INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[browncow15]

It is funny, my first experience hatching was under a broody.  That seemed to go super quick.  This time I am staring at them in an incubator and the time is moving so slow!!!!  Although it could be a time of the year thing also.  I was so busy over the Summer I wasn't dwelling on things like my broody hatching her eggs. 

Also HAS ANYONE LOOKED AT THE TEN DAY FORECAST?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  Finally a warm up is on the horizon!!!!!!

Yup and a HUGE swampy mess for our yard! but seriously I am looking forward to warmer weather.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The hawk has claimed its second victim. Poor Violet's heart just couldn't take the stress. She was gone by the time I got home from class. Sometimes this chicken stuff is so hard. My sweet Violet...

 

[MowgliMom]

The hawk has claimed its second victim. Poor Violet's heart just couldn't take the stress. She was gone by the time I got home from class. Sometimes this chicken stuff is so hard. My sweet Violet...

 

[MowgliMom]

So sorry, I've had Cooper hawks fly under my aviary netting to get to my chickens. Last summer I purchased some guinea keets and now the 15 guinea fowl have prevented more attacks. They will squawk those hawks away. Keep in mind they are VERY noisy and will squawk at everything including snowflakes.

 

[ChickCrazed]

The hawk has claimed its second victim. Poor Violet's heart just couldn't take the stress. She was gone by the time I got home from class. Sometimes this chicken stuff is so hard. My sweet Violet...

Awwww I'm so sorry

This has been a terrible couple of weeks on this group!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

The hawk has claimed its second victim. Poor Violet's heart just couldn't take the stress. She was gone by the time I got home from class. Sometimes this chicken stuff is so hard. My sweet Violet...

I am so sorry pipd

 

[chick rookie]

Thanks for the thoughts for Frou-Frou.

She's doing well thus far. Mom spent a good half hour just cleaning the gunk out of her feathers around the wound, and it looks a lot better than it did initially. We're keeping it dressed and clean and keeping a close eye on it.

Poor Frou'f is being abused, though. She had to sit in--GASP--a dog crate while I was in class today. Oh, the humanity! She was honk-honk-honking and happy to see me when I got home.

No losses to the cold here, either, thank goodness, but my room is beginning to look like a barn with the three winter refugees in it.

I've had one hen, Georgie, with frostbite bad enough that she's lost all of her comb tips. Looks like Kit-kit has a mild case of frostbite going on the back of her GIANT comb, too, and my Light Brown Leghorn, Whiri, has one point that is darkish. Everyone else looks good, though! I'm surprised with as cold as it has been for as long as it's been that we aren't seeing any other problems! Right now, I'm also really glad I went with a dirt floor in the coop addition, because the girls have been loving the year-round dust bath availability!

I'm betting you're going to be up to your neck in goat babies before long!

Good luck to the mommies!

So many lovely breeds on there. Surprisingly, not as many on my "want list" as I expected, though! I'm mostly into the landraces, I suppose. I do love Hollands, Nankins, Cochins, and bitty banty OEGs and Sebrights!

And let me just take this opportunity to give another shout out to my favorite breed, which also happens to be on the 'Threatened' list. Save the Dorkings! Look at their sweet faces, they deserve it!

Look at these precious babies!

How could anyone call them ugly?



Edited for a typo

hope she makes a full and fast recovery

that is a nasty wound. and love Dorkings, they r very pretty.

Anyone else notice a decline in egg laying again? MY LO and EE are barely laying again, UGH! My first 2 MGB eggs are developed and lockdown tonight

along with LO and a few EE. Genetic and color question guys, I have a splash or roo, and a blue orp hen. Planning to pair them, and I can't find the page where the color is discussed as % blue, black, splash offspring. @kittydoc or @pipdzipdnreadytogo anyone else have thoughts on this? Appreciate any insight.

My girls have almost STOPPED laying all together after just picking back up...

its this up and down weather, with the up don't being very far up... ( SO tired of it, but better then last year )

Taking bets on how many babies our 4yr old Dixie will have!!
(I say triplets)

She is going to kid out any time now

good looking nanny, I'll go with twins, I had singles this year

Originally Posted by pipdzipdnreadytogo

Thanks for the thoughts for Frou-Frou.

