INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[number9]

They should have a 90% guarantee on pullets. So you should get your money back. But I don't think you will have much luck rehoming hatchery roos when everyone is trying to get rid of extra roos right now.

That really stinks though. Im.really sorry.

I seen the signs they have up that say all chick sales final and that you were on your own. They all fit in the crockpot so I guess its not that big of a deal tough it is disappointing.

 

[number9]

Well that makes me feel better. Ive given them vitamins and calf manna and feather fixer, nothing seemed to help. I dont want to take their aprons off they will get sunburnt. I have other girls missing feathers, but these girls are the worst.

I have 2 hens that had their tails pulled out by the neighbors dog. They have almost completely grown back.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Be careful with ceramics. If it isn't CLEARLY STATED, all ceramics have lead in them which is deadly for lead poisoning. You don't see it right away - heavy metal is a build-up killer. Even our crock pot liners are still being made with lead.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/04/several-months-ago-gerald-omalley/#.U3IOayhWg_c
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=1135
http://insightfulnana.com/home-garden/housekeeping-home-garden/lead-poisoning-and-crock-pots

I had thought early in the game that the ceramic was a good choice but you just can't get it used. Purchase only if it clearly states NO LEAD and NO CADMIUM.

I actually purchased a set of the little lead tests. You can get them in paint departments. I had an old bench I was going to use in the chicken yard that tested positive for lead in the paint that was on it.... didn't put it in the yard.



Also - with fermented feed you should NEVER use galvanized metal feeders. They contain zinc which will also be leached into the feed due to the high acid content. Same goes for the galvanized metal waterers if you use any ACV in your water. Zinc cal also cause heavy metal poisoning.

Here's an article regarding chickens that only touches on it a little: Lead and Zinc The Hidden Dangers

I used to use the flat stainless steel puppy pans for the chicks which are great BUT too lightweight and tip right over like you are saying. I finally decided to try to convert everything I possibly can to glass and reserve the plastic for situations when I don't have a better solution.

Thank you sooo much for posting this info -- especially about the crock pots. It seems like we can just not get away from nasty chemicals & harmful substances -- nothing seems safe! I have an older crockpot & some other ceramic items that I'm now unsure about. I want to get one of those test kits & test a number of things in my kitchen. Hopefully not too many will test positive for lead...

So apparently the food dish is more comfortable than mom. This is how I found them a little while ago.

Its about 76 degrees in there. They are 4 days old. No wonder so many chicks get too hot under heat lamps.

Our rabbit babies seem to like to do this also. They must like the cozy little space!

Well, here is what has been keeping me busy the last 2 weeks or so! So thankful I got the older chicks outside to the garage or my house would have been FILLED with chickens. Lol

Legbars (1 roo, 3 pullets and 1 pullet I'm unsure if breed at this time.)


Modern game bantams


Silkies and showgirls


Tolbunt polish


Chocolate orp (bantam?)


Partridge barthuhner (I'm having trouble with keeping these guys alive, don't seem to be very hardy)


More tolbunts polish


Blue/gold partridge brahmas


More autosexing breeds. Most are legbars, but may have a bielefelder or two in there.


Buff/buff barred and lavender/lavender barred bantam Cochins (and a blue I believe)


And MORE tolbunts


Buff laced brahma


More silkies and showgirl (most of the silkies are going to @Ardizzone7 )


And lavender orps for @PeacefulWalls

oooh, you have a chocolate orp chick? I'm pretty sure it would like to live with the lavenders!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Whiri the Light Brown Leghorn: Mr. Po missed the party because he's been too rough with the girls (as evidenced by poor Rangi's condition!).

Pip-- Do you have Mr. Po separated from the girls now? And...wish I were one of your chickens! That looks like an amazing party table!

