INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

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.

Oh, I understand. It's frustrating when you pay for pullets and end up with boys anyway, especially if you really can't have them! I feel okay about Georgette turning into a George because I just lost my little guy, Po, but now that what I call 'rooster paranoia' has set in, I'm finding myself suspicious about Mabel maybe being a Maverick. She's a tough one because her coloration looks feminine thus far, but I'm seeing other signs that make me worry. I'll be SO mad if both Mabel and Georgie are boys, as I got two Marans (Georgie and Louise) and a Welsummer (Mabel) for the dark eggs. But, there's no point in stressing because that's not going to change what they are in the end.

Here's Georgie, by the way. I'm seeing red in 'her' hackles and she's only 3 weeks old, which is my main basis for being suspicious of her.

And Mabel.

And I can't share pictures of the babies without Elda sneaking in. She's 100% girl by her color at this point, so I don't mind showing her off a bit. Cuddles!

Thank You. I am sure chickens, as well as other animals grieve. People don't give them as much credit as they deserve. I like that article.

I don't remember if I shared this story here or not, but back at the end of 2012, I lost my red sexlink hen, Blizzy. She was beloved, and her loss has stuck with me over the year and a half that she's been gone. Well, the day we buried her, something remarkable happened, or something I thought was amazing, anyway. In the past, we've buried hens and the others would come to scratch in the loose dirt we dug up. That day, almost all of the hens came over, but they didn't disturb us. They all stood in a group, and watched as we lowered Blizzy into her grave and covered her up. My girls have never done anything like that since, and had never done something like that before that day. I think they knew they had lost one of the most memorable members of their flock. The memory brings tears to my eyes to this day...

Anyway, I'm so sorry for your loss, and for the other bird. I do know that these birds grieve. I have seen it firsthand.

[COLOR=0000CD]BTW-[/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]SO HAPPY ABOUT CHICKENFEST![/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]I can't wait to see you all there.  Its a great idea to have it at the campground to keep everyone's chickens safe, but Patrick, I will really miss seeing your gorgeous house.[/COLOR]

e Can't wait to meet everyone, too! I wanted to come last year but it just wasn't practical for us! So glad I was able to plan ahead this year!

I'm just curious, but what would be wrong with having white chickens?

I think it's from the thought that the color makes them more visible to predators, especially aerial predators. I've had a few white hens with no issues, but I do understand that it would be a concern. I think my girls are safer only because we're in a woods and have lots of bushes and plants for the girls to hide in if something flies over.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I'm just curious, but what would be wrong with having white chickens?

It is the predator concern for me - they stand out from very far away and I not only worry for their sake but to have hawks getting drawn to my place to possibly get the other birds too. I worry about my cream EE, and she is a light tan. My white silkie is staying under cover of the run!!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I hatched out 2 bresse chicks from Racin... They are both hens. I don't mind as I plan to keep them as my only white chickens. This winter I'll breed them with my heritage reds and I should get a nice large meat bird without needing another rooster. Plus Racin is really close to me so if I need a rooster I'm sure I can buy one from him. He has a nice flock of bresse started chicks right now. If shipping was cheaper I'm sure he could spare one for you too.

Quote: For us it really really attracts the hawks. Peeping chicks also bring attention though. Since I plan to have chicks that peep for most of the good weather, I've decided that 2 white bresse is acceptable, but I am selling off all of my EE, white - tan - and even the darks.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Man I sure wish the mosquitos would go away. They are BAD this year with all this rain (not complaining after two years of draught!). I tried to sit outside with the birds for a few minutes and then walk the gardens to check things out and got eaten alive. I sure hate having to put stinky bug spray on to go outside but it is looking like one of those years!

I have to say, this year's pullets sure have stolen my heart.

All six are following me around talking to me when I am outside and they want to hang out CLOSE to me. The two marans and one of the barred rocks will even squat to let me pet them now. Such progress from the flighty chicks they were a couple months ago! I almost don't care that I'm NEVER going to have eggs!! LOL

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Man I sure wish the mosquitos would go away. They are BAD this year with all this rain (not complaining after two years of draught!). I tried to sit outside with the birds for a few minutes and then walk the gardens to check things out and got eaten alive. I sure hate having to put stinky bug spray on to go outside but it is looking like one of those years!

