INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[chick rookie]

My flock is big enough that while I have a lot of moody molters, I'm still getting 10-14 eggs a day.

Works for me! I was just amazed at how much they were bickering this morning, and how many feathers were scattered just in the few hours they had been out of the coop!
Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure about khakis. About what size are they? I am mostly interested in smaller ducks like Calls, Mini Appleyards, etc.

Also thanks for the thoughts on the coop! We were going to build a 4x6 coop with a community nest type of thing at floor level along one wall, just in case they wanted to use it. I wasn't going to put water in the coop at any point, but in the yard only. I have a kiddie pool for the summertime and was going to invest in one of those black rubber pans (like this one) for just enough water for them to play in in the wintertime. On the ventilation, I'm glad you mentioned that because I hadn't even thought about the ventilation, short of having vents open in the eaves of the roof. I have lots of hardware cloth leftover from the coop addition, so lots of vents it shall be!

I'll try to draw up a duck coop floor plan on my computer and post it, see what the duck people of the board think. Having never owned ducks before, I want to be sure we get it right the first time, so I have done a lot of research into it!
For sure! It's always so stressful when they're molting and it's so cold out. At least for me, anyway, but I worry about my girls! I'll be looking up the chicken sweater pattern before long, I'm sure.

I know what ya mean, I have 40 in my layer group, so am hoping will always get some eggs no matter what is going on with the flock. I just dont really know if my feathers is due to a molt or not?? 1/2 of them just did start to lay and the other 1/2 I'm still waiting to start. Didnt think they went to molt till like 1 - 1 1/2 years old?

Morning all! Have some chicken pics

Love the looks we get from our kids when it is picture time and your MF is beautiful. And did I see a SSB? I miss my boy.

ok I quite.

Rita is a Mille Fleur. DH insisted if I was getting more silkies he wanted some MF so we got 4 juveniles and one chick from my cousin's farm. Here are her parents (with a peacock in the back lol):

repeat quote sorry, but I do so love to look at them.

One of mine is molting. I'd rather now than when it's cold like they did last year!



@hoosiercheetah
Check this place out: http://www.centralindianaorganics.com/ (Lebanon)

I don't live down that way but you can give them a call and see what their prices are. I read about it but haven't contacted them.

I have been lucky... no winter time molting as of yet, thought one wasn't going to grow feathers back in time for cold weather, but at the last minute she did.

Our 12 new chickens from my mother in law.

I'm getting my Oliver back! He's a bantam cochin. The one in the middle is a Rir/ Slw mix I bred, and a full Slw I bred out of Gus and Jules, who now belong to Jchny2000

The younger crew, 4 EE's, an Oegb pullet, and a white crested blue polish cockerel.

The 3 from my hatch , blue laced on left is splash EE/ slw mix. The other 2 are same ones as first picture.

Oliver and Cagney and Lacey. Lacey is EE/ leghorn mix and Cagney (on left) is australorp/ leghorn mix. From Cluck Acres last summer.



White Crested blue? I'm thinking splash maybe, cockerel. I have a mate for Einstein now! ( I haven't told her yet)





Two of the EE girls and the polish

We picked the most unusual colored EE chicks we could find this spring for MIL and they turned out really pretty!The black and white one has hearts on her chest. She's my favorite.

I'm sure Einstein will fall in-love, and I love the different colors on the EE's, really like the blk & wht.

Oh, Oliver's so handsome! Reminds me of my little guy, Po! I miss that little guy! The hen in the middle is so pretty, too!

And that's white crested blue.

Splash is more white with blue spots, like my Frou-Frou.

pretty

Those of you that have goats for milking here are some questions.

First did you make your own milking stand or did you buy one. All links appreciated.

Next do you hand milk or use a pump. If you use a pump, which one? Again all links are appreciated.

I went to the fias website but there were no pump recommendations.

I hand milk right now but as I have got more goats to milk next season... I'm looking into a milk pump. We built our first stand, and then done some swapping with a woman that was down sizing her heard and got a metal factory stand, and don't tell DH but the factory stand is much better.

this one is great for does that stand really well. the front is removable and has a ramp for getting on and off. not pictured cause itis put away for the season.


this is the one I swapped for. I like it better. BUT.... it you have goats with wide spread horns... not easy to use. and the last pic is the home made ramp, no udder damage with a ramp. www.motherearthnews.com/diy/homemade-goat-milking-stand-zmaz02jj...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0IZdVi1STg fiascofarm.com/goats/milkstand.html
a few different ideals on homemade stands I found after the fact...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfFmZD4OeoQ www.homesteadersupply.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath.

