INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Ol Grey Mare]

@pginsber -- what lovely photos. I, too, love watching a mama hen do her mothering - precious moments!

 

[hoosiercheetah]

My little chickens are 8 weeks old. They're all feathered out, and they look like little hens. So I'm all like, "EGGS NOW PLEASE."

And they just stare at me.

 

[DuckiesGarden]

Big hello to everyone! Very long time no see! I've had issues with my internet on and iff the last year and got out if touch (instead of burying my line-which has been laying out on the road fof 3 years-phone company just kept temporarily fixing it when it got cut by the tractors and other machinery constantly running over it when we work the fields, etc., and I keep having weeks of nothing waiting for someone to come out. Can you tell how frustrated it's made me? Lol) Anyway, I've figured out how to use my phone to post and I'm super excited to finally get to be part of the community again! I've spent the last 2 weeks just reading past posts trying to get caught up!
First of all-My condolences to everyone who's had hardships and losses! Best wishes and luck to you!
I've had a pretty good start to spring this year. My WONDERFUL hubby surprised me with some new additions for my flock! 4 guineas and 2 turkeys! (This was after I'd already brought home some new banty chicks from the feed store when I'd only went for rabbit food ) They're all doing great I'm happy to say! The guineas and little bantys (mille fleur d'uccles and an oddball rosecomb) have already joined the main flock but the turkeys I've been keeping separate after reading about their risks with blackhead. They're broad breasted (a white and bronze). I hate the thought if them outgrowing their legs and such so quickly. I'd really like to figure out a healthier diet/regime for them in hopes they might live a longer, happier life before the inevitable. Any ideas on that would be appreciated! The best I've found is plenty of exercise and more of a free range diet?
I've also got 2 broodys!I've only ever had 1 hen brood a clutch, a little banty who could only sit on a few eggs and only did it twice. Each time I lost the new chicks to possums. My coop is like fort knox now and I moved one of our dogs closer. He's already killed 4 varmits so I'm super glad I did that! I've got high hopes this time! They'll just be mixes but I don't mind that. My roo is an OEG banty mix and he doesn't have any trouble with the standard size hens so it'll be fun to see what pops out! I've been leaving the broody mamas (both speckled sussex) to their business but it looks like there's 5 EE eggs, 2 brahma, a sussex, and 3 that could be buff orpington, black star, black jersey, or RIR, I can't tell theirs apart. Fingers crossed!
Ok, I'm done talking everyones ears off but I've got a couple pics to share! Lol!
Here's a pic from last year of my handsome roo, I'm sure I'll have some pretty chicks from him!

My broodys-Alice and Dinah

And the sweet little turkeys, Biscuit and Gravy

Sorry, one more, just because they are so cute! These are 2 out of 4 of my latest rescues. They were kept in a closet since they were born. I love seeing them play in the grass and sunshine like normal kitties now. I keep bringing animals home and hubby keeps letting me-he grumbles and acts put out and says this is it, and I love him for it because he always makes room for one more-and even brings me more birds when he tells me constantly I've already got enough!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
Oh yes, all were laying! I got a good month of eggs, and someone dropped a broody bomb on all the hens, ugh! Same day, all 4 adult hens went broody. 2 separate pens.

Quick question. Everyone guessed that this girl is a white leghorn which is my guess also. Now I have been getting an egg every day and can tell a definite difference between them some mid brown some super light brown but I don't know who is laying. Or rather I know for sure the RIR and the Wyandotte are laying but have yet to see any white eggs from what I'm assuming is a Leghorn. Could she be something else?

She may be a white plymouth rock, that would be a brown layer. She looks too heavy to be a leghorn.

 

[raisinemright]

For those of you interested in my CX tractors I can try to explain the way I built them. I didn't write anything down just put them together in my head (I tend to do my projects this way).

I used 2x4's for the base its 8' long by 7'6" wide. I set the front 2x4 back 6" and cut a angle the first 6" of the 8' side boards for skids or skis. This step is not needed now that I put wheels on.
The A frame is built with 2x3's to cut back on weight. It's 5' tall at the peak. There are 3 sections or trusses to the frame. The middle truss is set 4' on center. This allowed me to use a 4' section of fencing to wrap the open area. Then I cut scrape steel siding at 4' and screwed the siding to the trusses. The door is built out of 2x2's and is 18" wide by around 4' tall. Everything that was not covered by the siding is wrapped with fencing and stapled. I braced the corners with 2x3's cut at 1'. I also ran a brace across the truss 1' down from the peak. The peak is covered with a long section of siding. That's just about it. Nothing fancy but it works very well to grow out CX and allows them fresh grass daily. Both of these took my son and I about 1hr each to make with no plans just an idea. Like I said before that's how my projects go lol my pallet coop from way back was built the same way from an idea. If you use your imagination it's crazy what you can come up with. Even with these tractors you could frame in a coop with nesting boxes and a ladder to get into the house.

