INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex--those, you might have to wait a long time before you can be sure. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you start seeing hard evidence that they're boys. As far as chest bumping goes, for the most part, my girls haven't participated until a little older. However, this year, I have two 3-week-old Dorkings that are 100% girls now thanks to them growing in totally different feather colors depending on their sex, and I have seen them chest bumping with the Marans, Georgette, who I am suspecting at this point is actually just a George. So you can't know for sure by behavior. You have to take into account everything--feather patterns, comb and wattle growth, behavior, sounds, all of it. Generally, unless they do something obvious like crow, you really can't tell until they're 6 weeks old or older. Silkies, usually 8-10 weeks or older, I think.

 

[leslea]

Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex--those, you might have to wait a long time before you can be sure. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you start seeing hard evidence that they're boys. As far as chest bumping goes, for the most part, my girls haven't participated until a little older. However, this year, I have two 3-week-old Dorkings that are 100% girls now thanks to them growing in totally different feather colors depending on their sex, and I have seen them chest bumping with the Marans, Georgette, who I am suspecting at this point is actually just a George.

So you can't know for sure by behavior. You have to take into account everything--feather patterns, comb and wattle growth, behavior, sounds, all of it. Generally, unless they do something obvious like crow, you really can't tell until they're 6 weeks old or older. Silkies, usually 8-10 weeks or older, I think.

Thanks for the info. I'll be so disappointed if they sent me a buncha boys. I would keep one, but DH is already calling "Otis," nasty names. If we get a "Larry" instead of a Lynda or an "Amos" instead of Amy, he'll be livid.

 

[stevekwan]

So, I've been a member on here for quite a while, but I have never posted. I just read what others are doing and try to learn something. This is my second year of having chickens. We had them when I was in high school to I guess, but these are my own. I have some new chicks coming in in a few weeks from Meyer Hatchery. I had 6 total. One Golden Laced Wyandotte Rooster and 2 Production Red hens from TSC, I Jersey Giant hen from a local hardware store, and 2 Rhode Island Red hens we got from a friend. After some reading I wanted to get stared on Speckled Sussex, so those are among the chicks I have coming in. My 2 Rhode Island Red hens have never really layed, last year or this year. The backs of my Jersey Giant and Production Reds are bare! Those 3 lay an egg a day pretty consistently. Since I'm getting my Speckled Sussex and that's the Rooster I'm planned on keeping, I ended up Butchering the Wyandotte Rooster and the 2 Rhode Island Reds that rarely layed. I guess that I long story just to say we have 3 chickens in the freezer now! lol!

 

[racinchickins]

Question 1: My two young roos that follow each other around all the time are starting to mature. One is definitely working on a crow. My question is, Would a roo try to mount another roo if they were still young enough to not realize it was another roo?

Question 2: One of the other Roos, Chewie, has a puffy eye. It had a little crud in it.

This is after wiping off the crud and putting some VetRx around it. Any ideas?
With all the dust bathing going on and kicking of dust, it may have just got some junk in it.


The Family that Dust-Bathes Together, Stays Together.

4x8 area of dirt to flop around in and they all sit in a 2x2 pile...silly chooks.

I've noticed that with most of my juvenile roos, if it slows down enough for them to catch it, they don't really care what it is - male, female, whatever......

So, I've been a member on here for quite a while, but I have never posted. I just read what others are doing and try to learn something. This is my second year of having chickens. We had them when I was in high school to I guess, but these are my own. I have some new chicks coming in in a few weeks from Meyer Hatchery. I had 6 total. One Golden Laced Wyandotte Rooster and 2 Production Red hens from TSC, I Jersey Giant hen from a local hardware store, and 2 Rhode Island Red hens we got from a friend. After some reading I wanted to get stared on Speckled Sussex, so those are among the chicks I have coming in. My 2 Rhode Island Red hens have never really layed, last year or this year. The backs of my Jersey Giant and Production Reds are bare! Those 3 lay an egg a day pretty consistently. Since I'm getting my Speckled Sussex and that's the Rooster I'm planned on keeping, I ended up Butchering the Wyandotte Rooster and the 2 Rhode Island Reds that rarely layed. I guess that I long story just to say we have 3 chickens in the freezer now! lol!

Welcome! Hope you continue to share with us.

 

[racinchickins]

I'm looking for some chicken aprons. Hopefully someone on here has some made up and ready to sell! I've used up all I have, and more girls keep ending up bald. I think that they start losing feathers from the roos, then the other hens helpfully remove the rest in that area. It's happening in all my breeding pens.