I am soo sorry we couldn't make it, but its hopeless for me right now. Chloe excelled, she is amazing!

I soo cried when my youngest got her license, the clerk.as well. Our girls grew up together and both were the babies of our families.
Talk about empty nest syndrome and 2 silly women that day!


You have some lovely happy babies!
I have a quad of millies and really like the breed. The roo is just as sweet as the hens.

love hearing about them.

I checked some today... so did my goat

Sugar says not ready to pick yet.

YUMMMM

is it? I am too!

They are so small, maybe he wont see them

but they stand out so well I think maybe he would notice all the color... lol it's ok I'll get my way

First, the fun stuff! I have 7 black/lav English Orpington eggs chugging along, halfway to hatch. I believe all 7 are alive.

Now the bad news. As some or most of you know, Mt. Healthy hatchery has a salmonella problem for the third year in a row. They sell to Tractor Supply and other retailers. These are human strains. No deaths, but lots of people landing in the hospital. The cdc.gov page has lots of good info. I just understand why this has not been eradicated.

FYI!

 

[pginsber]

Does anyone know of a good source in the Indianapolis area for wheat and/or whole barley? Specifically, I need seed that I can sprout for fodder. Thanks!

There's a guy I work with that does home brewing. He has encouraged me to go to the home brew supply stores to get barley. He rattled of the names of 2 or 3 of them, but at this point, Great Fermentations is the only one I remember.
I'm interested to know what you find out. This winter, I'll be making fodder for the girls.

 

[pginsber]

Picked up two foster puppies last night. Initially, I was told they are 6 week old Lab mixes. Based on experience, I expected Pit mix, but breed was unimportant.
So, we're expecting 2 bouncing, pot belly, lab pups, ready to have a safe place to get older in preparation for adoption to their forever home.
When we picked them up, they definitely were not 6 weeks old. I would guess more like they just turned 5 weeks.
DW was less than enthused at the idea of potty training 2 puppies, but she had a chance to say NO before we brought them home...
Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

There's a guy I work with that does home brewing. He has encouraged me to go to the home brew supply stores to get barley. He rattled of the names of 2 or 3 of them, but at this point, Great Fermentations is the only one I remember. 
I'm interested to know what you find out.  This winter, I'll be making fodder for the girls.

Thanks for that! I'll be sure to let everyone know what I find. I've got a few potential leads.

That reminds me, I wanted to apologize to the people I was talking to about a flock-sized J feeder. I'm on second shift right now, which I am decidedly unaccustomed to, and things have been really hectic. I'll do my best to draw up what I had in mind to build, but I'm not going to be able to build and test it myself. At least, not any time soon.

 

[flyladyrocks]

Does anyone know of a good source in the Indianapolis area for wheat and/or whole barley? Specifically, I need seed that I can sprout for fodder. Thanks!

Agrarian will be expensive, but if you only want small amounts then you can get smaller amount there. If you want to buy in bulk and have a good way to store it, Central Indiana Organics in Lebanon http://www.centralindianaorganics.com/ has red wheat but not white, I don't know if they have Barely (they have great prices on Organic corn). You have to call to find out what they have and what their prices are - their website is not much! I would bet Wanamaker Feed and Seed would have both - 4410 Northeastern Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46239 (317) 862-4032, but Lebanon is much cheaper especially if you want organic. Central Indiana Organics is a part of a larger mill that also has non organic stuff. If you drive up there, the Mill is labeled as something else. My husband told me that on WIBC he heard an add for an organic mill in Shelbyville, but I can't figure out where it is or even what it is called. If you head to Richmond there is an Amish store you can order bulk grains from, let me know if you want that info.