Yes, unfortunately. I really do love the little guy, but he's just too rough for the girls right now. It's weird, because he's a bantam rooster and had 34 hens to himself, but he's still managed to wear down some feathers and even get a few of the girls so afraid of him that they flee when they see him coming. :/ I'm hoping some time to himself will settle him down a bit. And thanks! I give them a birthday party every year on the youngests' birthday with a watermelon cake every time. They love it and always pick it clean down to the rind!

So apparently the food dish is more comfortable than mom. This is how I found them a little while ago. Its about 76 degrees in there. They are 4 days old. No wonder so many chicks get too hot under heat lamps.

Adorable! I also wanted to say a big YES to the heat lamp thing! The bulbs they sell for brooder lamps are WAAAAAY overkill! Back when I used a clamp lamp, my babies did just fine with a 60 watt bulb as long as the lamp was at just the right height. Now I've been spoiled by the brooder plate and I don't think I could go back to a heat lamp!

Just cam across snowflake bobwhite quail. Now I really want some! They are just so beautiful

BTW not my pics

Oh, my, these are lovely!

f I separated my SLW girls that are bald on their backs from the boys, how long would it take for them to grow feathers back? They look awful. They have aprons but they dont seem to be helping. I have 2 roos and 18 girls now, so hopefully once they grow back they wont lose them again.

I had one last year that was bald down to the skin. She stayed that way all summer long. No new feather growth. This was from May all the way to late November. I had begun to wonder if she would ever get feathered again. Then, at molt time, the most beautiful feathers grew in with the new feathers everywhere else. So...in my experience, they don't just grow in at any random time. They grow in when it's time for them to grow new feathers which would be just after the molt. Has anyone else ever seen a bird regenerate feathers just because they're broken or gone? Or did they come back after the molt?

I have on rare occasion seen a hen regrow feathers, but not ones that were broken. Only ones that were completely plucked. More of my hens have only regrown plucked feathers at molt time like you said, though. One year, I had a hen with a completely bald butt for the entire summer. It was quite something to see. But she was probably grateful for the breeze on the hottest days.

Oh...and forgot to say that I thought it was rooster overuse. But this year I noticed that it first started as some disturbed feathers back there. Then I caught one of the BR girls picking her feathers out on the roost as they were going to roost. It wasn't "malicious picking", more like "curious picking". Something was looking different because they were fuzzing. And I think she pecked at it and continued to peck on it every night, plucking more and more. So while hers started by being scruffed up by the roo, I think Miss BR was doing the plucking. I've started putting the 2 brs on a roost that I can separate them away from the others at night to alleviate that problem. No matter how it's happening, though, the problem is still the same. A bare back that really looks like we're malnourishing them or something of the sort.

This! More of my issues with feather loss have been the girls plucking one another than they have been from the boys. I didn't have that problem so much last year, though, so I suspect this year it was because Po wore the feathers down and then the girls were pecking at each other out of curiosity. And, of course, some of them have appetites for beards, so my Easter-egger girls usually end up 'clean-shaven'. (Boy, I didn't realize how late it was! Good night, everyone!)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
It varies, the last was 3" i think. I get free stuff from misc friends in construction. Will measure and check it tomorrow. I only use the leftover new pieces from new construction. I have to add new ends, all the freezing and thawing I have lost an end to one of them.

Quote: I had what was supposed to be a nubian doe several years ago,late 70s early 80s. She was my first goat, "Nanny" is what Dad called her, of course. She was not much larger than my oberhasli, so am assuming she wasn't nubian! Its ok, she was pretty special. Spent a lot of time with her growing up, and was like a dog for me. I was able to lead train her with no problem and she went on hikes in the woods with me almost daily. When my parents moved, they couldn't take her and I lived in town, so we rehomed her with a good family friend, I was able to visit her until she passed away. My dad and grandma always kept a doe when they could, and a few bucks along the way too.
I can't imagine not having a few, and really missed them until Bo came here last year. I have a lot to learn on breeds, but am really enjoying the Oberhasli. They aren't a miniature, but small enough I can handle by myself.

You can't see it very well but the poo had orangey red blood maybe?

