INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have no idea what was going on out here today! My girls and duckies were freaking out! A few hours before sunset (somewhere around 3 pm), they freaked out big time and I ran out to check on them, fully expecting to see a hawk lurking around again. Nothing! A little later, around 4:30, after they had been growling and clucking alarm calls every 20 minutes or so, I checked on them again and they were all in their coops. The hens were huddled under the roosts with Reuben, and my little call ducks were piled in the back corner of their coop. I didn't see anything, not on the ground, not in the air! The only thing out there were the sparrows and the squirrels, and none of them seemed concerned! I ended up closing all my coops at about 4:30, though, just so I would know for sure that my birds were safe. It was just spooky, I still have no clue what was going on!

Weirdest part was that the Guineas were totally fine, not acting out of the ordinary in any way. Whatever had the hens and ducks spooked had to have been in the woods beyond their coops, the side opposite from where the Guinea coop is.

Update on the AI situation in Dubois County:

I think things are settling down.  My first testing came back negative, and they will be back to test in a week or so.  They finally made it up to my parent's house to test theirs. They live much further away from the original farm, but with people going crazy over this, they have expanded the testing zones. Non - chicken / poultry / animal / common-sense / people drive me insane!!! I can't wait till everything is cleared up!

I think a couple of the silkie babies have frizzle in them. I told the seller to not mark them so I would have a surprise! One of them definitely has some upturned wing feathers coming through!

The incubator has been cleaned up and is ready to go again! What do I want to hatch next...?

So glad to hear things are calming down down there! And that your flock is (so far) clean! We need pictures of your Sizzley-Silkie babies!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I plan to hatch blue, black, and splash English Orpingtons,
Lavender Orpingtons (25-50% English),
Chocolate English Orpingtons,
Cuckoo English Orpingtons (Chocolate and Black),
Black split to lavender Orpingtons on demand only,
maybe a few Jubilee Orpingtons,
and last but not least, Bielefelders!

I also have a general question for the masses. I know most of you don't show (except kids in 4-H), and I don't have show quality birds at this time anyway. I'd like some idea of how many people would care if their Orps might carry lavender without knowing for sure without a test breeding at maturity? I'd like to give Cogburn and his sisters something to do this season. They are black split to lavender. Bred to blue, their BBS offspring MIGHT or MIGHT NOT carry lavender. Same if I breed them to my chocolate cuckoo rooster. The offspring will be the "dominant" color (black or chocolate, cuckoo or not), but MIGHT or MIGHT NOT carry lavender.

Let me know. I plan to test a few of Cog's offspring with the blues from last year by breeding them to Janet's lav roo to see if they do or do not carry lavender, but it'll slow me down a bit. I kept three full English Orps out of him and my blue hens (two black pullets and one blue cockerel) that each have a 50% chance of being split to lavender. I'm planning to use my older blue cockerel which is "true blue" for sure until I know otherwise, so it's less of an issue with my BBS. I have one black hen that is "pure black," two of Cogburn's sisters which are split to lav, and the two black pullets of unknown status with respect to lav. I need black girls to breed to my chocolate cuckoo cockerel so I can tell by color what sex the offspring are (chocolate or chocolate cuckoo = female, black or black cuckoo split to chocolate = male).

Lots of interesting thought! Regardless of color, they are an awesome flock bird, and so gentle and social! I know theres a lot of people that would want them just for the beauty and breed.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So i am making the "leap" lol..if thats what you may call it, of raising mealworms.

I know a few of you do. Any suggestions and does anyone here have any that i could buy to start my pop?

There's a person on the BST here that is offering them. Thought I'd check with everyone here first.

I did order mine from ebay. Started almost 4 years ago. The seller shipped double what I bought. I have kept them 4 years. I try to keep mine in 30% gamebird feed as bedding. I toss in a couple mini carrots, or potato slices every week or so. Like everyone said, it better to forget them let them go to beetles, then one day, BOOM they just multiply into thousands! its 12 weeks for a full life cycle, and then you will be amazed what they give you. super good treat, and scovys love them too.

Update on the AI situation in Dubois County:

I think things are settling down. My first testing came back negative, and they will be back to test in a week or so. They finally made it up to my parent's house to test theirs. They live much further away from the original farm, but with people going crazy over this, they have expanded the testing zones. Non - chicken / poultry / animal / common-sense / people drive me insane!!! I can't wait till everything is cleared up!

I think a couple of the silkie babies have frizzle in them. I told the seller to not mark them so I would have a surprise! One of them definitely has some upturned wing feathers coming through!

The incubator has been cleaned up and is ready to go again! What do I want to hatch next...?

Awesome news! Oh, frizzle silkies are the cutest!

Quote: X2 lol!

Quote: Good post.

Quote: I have best luck with scovy eggs to keep humidity a bit higher. 35 day minimum hatch, have had some go to 40!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@Kassaundra Was raising dubia roaches...she had a good system and felt that they were easier and produced good sized bugs. I wonder if she'd stop in over here and tell us if she's still doing it and if she still likes them.

When I think of roaches, I have a hard time not envisioning them escaping and becoming the roaches that ate New York (or something similar).

LOL i do remember her talking about them on another thread. I have 3 phobias.. spiders, bees and ROACHES

I keep revisiting but ewwww.

I have no idea what was going on out here today! My girls and duckies were freaking out!

