INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ellymayRans]

I am dying to find a Blue Slate turkey hen. I acquired a couple from @racinchickins and some Midget Whites. Both I adore but I really like the look of the slates. I want to keep a pair but I have 2 hens both the Midget white.

Is anyone interested in a trade? A Midget White hen for a Blue Slate hen?!? I don't want to not breed true for the fact they're heritage breeds but I just think I would rather raise the slates.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@ellymayRans I have two dog crates (one fit a thirty-pound dog, other was for a Rottweiler and fit her quite comfortably). I think peas are too loud for my property, but if it's my house or murder, I think we'll try it. I could really use a guard pea with all the predator issues (and robberies). Not sure if they're more or less likely to "sound the alarm" than guineas or geese. Can't have an animal around here that lights it up for no apparent reason. Is one sex louder than another with peas?


Regarding who stays and who goes for winter on my "farm", despite having lumber and some supplies, I'm too busy and having difficulty rallying support to build a bigger, better coop, so I'm going to have to downsize. The seven CXs are about 12 weeks old and certainly old enough to process.

As much as I love the Muscovies, I'm thinking they would be happier elsewhere. The girls have started flying, so I either have to clip their wings or find them a home where wings and flying are great assets. They're not especially cold hardy and only seasonal layers. They are pretty sweet natured, beautiful and really quiet, which are all great. I don't have a pond though, and so they've been unceasingly splashing the water out of every single vessel of water on the property. So far, their sex ratio seems 50/50. I have four hens (maybe five) and three drakes (maybe four). Not a mean bone in their bodies. They also change color every year, it seems, so they're doubly fascinating to watch. Love 'em, but I don't have a pond or coop space enough for them, I think.Far friendlier than the Mallard-derivative breeds I've had.

The turkeys I really don't want to find any other place for. I'm in love with my turk-turks. Same goes for most of my chickens, though, if someone really wants a Dark Brahma rooster, I might be able to part with one. Wun Wun's been a slow grower, but he's trying to set a World's Biggest Rooster record for Guinness Book. Really living up to his name (same goes for Mag the Mighty, really when it comes down to it).

Any scovys needing rehomed are always welcome here if you don't find a place for them, I just adore them. There is a big pond on the west side of the property all the waterfowl enjoy.
When you feel its time for the "bad day" for the CX, let me know. We can plan a day here if you'd like. I have been doing a weekly processing day to drop our coop numbers for winter. It really helps to have extra hands too, makes it go so much faster.

 

[chick rookie]

A broody cave may work better it's more intament basically a heating bad over wire in the shape of a cave

I made her one but no heating pad cause mine shuts off every 2 hours. She wont go near it. I put her in and she just runs back out.

Today's been a rough day for my flock.
First I noticed that a chick was missing & found the headless body nearby. It was in the am before I let the chickens out. I'm trying to figure out what may have been the cause.

Mama hen & chicks are inside a rabbit cage inside the run. (Run is made with wood & hardware cloth.) Found 1 very small hole. Mouse? Would a hen pull a chick through the bars to kill it?




Later I went out with my camera to brighten my mood. While I was taking some pics under the pine tree, the roos made the hawk warning sound & the hens took cover. A few secs later all of the chickens huddled together around me as I saw a hawk flying low and headed straight for us. I stood up & shouted at it while waving my arms. It quickly veered up & to the right. It's target aborted. The chickens then went to the safety of their run - but not until I escorted them. For the remainder of the day, none have dared come out & the roos + top hens stood guard by the door.




2 pullets were very, very interested in my camera


My funny Sebright can look both proud & pathetic



My 3 amigos are below. Trying to determine which to keep.
2 are lav orps & the other is an EE-orp.






My EE-Orp pullet (the kids like her a lot)


Poor Princess


These two look simply miserable



My pretty black orps



My Bielefelders. Shortly after this pic was taken, the hawk swoop happened. Can't believe it tried to catch a chicken while I was near them. I'll always have that image of a hawk flying right at me in my memory. .....and I hope the hawk will remember & avoid me too!

I love your LO and the Seabright, I miss King Aurther
If you decide to rehome one of you LO's let me know, been dying to have some of those, Trying to get some hatching eggs off @jchny2000 but will have to wait till spring now.

 

[daskhan]

@ellymayRans
  I have two dog crates (one fit a thirty-pound dog, other was for a Rottweiler and fit her quite comfortably). I think peas are too loud for my property, but if it's my house or murder, I think we'll try it. I could really use a guard pea with all the predator issues (and robberies). Not sure if they're more or less likely to "sound the alarm" than guineas or geese. Can't have an animal around here that lights it up for no apparent reason. Is one sex louder than another with peas?


Regarding who stays and who goes for winter on my "farm", despite having lumber and some supplies, I'm too busy and having difficulty rallying support to build a bigger, better coop, so I'm going to have to downsize. The seven CXs are about 12 weeks old and certainly old enough to process.

