INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[funnyfarmmom]

Welcome all new members and all returning members! I access the site from an older model smartphone so it would take me forever to quote and reply to each of you lol.

I would love to meet more of you in person, but since I cant drive myself I wont be able to make it up north for Chickenfest. But you all have fun and I will look forward to hearing about it/seeing pictures!

@daskhan - have you looked into building your own incubators? I use three homemade ones that can hold 2 dozen eggs but I never put in more than 18 at a time. They cost me around $7 to make, and normally I hatch around 15/18 eggs. But I didnt buy a turner because Im home all day. Im sure you will want one of those. I tried an experiment this time and it didnt work out so going back to my tried and true method.

I kept the birds locked up again today. They werent happy but my big beautiful buff roo has a little frostbite on his comb . I feel so bad. Its odd tho because he is in the nicest coop. My rhode island reds are in a coop that doesnt have real siding, just a heavy grade plastic, and they are fine. Even the red rooster's comb is fine.

Anyhow, more snow coming tonight. Im over it now lol. Ready for spring!

 

[ChickCrazed]

Welcome all new members and all returning members! I access the site from an older model smartphone so it would take me forever to quote and reply to each of you lol.

I would love to meet more of you in person, but since I cant drive myself I wont be able to make it up north for Chickenfest. But you all have fun and I will look forward to hearing about it/seeing pictures!

@daskhan - have you looked into building your own incubators? I use three homemade ones that can hold 2 dozen eggs but I never put in more than 18 at a time. They cost me around $7 to make, and normally I hatch around 15/18 eggs. But I didnt buy a turner because Im home all day. Im sure you will want one of those. I tried an experiment this time and it didnt work out so going back to my tried and true method.

I kept the birds locked up again today. They werent happy but my big beautiful buff roo has a little frostbite on his comb

. I feel so bad. Its odd tho because he is in the nicest coop. My rhode island reds are in a coop that doesnt have real siding, just a heavy grade plastic, and they are fine. Even the red rooster's comb is fine.

Anyhow, more snow coming tonight. Im over it now lol. Ready for spring!

Frostbite is usually caused by moisture building inside the coop and the moisture freezing on exposed skin, not extreme cold like many assume. It is usually caused by not having enough ventilation above the birds. Keeping them locked in would probably worsen the problem since even more moisture is going to build inside the coop with all of them closed in for such a prolonged period of time. Of course, birds will also get frostbite from dipping wattles/feet in their water in the winter and again, moisture freezing on the skin. I would make sure you are letting the birds out during the day and look at your ventilation situation in the coop you are seeing the problem.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello everyone! I am new to backyard chickens and am planning on joining the community very shortly! I live in Indianapolis, but have some general questions. I cannot decide whether I want to raise my hens from chicks or purchase hens which are already close to egg laying age. I plan to have a small flock (5-6) and plan to have only hens for egg laying. I also plan on culling the hens myself when they no longer produce eggs (My family comes from a farm background so I am familiar with the process. I will use the meat/feet/etc. for soup and stock).

I think the pros to raising as chicks would be I get to pick my breed, however the downside is I would not be getting eggs until the end of the summer. However the downside of purchasing older hens is I do not know where to even begin when it comes to purchasing older hens, and I do not know their personality/condition/etc.

Do you guys have any general advise for me? Thank you and I am excited to join your community!

Welcome to our thread!

We are a chatty group, and always happy to answer questions.

Yay! The Tricicde-Neo came in!

Now all's to do is get through my school day and hope my pipes aren't frozen later. Oh, and buy some distilled water to mix this stuff with anyway. And find a tote or some other container big enough to accommodate her giant feet (and the CX's). Ah, bumblefoot, I hope to never meet it again.

hoping for healing!

Day 1 of the spring semester is over for me!

Looks like it's going to be a fun semester! I have one biology class that's going to have a lot of field study involved with it later in the semester, yay! And, though I'm finding it a bit daunting still, I also had my first real Genetics class this morning! Prepare your minds for this semester!

Quote: Groucho is his old self and great today! His down was dry so he is back outdoors this afternoon.
Love your sweet lill call baby!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: We are trying to rotate locations every year so folks that couldnt make one last year may make this years! Lots of good ideas, keep them coming!

