INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[raisinemright]

Hello everyone, I've been busy for a few weeks and let me tell ya it don't take long on here to get behind!! I have a question does anyone have day olds to a couple days old that I could purchase. I've got only two chicks from my hatching eggs from Brad so far, they hatched yesterday and one last night. I've got two more to go but so far no peeps or anything. I would like just a few maybe 4-5 to keep the body heat up. Don't want just the two little's in a brooder by themselves!! If anyone in the NE area can help me out I would appreciate it. Thanks all and PM me if you can!

 

[wabashchickens]

What should I put in my chicken run to keep the crap under control

 

[Leahs Mom]

What should I put in my chicken run to keep the crap under control

I get wood chips free from tree service. If you call around to different ones, they will usually bring some for free.

I put down the wood chips like a deep litter. It keeps the ground - and birds - healthy. No disgusting, slimy impacted, disease-breeding ground.

As they begin the break down, just keep adding the chips in a pile. They'll spread them out for you. I also put all litter that I clean from inside the chicken house (I use pine shavings in there) out onto the run also.

This last spring I dug some of it out to be used as soil in several of our gardens for great soil! It was healthy and full of worms and a great soil!

 

[Leahs Mom]

You can see what the wood chips/wood shavings look like in these photos.

If I had to choose from all the things I've done w/my chickens to help keep them healthy, using the deep litter in the outdoor run would be in my top 5 best husbandry practices.

 

[Campine]

Does anyone near Brown County need a rooster or maybe five roosters? I always end up with too many roosters.

 

[TomHilgeman]

In Evansville area with my five buff orpington girls. They are seven weeks old.
I watch for hawks wile walking them every day. They love the crickets.

 

[pginsber]

What should I put in my chicken run to keep the crap under control

We put grass clippings, and in the fall the leaves we pick up. Works well.

 

[pginsber]

So tonight, around midnight all by myself, I candled the eggs, but couldn't really tell much. I decided it was my duty to crack them open to look for clues. I put on latex gloves and got a disposable plastic container and went outside in case they were rotten (I've read too many exploding egg stories!) I was relieved that I couldn't tell they were chicks. In comparing them to this chart, they were underdeveloped. One looked more like Day 6 and the other two looked more like Day 9. I could see eyes on all three, but they were mostly yolk.

Wow--brave thing to do. I would've been curious, and dreading what I may find, too. Not sure I could've brought myself to crack them open.

I do. I also sell eggs and poults in the spring and summer. Last year was the first time we had one of my birds for Thanksgiving. My MIL called it the 'Best turkey she'd ever had'. And if you've ever met her, that was a big compliment. Because whatever is in her mind is what she says. She lost her inside voice years ago.

I would be interested in 'sponsoring' 2 turkeys, raised and processed as part of the sponsoring, for a fair price. If you didn't have to keep the turkeys, maybe 2 more wouldn't be so bad.
Just trying to think outside the box.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

In Evansville area with my five buff orpington girls. They are seven weeks old.
I watch for hawks wile walking them every day. They love the crickets.

Hi - and welcome!

 

[kabhyper1]

Hey guys! Can any of you lend some insight on adjusting a 5 month old kitten to the flock? We have mice really bad and got a barn kitty yesterday. He is using the little coop in our barn as a healing/ adjustment area. I let him out to explore a bit today. The chickens are really unsure of what he is. I want this to work out since he is such a nice mellow cat. Any advice would be great. Thanks! I dont want him killing my chickens.

He really vicious.