INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[atrueb00]

Weekly Chicken Event Post!

There are 2 auctions/swap meets this weekend, check out the details on the Indiana BYC'ers Events Calendar and check for the locations on the Indiana BYC'ers Map! I also have each event linked to it's website/Facebook page for additional show details.

Friday, October 10- Dinky's Auction-Montgomery, Indiana
Sunday, October 12- Golden Horseshoe Saddle Club/Knox Swap Meet, Knox, Indiana

If you do go, try wearing your official Indiana BYC T-shirt and see if you spot anyone else there! Also, please take pictures to share!




Upcoming Events:


Friday, October 17- Dinky's Auction-Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, October 18- Central Indiana Poultry Show-Lebanon, Indiana
Saturday, October 18- Croy Creek Trader's Fair-Reelsville, Indiana
Sunday, October 19- Croy Creek Trader's Fair-Reelsville, Indiana
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Friday, October 24- Dinky's Auction-Montgomery, Indiana
Friday, October 24- Veedersburg Sale Barn-Veedersburg, Indiana
Saturday, October 25- Newbury Square Swap Meet & Flea Market - Shipshewana, Indiana - also check here
Saturday, October 25- Sandcut Trader's Fair-Terre Haute, IN
Sunday, October 26- Sandcut Trader's Fair-Terre Haute, IN
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Friday, October 31- Dinky's Auction-Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, November 1 - Croy Creek Trader's Fair-Reelsville, Indiana (Last one of the year)
Sunday, November 2 - Croy Creek Trader's Fair-Reelsville, Indiana (Last one of the year)
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Friday, November 7 - Dinky's Auction-Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, November 8 - Sandcut Trader's Fair-Terre Haute, IN (Last one of the year)
Sunday, November 9 - Sandcut Trader's Fair-Terre Haute, IN (Last one of the year)

 

[atrueb00]

@Indiana feather , @twoboystwogirls , @Candy442 Welcome and pleased to meet your acquaintance!

My children's friends all know how to pick up & hold a hen, so it's been very educational. Our chickens have been to 8 different schools and in the paper multiple times over the past 1.5 years. Even today, we were volunteering at the local museum. We brought 3 hens as chicken ambassadors, and another 4H group brought rabbits & a goat. (The hens are enough for us right now but those other animals are so cute.)

@Faraday40 - educating people on chickens is so important to me! I really think this is so great that you have chicken ambassadors and have been speaking to the public about them. Did the library/museum contact you or how did you get started doing these events?

Had a nice weekend, aside from FREEZING my toes off at the camper! Rained most of the evening. We were able to winterize, get things closed up.

IMPORTANT Sharing this event, be on the lookout for this scam! Had a very upsetting event when we got home last night. Checked my bank account and found 2 separate fraudulent charges of $59.99 each! Called my bank, they said the vendor was "microsoft' and gave me the number. Got on the phone, and without even asking my name, the rep asked if I owned an Xbox. I said no, we don't and have no interest in one. This person insisted I do, and said maybe a child or grandchild? I said, my kids are grown, and I have no grandchildren! Then he went on to say they needed to log into my pc remotely. may be a charge of up to $99 to find the problem..WHAT!?! No way!
I told this "microsoft rep" (obviously not!) that I will be calling my bank and the Attorney Generals office to report their fraudulent activity. Promptly drove to the bank and filed the claims. The bank manager feels it was possibly a small vendor that "stole" my credit card info this weekend. Had to cancel the card and freeze my bank account until its resolved! How very upsetting.

Oh no! This is terrible! I hope they get it all straightened out quickly for you.

@jchny2000 Thanks for sharing that. It's always good to be on the alert.

I just purchased an RFID protected wallet for my husband and sleeves for every card and driver's license I have. They're not too expensive and well worth it.

Here's where I got mine: http://www.idstronghold.com/

They just came in today and everything is sleeved up. I often carry my cards and license in my back pocket since I don't like carrying a purse around so I just got the sleeves. Hubby got a nice new tri-fold wallet.

Lily finally laid an egg today. She is a year old this week. So those of you with silkies waiting on eggs, .............just wait longer.

Congrats!

Yes...chickens are "meat eaters". They'll catch anything they can and eat it raw.

I often offer them high quality (grass fed), raw ground beef or venison, chopped raw liver (beef or venison) and any other meat protein I can get for a reasonable price. They get mealworms and any other bugs I can get. I've never tried to raise the black soldier fly larvae because I'm not sure we have them here in the summer. But I know another person that does them and puts all the summer harvest of the larvae in the freezer so they have them for winter.