Here is my daughter watering 25 CX. When they get bigger a 5ga waterer and a 30 pound feeder fit well with 25CX. And I believe if needed I could run 10 more birds. They would just need moved 2 times daily instead of 1.
Any questions please fill free to ask. I'm please some of you like the idea. It's simple and easy to make. I will have 2-3 more built next spring.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Big hello to everyone! Very long time no see! I've had issues with my internet on and iff the last year and got out if touch (instead of burying my line-which has been laying out on the road fof 3 years-phone company just kept temporarily fixing it when it got cut by the tractors and other machinery constantly running over it when we work the fields, etc., and I keep having weeks of nothing waiting for someone to come out. Can you tell how frustrated it's made me? Lol) Anyway, I've figured out how to use my phone to post and I'm super excited to finally get to be part of the community again! I've spent the last 2 weeks just reading past posts trying to get caught up!
First of all-My condolences to everyone who's had hardships and losses! Best wishes and luck to you!
I've had a pretty good start to spring this year. My WONDERFUL hubby surprised me with some new additions for my flock! 4 guineas and 2 turkeys! (This was after I'd already brought home some new banty chicks from the feed store when I'd only went for rabbit food

) They're all doing great I'm happy to say! The guineas and little bantys (mille fleur d'uccles and an oddball rosecomb) have already joined the main flock but the turkeys I've been keeping separate after reading about their risks with blackhead. They're broad breasted (a white and bronze). I hate the thought if them outgrowing their legs and such so quickly. I'd really like to figure out a healthier diet/regime for them in hopes they might live a longer, happier life before the inevitable. Any ideas on that would be appreciated! The best I've found is plenty of exercise and more of a free range diet?
I've also got 2 broodys!I've only ever had 1 hen brood a clutch, a little banty who could only sit on a few eggs and only did it twice. Each time I lost the new chicks to possums. My coop is like fort knox now and I moved one of our dogs closer. He's already killed 4 varmits so I'm super glad I did that! I've got high hopes this time! They'll just be mixes but I don't mind that. My roo is an OEG banty mix and he doesn't have any trouble with the standard size hens so it'll be fun to see what pops out! I've been leaving the broody mamas (both speckled sussex) to their business but it looks like there's 5 EE eggs, 2 brahma, a sussex, and 3 that could be buff orpington, black star, black jersey, or RIR, I can't tell theirs apart. Fingers crossed!

Ok, I'm done talking everyones ears off but I've got a couple pics to share! Lol!
Here's a pic from last year of my handsome roo, I'm sure I'll have some pretty chicks from him!

My broodys-Alice and Dinah

And the sweet little turkeys, Biscuit and Gravy

Sorry, one more, just because they are so cute! These are 2 out of 4 of my latest rescues. They were kept in a closet since they were born.

I love seeing them play in the grass and sunshine like normal kitties now.

I keep bringing animals home and hubby keeps letting me-he grumbles and acts put out and says this is it, and I love him for it because he always makes room for one more-and even brings me more birds when he tells me constantly I've already got enough!

Great to hear from you, and thanks for sharing the pictures!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

For those of you interested in my CX tractors I can give try to explain the way I built them. I didn't write anything down just put them together in my head (I tend to do my projects this way).

I used 2x4's for the base its 8' long by 7'6" wide. I set the front 2x4 back 6" and cut a angle the first 6" of the 8' side boards for skids or skis. This step is not needed now that I put wheels on.
The A frame is built with 2x3's to cut back on weight. It's 5' tall at the peak. There are 3 sections or trusses to the frame. The middle truss is set 4' on center. Thus allowed me to use a 4' section of fencing to wrap the open area. Then I cut scrape steel siding at 4' and screwed the siding to the trusses. The door is built out of 2x2's and is 18" wide by around 4' tall. Everything that was not covered by the siding us wrapped with fencing and stapled. I braved the corners with 2x3's cut at 1'. I also ran a brace across the truss 1' down from the peak. The peak is covered with a long section of siding. That's just about it. Nothing fancy but it works very well to grow out CX and allows them fresh grass daily. Both of these took my son and I about 1hr each to make with no plans just an idea. Like I said before that's how my projects go lol my pallet coop from way back was built the same way from an idea. If you use your imagination it's crazy what you can come up with. Even with these tractors you could frame in a coop with nesting boxes and a ladder to get into the house.

Here is my daughter watering 25 CX. When they get bigger a 5ga waterer and a 30 pound feeder fit well with 25CX. And I believe if needed I could run 10 more birds. They would just need moved 2 times daily instead of 1.
Any questions please fill free to ask. I'm please some of you like the idea. It's simple and easy to make. I will have 2-3 more built next spring.

Love it, simple and works great I bet! Wonder how many turkeys would fit until they could free range during the day?

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Sorry to have missed some quotes on people trying to help with my sick bird. I have had a million things going on lately. But I do have some good news. When I went to give her a shot of Bose the other day she was doing so much better. So I decided to hold off. I had been taking her outside with me when I was ardening and doing chores and she would follow me around. She may have fell in a tomato plan hole a few times lol, she finally learned. Then when u was doing chores today she followed me over to the chicken coop she was in before. An I opened the door and she waltzed right in. I went ahead and left her out there. She was doing so much better and obviously was reach and wanted to go back out with her pals.

 

[raisinemright]

Love it, simple and works great I bet! Wonder how many turkeys would fit until they could free range during the day?

Idk but I raised 4 BBB with my first set lol

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Sorry to have missed some quotes on people trying to help with my sick bird. I have had a million things going on lately. But I do have some good news. When I went to give her a shot of Bose the other day she was doing so much better. So I decided to hold off. I had been taking her outside with me when I was ardening and doing chores and she would follow me around. She may have fell in a tomato plan hole a few times lol, she finally learned. Then when u was doing chores today she followed me over to the chicken coop she was in before. An I opened the door and she waltzed right in. I went ahead and left her out there. She was doing so much better and obviously was reach and wanted to go back out with her pals.

Oh thats great news! She is saying to you she is ready to be back out with the chickens!

Quote: My 15 BBB are fully free ranging during the day now, right with my new lavender youngsters and a few other birds I kept to add to my flocks. I have one more small group of chicks that will be out in a few weeks, and that's it for me chicken wise this season. DD is wanting to do at least 1 round of CXs this year yet, so I may go in on a batch. Probably no more than 25 for me tho, household size is much smaller with DDs moved away. These turkeys will take up some freezer space also, and I have 2 hogs to process in about 2 months.