INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[leslea]

We have successfully rehomed Otis.

I found a local man who was offering fresh chickens for eating from his farm and offered him Otis for his "for eating" needs. We swapped stories about dumb roosters attacking our 3 year olds, and he shared that he just killed a rooster for the same reason. He agreed to take Otis.

When we got out there, he said he liked his colors and he would "Give him a chance," so the little guy might not end up in the soup pot right away. He will have 18 free range hens to attend to--all LF, whereas he is a banty. Seems like a good set-up for him as long as he minds his manners.

I got my cardio chasing him in the backyard for 45 min today to get him into a cage. I feel good knowing he's going to someone who won't put up with foolishness toward his kids, too. If he causes trouble he won't be around long enough for his progeny to be hatched.

On the way home, Tim said I am free to replace Otis with a cochin hen! Now I am chicken shopping again!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I hope so! We'll see how it goes with snow this winter anyway. I think I'll gather some up to throw over the snow during the winter, too. I think the girls would appreciate that, at least.

Funny story about the leaves. When I tossed them in the Guinea enclosure, it was after dark and I had closed the coop up already so the Guineas were none the wiser. The next morning, I opened their coop and they stood in the doorway and just screamed.

I don't think any of them would have come out if it weren't for one of them at the back of the group bowling them through the door while trying to get out, himself (he hadn't seen the horrifying leaves yet

). Then, they screamed for a few seconds while standing in the leaves until--gasp!--one of them discovered they could scratch them up and find bugs and other goodies! It's stuff like this that makes me wonder why people call you chicken if you're afraid.

My chickens did that last year when I dumped some leaves in there!

Last year we actually bagged leaves and then would get them out and throw some on the snow like you're saying. It works pretty well to get them to come out. Even dumping some of the litter out on the snow was helpful to get them to realize that there was something to walk on there.

It was discouraging last year, though, because just when I'd get shovel enough that they could see ground - or put something on the snow like that - it would snow again! Very frustrating at how much snow we had last year and how often.

 

[leslea]

If anyone has a buff cochin pullet they'd like to sell, PM me, please. I am open to other colors, as well. Would need to be no more than an hour's drive from Georgetown, IN (about 15 min from Louisville, KY).

 

[bradselig]

tbis is the last week of my training for work! Monday I finally get my store! While nervous, I'm pretty excited for the challenge. I've been able to keep up with the thread, just haven't been active much.

Sadly the little Cemani didn't make it. Hopefully the one hatched today will do better to thrive. Chicks from pullet eggs always seem to need extra care and hope for the best. Don't always seem to be as hardy as chicks from hens eggs. IMO, the quality of this one is much better and all feathers are black (first one had white on wing tips) and pretty much all toes and nails are black as well. Hoping this one does better!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I just found out that a tree trimmer near me has piles and piles of wood chips. His wife said I can come and get all I want for free (delivery would be a fee). Should I put this in just the run, or should I put it in the coop as well. We have always done straw in the coop but I keep hearing people say they are using woodchips. Are wood chips better than straw?

Here is my experience so far on bedding. I love pine needles, leaves, pine shavings, corncob ground up I got from somewhere .. fresh mulch if its from my house so i know whats in it. I try to add grass clippings also. It was normally turned weekly (until my Dad had surgery this summer.) My roof has a bad section, so my deep litter turned to a huge clump and I have yet to get it all out. I had used hay, and oh boy, did it make it harder to break up. If I get it dug out, and scraped, I wont use hay again since the muscovies are still housed in there with the chickens. (soon to be moved) Hay and moisture created a mess with the deep litter, over 12" deep in some places.. I will compost it over winter and will be fantastic on the garden next year.
Usually, I would shovel some out to the run and add a new layer in the coop weekly, let the girls dig it all up and mix it. Now that I am not gone every day, this is finally happening again. I do use the tree trimmers wood chips in the run, and lots of leaves and clippings too. If its unknown trimmings, I compost them a while to dry out. That way, if there was poison ivy, its had time to dry out.

tbis is the last week of my training for work! Monday I finally get my store! While nervous, I'm pretty excited for the challenge. I've been able to keep up with the thread, just haven't been active much.

Sadly the little Cemani didn't make it. Hopefully the one hatched today will do better to thrive. Chicks from pullet eggs always seem to need extra care and hope for the best. Don't always seem to be as hardy as chicks from hens eggs. IMO, the quality of this one is much better and all feathers are black (first one had white on wing tips) and pretty much all toes and nails are black as well. Hoping this one does better!

Fantastic news, cant wait to hear about your store!!
Sad loss on the chick, am so sorry to hear it. Hoping for better luck this round.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo loved all your pics, and the duck coop! I didn't want to take up too much space repeating all the pics, even tho frou deserves a 2nd look

@Leahs Mom we totally agree on deep litter!

 

[Mother2Hens]

RIP Nene

Very sad day here! Our first ever chicken, Nene, had to be put to sleep at the veterinarian’s. She was diagnosed as having congestive heart failure. Signs weren’t obvious until two days ago when I observed Nene waddling, and that evening she wasn’t able to jump up to her high perch. Nene was eating/drinking, but was breathing heavily. Her comb had gone limp and was purplish at the ends (lack of oxygen). I felt her abdomen area, which was bulging, so I assumed she had ovarian cancer tumors like my Black Jersey Giant had last winter. I am thankful that at least Nene's illness wasn't a contagious type.