The other blrw is on the way out. Very wobbly when walking, staying down a lot.

Hope they are ok.. Can't tell well from the pics, how old is the bird with the orange/red poo?

 

[Mother2Hens]

About herbs: Because of some of our nostalgic discussions on this thread, I ordered/received some Patchouli plants from: The Growers Exchange
I used to be able to buy them locally. If anyone is looking for herbs not available in their area, you probably could find them from the company I used. I just ran across them online, and was happy with their service.

In other news, Bonbon and her four chicks are doing well! They're using the bottom floor of the handmade rabbit hutch turned bantam coop that I purchased on craigslist. The only design flaw is that it's 4' wide, and has a 7"x10" door at one end. Bonbon made her nest at the far end, of course! I had to figure out how to get food and water down that far, so I found a grabber tool in the that belonged to DH's mom years ago. DH kept it in case it ever came in handy-- I'm sure he never dreamed I'd be using it to serve chickens their dinner! So I "grab" a little bowl, reach in the coop opening, and drop it off at the end next to Bonbon. It's easier now that the chicks are moving around the whole area. I put in a small feeder and hung a quart waterer. I use a fireplace shovel to scoop the shavings out to clean the coop.


Originally Posted by leslea
[Re: kaphyper's photo skills] Yes, do share!!! My friend Julie (Chicks in Hats on Etsy) has her daughter put a hat on a chick then jump out of frame real fast...but I haven't even attempted chick portraits sans chapeaus, because there is no way these chicks are sitting still!!!

leslea ~ I remember posting that link a year ago because the photos are so adorable! Chicks In Hats by chicksinhats on Etsy
Originally Posted by chick rookie
Short funny story for ya all, while getting feed ready for everyone yesterday morn. DH YELLS at me to come quick, so I go running ( DH never YELLS ) to the chicken yard where he is at and he is all flustered about something being around Romeo's neck ( guess you need to know who Romeo is or you wont get the punch line )

Romeo

So I stand there looking Romeo all over and I'm dumb founded cause I see and feel NOTHING... DH says cant you see that BLUE thing on the side of his head??????

Guess DH never noticed Romeo's ears before now......

chickrookie ~ That's hilarious that your DH thought your Silkie's blue ear was something that wasn't supposed to be there! Btw, did you notice ChickCrazed's idea for keeping wild birds out of the coop? (see below) I know you had a lot of problems with wild birds.

Originally Posted by ChickCrazed
You can also see my "elegant" wild bird solution in the bottom, a thick [clear] plastic car mat from wal-mart (about $2 each) cut into strips and secured over the door. The chickens learn to push through it (that is a chore to teach them!) but the wild birds are too small to do so.


ChickCrazed ~ Excellent idea ! Your Bielefelders are lovely!!
Originally Posted by gunchief25
Morning all Cockadoodledoooooooooo!!!

gunchief ~ It's always reassuring to hear from you!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

On a positive note my egg box is hung.

.opinions please? Should I put trim on the front or just not bother? I can't decide.

Its already so cute! Wait a few days and decide

I had a mishap today. I was changing out waterers in one of my brooders today, and while I was filling them, a turkey poult jumped out and one of my dogs got to it before I did.

It's my own fault. I've been planning on moving them to the larger brooder in the basement where the dogs aren't allowed, but hadn't got around to it. So I made the switch today, even though it made me late for work.

On a brighter note, I just completed a 9/10 hatch on poults, and the next set goes in the hatcher tonight! Getting near the end of my hatching season. After these poults, I have mottled java chicks due to hatch on the 23rd. Planning on shutting the incubator off after that. Might do a Bresse hatch in late June to have meat birds to process just before winter sets in.

If anyone is interested in learning how to process chickens. I have some cornish cross that are about 2 weeks from being ready. Can't wait to get them done. 6 of them generate more poop than 30 of my heritage chickens.