If you have any, I take any size, as I need them in small, med, and large. Just send me a pm, and we will work out price and shipping.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Looks like I am going to get some chickens in South Whitley sometime next week. Not sure when exactly, I just know next week. I might be able to squeeze in a few extra, if someone close to me would like me to grab a few for them. On the craigslist post it says that it is nutritional research farms. Their phone number is 800-456-4931 if anyone would like to call and see what they have. I know they have newly hatched GLW chicks and 2 week old cornish x chicks. I am located outside Bluffton

 

[stevekwan]

Looks like I am going to get some chickens in South Whitley sometime next week. Not sure when exactly, I just know next week. I might be able to squeeze in a few extra, if someone close to me would like me to grab a few for them. On the craigslist post it says that it is nutritional research farms. Their phone number is 800-456-4931 if anyone would like to call and see what they have. I know they have newly hatched GLW chicks and 2 week old cornish x chicks. I am located outside Bluffton

Those people are always putting stuff on South Bend Craigslist!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Those people are always putting stuff on South Bend Craigslist!

I look at the Fort Wayne listings mostly, since that is about my best bet to ever find anything close to me and they have posts all the time! I am interested to see how big their operation really is, because they always have quite a bit of chickens for sale.

 

[CountryHen19]

Hi everyone! I know I haven't been posting but have been reading off & on and finally got caught up for now.

Before I write anything else, I wanted to tell Janet/jchny2000 and LPT that you and your families are in my thoughts!

As far as ChickenFest (I did get my flyer Barb S- Thanks) My husband and I are planning on coming for the day. I am so happy its on a Saturday! The flyer said the donation is 5 dollars each person-- when do we pay this?

Also, about the option, I am fine with the first option, with having the potluck items and just eating whatever is brought.

We picked up our chicks (SFH) this morning. We had to get the brooder finished and my DH didn't want to finish it last night so I made him get up early and we finished it in about 1 1/2 hrs which I was happy with.

The breeder where I got my adult hens and these chicks was not feeling well and not in a good mood when I came and got them. She was hurting and I can understand why. She was trying to be quick about getting the chicks so I wanted to let her go rest so I didn't even think to check them. When I got home and was putting them in the brooder, I noticed three of them had a bit of pasty butt and one, who was the smallest and acted weaker than the rest, had a whole foot that was crooked, all three front toes. It made me mad at myself because I didn't check them. My chicks from her last year had no problems whatsoever.

Anyway, they are settling in. It must be too hot for them to go under the Ecoglow plate because they were together next to the heat plate but not under. We will see how these guys grow out. I admit, I am much less anxious about these guys at the moment because I have had one year under my belt-- at least one season of raising chicks is better than none. They were all SFH, four of them had the dark brownish heads and two of them were a mix between the splash and penguin chicks.







Please don't mind the poo, the crudity of our building skills or the mess in the garage! Yes I need the step stool to reach over. I realized it was too tall but DH didn't think his saw would do good to cut off 12" off each leg so it stayed that tall. At least I can see them without having to bend over too much!

These babies are about 1 week old.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hi, everyone. I'm looking for a few roos. I need a Cochin, a faverolle, and an easter egger. I have all hens and no roos. Can anyone local help me out?

Hi tntbell~ Good to hear from you! And it's nice when someone needs roos --for a change. haha Since everyone isn't on the thread at the same time, click on the Indiana BYC Members List link at the bottom of my post. You can see who lives near you, and send PMs. Good Luck!
kabhyper~ Love your new chicks! Are the chipmunk striped ones Partridge?
@leslea ~ It's hard to say if that's the beginning of a crow. My former RIR cockerels started with the first half of "cock-a-doo . . ." and within a week they'd say, "cock-a-doodle-doo." Sometimes one hen will make a sudden screech for no apparent reason. It sounds as though one has been pecked hard by another one, but thats never the case. I haven't been able to figure that out-- it doesn't seem to be an alert because the others don't seem to care.

Okay I think that I have gotten a copy of the Chicken Fest 2014 flyer sent to all the members on the members list. If you did not receive please let me know. If you received more than one I apologize.
Thank you barb!!! We appreciate your help.

Thriftymom ~ I am so sorry! I can't imagine what that would be like to come home to that scene. You can't beat yourself up though because accidents happen. You did the right thing my putting the injured down to alleviate their suffering.