I searched the thread for some of my posts about my irreplaceable Nene and put together some highlights (as part of my grieving therapy).

My favorite photo of Nene that captures her crazy personality.

Our chicken experience started in March 2012 when my daughter bought six Rhode Island Red “pullets” at Rural King. We were such newbies that we worried that one chicked named Nene looked odd, but it turned out that she was the only pullet! We joked about dropping off the five cockerels to RK’s “Returns & Exchanges” desk! Nene’s floppy comb is a little odd, and I once read that as a breed standard, it is considered “undesirable.” However, Nene is unique, and it fits her quirky character.

Nene has the most personality of all my hens. She knows her name and always wants to be first. She moves at least twice as fast as the other hens and can quickly sneak in the door and run to the refrigerator to beg for her favorite blueberries. Nene is inquisitive, often becomes distracted, and wanders off-- she’s my only chicken who actually “crossed the road.” Of course, she ended up three houses down where the flower garden is perfectly manicured!

Although Nene is the smallest hen, she’s the Flock Leader. As a daily reminder, Nene walks up to a hen (who braces herself) as Nene inflicts one forceful peck to the hen’s head. The pecking order is a real headache!

“Word is”
The utility guy has to walk through the hens’ fenced-in area to read the meter. When I happened to look out the window and noticed his apprehension about walking past the chickens, I stuck my head out the door to reassure him that they’re harmless. He responded, “Word is that there’s an aggressive rooster here . . . that red one.” He pointed to Nene, my infamous RIR Ha! I told him that I only had hens. I knew what he was referring to-- one time I had seen Nene chase one of the utility guys down the hill to the back gate! (She’s also chased other "intruders" down the hill).
Follow-up Post:
My DS (an engineer at the energy company) checked into the worker's story and found that there's a FILE with reports about our rooster!

Nene the Enforcer: “Who are you and what are you doing here?! I don’t recall approving your visit!!”




“Nene’s piano arrived!”
My daughter, Lauren, is studying animal behavior at IU. She sent information to me stating that chickens can be taught to play the piano. My RIR Nene is extra smart (and extra motivated by food!), so I thought she’d be a perfect pianist. As it turned out, she was accompanied by other talented flock members.
(Video is topsy-turvy). Poultry Playing Piano - YouTube

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

RIP Nene

Very sad day here! Our first ever chicken, Nene, had to be put to sleep at the veterinarian’s. She was diagnosed as having congestive heart failure. Signs weren’t obvious until two days ago when I observed Nene waddling, and that evening she wasn’t able to jump up to her high perch. Nene was eating/drinking, but was breathing heavily. Her comb had gone limp and was purplish at the ends (lack of oxygen). I felt her abdomen area, which was bulging, so I assumed she had ovarian cancer tumors like my Black Jersey Giant had last winter. I am thankful that at least Nene's illness wasn't a contagious type.

I searched the thread for some of my posts about my irreplaceable Nene and put together some highlights (as part of my grieving therapy).

My favorite photo of Nene that captures her crazy personality.

Our chicken experience started in March 2012 when my daughter bought six Rhode Island Red “pullets” at Rural King. We were such newbies that we worried that one chicked named Nene looked odd, but it turned out that she was the only pullet! We joked about dropping off the five cockerels to RK’s “Returns & Exchanges” desk! Nene’s floppy comb is a little odd, and I once read that as a breed standard, it is considered “undesirable.” However, Nene is unique, and it fits her quirky character.

Nene has the most personality of all my hens. She knows her name and always wants to be first. She moves at least twice as fast as the other hens and can quickly sneak in the door and run to the refrigerator to beg for her favorite blueberries. Nene is inquisitive, often becomes distracted, and wanders off-- she’s my only chicken who actually “crossed the road.” Of course, she ended up three houses down where the flower garden is perfectly manicured!

Although Nene is the smallest hen, she’s the Flock Leader. As a daily reminder, Nene walks up to a hen (who braces herself) as Nene inflicts one forceful peck to the hen’s head. The pecking order is a real headache!

“Word is”
The utility guy has to walk through the hens’ fenced-in area to read the meter. When I happened to look out the window and noticed his apprehension about walking past the chickens, I stuck my head out the door to reassure him that they’re harmless. He responded, “Word is that there’s an aggressive rooster here . . . that red one.” He pointed to Nene, my infamous RIR Ha! I told him that I only had hens. I knew what he was referring to-- one time I had seen Nene chase one of the utility guys down the hill to the back gate! (She’s also chased other "intruders" down the hill).
Follow-up Post:
My DS (an engineer at the energy company) checked into the worker's story and found that there's a FILE with reports about our rooster!

Nene the Enforcer: “Who are you and what are you doing here?! I don’t recall approving your visit!!”




“Nene’s piano arrived!”
My daughter, Lauren, is studying animal behavior at IU. She sent information to me stating that chickens can be taught to play the piano. My RIR Nene is extra smart (and extra motivated by food!), so I thought she’d be a perfect pianist. As it turned out, she was accompanied by other talented flock members.
(Video is topsy-turvy). Poultry Playing Piano - YouTube

Oh nooo, this made me cry

RIP Nene and

for your loss.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oh, M2H, I am so sorry! I know how much Nene meant to you from all of your stories and pictures of her! So, so sorry for your loss!

 

[kabhyper1]

Aww J I'm so sorry about Nene. She had a great life with you. Its always hard to lose them.