INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have babies!!!!! I have babies!!!!!!!
I left home to go to work this morning with no pips today on day 21. Came home and didn't bother to check because i didn't hear any chirping. Then i decided to check before i got ready for bed and lo and behold i have babies!!!! One bantam cochin completely out, one black AM 75% on the way out and one pip on an EE and one pip on a marans. This is going to be a long night with no rest for me. Wanted make a quick update. Here are some pictures so far!!!


@ellymayRans the babies i got from you are hatching like popcorn!!! can't wait to see what the rest of them will look like!! Thanks again!!!

so awesome for you!

Quote:

oh my, you are killing me! I have tears reading this post, LM#O!

.
Two of my favorite chicks can definitely tell over the past couple days what color the grey ones are turning out to look like in fact all of them are really starting to feather out

They are just precious

!! Growing so fast.

Quote: hehehe.. DH gets so mad because I repurpose so much stuff for my babies!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: News posting soon, we have a date! I am so happy to see you have Ms Gray! She needed someone like you to be there for her. What a perfect fit!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So few run is officially put up. But I need at least 2 more posts put in for support. It's not very sturdy at all. But it's definitely sturdy enough for now. I'm basically accordianing the chain link fence open and closed until I can get a better gate. It works surprisingly well though.

My garden is also almost finished, just a couple more seeds to sow for a staggered harvest. Then I need a fence around it to keep the chickens out. They love the strawberries. Lol.

I planted Boston marrow and sugar pumpkins for the fall. I did raised beds using cinder blocks. Doing herbs in the small openings. I have a bed with strawberries, and A few herbs. The next biggest bed has pole and Bush beans in the holes, with cucumbers to grow up my chain link fence, pumpkins to vine out the sides and zucchini and squash for the front. The biggest garden has tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale and lettuce. I planted various herbs around the side. I might do a fourth garden next year depending on how more space I need. I also planted 3 grapes, 2 blackberry bushes and 2 blueberries. I'm also planning a flower garden in the front and sunflowers for the chickens on the other side of my gate.

We got ours in last weekend.. Only thing I was lacking was red potato starts. I may try organic and make some. We use a ton of potato a year! No one had seed potatoes left.

Well I've been checking on Bella and her one little chick about every hour or so since I saw her first baby. I keep thinking that maybe Chicklet (temporary name) might be it, but she is really dedicated to the eggs under her still. She moves them around every so often and boy is her little baby demanding. That chick is in and out of every feather she has while checking out the world. I can't believe how much more fun it is to watch our chick with a mom than just with other chicks. Chicklet is hilarious. I can't believe Bella hasn't lost patience with her as many times as she has pecked at Bella's eyes, but she just moves around to accommodate her every need. LOVE THEM.

Bella still tries to attack me every time I stick a treat in there for her. I've given her grass chunks, cooked sweet potato, salad, strawberries, apple, and scrambled eggs with carrots. You would think she would just give in and let me be nice to her.

She will be a very good mom then. She is being protective of her babies.

Well, my girls did it again. Our egg numbers were dropping off a bit the last 5 or 6 days. I figured they must have a new place somewhere in the barn they were laying, but I couldn't find it. The last 2 days the numbers were back up so I didn't worry about it. Well, tonight their new spot was found in the loft -- with 23 eggs! So today's total count was 45 eggs! I won't include the ones we found with the ones we sell. I'm pretty sure they're fine to eat, but if they stink when we crack them I'll toss them in the compost.

I got a new duck egg customer yesterday who took 6 dozen duck eggs -- they have allergies in the family to chicken eggs. He said they could probably buy a good share of what our ducks produce, which is great because they were accumulating rapidly! I had to take 15 dozen to the food pantry over the past 3 weeks. Now hopefully we can sell enough to pay for their feed

Our onions, sweet corn, half the potatoes & green beans are planted. The next few days include a ton of weed pulling and tilling in the rest of the garden to finish planting a ton of stuff yet. I start tomatoes from seed -- 3 pots each of about 25 varieties. I put 2 seeds in each pot. Often I have to replant a number of them that don't sprout. This year I only had to replant a few. Needless to say I have about 100 tomato plants growing. Hmmm, I don't think I'll need that many... If anyone is interested in some tomato starts let me know -- I think I may need to post my extras for sale on craigslist!

Oh -- and if anyone is interested in some thistles I have a wonderfully thick crop taking over my strawberry patch. I'm giving away thistles for free -- I'd even let you dig your own. Please, please, please come and help yourself

Congrats, duck eggs are awesome for baked goods. Makes the best cakes you will ever eat! My daughter makes cakes so she loves using them, so rich and moist

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Still way behind on posts, but am off to bed. Camping this weekend so will be back on sunday evening. Yep I have internet at my campground ROFL!
Chickenfest is set for July 19th, more info from M2H coming!

