INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pbirdhaven]

Do you have a Indiana bycers shirt? Maybe I will see you.

I have never been to connersville

No shirt--was off the site when that came about. Look for me around the bantam polish or the silkies usually--taller grandma type with short gray hair.

Has anyone tried solar lights in their coops? I just received mine and will be installing it this weekend. This one will go 2 hours on full power or 4 on low. Seems like about the right amount of time for the ladies.

Let us know how they work!

Not all of my multis come up when I post a reply, but on the subject of incubators, I started with a Brower Top Hatch. Liked it for small hatches, then went to a cabinet as the hatches expanded. I still have the Brower--needs some replacement parts but I plan to keep it for times when I don't want to fire up the big one.

Another one that didn't come up asked about the Indiana Poultry Breeders Association. There really is no such thing--they just call their show that. Maybe the folks at Poultry Press have a small groupwith that name--they're basically the ones that put on the show. Most shows are held by a club such as a 4-H poultry club, but the Connersville show is pretty much handled by one family that supports quality breeding.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

No shirt--was off the site when that came about.  Look for me around the bantam polish or the silkies usually--taller grandma type with short gray hair.

Let us know how they work!

Not all of my multis come up when I post a reply, but on the subject of incubators, I started with a Brower Top Hatch.  Liked it for small hatches, then went to a cabinet as the hatches expanded.  I still have the Brower--needs some replacement parts but I plan to keep it for times when I don't want to fire up the big one.

Another one that didn't come up asked about the Indiana Poultry Breeders Association.  There really is no such thing--they just call their show that.  Maybe the folks at Poultry Press have a small groupwith that name--they're basically the ones that put on the show.  Most shows are held by a club such as a 4-H poultry club, but the Connersville show is pretty much handled by one family that supports quality breeding.

I don't have one either. I watch for you. I am average height. Must people think I look like I am 20. Blonde hair. Average size.Pretty vague but I don't really know how to describe myself lol

 

[minmin1258]

I was reading the mouse issues and remembered something. Mice hate peppermint. If you have mint growing. bring some inside. Peppermint essential oil works really well also I've heard. I haven't tried it, but I plan too. Nermal our barn kitten is no help yet. So other methods will be used until he grows up. My EE hens like to find nooks and crannies to lay eggs, so I'm cautious about traps. I like the idea of the sonic ones, but would that bother the cat or the alpacas I wonder.

The sonic ones have a frequency set for Rodents. They advise against using them near pet rodents and repriles though. But do not effect cats nor larger farm animals.

 

[Kassafrass]

Has anyone tried solar lights in their coops? I just received mine and will be installing it this weekend. This one will go 2 hours on full power or 4 on low. Seems like about the right amount of time for the ladies.

Not solar lights, but we have a small solar panel that powers the fence on the coop and run. Many persistent predators here.

 

[Indiana feather]

Hey everyone... just wondered what kind of treats do you give your chickens that would be good for pullets . I gave mine some grass i pulled up along with some Nasturitum leaves and some black oil sunflower seeds. They had fun picking through it but i couldn't tell if they ate any of it..lol

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Hey everyone... just wondered what kind of treats do you give your chickens that would be good for pullets . I gave mine some grass i pulled up along with some Nasturitum leaves and some black oil sunflower seeds. They had fun picking through it but i couldn't tell if they ate any of it..lol

Mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, there is a wild bird mix they sell at rural king that i give mine as scratch grains, scratch grains, cooking and feeding their eggs back to them, etc.

I also give my chickens bread, but that is not good for them.....but they love it.

 

[irtehun]

Hey guys, getting ready to build a solar heater for the coop and before I get fully started I was wondering if anyone else would be interested in one while I build it. For all the stuff to build it I'll have enough extras for one or 2 more. Let me know if interested via pm.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Howdy hey - I have decided to sell my remaining Serama. I have a very pretty trio left if anyone is interested. "Caboose" the rooster, one laying hen and one pullet. All under a year old. $40 for all three. Give me a holler if you're interested.

[COLOR=900000]They are so beautiful! I wish I had the room for them! Hope you find them a good home! [/COLOR]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo

How is Miss Tilde doing?  Is she still with you and holding her own?

