INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[chick rookie]

I don't like Nigerian dwarfs. But I love pygmys. My boars are sweeties too. I also like touganburgs (sp) and Nubians.

My b

See I don't like pygmy's, but I do like my ND, and I like my LaMancha and Alpine milk best! I could drink it 24-7 if it wasn't so fattening lol

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I choose nubian goats for the higher milk fat content and their ears. The dairy goats offer a wide variety of ears ~ some have tiny almost not visible ears, others have pointy stand up straight and tall, and Nubian like mine have PUPPY long and floppy ears.

A question for sellers of roosters:

I have a Swedish Flower Hen rooster that I am not keeping. He is amicable with people and really quite a nice boy..never a problem w/him. But he is crested and I don't want to breed crested birds. I was planning on processing him but I'd sell him (or possibly give him away) if I thought he wouldn't end up in a cock fight somewhere.

So...
When y'all sell roos, how do you go about it? Do you try to get references from folks?

I just think putting a 1.5 yo roo on CL may be disaster for him. I'd rather process than see him abused.





ETA: Not getting rid of the human rooster...keeping that one.

I list on CL. I post that the rooster WILL not fight. I typically sell before they are fully mature. Most of my roosters end up being food or pets. It is funny the buyers all have the same story, they live on an hundred acre farm and just love to hear the sounds of crowing. I'm 75% sure not every buyer I have had owns a large farm, so I'm thinking they want the rooster for food. Then there are a few of the roosters that I sell to back yard coops, these get to live like kings. But I always make sure that the buyer knows my roosters are toddler friendly and won't attack children or even other roosters. I have had a few potential buyers back out at that point. If the buyer is clearly a family the CL fee gets lowered. But for sales that I think are going to turn my rooster into food or breeders, those I stay pretty firm at $5-$15 based on both age and size. My more expensive HRIR roos are not being sold but I have seen other HRIR roos listed for $50 if they won a ribbon at a show.

Quote:

BHA says 1 year for single, and I will check on the other this is needed for ASAP, as in under 2-3 weeks.....
Most availability is going to be a 2 bedroom. They should allow one person but have higher rent.
Another option might be to call local churches. Sometimes they know of a room to rent. Just be clear that you are not asking the church to pay the rent and they tend to be quite helpful.
United Way might have a listing too.
Local Food Banks typically have a helping hands print out with local numbers for all kinds of income related help and housing.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

See I don't like pygmy's, but I do like my ND, and I like my LaMancha and Alpine milk best! I could drink it 24-7 if it wasn't so fattening lol 

Alpine are a good breed too. I have never had goat milk

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I read that (at least for the anconas) it's only 28 days to hatch. I'm hoping this is right and not 35 -- I agree that that's waaay too long!! I also hope it's not going to be a problem hatching this late in the year, but those little duckies sure do grow fast!

Mallard-based breeds like Anconas, Runners, Appleyards, etc., take 28 days of incubation. The only exception I'm aware of is Calls, which typically hatch day 25-26. Muscovies take 35 days. Remember, they are all ducks, but Muscovies are a different species of duck, which is why when it's bred to any other breed you get 'mule' offspring.

LOL, its funny you posted this. I did look back when Cluckacres, rstr101 and I got things going so long ago. So many faces I miss. Really miss vickichicki and oldsalt too. Agreed, I also crate them, little room, just enough for food and water. a week usually does it, I rarely have a crate free tho.

Aw, yeah, I was chuckling as I read through some of their posts way back when! As I recall, Vickichicki was very busy. Did we ever find out why Old Salt disappeared? :/ Hope everything's alright with both of them, and with everyone else that's come and gone! RE: Broodies, I have 'broody buster' pens for them. Anything from a dog crate to a rabbit hutch to even just some chicken wire staked to the ground, just something to keep the broodies off the nest. Some of them are stubborn and might take a week or so to break, but others only need a day or two off the nest and they're good to go. Surprisingly, super-broody Margaret the Silkie is one that takes only a day or two in the broody buster. She makes up for it by brooding about once monthly, though.

The first cemani chick is out! I'm so excited! I don't see any others externally pipped and this chick is a day late already. Hoping for the best with the others! I'll get pics when it and a couple tolbunts dry off and moved to a brooder! I'm so excited!

Any progress on these biddies, Brad?

We use 4x4's 8 footers and we put 2' in the ground, and attach to the tree, it looks like a tepee in the 4' fenced pens, my lg run has 7' fence all the way around and so it is easier to hold up the netting. The run we are working on is big enough that we cant buy everything at once so we get a ok of netting and 2 4x4's a week, we need 2 more 4x4's and 3 more pks of netting and will be done, I think we will be done before the cold hits....