 

[Mother2Hens]

My Orpingtons are pretty good eating. They take much longer to grow out, but I think they taste better than the cornish crosses. Mine are imported stock, so they are heavier birds meant to be dual purpose.

Whhhaaat? I didn't know you ate your fancy Orpingtons! Good thing I have your Blue Splash (Eliza) and jchny has Mr. Blue Roo!!!

So guys I just wanted to say I could seriously use the support Monday. These birds were to help with my depression. Before I got them I hadn't left my house for a year. I barely left my bed. I'm on SSDI and Medicare because of my depression. Losing these birds is a huge blow. This is about more than just losing pets or a source of food, though it's also about that. It's about my wellbeing

LonelyPage~
Therapy Chickens
We've had discussions on this thread periodically about how chickens have benefitted us. Many of us have talked about how chickens are therapeutic and have helped with depression/anxiety/stress, etc. One way they've helped me is that I go outside almost everyday with them for at least an hour (today it was 8!), so I get natural light and exercise by doing yard work with them. Plus they are so funny; you can't help but feel better. You can find out more information that could help you with your case if you google: therapy chickens

Familiarize yourself with the history
I am too tired from all of my landscaping work today to read all of the ordinance info, but as far as I could tell, Lawrence went from no chickens to six chickens? I read a news article online from two years ago saying that at that time, Orscheln's wasn't allowed to sell chicks in Lawrence. City officials tell Orscheln Farm and Home it can't sell chickens Sounds like things have improved since then. There must've been a poultry group that fought the ordinance and led to its change. I wonder if the Orscheln's store manager could give you information and contact info. You may have seen this petition already: Allow Lawrence Residents to have backyard chickens as … (I signed it and wrote a letter) It would be good to know the background information before you attend the meeting. Good Luck!

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

[COLOR=8B4513]Whhhaaat? I didn't know you ate your fancy Orpingtons! Good thing I have your Blue Splash (Eliza) and jchny has Mr. Blue Roo!!![/COLOR]
[rule][rule]

The orsch. Was in Lawrence kansas.

The proposed ordinance is to allow 6. Gonna work to get that passed, then work to I increase. That number.

 

[racinchickins]

I

I want to ask a lazy question, so I'll call it a poll.

What's your favorite meat bird? And why?

I'd offer six options, but there are so many dual-purpose breeds I wouldn't know which to include or not. I know about CornishX and Dorkings, and Marans are good too, right?

What do you like to eat?

We've only processed once. I bought "stright run" black sex links and ISA browns last spring they both tasted great but were a little on the small side at about 3.5 pounds dressed. I've got 6 Cornish cross to do in a couple of weeks I'll let you know how they turn out.

Racin has American Bresse (sp?) that looked really nice in his freezer. Unfortunately the Bresse eggs I got from him didn't hatch

I'm sorry to hear they didn't hatch. I've got about 25 juveniles if you want some.

Before I got the Bresse, the best meat birds I'd processed were a Dominique and a Wyandotte (Roos).

I also just processed 6 Cornish x yesterday. Definite Frankenchickens. Once I get them packaged, I'll post comparison pictures.

I've settled on the Bresse as my meat birds. They take longer than Cornish x, but for purebred chickens, give the best carcass so far. They also give lots of eggs, and are sustainable because I can breed more.

That being said, I've got my breeders picked out and am going to sell two breeding pairs to make room for the younger ones coming up. Anyone interested?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I am so shocked... There is nothing left of my little bantam Cochin boy, Po, except a few of his lovely black feathers. I'm so upset. He was separate from the flock because he was getting to be a little too much for the girls. It was just a temporary thing, just until he cooled it, because other than wearing down the feathers on a couple of the girls, he was so good to them. His pen wasn't particularly secure, but he had a secure hutch-like thing in it. I forgot to close him in it last night. I'm just kicking myself this morning. My handsome little guy, Po... And he was shaping up to be such a good flock rooster...

 

[ChickCrazed]

I am so shocked... There is nothing left of my little bantam Cochin boy, Po, except a few of his lovely black feathers. I'm so upset.

He was separate from the flock because he was getting to be a little too much for the girls. It was just a temporary thing, just until he cooled it, because other than wearing down the feathers on a couple of the girls, he was so good to them. His pen wasn't particularly secure, but he had a secure hutch-like thing in it. I forgot to close him in it last night. I'm just kicking myself this morning. My handsome little guy, Po... And he was shaping up to be such a good flock rooster...

I'm so sorry! How awful!!!

 

[Max Stout]

You must be pretty close to Cuzco?