Quote:
We have a meal every year, typically a pitch in. Never run out of food!

Hi all - havent posted in a while - just popping in to say "Hi"

Hi back!

Quote:

This thread is a bit addictive!

Quote: I paid around 700 for my first cabinet incubator. I like the sportsman 1502 digital incubator. My first one paid for itself the first year in geese hatches alone.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Totally helpful to have. I have a home made coolerbator and a cheap incubator for hatching, because my cabinet hatching tray is used for goose eggs, lol. I need to get the large egg set trays that accommodate goose eggs on the side, I get a very poor hatch rate if they are upright.

Welcome all new members and all returning members! I access the site from an older model smartphone so it would take me forever to quote and reply to each of you lol.

I would love to meet more of you in person, but since I cant drive myself I wont be able to make it up north for Chickenfest. But you all have fun and I will look forward to hearing about it/seeing pictures!

@daskhan - have you looked into building your own incubators? I use three homemade ones that can hold 2 dozen eggs but I never put in more than 18 at a time. They cost me around $7 to make, and normally I hatch around 15/18 eggs. But I didnt buy a turner because Im home all day. Im sure you will want one of those. I tried an experiment this time and it didnt work out so going back to my tried and true method.

I kept the birds locked up again today. They werent happy but my big beautiful buff roo has a little frostbite on his comb

. I feel so bad. Its odd tho because he is in the nicest coop. My rhode island reds are in a coop that doesnt have real siding, just a heavy grade plastic, and they are fine. Even the red rooster's comb is fine.

Anyhow, more snow coming tonight. Im over it now lol. Ready for spring!

Ventilation affects frostbite for sure. I have the most problems in my stand by shed that I keep open for my guinea flock. It needs more holes drilled to improve air flow.

 

[slutter]

an incubator used from day 18-hatch.
(It helps if you have staggered hatch dates &/or don't want to wait 21 days + a thorough clean out before starting a new clutch of eggs. )

hmm that interesting

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My stock tank heater bit the dust last night, fortunately was able to chip down to where its not frozen yet, dropped my spare one back in. Poor babies were really thirsty this morning! My cow just drank and drank. Glad I bought a spare this summer! Had to toss the garden hose in the bath tub! Didn't get it drained out enough, and makes it a lot harder getting water from the hydrant with out it.
I agree, am so over winter and ready for spring. Muds not fun but will take that over frigid temps any day.

 

[Hholly]

My stock tank heater bit the dust last night, fortunately was able to chip down to where its not frozen yet, dropped my spare one back in. Poor babies were really thirsty this morning! My cow just drank and drank. Glad I bought a spare this summer! Had to toss the garden hose in the bath tub! Didn't get it drained out enough, and makes it a lot harder getting water from the hydrant with out it.
I agree, am so over winter and ready for spring. Muds not fun but will take that over frigid temps any day.

Yep! C'mon Springtime!

 

[funnyfarmmom]

Frostbite is usually caused by moisture building inside the coop and the moisture freezing on exposed skin, not extreme cold like many assume.  It is usually caused by not having enough ventilation above the birds.  Keeping them locked in would probably worsen the problem since even more moisture is going to build inside the coop with all of them closed in for such a prolonged period of time.  Of course, birds will also get frostbite from dipping wattles/feet in their water in the winter and again, moisture freezing on the skin.  I would make sure you are letting the birds out during the day and look at your ventilation situation in the coop you are seeing the problem.

Hmm...thank you. They have what I would have thought was enough ventilation. But I could always be wrong lol. Theres a 3-4 inch gap above the door, the gap under the eaves all the way around, and two corners opposite each other have small open holes. Plus I put in a ton of fresh dry straw yesterday. He roosts right up under the eaves though. I wonder if some snow slid in on top of his fool head . Ive tried and tried to get him to roost elsewhere but he just wont have it. Gotta show he's king of the coop lol.

 

[Hholly]

If he's up where the vents are, it may be too breezy right on his comb. Can you lower the roost so he's blocked from the draft? I've heard that vaseline can help.