INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[LonelyPageTurne]

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.

 

[Leahs Mom]

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).

 

[racinchickins]

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!

 

[leslea]

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!

 

[leslea]

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

 

[amwchickin]

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.

 

[bradselig]

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!

 

[ChickCrazed]

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!

Chicken train...toot toot....I'm not allowed to participate. I've cut myself off.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The babies today!

Elda!

Kit and Mabel

Kit-Kit!

Georgette and her little wings!

Louise, stealing the spotlight from Elda:

Peek-a-boo! Mabel

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) :

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

(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. )

 

[flyladyrocks]

Pip - how precious!