INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pginsber]

Mother2Hens:
hoosiercheetah ~ Sunbathing is pretty weird, too.

Thank you for sparing me this grief! :-D

Is there any other bizarre chicken behaviour I don't know about?

I've had chickens for 2 years now. I've learned a lot, and am a much better, more relaxed chicken parent now.

I've noticed they have a different gait, posture, and sound when the neighbors cat is approaching or if a muskrat is around. That's cool that they communicate to each other that way. They're communicating to me, too, when they're alarmed.

But when out of nowhere, they just loudly cluck and flutter and run around--I'm still trying to get used to that. I guess they must be working something out.

I've stopped getting myself worked up over the different poops I see in the coop, too. I used to go in and inspect and worry each time somebody had a runny or especially stinky poo. I made myself crazy taking pictures of their poo and comparing it to the CHICKEN HEALTH FOR DUMMIES book.

 

[browncow15]

You might have to re-make the door out of something lighter; there are all kinds of materials that would work.  Plexiglass is the first thing that comes to mind, and there are others.  what's the total thickness of your osb?

It would be super-easy interchangeable.  The on/off device, whether it's a timer or one of those remotes from home depot, simply plugs into the power strip, then has an AC adapter plugged into it.  All you'd have to do is unplug one and plug in the other.  Or if you want to get really fancy, I could add a switch, that would switch from one to the other, for an extra 5 bucks.

The more I think about this, the more fun I think it would be to build!

I thought about plexiglass when I did it but I has osb on hand so... I'll have to check but I think it was a 1/4" piece so 1/2" total thickness.

 

[ChickCrazed]

The only problem I had with the automatic door was this winter, when poop would freeze in the door opening. The motor would reverse, sensing an object, and it wouldn't close. Stupid chickens--the track is a pencil width wide--surely they could have launched it an inch farther!

I had the exact same issue with my ador door. I had to keep a screw driver out there to chisel it out a couple times a week. Absurd creatures.

 

[atrueb00]

Butchered 10 Cornish x today. I got them on the 17th of march and most I butchered were over 9 lbs. 25 to go

Congrats!!

I got mine 2 weeks after yours, hope they are just as heavy in a couple of weeks! Some of them feel like they are over 5 pounds already. Can't believe how big they get in such a short amount of time.

Just a random question to those of you who keep or have kept bees. I understand they have little hives and they go in them a lot, but can they get out and fly around? What I guess I mean is do you have a bunch if bees roaming around your yard? Or are they confined to there hives?

*I have no interest in keeping bees, infact I am highly allergic and terrified of them, I was just curious with all the bee talk we have in here, exactly how that goes

The honeybees leave the hive any day it isn't raining and is over 50 degrees. They don't like to be out if it is very cloudy or windy either. They forage a 3 mile radius around the hive, so sometimes I will see them in the yard, but mostly they are flying in and out of the hive entrance and going towards other places. They forage for pollen (which serves as their source of protein) and nectar (which services as their starch/carbs). Around dusk, it is like a little highway of bees coming back to the hive all at once, they travel very high up though so unless you look up, you may not enough notice them traveling around.

I'll keep treating the wound and watching. This wound is so bad that it's going to take time. I had considered whether I needed to put her out of her misery when I saw how bad it is. But her eyes are bright, she's eating and drinking. So...I watch.

I am so sorry to hear this. I hope she makes it.

DH was off for election day, so we went to our favorite garden center, which has chickens and peacocks (we changed clothes/shoes as biosecurity measures when we arrived home). This peacock was up by the check out area. I took a few pictures, but he must've been bashful since he "hid."

This is so stinkin cute! Bashful lil feller.

atrueb00 ~ Love your photos! I'm hoping to have a mama with chicks like yours.

