INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Hholly]

Anybody else being hit with the Asian Lady Beetles this week?

I always seem to have them in my house. But yes, since the crops came out they're on the move.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Now I have a concern I need advice about, I know allot of you have barn cats, house cats what ever cats, I'm not a real big fan of cats. I think they are pretty and all but when I was a kid I couldn't have 1 due to Allergies. So we have a cat that turned up some time ago, and DH likes her/him, he says she wont hurt nothing. Well I haven't found that to be false, but in the last week I have been finding eggs Eaten eggs, here there and yonder. Would a cat do that? And if so should I feed it to get it to stop, or just get rid of it? DH will be so upset.

I haven't ever seen a cat do it. That doesn't mean i don't think it can. Possum, skunk and raccoon all are notorious for egg eating, along with rats. Another possible culprit is if the hens are having a hard moult, I caught one of my hens eating eggs today! I feed flock raiser too, so its not for lack of food.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Well that sucks. @jchnny2000.

Sadly I think it also answers what happened to my campine a month ago.

And the wife just texted me to inform me that our free-ranging yard cat is laying in the yard. It's dark when I leave in the morning, so I didn't see him this morning to take care of it.

Oh no am so sorry.

 

[chick rookie]

Sounds like a opossum or raccoon. I've never heard of a cat doing that

I was kinda thinking the stray dog DH was telling me about, but whatever it is I am watching very closely now so I will find out, am hoping it is a coon or opossum, if its the dog that means my fences aren't as good as I thought, and we just redid them.

Where are they moving from and what's the size of the property? Can I move there lol I personally believe chickens are louder then turkey's I never hear the turkeys around here I always hear the roosters and I've been here a year I've had birds fly over but none brave enough to venture near my nets and I think our dogs deter any ground preds
Ironically the guy who lived here before me had chickens so I'm sure it's a stablished chickens are around but who knows what magic has been protected my birds

They have 30 acres, but it belongs to the family kind of thing.

Nobody's tried to kill me (or my turkeys), and I can almost guarantee that my neighbors are closer than yours (I live in downtown Indy). My tom isn't particularly large, but he's also not particularly loud (we've had far louder roosters, and almost all of our roosters have crowed far more often than this guy gobbles). The girls have been really loud periodically through the day (but that'll quiet once the boy starts doing his manly duties). Last year, we had a broad-breasted bronze tom (Bacon lives with @jchny2000 now), and he was much louder (and about four times the size) than the Royal Palm tom we have now.

I do not keep my turkeys, ducks or chickens separated and have had very few instances of inter-species issues. Turkeys, by and large, prefer to sleep outdoors and almost never come indoors (unless it's to invade my house). They're quite cold-hardy birds and waterproof to boot, so it's better to trust them. They'll come inside if they're cold, so long as they know shelter is available for the taking.

Go ahead and feed them chicken food. There's also "All Flock" feed, which is formulated to feed all varieties of fowl. By all means, supplement them with higher protein feed (like dog and cat food, gamefowl feed, and table scraps).

Turkey hens go broody regularly (some more than others, depending on breed) and make great moms. Due to size, they may need another place to lay eggs but will universally get quite creative when it comes to hiding their nests and placing their eggs. I've been baiting my girls to nest in a very large dog crate which is covered with a tarp, lots of twigs, and corn stalks. I littered the inside with long grasses and woodchips, then set a bunch of fake eggs in it. It's very close to my back door, which also helps the girls feel secure laying there. frankly, I get tired of daily Easter egg hunts all through the yard (and turkeys just love to make me go through as many weeds and branches as they possibly can).

Thanks for the info. everything I have read so far says the something you just did except the feed but they are also talking about getting them to butchering weight and I'm not trying to do that, they are adults already. I looked the tom up and he is a Royal Palm. Dont sure about the hen ( are they called hens ) I have not seen her yet so I have no clue. They are moving them this weekend. Is there anything I need to do as far as quarantine? anything special, or just like I do chickens. I know it sounds like a stupid question but I want to make sure they are safe as well as my flock.

Anybody else being hit with the Asian Lady Beetles this week?