When I bring out ANY meat or bugs, they go absolutely bonkers. It's like they are totally starving for meat.

You will find that, if given a choice, chickens will NOT eat legumes. Legumes are not one of their natural foods. And many of the legumes (including soy) are toxic to them unless they are roasted. (Soy continues to be toxic even roasted, but the roasting does help reduce some of the toxin.)

It you think in terms of natural, if something is toxic to an animal unless it is roasted, you know for sure it isn't something they should be eating (As I've said before, I've never seen them build a fire and roast anything around here

In days gone by, chicken feeds did NOT contain legumes. If a commercial feed was purchased it contained meat and bone meals, corn, oats, etc. But not legumes. The addition of legumes started with industrial farming. It "cheapens" the feed for the consumer and is a good way to make money on waste products from industrial farming (soy bean meals, oils, etc.) that they have a hard time using anywhere else. One of the bad things about this is that there are many anti-nutrients in legumes that inhibit the absorption of minerals especially...and actually leach them from the body. This is another reason that we have to add a mineral mix into the feed. Even though the minerals are there, they aren't bioavavailable from the legumes and/or seeds so only a very small portion is absorbed - if any at all. This is the same for human ingestion btw.


Okay...off my soapbox.

Very helpful info, I added it to the Indiana Member's Page.

The image of burning a carcass reminds me of a funny, and off topic, story.....(If you may be sensitive, please don't read.)

This is a great story, really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing!

M2H, yes Lily does get baths. She has some skin issues so she gets selsun blue baths.She and my other whites dostay really clean naturally though for the most part. Dont ask me how. Wood chips and sand I guess.

What does the selsun blue do for a chicken that normal shampoo doesn't? Just wondering if it doesn't dry out the skin as much.

Another thing....@SallyinIndiana says she puts some of the wood chips inside mixed w/the finer shavings. I've not used them inside myself but only on the outside run.

Then I put the old indoor shavings out in the run too when I clean out the inside. I always leave some of the old shavings inside to kind of "start" the new stuff and to keep a bit of the beneficial stuff going from the old batch in there. Since I have vinyl on my floor, I'll also on occasion dig some dirt and throw it in with the shavings also. If I had a wood floor I wouldn't do that.

In the outdoor run, just keep building up more and more shavings and wood chips. As it rains, snows, etc., things will keep breaking down and the worms, and beneficial microbes in the soil can proliferate under it.

This last spring we dug some of the dirt out from under the shavings and my daughter started a whole above-ground garden with that soil. Best veggie garden she's ever had. My other daughter took some to add to their existing beds too. I seriously have never seen such healthy soil before.

Also very helpful information, I added it to the Indiana Member's Page.

Re huge piles...

If a tree place comes out, you can have them leave as little or as much as you want. Around here, they will bring it if they're working in your area because it saves them having to haul it back and find a disposal for it or store it. So if you need just a small hill, you could always tell them that. But it will still be a hill

A mountain of dried leaves is also nice in the fall. They love to spread those around too if you put them in the run. I just don't like to use them in excess as I've found that unless you have leaves from trees that dry and break up easily, they didn't break down as well. It was okay when mixed w/the wood chips, but not as good all by themselves. (wet and slippery in the rain if in excess.)

I now know what I will be doing with a portion of the ton of leaves that end up in the yard! I live on 1/3 acre and end up with over 20 bags of compacted dried leaves each fall. I added this post to the Indiana Member's Page.

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!

I am sorry to hear this. I hope the other chick is a survivor!!

RIP Nene

I am really sorry to read this. It is so good though that you can go through previous posts and see all the fun adventures you had with her. She had a great life with you.

 

[atrueb00]

Hello everyone!

Few updates to share...

Life has been super busy lately. I have a full time corporate job and started doing consulting work on the side. Happy to have more cash, but don't have as much time to spend with chickens! Since it is cold out, I don't really work outside anymore. This has lead me to start free ranging the birds at night after work. I was letting them out, keeping an eye on them, and then letting them go into their coop at night and just closing them up.

I was making dinner the other night when I heard the chickens going off about something. I opened up the back door and saw this...



I didn't take the picture of the Merlin Falcon, it is from Flickr. But this is exactly what was flying towards me! Most of the chickens had gotten into the coop. I had 2 roosters and a hen outside staying still fending off the bird. The littles (3 month old silkies) were huddled together under berry bushes and totally camouflaged. No one got hurt, and the bird flew away. I am so paranoid about leaving them out though now. It's been a few days and they have been cooped up.

