INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[birdman55]

well hatching is done...16 altogether....
and ofcourse...I have to build another one...and still the fridgebator

 

[Leahs Mom]

They are great for all the reasons you said. It is amazing to me that breeders are still getting $50 a chick and $120 for a dozen hatching eggs! I'd rather sell for a lot less and see more people get to experience them since it is such a cool breed! I go out there and have a herd of Bielies crowding and following me around. When they get in my way I can literally nudge them with my feet and they are just like "whatever dude". Their size and color is just staggering in real life. They don't bicker or fight with each other and my rooster is just the best guy ever! I have not yet grown up a bunch of roos but this may be my year. I just need to find a way to keep myself from getting attached! I think they would be a great beginner breed and the fact that they are autosexing means you don't get accidental roos when you purchase, which is even better for beginners.

How is the feed conversion for these...do they eat a huge amount like the Orps?

This is Maggie -- our best little incubator! She seems to live for hatching eggs. This past October she was our momma who hatched the ducklings. Her current batch of chicken eggs has about a week to go yet. We usually have the food & water bowls sitting outside the nest box so she can stretch her legs a bit to eat & also so there's less chance of water spilling in the nest box. But with as cold as it's been I didn't want her to have to get up and leave the eggs uncovered any more than necessary. Can't wait to see what our barnyard mix chicks look like this time!

What breed is Maggie?

 

[Faraday40]

Question:
Can molting be done in stages?
Remember this poor girl in November?


By December she looked like this:

I think she even started to lay a few eggs around Christmas. However, she has since stopped. She's not acting broody. It looks like she may be getting some wing feathers. That's why I ask if molting can be done in stages.

Also, I have two 18 month old hens that have never molted & are still laying eggs. (not daily due to shorter daylight, but never stopped laying for more than 2 consecutive days.) They also still have the wing damage form June from our former rooster. That's why I'm thinking they never molted. I thought hens molt once a year around fall/early winter. Can they molt at any time of year?

Are my chickens in normal range or should I be looking for something?

 

[ChickCrazed]

How is the feed conversion for these...do they eat a huge amount like the Orps?
What breed is Maggie?

There has been some conversation on this on the Bielefelder thread. One of the users (link below) was able to compare them to the Orpingtons that eat like it is their job and found they were much better on food. I think they eat more than a small/medium sized chicken but they also grow really fast and get much bigger. So probably the answer is that they eat more than most smaller chickens but less than others that are close to their size.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/727364/a-bielefelder-thread/920#post_14500392

 

[SallyinIndiana]

well hatching is done...16 altogether....
and ofcourse...I have to build another one...and still the fridgebator

I'm searching craigslist to try and find a cheap wine cooler. I want to make a wine cooler hatcher. I'm thinking at least with a hatcher, I won't have to thing about or work on an auto turner.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

What breed is Maggie?

She's a black australorp. The only other girl that hatched chicks for me was a buff orpington. One of this past spring's barnyard mix girls did go broody, but she picked our rabbit scale to sit in -- not an appropriate place to sit on eggs! She probably would have hatched chicks because she was very determined to stay in the scale until we finally took it away for awhile!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Ha Ha...not your typical woman to insist on staying on a scale in full view of everyone!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I need to grow back wing feathers by 4H time! Will feather fixer do it?

I have heard so very bad things about feather fixer causes problems in birds. Was told by some breeders not to use it.

Jealous! What are you getting?
x2 Hope life starts balancing out for you. Your birds are so gorgeous and I hope they all find good homes!
I've been wondering the same. I think the last time M2H posted around my last post before my own hiatus, and I don't remember the last time the others were around! Really hoping all is going well for all of them and they've just been to busy to post.

Ameraucanas. He only have ameraucanas and Rhode Island reds

 

[minmin1258]

A neighborhood hawk had his last very bad day today! Sorry for his luck, NOT! He got a Silkie Roo, a Welsummers and a Brown leghorn hens. Killing like it was a chicken massacre! So angry with myself AND that bleepin hawk! Brad Selig it got the Red Partridge roo. Grrrrrr!!! Never had a hawk problem before if that's the only one around I never will again either!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

A neighborhood hawk had his last very bad day today! Sorry for his luck, NOT! He got a Silkie Roo, a Welsummers and a Brown leghorn hens. Killing like it was a chicken massacre! So angry with myself AND that bleepin hawk! Brad Selig it got the Red Partridge roo. Grrrrrr!!! Never had a hawk problem before if that's the only one around I never will again either!

One less hawk is a good thing for your chickens.