 

[browncow15]

Agrarian will be expensive, but if you only want small amounts then you can get smaller amount there. If you want to buy in bulk and have a good way to store it,  Central Indiana Organics in Lebanon http://www.centralindianaorganics.com/ has red wheat but not white, I don't know if they have Barely (they have great prices on Organic corn). You have to call to find out what they have and what their prices are - their website is not much!  I would bet Wanamaker Feed and Seed would have both - [COLOR=222222]4410 Northeastern Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46239 [/COLOR](317) 862-4032, but Lebanon is much cheaper especially if you want organic. Central Indiana Organics is a part of a larger mill that also has non organic stuff.  If you drive up there, the Mill is labeled as something else. My husband told me that on WIBC he heard an add for an organic mill in Shelbyville, but I can't figure out where it is or even what it is called.  If you head to Richmond there is an Amish store you can order bulk grains from, let me know if you want that info.

Kern Kertly & Herr is the elevator in Lebanon that Central Indiana Organics sells from. I haven't bought from them yet, just not in my price range right now. If you're on the north side near Westfield ever Urban Farmer off of State Road 32 also sells CIOs feed as well as a variety of gardening and brewing supplies.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: Have you settled in on which double milker you are going to get. I saw some homemade ones on Ebay that look like they might work. The most goats I'll have in milk next year will be three. My DH so far is refusing to hand milk and I like the clean aspect of no flies in the milk bucket. But the one from the farm selling on ebay takes about 15 minutes to milk a first time doe. And it costs almost $100 with shipping and a second vacuum pump.
http://www.danshafarms.com/Goat-Sheep-Cow-Battery-Powered-1-2-Gall-2-Teat-Milk-Machine-1-2g2tbpp.htm

Or this one that plugs in, but we don't have electric in the goat area.
http://www.danshafarms.com/12-Volt-...lk-Machine-With-Power-Supply-RDX-44012vdc.htm

Editing to ask which dewormer you use for you goats if any.

 

[ChickCrazed]

pginsber ~ Haha-- That sounds like something a silkie would do! Mine just stood around looking cute, but didn't do much until we gave them a trim. Mine have a single comb, which I personally find more attractive. Mine are minimalists.

Btw, I had to laugh at my reply compared to the others since I often add a backstory and too many details.

I long ago decided that it's just the way I write, and readers have the option of skipping my tedious posts!

@Birdylady3 Your photos are great~ I love this expression! Reminds me of some of the looks my RIR Nene has given me in photos.

Dear Lazy,

First, you should think about picking up all of the rusty nails, thumbtacks, and broken glass in your yard.

Sincerely,
The Deceased Abigail Van Buren
@Thriftymom6 Members have mentioned asking groceries for overripe produce for their chickens. If you prefer organics, most groceries have an organic section, or maybe Whole Foods or Fresh Market gives away their leftover produce.

Haha you mean my roost should not be covered in razor blades and rusty screws? Totally kidding of course. I have no idea what is going on. I am having a major thistle problem in my yard. I haven't wanted to spread weed killer with the chickens over there, and thistle is absolutely tenacious and hard to kill. I've swept the area with a magnet several times to pick up dropped screws and nails. I will do it again to be sure!

 

[ChickCrazed]

Picked up two foster puppies last night. Initially, I was told they are 6 week old Lab mixes. Based on experience, I expected Pit mix, but breed was unimportant.
So, we're expecting 2 bouncing, pot belly, lab pups, ready to have a safe place to get older in preparation for adoption to their forever home.
When we picked them up, they definitely were not 6 weeks old. I would guess more like they just turned 5 weeks.
DW was less than enthused at the idea of potty training 2 puppies, but she had a chance to say NO before we brought them home...
Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well.

Ahhhhh cuteness overload!!! I have a lab/husky/pittie mix and she is freaking awesome! Very neurotic and a worrier but the most gentle dog I have ever met (she does however slaughter bunnies, wild birds and errant chickens who fly over the fence (RIP Harriet and Rose)). It's a good thing I am full up on animals and dealing with multiple sickies right now or I would be tempted!

Sami So-so

 

[goatluver20]

Congrats on your state projects! My son got blue on his sewing project that went to state. I told him that was still something to be proud of since at state you're going up against all the other county winners. Did you go to Round Up at Purdue? Both of my kids went this year and had a blast. Chloe said they saw some pics or video from a previous Washington DC trip while they were there.

Thanks. And yes i went to round up and it was one of the most amazing experiences i've had so far. I went with my best friend. What is your son's name? I know there were like 600 people there but there is still a chance i met him. I don't think i met your daughter though.