INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Its pretty easy from there. Dont hesitate to post pics! We love them

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Funny story: On this beautiful sunny day, DD & her friend decided to open a cupcake & juice stand. The girls baked cupcakes & had the great idea of selling them on the corner to other kids after school. No lemonade at her friend’s house, so they made OJ instead. DD wanted to contribute, so she ran home & raided our fridge. She grabbed some eggs & sold them on the street – literally!!! In fact, our eggs were the 1st item to sell out. Now my daughter is a pusher & our neighbors are getting addicted to fresh eggs!

Now its time to hang out the eggs for sale sign!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@birdman55 Very cool! I hope someday I can talk my hubby into letting me get a peacock!



I have a question for everyone! I have sort of a dilemma, So I have this rooster named Rico. We didn't raise him but we got him when he was about 5 months old. He has ALWAYS been sooooooo sweet to my hens and chicks. He is very nice to us when we bring him in like when he had frost bite, he was in for a few weeks. Anyways, he is my first rooster ever so I have nothing to compare it to. But he just wont stop acting like he is going to charge us, or actually spurring my husband and I. Its not always...just if he thinks we are going to pick him up, or if we walk to fast around him. I just don't like that I feel like I have to watch my back all the time.

I hatched a rooster this last fall, and Big Roosty is about 7 months old. He is never mean to my husband or I. He is really super sweet. Problem is that he is not the most gentle when mounting the hens. He will mount them and continue to stand on their backs even after mounting them. Its like he doesn't realize he is standing on them. So maybe that is something that will go away? Rico didn't ever go after him, but now he is. Rico has spurs, big Roosty does not, yet but they are coming.

Should I try to remove Rico's spurs? Rehome Rico? Separate them? I just need some advice from some seasoned rooster owners? I really like Rico being sweet to my hens, and I like Big roosty because he is sweet to us, and most of the time to the hens. I dont think I could eat Rico, so this would need to be the last and very last option. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or advice!

They are doing the natural pecking order of things. The rooster spurring you, is it a larger bird, or silkie? That makes a difference. I still have 2 silkie boys, and one is a real stinker. But he is too small for me to even worry about, lol. I have an Australorp roo, Bruce that leaves next weekend (

). Adore him for his excellent care of his hens, but he is dangerously aggressive to people. I have had him almost 2 years and still keep him for his good parenting qualities but dang, what a mean bird! I finally found a farm for him and his hens. My last resort is the freezer unless that's what a bird is intended for, here.
Anyways, Rico if he is a LF bird can be taught hopefully. When a cockerel starts to show aggression, I carry them around everywhere. If they go after my boot I grab them, right now and hold them. Parade them around so the other birds see you have him under control. Usually, it will keep most roos from becoming mean.
If the gentle restraint won't work, you may have to look at other options. My issue is my elderly parents, so aggressive birds just won't work here.

What would cause a hen to stand like a penguin but still be laying? She has been this way for 2 weeks. She started as egg bound for 3 days, after epsom baths and lubrication she laid the first egg. Shes been on Baytril for 10 days, LAst day was yesterday, per vet, she is also on prednisone. No clue whats wrong with her, thought internal laying after the initial egg binding, but now she is laying and still standing like a penguin. She will walk normally some of the time. She has lost a lot of weight. She eats, but not a lot. Shes talkative and full of energy. Peter Brown suggested possible nerve damage from the pressure of the egg on her spine (it was really in there). I think she may come out of it, but the weight loss is concerning me. I wormed her with valbazen 8 days ago. I have a sense of what is wrong, but I wanted to see if any of you had experienced this.

I am so sorry, she does sound uncomfortable. She looks like a Tertra or california white hen, just guessing. If so, they breed them as a high output hen for eggs. Egg binding could be a problem for her. You have done a lot for her already! Just keep problem solving, hope she fully recovers.

Weekly Chicken Event Post! (OMG so happy to be posting these again!!)

We have many of the 2015 swap meet and auction dates available on the Indiana BYC'ers Events Calendar! 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. If you have additional shows or dates/info for The Central Indiana Poultry Show, Indiana Poultry Show or White River Poultry Club Show, please message me.

