INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

Yes Chickens must certainly be more superior to rats! (I like chickens, not so fond of rats) They (the chicks not rats!) are adorable! Keep us posted on the nipple waterer and how you get them to use it. I just discovered those, and we are thinking about getting one but wondering how they will adjust to the change (mine are 4 weeks).

My son "worked with" rats in a breast cancer research study at Purdue. After he graduated and moved home,

he bought two pet rats. DH and I fell in love with them. Besides being smart, they had personalities, too. The downside is that they have short life spans.
Shed Windows
I'm still catching up on the thread, but noticed that someone mentioned making windows for ventilation. I happened to run across this resource, which looks like a good one: www.shed-windows.com They also have shed accessories.

 

[Mother2Hens]

HoosierCheetah sent me directions and the part he thinks I need. I usually attempt to do these types of things myself first so I may try it tonight. I do have a handy neighbor I just feel bad asking for help. I know if I get in a real bind he will help me.

Funny story (oh the lives of single women), I had a leaking toilet in my last house and youtubed how to make the repair. It involved sticking my arms down the back of the toilet and messing with all sorts of hardware. Prior to my leak I had put one of those blue cleaning tablets in the back of the toilet. There was blue water EVERYWHERE and by the time I was done with my repair my arms were stained blue all the way past my elbows for a good week.....I looked like a smurf, true story.

My home repair exploits never go super smoothly, but I am successful most of the time. ETA (hoosiercheetah style) that i never again bought those blue toilet tablets. You just never know when your hands are going to be all up in there and it aint easy being blue.

Chick Crazed ~ Haha! I guess you didn't have to wear deodorant, though! Or "toilet water" lol (for our younger members, toilet water is watered down cologne meant "to freshen." The original French word "toilette" means to freshen/cleanse/dressing table -- things you'd do in a bathroom).
Nowadays, with youtube instructional videos, you'll find that many problems are easily fixable. And you realize how many times you've been ripped off in the past!

 

[flyladyrocks]

My son "worked with" rats in a breast cancer research study at Purdue. After he graduated and moved home,

he bought two pet rats. DH and I fell in love with them. Besides being smart, they had personalities, too. The downside is that they have short life spans.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I had a pair of rats, Magellan and Galileo.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I had a pair of rats, Magellan and Galileo.

Love the names!

 

[ChickCrazed]

I just wanted to pass along that I have been shopping hardware cloth prices like crazy since I have one more run to build and the aforementioned money flow turbulence. Walmart.com seems to be the cheapest by far and has free delivery! They seem to be cheaper than Wayfair. Just FYI for any other folks who will be constructionizing this summer!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Love the names!

Galileo is a hero of many; great men are easy to admire. He was one of the purest scientists who ever lived, and also one of the most faithful Christians - a fact that is largely ignored by modern "scientists" who build their work on his foundation yet scorn the faith that guided his life.

He once said, "See now the power of truth; the same experiment which at first glance seemed to show one thing, when more carefully examined, assures us of the contrary."

I think of this every time I hear anyone say anything about global warming, as well as a growing number of other modern stupidities.

/rant

 

[jen214]

[/IMG]My first BJG broody hen hatched her first chick! I'm sooo eggcited, I feel like a grandma at 32 years old! I believe it may be the white leghorn egg I put under there but it could be from the EE egg. Who knows she won't let me see if any others have hatched, but there were only three under her. We started with six and she kicked out one and the other two cracked and broke. The little fluff butt is yellow and still a bit crusty looking, but was peeking out from under mom to see the great big world! Sooooo cute

!

ETA: Pictures!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've gone through that before with my chicks, and my experience is that it's fairly normal for them to not like the change. I worried and would turn the light on, just to experience it again the next night. I know it sounds crazy but here's what has worked for me. I put a blanket over their cage! I made it completely dark for them- I had to leave the room for a few because I hated hearing them so upset, but 5-10 minutes later it's completely quiet. I tried it because I know that's what you do with other birds like parakeets, so I thought what the heck!

You might give it a try- cover them up completely. They do get noisier for the first couple of minutes but they should be completely calmed down within 10 minutes. Like I said, I did leave the room so they wouldn't hear me and I wouldn't hear them. It's worked with every batch of chicks I've raised so far. Once they get used to that routine, they'll calm down much quicker and with much less fuss. Hope this helps!

This is why I decided that if I ever brooded without a broody I would use one of the heat plates. When I unexpectedly got my current little ones...with no mamma available... I immediately purchased one of the "Comfort Chicks" from Premier (about half the price of the EcoGlo). It is a purchase I have not regretted. Normal night/day from the very beginning and they adjust the heat themselves. Never any guesses. At only 12 watts, it saves the money you spend to buy it in electricity cost. NO MORE HEAT LAMPS for me... no more fear of fires. No more screaming kiddos when the light is gone....

Even at just a few days old they would regulate whether to go under or out or half way on their own.




http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=120893&criteria=heat+plate

I am behind again on reading the thread posts. A sad thing happened last evening (Tuesday). My female Blue Splash Silkie died

Sorry to hear this! And sorry to all the others for the recent losses. I got behind and lost my quotes for y'all.

I have read that something like this can be heart failure so it may have been something that you couldn't have helped even if you knew.

 

[Leahs Mom]

On the water pans...
I do keep the pans close enough to the hose that I can spray them out whenever I walk by them. I probably refresh them 4-5 times a day so that the water is cold as much as possible.

They do get poo in them on occasion but not excessively. And my birds scratch in, and eat from, the deep litter all the time so they are exposed to poo on a 24/7 basis all year round without incident.


On the Fans:
I used to use a box fan in the coop but decided it was to dangerous fire-wise since those aren't an enclosed motor and with all the dust in a chicken/barn environment I feel that they are a fire waiting to happen.

I got an :"industrial" fan that is used for garages/workshops/barns instead. During the really hot nights mine runs all night so I feel that it is much safer.

Mine is like this one:

http://www.menards.com/main/fans/commercial-fans/14-industrial-floor-fan/p-1933643-c-12728.htm

Edited to clarify - they DO make industrial, enclosed motor box fans too!

I've just never seen one that I could get from the local stores and I was assuming folks would think of the box fans that are meant for indoor use that you get at the local walmart, meijer, etc.... which shouldn't be used in dusty barn-type conditions.