A few hours before sunset (somewhere around 3 pm), they freaked out big time and I ran out to check on them, fully expecting to see a hawk lurking around again. Nothing! A little later, around 4:30, after they had been growling and clucking alarm calls every 20 minutes or so, I checked on them again and they were all in their coops. The hens were huddled under the roosts with Reuben, and my little call ducks were piled in the back corner of their coop. I didn't see anything, not on the ground, not in the air! The only thing out there were the sparrows and the squirrels, and none of them seemed concerned! I ended up closing all my coops at about 4:30, though, just so I would know for sure that my birds were safe. It was just spooky, I still have no clue what was going on!

Weirdest part was that the Guineas were totally fine, not acting out of the ordinary in any way. Whatever had the hens and ducks spooked had to have been in the woods beyond their coops, the side opposite from where the Guinea coop is.

Quote: Theres been a few occasions I have seen mine act that way, and the guinea were just fine. Something on the wind, a sound maybe?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Many are starting with muscovy this year. They are different in many ways than your "pekin derived" duck breeds. In regards to hatching they are much different also. Here is an excellent article written by @yinepu
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubating-and-hatching-muscovy-eggs

 

[Soylent Chick]

Hello! Does anyone know of feed mills in southwestern Indiana that sells to small backyard chicken keepers? Google has found nothing; often the local businesses don't have a web presence and rely heavily on word-of-mouth.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hello! Does anyone know of feed mills in southwestern Indiana that sells to small backyard chicken keepers? Google has found nothing; often the local businesses don't have a web presence and rely heavily on word-of-mouth.

Welcome to our thread! We have a few folks in the southern part of the state. Hopefully someone can help.

 

[daskhan]

Hello! Does anyone know of feed mills in southwestern Indiana that sells to small backyard chicken keepers? Google has found nothing; often the local businesses don't have a web presence and rely heavily on word-of-mouth.

Best I know of is go to a local feed store and ask.. The small ones usually can point you in the right direction otherwise rural king is pretty awesome

 

[chick rookie]

Just wanted to pop in and say hi. Hope everyone is well and your flocks are doing good. I am feeling better and catching up wth all the chores tht have been either put off or only done 1/2 butted cause my help (DH) don't really know. but I am grateful for the help while I was down, dont know what I would have done without him.
But anyway I have really been busy the past few days and haven't even been able to get on and read post let alone reply to anything, so got alot of catching up to do...
Got some pics I hope ya dont mind me showing off, this is part of what is keeping me so busy... lol

warning picture heavy !!!


Elisa May borrowed Boot's coat so she could get out of the house and stretch her legs a bit... she dont like it at all... lol



From left to right: Lilly, Sandy and Joelin. Lilly using Buddy for a spring board.. lol sorry about the mess been packing up our VHS tapes we never watch anymore.



He should have never moved, now he has all of their attention.. lol





Sandy was trying for the chair... ya got to give her an A for effort... lol Then Joelin wanted to take a nap... Sandy had other plans, Lilly was smart, she went to bed away from rowdy Sandy... lol


The only Doe that did not have babies this year, I think they would have been Awesome kids.


Issy wanted her pic took too... and the boys ( Bert and Ernie ) got to see the outside world for the first time Sunday. They wernt to impressed at first, then they found out they could run, jump and do tricks... and it was on like donkey Kong ... lol but as for the normal, by the time I got the camera it was all over.

The kid next to mom is Bert and the one next to the fence is Ernie.
Hope ya'll enjoyed them, now it's off to make bottles for the does. have a great day all.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I plan to hatch blue, black, and splash English Orpingtons,
Lavender Orpingtons (25-50% English),
Chocolate English Orpingtons,
Cuckoo English Orpingtons (Chocolate and Black),
Black split to lavender Orpingtons on demand only,
maybe a few Jubilee Orpingtons,
and last but not least, Bielefelders!

I also have a general question for the masses. I know most of you don't show (except kids in 4-H), and I don't have show quality birds at this time anyway. I'd like some idea of how many people would care if their Orps might carry lavender without knowing for sure without a test breeding at maturity? I'd like to give Cogburn and his sisters something to do this season. They are black split to lavender. Bred to blue, their BBS offspring MIGHT or MIGHT NOT carry lavender. Same if I breed them to my chocolate cuckoo rooster. The offspring will be the "dominant" color (black or chocolate, cuckoo or not), but MIGHT or MIGHT NOT carry lavender.

Let me know. I plan to test a few of Cog's offspring with the blues from last year by breeding them to Janet's lav roo to see if they do or do not carry lavender, but it'll slow me down a bit. I kept three full English Orps out of him and my blue hens (two black pullets and one blue cockerel) that each have a 50% chance of being split to lavender. I'm planning to use my older blue cockerel which is "true blue" for sure until I know otherwise, so it's less of an issue with my BBS. I have one black hen that is "pure black," two of Cogburn's sisters which are split to lav, and the two black pullets of unknown status with respect to lav. I need black girls to breed to my chocolate cuckoo cockerel so I can tell by color what sex the offspring are (chocolate or chocolate cuckoo = female, black or black cuckoo split to chocolate = male).

Please don't ever share your list again I want at least one of each but don't need chicks this year. LOL. You seriously have a very cool list of breeds and types. I bet you will be busy this year!