I have to say, this year's pullets sure have stolen my heart.

All six are following me around talking to me when I am outside and they want to hang out CLOSE to me. The two marans and one of the barred rocks will even squat to let me pet them now. Such progress from the flighty chicks they were a couple months ago! I almost don't care that I'm NEVER going to have eggs!! LOL

Vanilla helps keep bugs off. It does not last nearly as long as the chemicals but it smells nice and costs about the same if you buy the pure / real stuff at sams.

Good news / Bad news. Bad news first. My third hen that went broody, with precise killing intent, pecked her new baby chick to death. The one that she did not like was black while the others were light colored. She has 2 other chicks from the eggs I gave her. But she really prefers the chicks from the first broody to hatch. The good news, my Rosie, the BLRW hen, hatched out all 7 eggs and I gave her some of the chicks from the killer broody and from my incubator so now she has way too many chicks. She is the happiest chicken on the place, even though we moved her nest once she was done hatching her 7. She had set up camp in the duck house and there was no easy way to get to her without her waking up. So we waited and waited. Now she is in the broody pen. It looks like she may become the leader of the bunch.

 

[Thriftymom6]

I had a sad day.....I was about to go out and mow the yard when I heard my older neighbor lady yelling my name. I looked out the window to see a large black lab running circles around my chicken run. Luckily the chickens were safe and sound inside the fence, but were very frantic! I didn't recognize the dog, but ran out there screaming like the crazy chicken lady that I am! The dog quit barking and came running toward me like he had just done his job at trying to retrieve my birds. I have to admit he was a very nice dog and let me look at his tag and put a leash on him. The neighbor lady called the owner of othe dog who lived down the road. She drove down to our house and was very apologetic about the ordeal. I was very nice and sort of just shrugged it off and she went home. No harm done....until I went out to look at the chickens. You may recall how excited I was when my broody JG hatched two sweet little yellow fluff butts. Well, one of them was laying in the grass on the outside of the fence. They go through the fence as they please because they never got too far from momma. I suppose the victim was on the wrong side of the fence at the wrong time. I felt so sorry for the momma as she looked around for her other chick. I'm just thankful the dog didn't kill both of her babies! I probably won't be so nice to that dog if I ever see him again!

I must say I have been rethinking my free ranging. I know my recent loss was my dogs, but it could have been any dog. I just feel they are much happier being able to forage all day and it has drastically lower the ticks. But I also worry now that some stray dog might hurt them. My neighbors dog is lose but it has never bothered our flock. But they have livestock too (goats, ducks and chickens). Then I think what would have happened if our dogs had gotten their animals, however theirs are much safer and are all fenced. I feel like mine are sitting targets. Like tonight my two turkeys wouldn't go to the coop, they are asleep on the patio (DH not happy). I don't know it's a hard decision for me.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Oh, I understand. It's frustrating when you pay for pullets and end up with boys anyway, especially if you really can't have them! I feel okay about Georgette turning into a George because I just lost my little guy, Po, but now that what I call 'rooster paranoia' has set in, I'm finding myself suspicious about Mabel maybe being a Maverick. She's a tough one because her coloration looks feminine thus far, but I'm seeing other signs that make me worry. I'll be SO mad if both Mabel and Georgie are boys, as I got two Marans (Georgie and Louise) and a Welsummer (Mabel) for the dark eggs. But, there's no point in stressing because that's not going to change what they are in the end.

Here's Georgie, by the way. I'm seeing red in 'her' hackles and she's only 3 weeks old, which is my main basis for being suspicious of her.

And Mabel.

And I can't share pictures of the babies without Elda sneaking in. She's 100% girl by her color at this point, so I don't mind showing her off a bit. Cuddles!

