INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

Look it's leahs mom https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/967154/byc-member-interview-leahs-mom

Yes...it is me. Someone must have recommended me for an interview...I was totally surprised and honored to be asked! And I mentioned the Indiana thread so maybe we'll get some new folks over here if anyone reads it

 

[Leahs Mom]

We moved all of our bee hives from up north to our new home in Terre Haute. Can you spot the queen in this pic? She is partially hidden. Our hives are very strong and doing well so far. Even in the light rain, they are going out and working hard!

Bees! That's amazing that they made the trip. I know so many people that have trouble keeping them alive over the winter.

I want to know more about bees. We're wanting to use top bar hives.

I think we are going to "host" a hive on our property (not top bar, however) from some folks we know so that we can get some experience with their hive. We're planning on trying to trap a swarm so we have local bees rather than purchasing...we shall see how it goes!

@PeacefulWalls
The fellow that got your equipment is planning on hosting a hive on our property.

 

[bradselig]

Well I wrongfully accused my silkie girls for slacking in the laying department! Found 4 eggs in the white pen today and 2 in the partridge pen! The black/blue pen still haven't laid though!

 

[birdman55]

i shall take more close up pics for you....i did mine differently then most coops you find online...its a 2x4 frame...however there is a 2x4 cut in half and used on the bottom for the panels to rest on...i will explain it more tomorrow....hope this helps...ill post a bunch of pics...i did it differently so it would be easier to mount the hardware cloth on the wood...
also the shirts came in

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Been getting a lot of eggs lately. Have 20 silkie eggs set to hatch on April 20, another 20 set to hatch on April 27. Very happy to be building up my stock and already have a few locals who really want to get into silkies. With a face like this, who can say no?



I have two broodies, one is less determined than the other though. Sticking to the incubator for now.



These are all the layer eggs from Sunday-Tuesday. Giving the girls some oyster shell as the shells don't seem as strong as usual.



Been getting quite a few double yolkers lately. They make for some funny deviled eggs for Easter!




We moved all of our bee hives from up north to our new home in Terre Haute. Can you spot the queen in this pic? She is partially hidden. Our hives are very strong and doing well so far. Even in the light rain, they are going out and working hard!

Wow your hive looks super productive! I see her, buried amongst her subjects lol! Loved your pics also.

Turkey in my shirt! Hey, hey, hey! Turkey in my shirt! Ho, ho, ho!

Sorry... one of the poults started peeping, really wanting some cuddles, and for some reason, they're all four decided that tucked between shirt and jacket is the place to be. Apparently, it's naptime, and they don't care about my trig quizzes and homework getting done at all (let alone well).

They are the most cuddly lil things! I have one stinker that calls until I get him, several times a day. He has become gramma's favorite!

My Muscovys are finally laying again!! Orcs least I found them lol

Oh goodness, I have a full tray of 30 going into the bator. Letting my oldest 2 girls brood this year, both did very well last season. I am still trying to convince my DH to just keep scovys and forget the pekin. I really prefer them over pekin type ducks. Cleaner, quieter, sweet hens, and happy friendly drakes.

Anyone looking for a blue muscovy drake (his name is Bugsy), he is free. Too nice to process, but not in my color plans and 2 drakes here is enough. I will be rounding up the other 4 black drakes tomorrow, have a lot of teenager fights going on! Bugs, the blue drake avoids it and goes looking for the girls instead! Please PM if you are interested.

I candled my 7 incubating eggs and I am pretty sure only one is viable. The temp and humidity have been perfect. I left them in just to give another couple days. Planning on checking tonight and then tossing. I'm going to check to see if they were even fertile. With 5 different very active Roos, you would think every egg would be fertile, but I know some haven't been.

So I'll have one lone chick (hopefully) come out of this. Then I'll set more.

Am I correct in that humidity needs to be higher and temps a little lower in the last 2-3 days?