Yes they are driving us nuts, found out my chickens don't like them either.... they kill them and leave them.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
How long have you been where you are? It depends on the area I think cause it took 2 years for the predators to really find me, I thought I was safe due to all the neighbors around me, NOT!!!!! and now that the predators know we are here.... We don't really have ground predator issues only because of the dogs I believe, but still have the occasional passer through. Hawks and Falcons are my biggest problem now.


I just got a call from a friend. They have to move for personal reasons and are going to sell all their critters but she wants me to have their favorites, this includes 4 Polish, 1 MFD pair, and a turkey pair with a chick that the turkey hen adopted. ( the chick is an EE ) lol odd ...

She said she feeds the turkey's chicken food. Is that ok to continue to feed them. I don't know anything about them. Guess its time to hit the books again. AND I SAID NO MORE TILL WE GET A NEW PLACE.........................................Stupid chicken math!!!!! But they come with pens and the turkey's come with a run too. How loud is this turkey going to be? Are my neighbors going to kill me?

They need a little higher protein like 18% as adults, I use flock raiser mostly and it covers most of my species. It also cuts my feed costs because they consume less due to the higher protein level.

Anybody else being hit with the Asian Lady Beetles this week?

saw some today, so am sure I will see a lot more, ugh. Hate the things.

 

[chick rookie]

I haven't ever seen a cat do it. That doesn't mean i don't think it can. Possum, skunk and raccoon all are notorious for egg eating, along with rats. Another possible culprit is if the hens are having a hard moult, I caught one of my hens eating eggs today! I feed flock raiser too, so its not for lack of food.

I am looking more towards other 4 legged critters now. And my girls are over their molting period thank goody!! Was really missing my eggs.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Anybody else being hit with the Asian Lady Beetles this week?

Sure they attack the south side of my house and any car parked in the driveway. Its every year the week they cut down the field across the street and again when the fields beside and behind us are cut down.
Last year I had an appliance repair man show up in the middle of the first day that they were storming my area. I tried to warn him to put up the windows on his white van but he did not listen. Right before he left he came back in to ask if I knew how to get them out of his van. I honestly didn't as I kill the ones that come inside and my birds do the best they can on the ones outside. I told him they would leave if they did not find food.

 

[chick rookie]

Sure they attack the south side of my house and any car parked in the driveway. Its every year the week they cut down the field across the street and again when the fields beside and behind us are cut down.
Last year I had an appliance repair man show up in the middle of the first day that they were storming my area. I tried to warn him to put up the windows on his white van but he did not listen. Right before he left he came back in to ask if I knew how to get them out of his van. I honestly didn't as I kill the ones that come inside and my birds do the best they can on the ones outside. I told him they would leave if they did not find food.

lol maybe next time he will listen

 

[kittydoc]

I don't know if I have any poisonous plants here or not, maybe I need too look into that as I have had a number of unexplained deaths here all year.

O my that is a bad molt, poor girl.

Congratulations on you new family member, I have 7 furry family members, 4 of which are rescues. Thank you for going to the shelter instead of a breeder or a pet store, I wish more people would.
Love Pepe Le Pew, he was 1 of my favorite cartoon characters.


Now I have a concern I need advice about, I know allot of you have barn cats, house cats what ever cats, I'm not a real big fan of cats. I think they are pretty and all but when I was a kid I couldn't have 1 due to Allergies. So we have a cat that turned up some time ago, and DH likes her/him, he says she wont hurt nothing. Well I haven't found that to be false, but in the last week I have been finding eggs Eaten eggs, here there and yonder. Would a cat do that? And if so should I feed it to get it to stop, or just get rid of it? DH will be so upset.

My understanding is that only younger chicks are subject to danger from cats. We have neighborhood cats that go outside, and I have never lost a chick, chicken, or egg to a cat because they do not bother to go inside our fenced chicken area. I have no doubt that they could climb the deer fence. But they don't. These cats ARE fed by people so they don't hunt. I also seriously doubt a cat would eat eggs unless it was extremely hungry. Chickens like raw eggs an awful lot more than cats do. I vote feed it and let DH be happy.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Thanks everyone for the kind words for my Gonzo. I will be replacing him, but not until I know all the poisonous bushes are gone.