Friday, March 13 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, 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, March 20 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
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Friday, March 27 - Veedersburg Barn Sale in Veedersburg, Indiana
Friday, March 27 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
Friday, April 3 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
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Friday, April 10 - Veedersburg Barn Sale in Veedersburg, Indiana
Friday, April 10 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, April 11 - Sandcut Trader's Fair in Terre Haute, Indiana - Facebook Page
Saturday, April 11 - Southern Indiana Poultry Show in Monroe County, Indiana - Facebook Page
Sunday, April 12 - Sandcut Trader's Fair in Terre Haute, Indiana - Facebook Page
Sunday, April 12 - Tri-K Pigeon and Bantam Club-Swap Meet in Kankakee, Illinois
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Friday, April 17 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, April 18 - Croy Creek Trader's Fair in Reelsville, IN
Sunday, April 19 - Croy Creek Trader's Fair in Reelsville, IN
Sunday, April 19 - Golden Horseshoe Saddle Club/Knox Swap Meet
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Friday, April 24 - Veedersburg Barn Sale in Veedersburg, Indiana

Friday, April 24 - Dinky's Auction Center in Montgomery, Indiana
Saturday, April 25 - Sandcut Trader's Fair in Terre Haute, Indiana - Facebook Page
Saturday, April 25 - Northeast Indiana Poultry Swap Meet in Bluffton, Indiana
Sunday, April 26 - Sandcut Trader's Fair in Terre Haute, Indiana - Facebook Page

**This information does not guarantee the event will happen. Please check the auction or swap meet website/Facebook page to confirm dates/times before you travel!

soooo excited to see this posting again, thanks so much for doing it!

 

[kittydoc]

@kittydoc

Are there any clear recommendations for keeping our flocks safe? Should free ranging be banned? Should all runs be covered to prevent wild bird poo from falling through a net? I had some of my birds free ranging today. Since I have breeding pens, the birds have to take turns. But even in the rain the turkeys come outside.

The broad answer is below.

If I truly free ranged (not fenced during the day), I would be worried if ducks or geese even occasionally landed on my property. If you have ponds/lakes, you almost surely have wild waterfowl visit from time to time. (We once had mallard ducks in our front yard in the suburbs, with no open water nearby, during breeding season.) If you DON'T have migratory wild birds that land on your property, you don't have much to worry about. Moving water like creeks and rivers are not very attractive to waterfowl. However, flooded agricultural fields are, and with the weather we've had, I'm probably just as worried about those temporary "field ponds" as I am retention ponds, natural ponds, and lakes. Who hasn't seen mallard ducks in these field ponds, and also geese in every cornfield in Indiana? (The more I think about how we are exposed to migratory birds, the more I'm worried--if you grow corn, you definitely have a waterfowl population, and maybe in soybean fields, too.) There are commercial corn fields within 1/4 mile of my property. Ugh.....

I don't know if duck poop has the same consistency as goose poop (which for those of you who don't know, is like Tootsie rolls, firmer and longer than chicken poop), but I have never just randomly run into goose poop. Only around bodies of water (small and large), and also parking lots and fields near those bodies of water. Don't hold me to this as fact, but I doubt wild waterfowl poop a lot in mid-air. Think about how many birds there are, and how rarely we see songbird poop except under trees or around feeders. I am not personally worried about poop from an infected bird landing in my chicken "yard," which of course is a mud pit. One thing we do with it, though, for those of us whose chickens mostly live on dirt, is to use a rototiller to turn that soil periodically. It is just generally a good thing to do for the aesthetics of your chicken "yard," and will also help keep parasites and poop-borne diseases under some control, and in the summer it will sure smell better. We plant part of the chicken yard (fenced off) usually twice a year with rye grass or something similar, and that tilled under poop is magic fertilizer. (To those interested in this, you need to wait at least 2-3 weeks before planting over fresh poop, or the nitrogenous molecules will burn up the seedlings as soon as they emerge.)

I DO recommend bird netting over areas when and where it is practical, like closed yards by breeding pens. We have our big yard netted because of a hawk strike last year, but we are going to cover our shared breeder yard now, too. It's small, and we figured it was too small to invite a hawk to land, but now with AI there is just no good reason not to do it. Bird netting will discourage any and all wild birds from landing, so it cannot possibly hurt. We bought ours online at Amazon.com, and 2" netting is sufficient. It also comes finer than that at a higher price. The small nuisances it creates are worth knowing we'll never lose a bird to a hawk or owl again, and on the off chance that a duck or goose decided to land in the chicken yard, they'd have to change course!