Great idea! I'll probably be netting over the duck yard, so this is just the sort of thing I'm interested in seeing at the moment! Have you had this up through winter, and if so did it survive a snow load well?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I thought I saw posts about it here not too long ago, but I don't remember who it was or how far back. Does anyone here sprout fodder for your birds over the wintertime? I've been thinking about getting things together to try it out and am wondering what others do with it. Mainly, what species do you sprout and where do you get the seeds? Also, how do you set it up and how long does it take before it's ready to toss to the girls? All I can really find on the subject is something about soaking seeds daily and letting them grow so many inches, etc. (But to be honest, I haven't spent too much time looking at it. )




And since I'm posting, we're getting pretty close to one month away from the Lebanon Central Indiana Poultry Show. I've asked before, but who's going? Anyone planning on showing birds? How difficult is it getting out of there without 10000 more birds? I'm getting excited for looking for Call Ducks there, especially since we're finally starting to get things around for the duck coop and yard (hopefully... soon... ish... ). Can't stop browsing the Duck section and looking at Call Duck pictures.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have some very life-like ceramic brown eggs that I purchased at the craft department of a local store. These things look so real that we often would gather them so I had to put little permanent ink marks on them so I could tell which they are.

Anyhow...if you can get hold of some of them and use them to fill a nest it would save ruining real eggs if you want to try to encourage a broody.


I used my eggs with my first flock, putting a couple of eggs in each nest box just before they started laying so they'd know where to deposit. I've since used them trying to include broodiness as well.

Exactly what I did, I was able to find goose sized eggs also. I put Xs on the ends, they are really realistic.Once the girls learned where to lay, I take them away til the following spring.

Here are some pics of the kids.

The boys I helped hatch, they are inside a dog crate inside the coop so everyone will live happily together once I decide to let them out. Hopefully!!!






Here are the turkey poults. They are in their hoop coop for a couple weeks so they know where home is. Hopefully this works lol. There are 12 of them. I think I have 6/6. 4 strut their stuff and turn very red in the face already. 2 more just turn red in the face. The others 6 have more hair on their necks/head area and look more petite shaped. I'm probably going to keep 2 boys and 3 girls. The rest will be freezer bound.

Lovely bourbon Red poults! You won't be disappointed, very sweet birds.

So, does anyone on here know anything about fish? I bought some fish today at Uncle Bill's pet store. One of which was a pregnant dalmation molly. I have never had a pregnant fish before. Do I need to sepearate her? I was talking to my grandma today and she was saying that she thinks most fish try and eat there babies. I was surprised, I mean that they don't take care of them. I thought that they would at least show them where food is and stuff, but I guess not lol. I mean at least broodies try and point there, usually non biological chicks, in the right directions. I guess in some aspects chickens have ruined my view on other things lol.

Also I never really thought about this until now, but I hope there aren't any permits or laws pertaining to swap meets that I am not aware of. I am off to research

I used a live plant for my fish called Hornwort, it floats, and gives them lots of places to hide. I also used the box Brad suggested for my first few momma fish. I raised platies to feed my oscars. They would eat the young if the babies couldn't hide, very similar to mollies and swordtails. Duckweed is also another option, and a very high protein source for chickens too, btw..Ferments well or can be added to feed. We had a few days without power, and lost all my fish last winter. (all were tropical). I haven't looked at adding any again, may do it in the spring. Really enjoyed my oscars, they were like a dog and liked rubbed on the head and back.

I really, really, really hate moving birds around! They NEVER go into the coops on their own at bed time. Such a pain to go out after dark and try to corral them into the coops.

Its as bad as if they just went outside, no kidding!

Quote: Yes, that"s what I have. Mine is a large singe chamber, fry drop out of the bottom. You then move the Mom back to her tank once birthing is done.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Congrats! The peas are precious birds. Bond with them a lot and they stay. They also do very well with turkeys, and comingle with them as their own breed. When my Dad was ill, mine went off to a neighbors and moved in. I didn't have the heart or the time to collect them, he had just lost his wife. He was enjoying them a lot. and I wasn't home so I felt they were in a better situation. I plan to add them again next spring.

Some of my little road runners!

I have let my moderns enjoy the dog run with my pug, Sadie when its warm out. They seem to like her, and she is comfortable with them. The splash roo is just the sweetest guy, the black hen even more so.. Love all your colors! I like the breed a lot. Very much like the OEGB but even smaller framed! My pair have become real pets.

Quote: They really are a great addition to a flock it you can tolerate the noise the first year. Young adults sure can be crazy birds!

Quote: Rocks and any foliage will help them hide.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Coronation Sussex at 9 weeks & a close-up of the neck feathers.
Any gender guesses?





