INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[EurekaChic]

DH and I were at the fair today. Wore our BYC shirts, but didn't see anybody else in them. However we were stopped by a lady who said she had seen somebody else wearing one and wanted to know what it was all about. I explained about the website and the Indiana community and how friendly everybody was, and referred her to this thread.

We saw lots of pretty chickens, plus some less pretty ones. And ducks, turkeys, rabbits, mules, donkeys, horses, goats, etc. My DH also liked the antique tractors. I appreciated the quilts and the funnel cake. Seeing all the chickens in person certainly helped us firm up some opinions about which breeds we're interested in. And I did a pretty good job recognizing many breeds without looking at the cards on the cages, which made me feel good about the research I've been doing. I must say there were some labelled Ameruacana that looked like EEs to me. But what do I know? And I've decided I need some ducks, goats, mini donkeys, alpaca, and horses. Which means I also need a new house with more land. Can I blame this on chicken math?

Early to bed tonight, fair wore us out.

 

[bradselig]

I have heard good things about the paypal reader.  I don't take it because I don't want to have to wait for money to leave paypal to go to my checking account.


 

I went for Paypal Here card reader. I figure I've used paypal for 10 or so years and never an issue. I read up on a lot of the card readers and they all had mixed reviews. Even though paypal here isn't an immediate transfer to the bank account, I do like that they give you a debit card that uses funds from your paypal account and your backup fund source if you don't have enough in your paypal account. You can withdrawal the money from an ATM for a fee of $1.50 if you need the cash right away. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Like I said I really don't plan on using it that often, but if can see the benefits of having it.

 

[raisinemright]

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. 

 

Here is the de wormer we are now using. Yes it says sheep but it also works for goats, per the vet you must double the dosage per body weight.

 

[iamfivewire]

Very nice looking site! Are you also on Facebook?

my DW & i are on FB + our dog has a page, but havent created a page yet for the farm / chicken business. i used to have a website for musical instruments & accessories, but dont anymore - i may include a little of that again someday

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

DH and I were at the fair today. Wore our BYC shirts, but didn't see anybody else in them. However we were stopped by a lady who said she had seen somebody else wearing one and wanted to know what it was all about. I explained about the website and the Indiana community and how friendly everybody was, and referred her to this thread.

We saw lots of pretty chickens, plus some less pretty ones. And ducks, turkeys, rabbits, mules, donkeys, horses, goats, etc. My DH also liked the antique tractors. I appreciated the quilts and the funnel cake. Seeing all the chickens in person certainly helped us firm up some opinions about which breeds we're interested in. And I did a pretty good job recognizing many breeds without looking at the cards on the cages, which made me feel good about the research I've been doing. I must say there were some labelled Ameruacana that looked like EEs to me. But what do I know? And I've decided I need some ducks, goats, mini donkeys, alpaca, and horses. Which means I also need a new house with more land. Can I blame this on chicken math?

Early to bed tonight, fair wore us out.

There are were a LOT of EEs entered as AMs. When I left I was the only one that had any pure ameraucanas there. But there were 7 EEs. I left an hour before check in ended. So there maybe a few more pure their now. Quite a few pure araucanas, which shocked me. There were a lot of empty cages, so a lot of scratches. I am interested to go to tomorrow to see how many more people showed up.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Dear Abbey

I am treating one of my hens for bumblefoot on both feet. They were obviously bothering her prior to treatment, she was hobbling around looking pathetic. And in comparison to pictures of "bad bumblefoot" found online, hers were not all that bad. Just for giggles I went out and caught and inspected 6 other hens feet to see if there were any issues (they were thrilled). Most had what looked like a spot on both feet. They haven't been limping at all, don't seem uncomfortable. Do I really need to treat 12 more feet? This is getting rediculous!?!?! At what point do you guys treat it? I am almost wondering if most chickens have suspect spots on their feet, it is only when it flares out of control that it becomes a problem.


Thanks

Lazy in Lebanon

I look them all over randomly. If its infected, I treat it but don't get caught up in too much of the

"gasp" fix it all way of thinking. It will take away their happiness and really stress you out too. Infection is hot, swollen and noticeable. I have a Tom turkey missing an eye (pecked as a poult last year), and a rooster with a "hop" that is fine, he just walks very odd. And a hen with a broken toe, no skin damage..They do well, and I keep an eye out to be sure they eat enough. My point is we love them, but we have to let them be chickens too, and just watch for the sure signs of a problem.

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.

Goodness, she looks just like Jules

congrats on your expanded flock, all are lovely.

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!

Quote:

Quote:

thanks, great post!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

I thought I posted this, but I guess I forgot to click Submit. Oops.

I think I've found a good cheap source for hard red wheat for sprouting. I'm getting a free sample from my sister, and if there's a good percentage of sprouts, I'll tell everyone where they came from.

Also worth mentioning, the Urban Farmer in Westfield has a killer website, and seems to sell pretty much everything at good prices. However, I've seen a few bad reviews on the internets of the seed he sells having low or no germination. Does anyone here have direct experience with them?

 

[Mother2Hens]

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~

Weed Killer
To kill weeds without killing chickens, my sister told me to fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and add a teaspoon of dish detergent, and it will kill weeds. Haven't tried it yet, but will.

The corn that @ellymayRans posted a photo of looks delicious!
A friend just gave me this tip:
Cook & Eat Fresh Corn without Pesky Silks
Take two ears of corn in the shucks, microwave for 6 minutes. Remove from microwave using a glove. Using a sharp knife cut off stem and approx. 1” of the cob. Grab the corn at the top and shake the ear from the shucks. You'll have corn on the cob without the pesky silks. Butter and enjoy!
Haven't tried it yet, but will.

@pginsber Those puppies are adorable, but I hope you've hired a daytime nanny.

Puppies are so much work, but I'm glad there are people like you who socialize them and improve their chances of adoption.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

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 did get a pump... there are 2 I looked at:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190807837198?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
This even has a video.
and this one, I purchased:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161076844221?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Due to the price.
Milking a goat is different than a cow, and my hands are a little stiff. So it was the best option for me.
Sugar, I used a large platform built in the goat shed, but she is ok with anything LOL. Sugar will let me just walk up and milk her no problem. She is a very calm goat. I am building a stanchion for Sophie since she is a timid goat and tends to kick. Would much rather buy a folding one but timing wise its not going to happen.

Well finally back from the fair! I entered a chicken wrong an ended up bringing one back home. Oh well, life goes on. I did this project interact where you pretty much sit at a table with a chicken and people can pet them and ask you questions. You don't have the slightest idea how many little kids asked me if my splash Ameraucana was an owl lol

Oh my, thats too cute! They are a little owlish in appearance when they give you the hate stare lol.

Seems quiet tonight.

BOOOOOOO!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

BOOOOOOO!

AAAAHHHHH!

Just for that, I'm going to stay up all night posting, so you can NEVER CATCH UP!

MUUAAAHAHAHAHA!