If we wind up with AI in Indiana, there may be more specific recommendations made, such as perhaps NOT free ranging (maybe even with fencing unless it includes a covered top, I honestly don't know). It depends on how bad the outbreak is, and where it is. The good news is that even as the state list grows every week (almost every day here lately), the number of affected flocks appears pretty limited, which is the BEST NEWS!! (The bad news is that turkey dinner is going to cost a lot more this year at the holidays.)

Also, APHIS/USDA can't make you do anything---except kill ALL your birds if your flock is infected, which would be horrible but a necessary evil since it is the only known method of control. BTW, if a flock close (I don't know how close, but probably a certain mile radius) to any one of us is ever affected, you will likely have to allow your flock to be tested as part of the surveillance to see if it spreads any further. I would never refuse this service if my birds were in a surveillance area. I'd want to know whether they were OK or not, and not guess or worry excessively. Ignorance is not bliss.

So far, most of the affected farms have been commercial turkey producers, but the list has included backyard flock owners, too. Turkeys must be particularly susceptible to the strain we're seeing in MN, MO, AK, and KS. If memory serves, all were large turkey producers.

Here's the official info on how AI is spread:

How Is AI Spread?

Exposure of poultry to migratory waterfowl and the international movement of poultry, poultry equipment, and people pose risks for introducing AI into U.S. poultry. Once introduced, the disease can be spread from bird to bird by direct contact. AI viruses can also be spread by manure, equipment, vehicles, egg flats, crates, and people whose clothing or shoes have come in contact with the virus. AI viruses can remain viable at moderate temperatures for long periods in the environment and can survive indefinitely in frozen material.

Also very detailed material below about what exactly happens if there is an HPAI H5N1 outbreak (which is what is happening now in the central states). Reading this in advance can only help us prepare!

http://www.usda.gov/documents/AI_Scenario3.pdf

 

[Faraday40]

Now its time to hang out the eggs for sale sign!

The kids did a few steps beyond that!
Since they were at the corner, they drew pictures with sidewalk chalk arrows in all 4 directions to lead people to their stand. Then at the top of their lungs, all 5 kids (younger siblings were recruited to help) shouted to get potential buyers. Seriously, I think they sold out in under 10 min. They spent a lot more time baking the cupcakes, drawing the cartoons, & setting up the table, than they actually spent selling.

 

[kittydoc]

Anyways, Rico if he is a LF bird can be taught hopefully. When a cockerel starts to show aggression, I carry them around everywhere. If they go after my boot I grab them, right now and hold them. Parade them around so the other birds see you have him under control. Usually, it will keep most roos from becoming mean.
If the gentle restraint won't work, you may have to look at other options. My issue is my elderly parents, so aggressive birds just won't work here.

So glad jchny2000 mentioned what we call "corporal cuddling." I forgot! It's not that we don't do that sometimes--we do. I'm just usually too annoyed to think about it. "Corporal cuddling" is thought to humiliate the bird (which may be worse than getting spanked) and certainly elevates people over the roo in question. Someone mentioned this recently that they do this to every single roo for a good 15-20 minutes once a month. If you only have one or a few testy birds, that's perfectly doable. Others do it on the spot, though part of me thinks that the occasional "conflicted" roo may do this to get attention once you establish a cause-effect reaction. As someone just recently mentioned, a little bantam isn't going to seriously hurt anyone if he does it because he really wants to be picked up, and just has a slightly obnoxious way of asking for it, but for a LF roo, this would not be a fun thing. Maybe it doesn't happen much with chickens, but it happens LOTS with puppies. People reward a puppy that play bites by giving it toys to chew on instead, so every time it wants a chew toy (or attention of any sort), it starts to bite more! Fortunately, once people realize they are in fact rewarding the biting, it's pretty easy to fix. (Puppies aren't chickens, though.)

We have an extremely loving and noisy cat named Pooper (don't ask!) who doesn't know a stranger and loves everybody, especially DH since he is gone or asleep most of the day. Sometimes he just won't stop yowling for attention, and he's VERY loud. If you yell at him, he runs away but just yowls louder in protest! So DH in particular will pick him up and cuddle him very snugly until Pooper can't take it any more, then Pooper usually leaves quietly, at least for a while. That's how we use corporal cuddling to stop unwanted behavior. Cats aren't chickens, but it seems to work in both species!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Chickens are outside this afternoon after not having gotten out since snow. That's a long time!