I can't wait to see pics of Bonbon with her little chicks! Such a little cuttie

So, I went to a feed store today. It shall remain nameless to protect the innocent (me!). The lady working was rather helpful, but also very negative. She asked about my biddies and I told her. She proceeded to warn me that my silkies weren't cold hardy and my BRs would be aggressive to my children. All my chickens, actually. She said all bantams are aggressive.

Surprised she didn't tell me my guineas would fly the coop and NEVER return the day I let them out.

If it were not for BYC and the awesomeness that is the internet leading me to read up on these birds for 10 years, I'd have left that store very upset. As it was, I was able to say "Okay," and change the subject.

I know some people have lost silkies outside in the cold winter, especially the polar vortex. But who's to say my coop isn't going to be warm enough with its square footage, insulatin, and a flock of 8 in there together? Maybe she will be right and all my chickens will attack my kids even though we are handling them every day and going to feed them treats. I guess I'll be glad to see 'em freeze then, huh?

WTHeck is wrong with people? She said all of that in a helpful, nice way, but...I came home and googled what she said and as usual, it's one of those "your mileage may vary" things.

Just needed to vent.

All nerve of some people!! In my experience, everything she said about silkies was incorrect! All the neighborhood kids love to come over and help out with the silkies, they especially like to dig up worms and bring them over as treats. The birds are great around people of all ages because I've handled them since they were a week old. They are used to being around people, being picked up and hand fed. It was mighty cold in our neck of the woods this winter and my silkies aren't even a year old but made it through just fine! If I brought them inside they would start to pant cause their feathering is so warm-and we only keep the house at 72!

What the heck is wrong with people??

 

[leslea]

All nerve of some people!! In my experience, everything she said about silkies was incorrect! All the neighborhood kids love to come over and help out with the silkies, they especially like to dig up worms and bring them over as treats. The birds are great around people of all ages because I've handled them since they were a week old. They are used to being around people, being picked up and hand fed. It was mighty cold in our neck of the woods this winter and my silkies aren't even a year old but made it through just fine! If I brought them inside they would start to pant cause their feathering is so warm-and we only keep the house at 72!

What the heck is wrong with people??

Thank you for the validation. She also told me my easter eggers wouldn't lay for a long time, too. It was really like..."Who asked you?" but I just smiled and said "Okay," and changed the subject. I guess I am growing up a little.

 

[leslea]

It was mighty cold in our neck of the woods this winter and my silkies aren't even a year old but made it through just fine! If I brought them inside they would start to pant cause their feathering is so warm-and we only keep the house at 72!

I just noticed how far north you are. We are at least 6 hours apart north to south, and if this winter is a normal one, my birds are probably going to be considerably warmer than yours are, if all other circumstances are the same (theoretically). That makes me feel a lot better to know you got yours through a lake winter with no issues.

 

[atrueb00]

I just noticed how far north you are. We are at least 6 hours apart north to south, and if this winter is a normal one, my birds are probably going to be considerably warmer than yours are, if all other circumstances are the same (theoretically). That makes me feel a lot better to know you got yours through a lake winter with no issues.

I had a 250W heat lamp on them all winter, but the dog house coop they are in has no insulation. When the polar vortex came down, I put them inside in a brooder in our basement at night, but that was only a couple of nights. When it was super cold, they just stayed together inside and didn't move too much. None of them got frost bite or died all winter long. With a little prevention during extreme weather, I am sure yours will be fine too!

 

[daneblackburn]

I got 23 leghorn pullets I would guess a couple of weeks old at rural king for a buck a price. They were overcrowded with others and started to peck each other. They had blue coat on them. I have a red bulb in my brooder and haven't had trouble. Got a heck of a deal.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I got 23 leghorn pullets I would guess a couple of weeks old at rural king for a buck a price. They were overcrowded with others and started to peck each other. They had blue coat on them. I have a red bulb in my brooder and haven't had trouble. Got a heck of a deal.

very nice

 

[FrizzleLover200]

Anyone have a/some frizzle(s) (Hen) for sale or free? Im looking for one....