She's doing well thus far. Mom spent a good half hour just cleaning the gunk out of her feathers around the wound, and it looks a lot better than it did initially. We're keeping it dressed and clean and keeping a close eye on it.

Poor Frou'f is being abused, though. She had to sit in--GASP--a dog crate while I was in class today. Oh, the humanity! She was honk-honk-honking and happy to see me when I got home.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo Haha I bet that was insulting to poor Frou-Frou! I'm glad she is in good hands and being pampered. My Silkies (who are much smaller, I realize) have the run of DD's bedroom hospital, but they go into the dog crate at night just like it's a coop even though I leave the door open. Creatures of habit.

When you said that you couldn't imagine living without Frou-Frou -- or something to that effect -- I can relate. That's how I feel about my Lionel cat (who is always in a reclining position). He's my constant, wonderful companion (adopted from Humane Society as a kitten). I took these photos last night.


He kinda lacks dignity, though!

I have a dog that sleeps like that wont post a pic of it though it's not pretty... lol
Your cat is pretty, hairy enough that it don't matter how he sleeps..

Had my first winter loss yesterday. Came home from work and my double laced Barnevelder was laying under the roost. I did a thorough examination, and I can't find any reason. No injuries, she was not too thin, her feathers were beautiful. No indications beforehand either. I was watching her and my other Barnie. The one I lost was black laced, and the one I still have is blue laced. They were running around just like all the others.

I do remember that it was about this time last year that I lost another the same way, and was told that it isn't unheard of to have a bird get to 9 or 10 months and just die of a heart attack. So I think that is what I'm chalking this up to also.

I will be trying to replace her. That double lacing is just sooooo pretty.

Thats what happened to mine, no reason for it to be found. Sorry about your loss,

We also have had a SL pullet and just this morning found my BR Roo had pass. No signs of anything. All others seem to be doing great.

So sorry

It's happening allot from what I am reading in different places

It looks like out TS is using Privett this year. Last year it was Mt. Healthy. Didn't want chicks from there, but I don't want any form Privett either. I was in there Sunday and they are not 100% sure it will be privett and may not know for sure until the day they arrive??? I'd think they'd know before that.

Flu has hit here now too. DD is down and miserable. So hoping DH and DS do not get it. Not that I want it but their final hurrah, their last chance to make it to the Vex Robotics World Championships is this Sat. in KY. They can't get sick! I was really hoping to be out working on expansion too. Oh I hope and pray this is the last cold snap. Snow I can handle. Just not these frigid temps! Sign us up for those tickets!



Brad or someone please continue educate me on the "weakness" of Polish chicks. Hoping to add some Polish Frizzles from @pbirdhaven. Will brooding with silkies work? Any other tips?

SO can the stress of the cold bring on heart failure?

Okay all, I must go take care of my sick girl. Enjoy the warm mid 20's weather today (at least in central IN) and stay warm going into this next round of cold. Will it ever end?

Never heard of Privett, our TSC got their first batch in Friday, even though the chick looked to be healthy I didn't see anything I really wanted to bring home, the did have some BA's, but I'm thinking about not buying from the farm stores this year and get a few from breeders instead, and maybe put a top to this dieing for no reason at an early age thing. ( I'm finding out that it is common with hatchery/farm store chicks.

Spent some time with my precious Frou-frou today when I got home from class. First of all, if anyone is wondering, here is the wound I found. It's amazing how invisible it is with her feathers down! I put it in a spoiler for those of you who are not wondering.

This was before it was cleaned today. It looks a LOT better than when we found it, just from getting cleaned and treated over the weekend. I was sick with worry when I found her like this, but I feel much better about how she's doing now.


Frou-frou was mad at me for leaving her in the dog crate again. So mad that she wouldn't even look at me, but she certainly had a few things to say about it!



"Honk-honk!"



"I'm mad at you!"




She had a little something to drink while I was with her.



"BLUB!" See what I mean about graceful?

I just loved how this picture turned out. No flash. You can just tell the cogs are turning in her little head...

And some close ups of her lovely, splashy feathers.

Love this girl.