Thats great! I bet they were scratching fiends looking for goodies!

Don't know who else has heard--I just literally got this email in my professional capacity. Can I just say sh*t once? (I know there are a few kids on here, but really, this is literally worsening by the day.)

HPAI is officially in the Midwest/Central flyway. It is only a matter of time, folks. If you have not made a plan, better start thinking on it.

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Backyard Flock in Kansas
CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low.
​

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 -- The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard chicken and duck flock in Leavenworth County, Kansas. This is the first finding of HPAI in the Central flyway. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.
Samples from the flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. APHIS is working closely with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to respond to the finding. State officials quarantined the affected premises and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.
As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.
As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area. The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.
USDA will be informing the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as well as international trading partners of this finding. USDA also continues to communicate with trading partners to encourage adherence to OIE standards and minimize trade impacts. OIE trade guidelines call on countries to base trade restrictions on sound science and, whenever possible, limit restrictions to those animals and animal products within a defined region that pose a risk of spreading disease of concern.
These virus strains can travel in wild birds without them appearing sick. People should avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds.
All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Additional background
Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and can be further broken down into different strains. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)— the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic chickens.
The HPAI H5N8 virus originated in Asia and spread rapidly along wild bird migratory pathways during 2014, including the Pacific flyway. In the Pacific flyway, the HPAI H5N8 virus has mixed with North American avian influenza viruses, creating new mixed-origin viruses. These mixed-origin viruses contain the Asian-origin H5 part of the virus, which is highly pathogenic to poultry. The N parts of these viruses came from North American low pathogenic avian influenza viruses.
USDA has identified two mixed-origin viruses in the Pacific Flyway: the HPAI H5N2 virus and new HPAI H5N1 virus. The new HPAI H5N1 virus is not the same virus as the HPAI H5N1 virus found in Asia, Europe and Africa that has caused some human illness. Only the HPAI H5N2 virus has been detected in the Pacific, Mississippi and Central Flyways.
Detailed analysis of the virus is underway in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None of these viruses have been identified in humans, nor are expected to pose a public health risk. For more information about the ongoing avian influenza disease incident visit the APHIS website. More information about avian influenza can be found on the USDA avian influenza.

Oh man... ya thats not good. Highly recommend everyone taking advantage of the free egg screening @kittydoc and several other members have mentioned. They send you a kit and its free to have your eggs tested.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

BTW- Thanks for the heads up about the shoes. I never really thought that wearing my shoes to the feed store might track something to the backyard.

Is there a quick spray- like Lysol - that can be applied to the soles of street shoes or shoes of visitors? Most guests do not have poultry, but who knows if they went to a park with ducks/geese.

The oxine is showing to be a good product. We used 1 TBSP per gallon bleach at my animal shelter. I also had very good success with lemon lysol, but do not have the records available to me anymore. Veterycin is another highly recommended shoe dip.

 

[kittydoc]

@kabhyper1 One suggestion for possibly putting a little weight back on your formerly egg-bound hen would be to raise a food (and perhaps water, too, unless you use a nipple water system already) container for her, almost level with her head. If she does have spinal damage from having been egg-bound, it may be more difficult for her to bend down to eat. Not necessarily painful, but it might make her feel more off-balance to lower her head. It's something to consider. You may have already noticed this.

If you can keep her going, she may well improve at least somewhat. It takes the nervous system a long time to heal. Did the prednisone increase her appetite at all? If so, perhaps asking your vet for suggestions for a lower but effective dose every other day to increase appetite for a few weeks might help. B12 also boost appetite in most species is are almost never harmful since it is water-soluble and excess is excreted by the kidneys. You could add it to the flock's water as part of a B-complex or multivamin powder, or just give it to her if she is isolated.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
I only meet thread members here at home, and that's after they have been on here a while. If I have to resort to an outside sale I meet them away from our house. I have too many abandoned animals show up now! Bio security is my #1 issue, but having animals, poultry and waterfowl dumped off is another real problem for us.

Quote:
I hope everyone takes a moment to read this post.

Quote: Goodness, bet they were tired out. That was a fantastic experience for them! I bet they will remember this for years.