INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[flyladyrocks]

I don't even know exactly how the county fair will work for us. We are not showing poultry. Stopping for a car wash and clean up on the way home. The fair is really close to us. DD does not even want to go at all but we are in 4H! What needs to happen is creative alternatives for showing poultry like video entries, need to be figured out soon. We are doing a poster and not going in the barns. We are closer to AI and I personally think that a ban on poultry at fairs here would be best. As devastating as it might be wouldn't it be worse to lose your whole flock? If the state recommends not going to swaps and shows it seems contradictory to then go ahead and have them at fairs and basically say "but if you do show be willing to end up with sick birds""

It can be heartbreaking.  I poulled my boy from his first year of mini 4H.  He is over it but then again he did not have a lot fully invested yet.  FOr a child that might have won for year after year and it is their last year, I can see some devastation.  Maybe a video entry could be offered up instead.  If the fair board could be talked into it, it would be fun for fair attenders too. 

I plan to take him to see 1 county fair but it is far enough away that we will stop for a sandwich or something on the way home and get all cleaned up miles from the house. 

 

[raisinemright]

I don't even know exactly how the county fair will work for us. We are not showing poultry. Stopping for a car wash and clean up on the way home. The fair is really close to us. DD does not even want to go at all but we are in 4H! What needs to happen is creative alternatives for showing poultry like video entries, need to be figured out soon. We are doing a poster and not going in the barns. We are closer to AI and I personally think that a ban on poultry at fairs here would be best. As devastating as it might be wouldn't it be worse to lose your whole flock? If the state recommends not going to swaps and shows it seems contradictory to then go ahead and have them at fairs and basically say "but if you do show be willing to end up with sick birds""

Then 4H should just come to an end! We already cannot bring swine down (swine flu) until the day of the show. That's a huge hit on our 4H and if your saying not showing poultry would be an answer then why not keep all livestock at home. This way we can become even more of a virtual world with videos and place our fair projects on YouTube. IMO if someone doesn't want to come in contact with another's animals then don't go. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers (no pun inteded lol) but Im more worried about the critter who snuck into my coop and killed 10 of my young pullets last night who would have been starting to lay around August, then my friends coming over and stepping foot into my barn.

 

[flyladyrocks]

So sorry about Puppy. We have started Calling one of our hens Puppy b/c she acts like a loyal little puppy dog. I'll think of your Puppy when we call her that!

...

Speaking of prolapse, I had a loss today of a beloved pet.
My turkey Puppy, who was a BBW has been having issues when laying this last month. We fixed her first prolapse, appeared to have healed. This afternoon, right in front of me, she had a severe prolapse and begun heavy bleeding. I had no option but to make a very hard choice, I will not stand by and watch any animal suffer and bleed to death. This was too way severe to have been corrected. Puppy was 2 on March 18th, RIP. Have to say I adored her, she will be missed very much by our family..
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[flyladyrocks]

Sorry I didn't mean to offend or upset you and being a worrier by nature probably leads me to a hasty personal opinion. I'll readily admit our personal and emotional investment 4h is not as deep as yours and many others. Its our first year and I've been lost most of the time. I'm not so concerned with a friend coming over. I am think it is pretty unrealistic for most ppl to never have anyone else with any livestock to ever set foot on their property or in their barn. That blows hospitality (a big part if traditional farm life) out the window. For us it is the unknown factor that worries me most. Not knowing who is coming and bringing animals to the fair. What little is actually tested for. Hearing about and seeing sick birds and noone there doing anything. But i am new to all this and a city girl so what is a normal part of life and farming and 4h is all new to me and i tend to question everything. The lack of communication from our county bothers me too. We are signed up for poultry and the only info I get is about a few workshops. I have asked multiple times for info on the goat project but noone can tell me anything. It is people from other counties that have given me info from the state. What is the right decision for our family I know is certainly not right for everyone and I don't think less of anyone who is showing their animals. The amount of hard work and dedication to get ready for & show animals is commendable and full of valuable life lessons.

Then 4H should just come to an end! We already cannot bring swine down (swine flu) until the day of the show. That's a huge hit on our 4H and if your saying not showing poultry would be an answer then why not keep all livestock at home. This way we can become even more of a virtual world with videos and place our fair projects on YouTube. IMO if someone doesn't want to come in contact with another's animals then don't go. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers (no pun inteded lol) but Im more worried about the critter who snuck into my coop and killed 10 of my young pullets last night who would have been starting to lay around August, then my friends coming over and stepping foot into my barn.

 

[minmin1258]

Speaking of prolapse, I had a loss today of a beloved pet.
My turkey Puppy, who was a BBW has been having issues when laying this last month. We fixed her first prolapse, appeared to have healed. This afternoon, right in front of me, she had a severe prolapse and begun heavy bleeding. I had no option but to make a very hard choice, I will not stand by and watch any animal suffer and bleed to death. This was too way severe to have been corrected. Puppy was 2 on March 18th, RIP. Have to say I adored her, she will be missed very much by our family..

Oh No!!! I'm so sorry! RIP Puppy

 

[flyladyrocks]

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all you mom's out there! I think I have finally gotten caught up on posts. We have been moving at a fast and furious pace around here leaving little time to get on here ( other than falling asleep in bed as I try to read posts b4 I go to bed).