As much as I love the Muscovies, I'm thinking they would be happier elsewhere. The girls have started flying, so I either have to clip their wings or find them a home where wings and flying are great assets. They're not especially cold hardy and only seasonal layers. They are pretty sweet natured, beautiful and really quiet, which are all great. I don't have a pond though, and so they've been unceasingly splashing the water out of every single vessel of water on the property. So far, their sex ratio seems 50/50. I have four hens (maybe five) and three drakes (maybe four). Not a mean bone in their bodies. They also change color every year, it seems, so they're doubly fascinating to watch. Love 'em, but I don't have a pond or coop space enough for them, I think.Far friendlier than the Mallard-derivative breeds I've had. 

The turkeys I really don't want to find any other place for. I'm in love with my turk-turks. Same goes for most of my chickens, though, if someone really wants a Dark Brahma rooster, I might be able to part with one. Wun Wun's been a slow grower, but he's trying to set a World's Biggest Rooster record for Guinness Book. Really living up to his name (same goes for Mag the Mighty, really when it comes down to it).  

How much for the cx? And the dark brahma?

 

[tmctlt]

Hello All....been a while since I checked in and hope everyone and their flocks / farms are doing well. So after patiently caring for and waiting for egg production from our flock.....it finally happened!!! Our Bresse hen ( Patriot ) started laying on Friday of last week and went " 6 for 7 " that's right six eggs over the course of seven days... WTG Patriot!!!!!

And then this AM I went out to open the coup to the runs and discovered an egg on the floor of the coop ( rather than in a nesting box which is where Patriot has been laying hers ) and nearly stepped on it.
After getting a closer look I came to realize it was from a different hen altogether as it was brown in color vs off white from Patriot....no idea which other hen is a laying but that makes two of seven laying!!!!

 

[Hholly]

I still have 4 Nankin roos to get rid of if anyone wants any.

They may be mixed. But they look like pure breeds. Free to any takers.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Okay, peeps. Winter is coming and it's time to get those chickens to "shape up".

 

[Indyshent]

Any scovys needing rehomed are always welcome here if you don't find a place for them, I just adore them. There is a big pond on the west side of the property all the waterfowl enjoy.
When you feel its time for the "bad day" for the CX, let me know. We can plan a day here if you'd like. I have been doing a weekly processing day to drop our coop numbers for winter. It really helps to have extra hands too, makes it go so much faster.

May have to take you up on that offer. We've only processed the one turkey, and that took forever, and I'm pretty sure that we could learn a few things from you to make it go more smoothly.

@daskhan The CX aren't really for sale (excepting maybe one to @chickrookie for Waddles). The Brahma's too sweet to eat, but I might sell him for $10. He's submissive, enormous, pretty and growing into being rather chivalrous after all. He also responds really well to both treats and discipline. Not aggressive at all and doesn't crow much. Way over two feet tall currently, starting to fill out and gain weight. I'm not seriously looking to find him another home because he is such a good rooster (and I'd really like to see just how big he's going to get). Mag seems to have topped out (still a big boy and over two feet if he stands upright), but Wun Wun's just monstrous, absolutely towers over everything in the yard but the turkeys. Even the turkey hens don't stand as tall as Wun Wun normally (new tom, however, is likely about three feet tall and can stand significantly taller than even Wun Wun).

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thanks for everyone's warm welcome back to the thread!

@Faraday40 I just read your post about the hawk and I can relate. Just an hour ago, I had just brought out some food for my nine hens and was cleaning the coop six feet away when I heard squawking. I ran out and screamed as a red tailed hawk flew off in front of me. Luckily without a chicken, but it took me a while to find Screech.The chickens were hugging the back of the area under the deck so it was hard to see them. I feel like that took about 10 years off my life. I'm already stressed about my Tiger cat being gone all week!
So sorry to hear about finding your chick killed. According to The Chicken Encyclopedia's predator guide, as @jchny2000 said, it was probably a weasel —or a mink or a raccoon. All three reach in a cage to pull out prey and behead it.
On a brighter note, your photos are great. I love your Sebright's expressions!

@ellymayRans That's wonderful that you are taking charge to save the peacocks!

@chickrookie Aww, so sweet about your baby needing held. That's one nice thing about the weather getting cooler; chickens like our body heat!

@pipdzipdnreadytogo Frou-Frou! I loved that story you wrote about her.

@pginsber As far as nesting boxes, mine tend to have a favorite box that they argue over. Then they'll decide that another one is their favorite, and they begin bickering about it! Here's an old photo of when I had my RIR Nene—three in the box! It's a tote in the garage that they had started using (despite two actual nesting boxes in their coop).

 

[jenaman]

Based on the saddle feathers and what I could get on the combs, what are your guesses. Hen or roo? The darker one I was positive about a month ago was a rooster because his coma was red at about one month old and I can clearly see saddle feathers. Because the more brown one did not have saddle feathers and the comb was smaller and had not changed colors I was certain I had a hen. As I was giving out my daily dose of lovin's, I noticed saddle feathers on the brown one. They are A little over 2 months old. I also noticed that one of my bath Orpington as getting a little more red than the other three on his comb, is that a good indication at two months of age that I've got a roo? Thank you in advance

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