[COLOR=000090]Definitely doing well! Just this morning, mom and I were remarking about how she behaves now. She will be at the feed dish and get a peck from a higher-raking hen, but she just makes her grumble noise and shifts to the side, no terrified fleeing. I've seen her start some spats and even fight off some of the older girls, so I think she's holding her own pretty well! She's not top of the pecking order, of course, but she really has gotten into the flock.

And I have some suspicions she may be considering brooding here soon. I've found her in the same nest box almost every night for a week now. We'll see how that goes.[/COLOR]

@SallyinIndiana


On another topic... what kind of incubator do you use and/or recommend?  (Not interested in styrofoam....)

I've just been reading about the incuview, but not knowing or having any experience with "unnatural incubation", I have nothing to go on.

I have been pleased with my Brinsea 30. I got it through eBay at a responsible price. It will do until I can afford to invest in a cabinet incubator.

[COLOR=900000]I like my Brinsea incubator as well. (Mine's an Octagon 20.) They're a bit pricy, but super reliable and good for if you plan on doing multiple small hatches or hatching small clutches every year [/COLOR]

I was reading the mouse issues and remembered something. Mice hate peppermint. If you have mint growing. bring some inside. Peppermint essential oil works really well also I've heard. I haven't tried it, but I plan too. Nermal our barn kitten is no help yet. So other methods will be used until he grows up. My EE hens like to find nooks and crannies to lay eggs, so I'm cautious about traps. I like the idea of the sonic ones, but would that bother the cat or the alpacas I wonder.

[COLOR=000090]Oooo, and the coop would smell really good, too! Let us know how it works if you try it![/COLOR]

 
Hey everyone... just wondered what kind of treats do you give your chickens that would be good for pullets . I gave mine some grass i pulled up along with some Nasturitum leaves and some black oil sunflower seeds. They had fun picking through it but i couldn't tell if they ate any of it..lol

Mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, there is a wild bird mix they sell at rural king that i give mine as scratch grains, scratch grains, cooking and feeding their eggs back to them, etc.

I also give my chickens bread, but that is not good for them.....but they love it. 

[COLOR=900000]Scratch grains! My girls go nuts for scratch grains! Mine don't seem to care for BOSS, though. Kitchen scraps can be a good treat, but you have to be careful about what you give them (nothing moldy or rotten, no potato skins, raw beans, avocado, caffeine, or uncooked pasta or rice, limited citrus, not too much sugar or salt, etc.).

As for bread, well, it can go either way. White bread is roughly the same as feeding them Styrofoam (probably not as bad, but roughly equivalent). It fills them up with no real nutritional value, and so it shouldn't be given often. Wheat and whole grain breads are better because they have more substance. My girls love bread, too. Can't eat a sandwich outside without mooches. [/COLOR]

 

[irtehun]

Here is more info on them. Some stats. I will be building the screen type. Mine will look similar to the attached photo. It will be painted all flat black, and will be covered with corrugated polycarbonate.


http://www.n3fjp.com/solar/comparisonhotair/comparisonhotair.htm

They attach to the roof of the coop and have 4" duct work on coming off the back. One inlet and one outlet. I'm not sure how much heat they will make yet but have researched a lot and the screen type seems to heat the best. My first attempt will be an 2ft x 4ft design. I will build mine and give some test results.


I will post pics of the building process when done.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Leahs Mom]

Supposed to snow on Friday with lows in the 20s on Fri/Sat.

Bummer. I guess I need to decide how I'm going to do the waterers. Have 2 ideas I'm testing out this year but didn't want to set them up until I moved them to the barn. Oh well... Maybe it won't be below freezing enough to actually freeze the waterers those 2 days and I can still have the weekend to work on things.

We have to get kennel covers on top of everything.

And I really don't like the idea of moving them until there is real snow on the ground. I want them to run outside as much as possible.

I may have to remove a couple birds from the flock once everyone is inside. But I did leave an area that I could divide off for jail if I need a quick fix before I decide what to do w/them. I'm hoping that the change of venue might change thing up a bit in pecking order. But the real truth is that I really need to remove all the birds that are in the original flock (4 of them left plus one that I just don't care for the personality that's not from the originals). But then I'd only have 3 pullets, 1 hen, and 2 rooster boys that are 17 weeks old.

Think I'd be a bit rooster heavy but the guys haven't been introduced to the flock. They will have been here 2 weeks tomorrow. Even when they go out there they will be separate (see no touch) until they are a little older.

Decisions decisions.