-mixed breed
-mixed breed
-buff brahma
-mottled cochin bantam
-silver duckwing OEGB

4 are aggressive; 2 LF and two bantams

The two LFs are mixed breeds. The one attack everytime I step foot in the door. And the other occasionally follows suit. They are getting butchered in the may, nothing works with them. Not ignoring, being assertive, or humiliating. When I am away for a weekend, my mom won't even open the pen door anymore. And I don't blame her, I just give them surplus feed and water before I leave. I have a scar on my leg, from getting cut with a spur.they have had chance after chance and I have given up on them.

The two mean bantams are in hanging cages. One is the mixed breed frizzle and the other is a black ameraucana.The mixed breed is just aggressive, I don't know why. Nothing works with him either. Honestly I haven't butchered him because he is my only frizzle, but he will also be butchered in the spring. The ameraucana was just pushing his luck to show off to his hen. I have been able to make him behave much better using humiliation. He does have a fascination with fingers. 

I personally like to be able to handle my roosters. Any rooster I have not handled ends up extremely scared of me. I know some people think you should not treat roosters as pet, but I have with some of mine. (I know the risks, but there are risks with everything).

I do treat my white rock roosters as pets (some others too). They are the sweetest gentle giants. They are much pass reaching maturity and never became aggressive. They are like the giant teddy bears of the chicken world.

Before these guys I had 4 other rooster
-buff brahama
-rhode island red bantam
-OEGB
-buff orp

One I bought from a girl in 4-H. At the fair kids tormented this rooster the whole weeks and he would play right into their game, pecking their fingers. I saw her show him too. Someone had to wear gloves to take him out of the cage and hand him to her. She was showing and he flipped out. She screamed and ran to her mom and the judge had to grab the rooster (she was 17). Every sign showed this rooster was extremely human aggressive. The people said that their daughters were so afraid to go in the barn, they had to put him in a cage. So what dumb move do I make? I buy him for $3 lol. There was nothing special about him. He was a poor hatchery quality biff orp that had aggression problems. He turned out to be a good rooster.

I have also realized thata majority of my roosters do not like the color red. Attacking the red feed scope and other items. Change the color of the item and they don't care. It is like is flares them up or something.

Man I ramble lol. 

No rambling. ..all great personal insight..thank you!

I have one young roo that I always have to watch my fingers around but I have girls like that too .. more of a curiosity thing looking for treats.

I have mentioned before that I have a frizzled Cochin bantam boy in need of a new home if you end up ridding yours. Hatched him back in August. I only have his sister so I wouldn't want that pairing.

 

[Minminme]

Hmmm, as if I dont have enough babies already...I made an impromootu trip to TSC on Monday and picked up 6 Red Comet pullet chicks

. For my Grandchildren...lol...ya right! Unfortunately, when I went out to the brooder this morning there were four dead bitties.

Broke my heart and really p'd me off!
Called TSC and they gladly replaced them today. My Grandbabies went up and picked out the ones they wanted. Bad idea...they came home with two little ducklings of unknown breed (possibly Kahaki Cambell's) and two they thought were buff silkies ( because they had feathered legs).

I am thinking the ducklings are Khakis because they are identicall to my little "Waddles"- black feet, brownish down and dark beaks- but the "silkies" um....dont think they are silkies, think they are Bantam Buff Cochins maybe...is there such a thing

? They really dont look like the Silkie babies I have had around here recently.
I have three precious little Silke fluff butts two partridge and one little blue pullet. Ellie (the blue) has a really bad deformed foot ( I think she was stepped on by the two yr old I babysit) she gets around pretty well but Im afraid to put her in the grow out pen with the other youngens her age because she is about half their size. So Ellie is my Brooder babysitter...she loves the little chicks and ducklings and helps them stay warmer at night. I'll post pics of the assorted youngens and babies as soon as I am able to get them settled enough to stand for pictures.

 

[ellymayRans]

Well I was tending to the gardens today and UGH! I have an abundance of strawberry plants. I dug up about 50 to give my mom. Stood up and didn't even make a dent! So both my neighbors and a lady my mom works with will be coming to claim some.

If anyone here would like to start your own patch come on over! Lol. They are on their 3rd year and most of what I want removed will be their second year and should provide lots of fruit.

Just throwing it out there. .I'm going to start another bed of them but still have way more than I can put to use. I made quite a bit of jam..froze them after preparing them for pies..shortcakes. ..etc.