Great looking hen, nasty looking wound.
I'm kinda IN-LOVE with the splash color itself, I have a splash Silkie I got from a member that I am absolutely IN-LOVE with, and I want to find other breeds that I can get that color in

Hi guys! I who never post pictures remembered to get a couple today!
Midget whites, couldn't get my 3rd hen in a shot tho:




My LO are 4 1/2 weeks old now: Love the gangly stage

Off to read and catch up!

Verry pretty

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Well, it looks like we are just downsizing. Had our family dinner Sunday, my Mom was so upset that I was going to give up the flocks she started to cry. So thats that, last thing I want to do is upset my parents... and my kids are stepping up to help. My nephew also. DDs will be doing more errands and Gramma sitting. My nephew has offered to do the weekly feed run, and take his grandparents to some of their appointments. Guess I need to learn to delegate more and not try to do it all myself

I will be going through some of the flocks, And we will likely be selling our Embden geese quad. Blue swedish duck trio, Pekin flock and one lone Cayuga hen. Cayuga originated from the pekin breed, and are said to lay a grey to black egg. The Embden are 2 in July, heavy framed goose. All the ducks are a year old or less.
Chinese geese and Muscovy will be staying. DH insists that we keep the goats and hogs lol. The turkeys I will be keeping, but we are downsizing the chicken flocks also, so will be making hard choices on breeds. I will be hatching seasonally, but most will be shutting down by July.
Will try to get pictures the next few days of the birds.

 

[flyladyrocks]

By then it was snowing really hard and we opted to head for Shelbyville and North Vernon. Fortunately we here in the south didn't get hammered like you central and northern Indiana folks, only a couple of inches. And my mood today is much better!

The best kind of Therapy is chicken therapy! Hope the weather is not to bad for you this week!

The Silkies and I are in Louisville again helping out with my sister who finally got to come home after her cancer surgery. She wanted me to bring them for Chicken Therapy.

So glad she is doing better. Hopefully she continues to improve. Is it possible to be eggbound with more than one egg?

Lacey laid it finally! After three days of multiple epsom salt soaks, olive oil and KY in the vent and lots of calcium and vitamins, she finally laid the stupid thing. She is still walking like a penguin, but Im glad she got that thing out of her!
Miss Lacey

Now you've gone and jinxed it! Spring CANNOT come fast enough!

Also HAS ANYONE LOOKED AT THE TEN DAY FORECAST?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Finally a warm up is on the horizon!!!!!!

The hawk has claimed its second victim. Poor Violet's heart just couldn't take the stress. She was gone by the time I got home from class. Sometimes this chicken stuff is so hard. My sweet Violet...

Good luck with the new job. Hope you can get some rest!

hi guys just cant seem to stay in touch here my new job is 6 days a week with 3 of them 12 hour shifts I'm always tired... go figure, sometimes I read up on everything but don't have time to post. I took some pic's last week and couldn't find time to get them posted. will try to get them in after this reply post.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Lacey laid it finally! After three days of multiple epsom salt soaks, olive oil and KY in the vent and lots of calcium and vitamins, she finally laid the stupid thing. She is still walking like a penguin, but Im glad she got that thing out of her!
Miss Lacey

Stupid egg...

That's great news! Hope she has a speedy recovery. Lacey is a pretty girl, and I love her expression like, "What just happened?!"
@pipdzipdnreadytogo Too sad! Violet was a beauty.

LOL I've heard that they are nutty.

I haven't bn on here in nearly two week. Have been fighting the creeping crud! Have Bronchial pneumonia and severe sinus infection. Ugh will this winter ever end?!?! Hope everyone is well or at least holding your own against "Old man winter". Keep warm out there!
@minmin1258 That sounds serious. Hope you are following doctor's orders!
@chickrookie Hang in there! Sorry your work hours are so long. Hope your animals are doing well.
@jchny2000 Sounds like a situation where it takes a crisis to shake things up and reorganize family help and your animals. Too much change isn't good, so I'm glad to hear everyone is pitching in. Great family.
Here are Smalty and Ditzy in the guest room at their aunt's house in Louisville. You can tell that they're not close friends even though they were raised together. @bradselig was their dad. lol Btw, their pecked heads are much improved. I had brought a plastic storage box here with dirt in it from home, so I pull it out once a day. My sister loves to watch them. We were at her oncologist's office this morning and someone came around with a beautiful golden retriever therapy dog for patients to pet if they wanted.