I am so sorry, that's sad. So far, Sadie (my pug mix) is ok with the babies but I know her and squeaky toys too! She just shreds them. I have had a chick get all the way to the living room before I saw it, the brooder was in our attached garage! I forgot to put the cover on, and it got out! She worries over them, but hasn't harmed any. Its hard on the dogs, its their instinct in some cases..
I am thinking about shutting my bator down too.. its horribly busy here. I enjoy our thread, and have little time to get on here lately. Dads surgery is scheduled in July if the valve is available... so am feeling like I need to stop where we are now. I will still do some CX this year to fill the fridge, Probably be a few weeks before I order. Need to get a new tractor built for them.

Quote: good luck

 

[Mother2Hens]

Bonbon is so adorable with her chicks. Congratulations!! And I am so jealous of your blue splash orp. I think a flock of just blue, splash, lavender & lemon cuckoo orps (with a little chocolate of course) would be beautiful! Love the fluffy butts

Peaceful Walls ~ Thank you! My Blue Splash came from Kiniska who breeds Imported English Orps. The fancy Orps are extra gorgeous, and have nice personalities although my Jubilee, Adeline, hasn't been very nice to my Splash chick, Eliza, since Adeline wants to make sure Eliza knows she's lower in the pecking order. And those Orps have big beaks, too! I can tell that a peck from one of them can hurt! I had suggested to Brad that he keep his Chocolate Orp since we love our Bonbon so much. I bet you could give it more attention, though, since Brad has so many to care for.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hi! I am new here, and new to the whole urban farming thing. We just got our first chicks, and I am super excited! They are all already super awesome with great personalities.
I am in Hartford City which is pretty much a whole in the wall kind of city. LOL
Pleased to meet you all!

and our thread

Love hole in the wall towns! I am out in the sticks between 2 small communities.

So apparently the food dish is more comfortable than mom. This is how I found them a little while ago.

Its about 76 degrees in there. They are 4 days old. No wonder so many chicks get too hot under heat lamps.

I see that with a lot of the different breeds. Healthy chicks don't seem to need the heat as much, especially when Momma is right there!

Quote: I could probably sell a couple. I mainly got them to experience the difference between raising non-commercial breeds and commercial hybrids. I don't believe I would be credible talking about them i had never raised them. I have 2 BBB turkeys I am raising for the same reason.
Its still not like the store bought chicken, if they free range at all. Same for the BB turkeys. What they are fed really plays into it too. I have done about 60 of the CX and 17 of the BBWs and its still far better than what you get in a plastic wrapper! If we do get a plucker I will do a lot more in the future.

Quote: Not at all! Poor living conditions is definitely horrible for any living thing. Birds poop.. and yep we have to clean up after them every day. Damp conditions and ammonia build up really jepordizes a birds health fast. Its a lot of work. But dry and clean is probably almost as important as well fed and plenty of clean water.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Just cam across snowflake bobwhite quail. Now I really want some! They are just so beautiful

BTW not my pics

Oh my, YES I know they are very attractive! I really would love some! I have to get a few pens built so I can get a permit with DNR. Am really interested in ring neck pheasant, and want to add them, as well as quail that are native like bobwhites. Coturnix won't brood so they don't need a permit.

I've collected 15 of my new Wheaten Maran eggs and 6 from my Golden Comet (fertilized by Cricket) eggs! Due to hatch on 6/3. I also let the Marans out of the coop to free range for a little bit today and they behaved very well.

Here is a pic of a couple they are a beautiful bird.
I have know idea if they are fertile, they should be they were with a Wheaton Maran rooster!! Fingers crossed.

Nice color on the eggs! Fingers crossed for a good hatch, if there was a roo, you should get 2 to 3 weeks of fertile eggs.

f I separated my SLW girls that are bald on their backs from the boys, how long would it take for them to grow feathers back? They look awful. They have aprons but they dont seem to be helping. I have 2 roos and 18 girls now, so hopefully once they grow back they wont lose them again.

It takes a month or so. My GLWs and EE were looking bad. With the aprons It was at least a month before I saw feathers coming in.