INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

Good to have you back @chick rookie!! Praying things stay calmed down for you. Your coyote attack sounds scary! I think I'll start carrying my 38 out to do chores with me again!!!

 

[Campine]

Anyone in or near Brown County want some roosters? I've got at least 4 young roosters about 8 months old, I'd like to get rid of. They are brahma/wyandotte/sussex mixes

 

[iamfivewire]

just finishing up a hatch (will prob keep the incubator going thru tomorrow tho) - 3 iowa blues, & 4 ea of EEs + chanteclers so far

 

[kabhyper1]

My first attempt at dyeing our alpaca yarn. I still have a bunch of undyed left if any one is interested. Not chicken related but a few friends onhere have bought some, so I wanted to share.

 

[birdman55]

that's really neat with the dye

 

[browncow15]

My first attempt at dyeing our alpaca yarn. I still have a bunch of undyed left if any one is interested. Not chicken related but a few friends onhere have bought some, so I wanted to share.

That's cool! I was going to try that with the white I bought. What did you use for dye?

 

[kabhyper1]

That's cool! I was going to try that with the white I bought. What did you use for dye?

Its just food coloring. Isoaked the yarn in warm water for a half hour. Then gently pushed the water out. Wringing can cause felting. I put warm water, white vinegar, and food coloring in the pots and brought them to just under boiling and tuned burners down to low. Added yarn and 'cooked' for 40 minutes. Turned burners off and let yarn absorb the rest of the dye. Water will clear when the yarn is done. Wash yarn in dawn and same temp water as pots. Lightly press water out and hang dry. Make sure when u dye yarn that it gets dyed under the yarn ties.

 

[browncow15]

Its just food coloring. Isoaked the yarn in warm water for a half hour. Then gently pushed the water out. Wringing can cause felting. I put warm water, white vinegar, and food coloring in the pots and brought them to just under boiling and tuned burners down to low. Added yarn and 'cooked' for 40 minutes. Turned burners off and let yarn absorb the rest of the dye. Water will clear when the yarn is done. Wash yarn in dawn and same temp water as pots. Lightly press water out and hang dry. Make sure when u dye yarn that it gets dyed under the yarn ties.

Sounds easy enough! I'll post results if I try it

 

[kittydoc]

Update on my roo "situation" (one guy attacked his "brother"). I'll try to make this brief.

So I had to remove the injured roo (very bloodied comb and swollen face, so much that he could barely open his eyes) and treated him with penicillin by injection for 4 days. By then, he seemed to feel better, so we decided to put him back in with the four pullets, and remove the "offender" to Chicken Jail for a while.

Within a few days, the injured roo started breeding the girls (which the dominant "brother" had largely prevented previously). We left the formerly injured roo alone with the girls for another few days. "Offender" stayed in Chicken Jail 7-8 days total.

We tried to put "Offender" in with our general layer flock, which has two lavender Orp cockerels just a little younger than the Jubilee boys. Unfortunately, that plan did not work at all. DH said the lav roos, who get along very well and are sweet boys with us, ganged up and seriously attacked "Offender" Jubilee. Back to chicken jail for "Offender," for one more night.

DH and I decided to reintroduce "Offender" back with his brother and the pullets. The formerly submissive/injured roo immediately postured in multiple ways that he was in charge here now, but nothing serious or injurious. DH watched them for a while before leaving them alone, and we checked them several times that day to be sure neither was injured. To our great relief, harmony has been restored. They've been together about 3-4 days now and have resumed getting along. I am not sure who is getting the lion's share of breeding now (they are most active first thing in the morning when they are turned out into their run), but I don't care as long as things are peaceful. I examined both carefully today, and neither has a new mark of any kind on him.

I'm still interested in selling the one that was initially dominant, not because of this incident, but because the boys are practically identical and I don't need two Jubilee roosters. My flock is NPIP certified and both roos were individually tested negative for pullorum and typhoid.

I publish this for the benefit of other small flock owners who have an incident like this one in the future. We changed the social dynamics of the situation when we removed the dominant roo and let the less dominant roo establish himself as "the boss" for a bit. When we returned the dominant roo about a week later, he had to accept the lower spot. This saved either from winding up at the dreaded Camp Amana (though that would have been a costly meal of coq au vin with a Jubilee roo!), or having to house them separately for an indefinite time. I really appreciate everyone's comments. It made me realize that we had to try something pretty fast or it would never work out.

 

[number9]

Our hens' egg laying has picked up finally. Hooray!

From 8 hens and 1 pullet, we were getting 1 egg every other day. Now, we're getting 5-6 eggs every day.
I don't think the pullet is laying yet. She's SO BIG! She's a 5 month old coronation sussex. She has the hugest fluffiest butt and cute little lilac feathers, and a tiny, tiny, pink comb...

I have two EE's a LO and l SLW The EE's are older hens 3 yrs or more. They were laying one to two eggs a day, It started getting cold and one EE went into Heavy molt. I felt sorry for her. The other EE layed $ to % begs a day, The Slw and LO are both pullets and started laying about Christmas. I was getting about 7 eggs a week from them. Now my LO is laying almost every day but my EE has quit and the Slw is only giving me 2 eggs a week at the most. I have been giving them BOSS and cracked corn besides there regular layer pellets so I don't think it is a protein problem. I just can't figure it out warmer weather plus more sum should they should be laying more not less.