It's lighter than my Easter Egger pullets of the same age. Comb looks red, but small. It's the only shipped egg that hatched, & I have no experience with this breed.

Also, it has a crooked toe. Should I do something if it doesn't bother him/her?
Thanks

I still vote pullet. She looks a lot less combed that i would expect at that age for a roo. My lil hen got pink at 4 weeks but the comb stayed small. The roos have no tail for a long time, months. and the combs start early.

 

[chick rookie]

My 8-week old MF cockerel is starting to crow. And now that he is crowing, I realized I haven't heard my other roosters crow at all lately. Not even in the morning like they usually would. Strange! I have no idea what to do with him, I don't have any pullets to sell with him.

Group photo of the silkie pullets and cockerels at 8 weeks. Loving all the patterns in their feathers.



Started building a run twice the size of the current one but need to buy a lot more hardware cloth. That stuff if so expensive! Best price I've found so far in NW Indiana is at Lowe's-15 ft x 3 ft is $17.99.



Got really warm at lunch today and this bearded partridge silkie, affectionately known as Beardy Brown, was so happy to lay out for a bit.



ETA: Has anyone else seen this article on How to Start a Successful Egg Business that makes you Money? I didn't know some areas required permits to sell eggs.

If you keep your MF roo next spring when mine hatch out some chicks I will give ya a pullet if you want one. I will only keep the bearded ones, going to work on breeding only bearded MF's and the trio I have right now consists of Mom and Dad that throws both, and 2 bearded, next spring I will find a non-related bearded roo and put with my bearded hens. So I will have some non-bearded if ya like.
As far as needing permits to sell eggs according to the State, if you sell under 30 cases, you don't need one. I forget what 30 cases consist of but it's allot and I don't think anyone on here sells that many. I need to look up my papers I have on that....

A question for sellers of roosters:

I have a Swedish Flower Hen rooster that I am not keeping. He is amicable with people and really quite a nice boy..never a problem w/him. But he is crested and I don't want to breed crested birds. I was planning on processing him but I'd sell him (or possibly give him away) if I thought he wouldn't end up in a cock fight somewhere.

So...
When y'all sell roos, how do you go about it? Do you try to get references from folks?

I just think putting a 1.5 yo roo on CL may be disaster for him. I'd rather process than see him abused.





ETA: Not getting rid of the human rooster...keeping that one.

I say that the roo wont fight also and I ask allot of questions, if they don't want to answer or I don't like the answer then they don't get my rooster.

Alpine are a good breed too. I have never had goat milk

Goat milk is Awesome if you get a good milk breed. And everyone has a op on that some like the Nubian, ( I dont ) some go for the Alpine and so on, just depends on you taste. I went to goat dairy's and tried different breeds till I found something I liked. The LaMancha is my all time favorite. And it's good for you too!!

Mallard-based breeds like Anconas, Runners, Appleyards, etc., take 28 days of incubation. The only exception I'm aware of is Calls, which typically hatch day 25-26.

Muscovies take 35 days. Remeber, they are all ducks, but Muscovies are a different species of duck, which is why when it's bred to any other breed you get 'mule' offspring.

Aw, yeah, I was chuckling as I read through some of their posts way back when! As I recall, Vickichicki was very busy. Did we ever find out why Old Salt disappeared?

Hope everything's alright with both of them, and with everyone else that's come and gone!


RE: Broodies, I have 'broody buster' pens for them. Anything from a dog crate to a rabbit hutch to even just some chicken wire staked to the ground, just something to keep the broodies off the nest. Some of them are stubborn and might take a week or so to break, but others only need a day or two off the nest and they're good to go. Surprisingly, super-broody Margaret the Silkie is one that takes only a day or two in the broody buster.

She makes up for it by brooding about once monthly, though.

Any progress on these biddies, Brad?

Great idea! I'll probably be netting over the duck yard, so this is just the sort of thing I'm interested in seeing at the moment! Have you had this up through winter, and if so did it survive a snow load well?

This is the first year, I started putting it up this summer cause of the feed cost last winter with feeding the wild birds more than my flock. So I too am waiting to find out how it will hold up to the snow. but I am already seeing a difference in feed consumption in the pens that I have done.

 

[Rhandi74]

Goat milk is awesome!!! I have pygmy/nigerian crosses and they have delicious milk. The problem I was having is it was a lot of work for a small amount of milk. I decided to get Lamanchas also. Their milk is great also, they produce so much more then my mini girls. I think that the personality has a lot to do how they were raised. Mine are like dogs and follow me everywhere. I was there when they were born and they have a lot of attention every day. Goats are also just very fun to have