I don't remember if I shared this story here or not, but back at the end of 2012, I lost my red sexlink hen, Blizzy. She was beloved, and her loss has stuck with me over the year and a half that she's been gone. Well, the day we buried her, something remarkable happened, or something I thought was amazing, anyway. In the past, we've buried hens and the others would come to scratch in the loose dirt we dug up. That day, almost all of the hens came over, but they didn't disturb us. They all stood in a group, and watched as we lowered Blizzy into her grave and covered her up. My girls have never done anything like that since, and had never done something like that before that day. I think they knew they had lost one of the most memorable members of their flock. The memory brings tears to my eyes to this day...

Anyway, I'm so sorry for your loss, and for the other bird. I do know that these birds grieve. I have seen it firsthand.
e Can't wait to meet everyone, too! I wanted to come last year but it just wasn't practical for us! So glad I was able to plan ahead this year!
I think it's from the thought that the color makes them more visible to predators, especially aerial predators. I've had a few white hens with no issues, but I do understand that it would be a concern. I think my girls are safer only because we're in a woods and have lots of bushes and plants for the girls to hide in if something flies over.

Thank you and that is a very touching story.

I'm just curious, but what would be wrong with having white chickens?

It is mostly just a preference thing. Like I much prefer a blue chicken over a black chicken. Also people say try get dirty easier, but I don't see that as a big deal because you can just wash them. And my WPR really don't get that dirty.

 

[chick rookie]

Woohoo I had 5 baby chicks hatch last night.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

congrats

 

[Mother2Hens]

Looking for suggestions, ideas, pictures, designs, drawings, etc. for the Official Indiana T-shirt. We would like to get as many submitted as possible. Please PM lilmizscareall with any ideas, suggestions, etc. Also any input on style, size, etc. would also be appreciated.

We are also still looking for input on the 2 options listed on the flyer for the pot luck/and or bbq, as well as volunteers for demos on FF, candling, or anything any one would like to demo, talk about or do.

Chickenfest Update ~ Admission is Free!

jchny2000/Janet did not want members to pay any extra since we're asking members to travel and bring food to share.

Janet and I are taking care of the Barn rental as our Thank You for attending.

As barb s mentioned, we'd like input about activities that members would enjoy -- or maybe you'd just like to enjoy Chicken Chat.

My DH and I are of course attending, and we will stay in Indy that night. (sorry, @Minminme --not camping). What travel plans are other members thinking about?

Tshirts
I am planning on submitting a few designs, and I know we have some other graphic designers and arty members on our thread. All designs can be used, but we'd like one official Indiana BYC Tshirt so that when members attend Poultry Shows or other events, they can easily identify an Indiana Thread member. All designs submitted for the official Tshirt will be posted on the Thread with the member's name omitted for voting purposes. I believe that @lilmizscareall will be posting the deadline for submitting artwork for the official Tshirt and for other poultry-related designs that people might enjoy adding to their poultry--themed wardrobe.

If anyone is interested in looking at all of the sizes, colors, and styles available, here is a link to the company that lilmizcareall suggested using. It's great because we won't have to order a large quantity of a generic Tshirt with one design option.
CafePress.com : Customer Service : Our Custom Products ...
When designs are finalized, lilmizscareall or another volunteer will be taking order information and submitting the order.[/B]

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Update on my Golden Comet pullet with an impacted crop -

I had her isolated and withheld everything but water for 24 hours, then I fed her raw egg mixed with coconut oil for four days. After the first day and a half, her crop had gone down to golf-ball size and was very hard, and it hasn't changed since.

Yesterday, with no signs of improvement, I started thinking that I'm going to have to cull her... except that she's still acting alert, active, and healthy. She's lost some weight for sure, but otherwise seems fine. So I turned her out into the flock to see what would happen.

Last night her crop was pretty full and squishy again, but no more than a well-fed chicken. I checked her early this morning, and it's back down to the hard golf-ball. So. Either the food she's eating is getting around whatever is in there, or she's throwing it up in the night. I can't observe her closely enough to know which is happening. So, from here I'm just going to keep an eye on her. If she starts to act sickly or her crops sours again, or if she continues to lose weight, I'll isolate her for 5 days of water only, no litter or anything, as suggested by armorfirelady, and see what happens.

I really don't want to lose this one. She's one of the friendlier birds in my flock. But if she's starving to death, I won't just let it go on, either.