Chicken Train Service

I will be making a trip down to Terre Haute to see family and go to the Bridge Festival in Park County next weekend (October 17-19). If anyone needs chicken train services please let me know!

@chick rookie If you want the 2 bearded MF pullets, please let me know and I will bring them.

I have 2 non-bearded white silkie cockerels free to a good home. They were born this spring and one has started to crow. They were purchased at RK, one is not standard at all and the other is really good looking. They are good around adults/kids and have been raised on Nutrena feed. Both are healthy and mite-free. If you are interested, please PM me and I will send pics.

Lastly, this morning I went to feed the littles and the guinea decided to fly the coop. Chased her down and got her back in. Guess I got my work out in first thing today! They are not easy to catch but I did get her within about 5 minutes.

 

[kabhyper1]

Selsun blu got rid of her favus . She got a candida issue with her skin from being on antibiotics for her respiratory infection this spring.

I must have been really tired when I wrote this. LOL It should say I got rid of Lily's favus with Selsun Blu.

 

[amwchickin]

M2H - So sorry about Nene! She was a special part of our chicken world.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thank you for the condolences concerning RIP Nene.

I was kind of joking when I said that I was writing about her as part of my grief therapy, but around ten minutes after I submitted the post, I realized how much better I felt! It's true what they say about writing down your thoughts.

I was just outside with my flock, and Nene's huge personality is missing!

Note to @kittydoc Nene was my hen, not @CCCCCCCCHICKENS although I believe she has one who could be Nene's long lost sister.

@kabhyper1 ~ Love the name Selsun Blu! Didn't think of that one when I was trying to think of a different "blue" name for my blue silkie. Smalty is a weird name, but she's named after smalt (cobalt glass pigment). Glad to hear that Selsun Blu is feeling better!
@PeacefulWalls ~ I enjoyed your broody stories and photos! Good luck on the hatches.
@bradselig ~ Sorry to read about your little Cemani chick. Best wishes on your new career!

 

[raisinemright]

Hello all! I'm looking for 2-3 turkeys that will be ready for thanksgiving! If anyone can help me out or let me know of someone in the NE area I'd really appretiate it. Thanks

 

[Dish chickens]

I have some nice LF roosters to sell and thought I'd give BYC'ers first crack at them
This years hatches April and May

1- buff orpington
2-Buff Brahma's
2-mixed Brahma's
1- Black orpington

I have 3- or 4 teen age Brahma's as well- Brood hatches

Making room for BBS orpington hatching that will be going on this winter
all were free ranged up until this week they moved too sell pens.

PM me if you are interested- I will be advertising them next week, all will be gone next Thursday.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

At least 3 have hatched so far! I didn't lift Maggie up all the way to check under her. She's such a good momma! They are Ancona ducklings. (And yes, some more brown chicken eggs got added to her nest by someone. The other day I took out 4 blue eggs from under her!)

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

@CCCCCCCCHICKENS I am so very sorry for your loss.  At least you know why she became ill, that it was nothing you did, and that you found the kindest solution.  She sure does look like a character!

[COLOR=8B4513]Thank you for the condolences concerning RIP Nene.[/COLOR]  [COLOR=8B4513]I was kind of joking when I said that I was writing about her as part of my grief therapy, but around ten minutes after I submitted the post, I realized how much better I felt! It's true what they say about writing down your thoughts.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]I was just outside with my flock, and Nene's huge personality is missing! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=8B4513]Note to @kittydoc
[/COLOR]   [COLOR=8B4513]Nene was my hen, not[/COLOR] @CCCCCCCCHICKENS
 [COLOR=8B4513]although I believe she has one who could be Nene's long lost sister. [/COLOR]

[rule]@kabhyper1
 [COLOR=8B4513]~ Love the name Selsun Blu! Didn't think of that one when I was trying to think of a different "blue" name for my blue silkie. Smalty is a weird name, but she's named after smalt (cobalt glass pigment). Glad to hear that Selsun Blu is feeling better![/COLOR]
[rule]@PeacefulWalls
 [COLOR=8B4513]~ I enjoyed your broody stories and photos! Good luck on the hatches.[/COLOR]
[rule]@bradselig
 [COLOR=8B4513]~ Sorry to read about your little Cemani chick. Best wishes on your new career! [/COLOR]

I do have one that looked a lot like nene! She is a busy chicken- raising her blue am chick