INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

Ok I got my blrw breeding trio. The pullets are from Nittany. The cockerel is chickenhill, both are foley line, but it's a wonderful example of how different breeders prefer different things. My Nittany birds look almost straight blue. The chickenhill bird has a lot of red.

I culled the sick chick last night. It was rough for me. I didn't have the technique down so it was done poorly on my end and I'm very upset about it. Leaving out the details let's just say a hammer had to get involved. Ugh.

Anyway, I really don't want to process that cockerel and while he's not perfect he's definitely better than anything you'd get from a hatchery. So if someone is wanting to breed blrw he can be worked with. But if I can't get him a new home I definitely don't have any other choice but to process him as I just don't have anymore room for roos. Pullets I can at least work with. So I really hope someone takes him. He'd be a perfect project bird.
 
And here's another mystery I solved this week. I'd removed the old-fashioned water dispenser and left the chicks two nipple waterers. Well, they obviously knew how to use them, but I don't think they were working well enough, because the chicks would practically fight over them to get a drink. And all my chicks/keets were looking very lethargic. Between the dirty sand and the chicks falling asleep standing up in the middle of the brooder (instead of under the EcoGlow) I was getting concerned. I know chicks under a heat lamp will fall asleep anywhere, but this looked different.

After trying to clean up Thelma's beak, I realized she would probably clean it herself if I put the old-fashioned water dispenser back in the brooder. All the birds ran to it like they were thirsty. A day later, no more dirty/sandy beaks and no more lethargic birds.

I know those nipple waterers are supposed to be the bee's knees but what the heck!? I know mine aren't defective. I have watched the birds drink from them.
I know that there are folks that love 'em, but I just don't think they're a natural way for a bird to drink and I decided not to use them.

When I tried them, I tried 2 different kinds. Both of them worked but they both dropped way too much water and I had to keep a drip pan under them (mine were inside). They DID NOT LEAK...they dropped too much water for the bird to drink so there was always some spilling. I always had a mess to clean up...and if it got overflowed into the litter - a HUGE STENCH.

And I also noticed that they like to drink more when it's in the place they'd expect to find water out there in the world... at ground level in a creek, etc.

So, for me, I decided to go with a more natural way to drink for them ---- and way less mess for me (incredibly, since they are advertised as making less mess).
 
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Quote: I'll definitely get one. I haven't been home before dark the last couple nights.

I need to get a dust bath set up in the coop. They're doing a pretty good job wallering up their run, but I'd like them to have something indoors for rainy days and winter time.

So I scored an awesome plastic parts bin. It's about two feet by two feet wide and a foot and a half deep. It's heavy-duty plastic, half an inch thick, and when it's half full of dusty stuff, the whole flock won't be able to tip it over.

I've read that a lot of people use peat and ash, some add DE and some don't, some use sand or various other things. I like the idea of peat because whatever goes in the litter will just make more compost for me later. I was trying to think of a way to sift ash from my burn pit in the back yard, but honestly I put some nasty stuff in there that I don't think would be good for chickens, even after it's burned down.

Then I remembered that I only use hardwood lump charcoal in my grill, (Kingsford is for people who like eating kerosene burgers. Guhnasty.) and because I'm really lazy, I haven't dumped the ash can under it in a very long time. :-D

So the moral of the story is that being a slacker pays off in unexpected and delightful ways!


ETA: If anyone is paying as much attention to me as I secretly think everyone should, you will have noticed that almost all of my posts are edited. The reason is that I foolishly submit my rough drafts, then five seconds later I re-read them and find several things I want to change. Then five minutes later I find several more. For example, this is my fourth edit on this ETA alone. Now you know. I'm sure you'll sleep better for having that mystery solved. ;-)
DOH!!! I've been wanting to set up a dust bath too, and knew ash from my burning barrel wouldn't work. Never thought of the ash from the grill!!!!!! As a fellow slacker in the grill ash department, I'm very thankful for your post!
 
I know that there are folks that love 'em, but I just don't think they're a natural way for a bird to drink and I decided not to use them.

When I tried them, I tried 2 different kinds. Both of them worked but they both dropped way too much water and I had to keep a drip pan under them (mine were inside). They DID NOT LEAK...they dropped too much water for the bird to drink so there was always some spilling. I always had a mess to clean up...and if it got overflowed into the litter - a HUGE STENCH.

And I also noticed that they like to drink more when it's in the place they'd expect to find water out there in the world... at ground level in a creek, etc.

So, for me, I decided to go with a more natural way to drink for them ---- and way less mess for me (incredibly, since they are advertised as making less mess).
Funny how things can be so opposite!
 
Ok I got my blrw breeding trio. The pullets are from Nittany. The cockerel is chickenhill, both are foley line, but it's a wonderful example of how different breeders prefer different things. My Nittany birds look almost straight blue. The chickenhill bird has a lot of red.

I culled the sick chick last night. It was rough for me. I didn't have the technique down so it was done poorly on my end and I'm very upset about it. Leaving out the details let's just say a hammer had to get involved. Ugh.

Anyway, I really don't want to process that cockerel and while he's not perfect he's definitely better than anything you'd get from a hatchery. So if someone is wanting to breed blrw he can be worked with. But if I can't get him a new home I definitely don't have any other choice but to process him as I just don't have anymore room for roos. Pullets I can at least work with. So I really hope someone takes him. He'd be a perfect project bird.
I'm sorry you went through that
 
bradselig - I'm in Dubois county. Close to M2H. So maybe sometime I'll be able to get some eggs from you. Hopefully get typing a new incubator this year.
ok I think im getting you mixed up with someone else lol. Their username is similar to yours lol. But do let me know when youd like some!
 
The babies today!

Elda! :love

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Kit and Mabel :love

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Kit-Kit!

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Georgette and her little wings! :love

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Louise, stealing the spotlight from Elda:

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Peek-a-boo! Mabel :love

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They're learning! Elda's already flying out of the brooder (when the fence is pulled away, of course! The wall behind the fence is only about half a foot tall or so) :

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And I caught Elda on the EcoGlow, too, although it was Louise that figured that out first! :rolleyes:

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(P.S. Elda and Kit are Silver Gray Dorkings, Georgie and Louise are Black Copper Marans, and Mabel is a Welsummer. I forgot to put that in earlier. :) )
 

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