We are gone all day which leaves me a worried Chickie momma. One of my DD's 1 week old silkies just seemed off this morning. Not as active and unstable on her feet. We hand fed and watered her and left for church. We were home for a few minutes after church and she had moved from where we left her whuch i saw as a good sign. We hand fed and watered her again and left for our family gathering. Hopefully being separated will give her some time to recoup. I had not yet seperated the bantam chicks from the Buckeyes we got at the same time. We did that this morning. They are getting bigger and I'm afraid trampled her.

Of all the chicks to have a problem it would be my DD's silkies. The ones she has waited and anticipated for a year. They are named after Frozen characters and will probably keep those names regardless of the sex.

Here is our sweet Anna:

And also here is my new adorable teapot ( both these pics are taken on my phone so not sure of the quality):

 

[chick rookie]

You can keep them alive longer by putting them on a diet. But I don't know anyone who has raised one over 2 or 3 years old. I raised a batch of meat chicken last year. I figured by the time it was time to butcher them they would be so gross, it wouldn't be that hard. Because everyone always talk about how terrible and disgusting they got as they went on. With breaking legs and barely walking. Mine were nothing like that. Tey would fly and run around. I used to feed them bread and I have never seen a meat chicken run so fast. I had this one she was too sweet. I wanted to keep her but finally decided the day that I was to sell them to someone to butcher (I didn't want to eat them myself), that it would be best for her to be butchered. Just give them the best life you can until it is time to be butchered

Thats what we r going to do, give them as good a life as we can for as long as we can. I already got attached especially with one I call waddles, she will wait till I pick her up and carry her to the food bowel , but she only does that if I'm outside, otherwise she runs, lays down and flys around, when she thinks I'm not looking.... I swear she is spoiled already. If DH feeds she will go to the food on her on, but I have to carry her... lol
I hope everyone has a great Mommy's Day, so far mine has been great, my goat gave me a surprise kid, My Silkie splash hen gave me her and 8 chicks, thought there was only 6 but she has 8. DH went to buy nanny mom a goat tub, and came back with not only the tub But this as well:

o and a XL HERSHEY'S chocolate bar!! Handed it to me and told me to hatch my own chicks.... lol
and from my kids...


going to be busy reading up in my bator and getting the nerve up to start hatching some eggs...

Happy Mother's Day everyone

 

[chick rookie]

Time to start buying lottery tickets! Kab ought to get in on it, too. Didn't she get all pullets from straight run TSC chicks last year? We need that kind of luck.

And don't get me started on Birdman's money trees.
Aww, okay. Poor baby! I'll have my hands full, anyway, if the other 5 all make it to hatch. Lots of baby duckies!

Hopefully lots of GIRL baby duckies, 'cause I don't think their daddy would be very happy with any kind of competition!

So sorry for your loss. Sounds like you made the right choice for her if this was an ongoing problem.

lol I buy 3 every week... the most I ever get is a free ticket... but keeps me in the game. I have been looking for a money tree maybe Birdman's can tell me where he got his.... ?????

Please... I just cant find any.

Then 4H should just come to an end! We already cannot bring swine down (swine flu) until the day of the show. That's a huge hit on our 4H and if your saying not showing poultry would be an answer then why not keep all livestock at home. This way we can become even more of a virtual world with videos and place our fair projects on YouTube. IMO if someone doesn't want to come in contact with another's animals then don't go. I don't mean to ruffle any feathers (no pun inteded lol) but Im more worried about the critter who snuck into my coop and killed 10 of my young pullets last night who would have been starting to lay around August, then my friends coming over and stepping foot into my barn.

Sorry to hear about your pullets, thats a bad deal. Hope u get the mystery critter.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all you mom's out there! I think I have finally gotten caught up on posts. We have been moving at a fast and furious pace around here leaving little time to get on here ( other than falling asleep in bed as I try to read posts b4 I go to bed).

We are gone all day which leaves me a worried Chickie momma. One of my DD's 1 week old silkies just seemed off this morning. Not as active and unstable on her feet. We hand fed and watered her and left for church. We were home for a few minutes after church and she had moved from where we left her whuch i saw as a good sign. We hand fed and watered her again and left for our family gathering. Hopefully being separated will give her some time to recoup. I had not yet seperated the bantam chicks from the Buckeyes we got at the same time. We did that this morning. They are getting bigger and I'm afraid trampled her.

Of all the chicks to have a problem it would be my DD's silkies. The ones she has waited and anticipated for a year. They are named after Frozen characters and will probably keep those names regardless of the sex.

Here is our sweet Anna:


And also here is my new adorable teapot ( both these pics are taken on my phone so not sure of the quality):

very cute, chick and teapot.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Agreed. LilX was very sweet but a very heavy girl. To watch her walk, you would think she was 9..She would have been 3 in July.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOMS!

My kids brought me humming bird flowers, and ice cream cake lol! Oldest DD was born mothers day weekend 33 years ago, so its always been a combined thing.
Hang in there guys, the AI scare will pass, like so many other things do. It gets disheartening, but we just hold on til the red flags are lifted. I will still keep chickens, just like my family has always done. Same way with my hogs, not going anywhere! Its part of keeping livestock. You watch whats happening, do what you can to avoid and prevent it from affecting you as best you can.
Thanks everyone for the kind words and PMs on Puppy. Really missed her today, Bacon (turkey) was pretty lost too. They had become pretty good friends, my MW tom was just crazy over her. We have MW poults hatching tonight, 3 out so far, woohoo! Goodnite everyone.