On another note, with all this rain...and hail...we are losing some ground. The yard is falling into the creek an inch at a time. I have one area where I walk to the chickens that is falling out. I'm going to have to re-align some fencing - which was probably going to happen anyway because the dogs have been stinkers and tunneling out lately and we are tilling for a garden this weekend.

And then we'll have more fencing work to do when we get goats later this year! The farm bug bit and the mark isn't going away. I think my dad is thinking about his plans for retirement in the next year and he knows he will need hobbies. Maybe I'll get an extra day or two where I don't have to make a 15 mile trip to check on my flock!

Hatching, I crank humidity up! But I also "dry incubate" and don't add water to the bator until lockdown. It really doesn't seem to affect the hatch changing temps, i don't mess with it anymore. The less I mess with the eggs, better the hatch rates are. At lockdown, I add hot water to the pan, add wet sponges. Candle the eggs and in they go. I usually only candle at day 10 or so, especially in warmer weather. Duds are removed before I lock down the hatch.

We found a problem where the creek eroded so much, the geese are walking under the fence into the cornfield. So we are doing this too!
Really excited for you, goats are just plain awesome

They are my pets, like a dog. Adore them and have had them off and on most of my life. If you bond with them as youngsters you will enjoy every moment with them.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: So very AWESOME!!! Love the green too

 

[bearbottom]

Orc-freaking-believable!

I watched this thinking it was something chicken. Lol it is just AWESOME!!!!! Loved it!!!!!

 

[Faraday40]

Shipped eggs question for those advanced hatchers:

Which way should I turn my eggs?
After allowing the rolling air cells to settle/ reattach, I now have some very severe saddle shaped air cells. The bubble only rolls from side to side within the saddle - about 1/2 way down the egg. (No rolling from front to back.) I just set the eggs standing inside the cut egg carton, but will not turn them during tonight's incubation. When I do set them in the autoturner, should I go from side to side (direction of the saddlebags where the membrane is loose) or from front to back (where the membrane is tighter - or will this rip away the only good spots)?

Advice?
:

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Shipped eggs question for those advanced hatchers:

Which way should I turn my eggs?
After allowing the rolling air cells to settle/ reattach, I now have some very severe saddle shaped air cells. The bubble only rolls from side to side within the saddle - about 1/2 way down the egg. (No rolling from front to back.) I just set the eggs standing inside the cut egg carton, but will not turn them during tonight's incubation. When I do set them in the autoturner, should I go from side to side (direction of the saddlebags where the membrane is loose) or from front to back (where the membrane is tighter - or will this rip away the only good spots)?

Advice?
:

Detatched air cells are tough but can be hatched. I leave them for 4-5 days in the bator without turning. I have a couple paper egg crates that have lots of holes poked for ventilation, lids removed and set them down in the hatch tray. After that, usually they have reattached and will incubate if the embryo is alive. Shipped eggs are such a hard way to get the birds we want, I have had huge successes, and a few smashed box of yuk. If I can stay within the state or one state over I will usually have them shipped. Anything further rarely hatches.
Check out the hatching 101 lots of good info on the member page..

sending hatching vibes, good luck!!

 

[flyladyrocks]

That is so funny! Goats and guineas playing hide and seek/peek a boo. Priceless!

I have -0- problems with my goats around any poultry or waterfowl. The larger turkey toms make my oldest doe, Sugar a bit nervous when they are drumming. My Bo, the buck likes to play hide and seek with my guineas! He hides in the livestock trailer, and jumps out at them, scattering them everywhere The guinea are back 5 minutes later, and they do it all over again its hilarious!

I have an adult hen thats a feather picker, she has always done it.. odd habit, they get plenty of protein.
Yes, they really make a big thing over it, all my turkeys do! If they are content they do it more lol.

adorable!

I get really excited when I find any, they are really rare anymore. Like you, I scoop them up and move them to a safe place. If I remember correctly, they were on the "of concern" list.