INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Indyshent]

Woke up to four more brown eggs opened (about half look Cochin) bumbling around the 'bator! Also got my first green and blue eggs of this batch to hatch (and I even marked which came from what!). One green egg hatched (occupant should lay a darker green egg, I think), and one blue egg hatched (occupant will lay green!). Blue egg was from one of three moms, but if it's Cindy's, the baby won't likely get muffs so it's a good thing I marked it!

All total, I think we're up to eleven chicks hatched and more on the way! All of them look to have feathered feet, which doesn't really tell me much because eight laying hens and four roosters (most are likely Mag's, even though he's passed away) have feathered feet.

 

[ellymayRans]

Got a question for everyone .... got a friend well someone I know anyway, that asked me how to get " goat pee smell " out of carpet?  I guess she didn't get the memo about not letting your goat live in the house unless poddy broke.... yuk!!!   Anyway she has tried shampooing with all kinds of pet oder remover stuff, mean green and mean green orange... and vinegar o and baking soda.  I said maybe she just needed to rip up the carpet and start over. Anyone have any ideals??? 

Try oxy clean. Ive not had to get goat pee out...lol..but it works great with little boy pee who sleep walking thought the hallway was the bathroom! ! Boys!?!? Haha!

 

[Leahs Mom]

racin ~ I didn't know what that type of coop...er um… house that is called, but I've seen a similar one at a nearby garden center. I've always thought that it looked cool. I presume that they have the chicken house on a trailer to move it around. That's the largest chicken tractor I've seen! The garden center is part of the family's property and chickens free range in a section. I've posted pics of their peacocks before. They roam around everywhere and sample the plants for sale!

I really do love those monitor houses! Great for ventilation in the summer. and this is pretty cool that they have it on a trailer!

The woods-style or "open air" houses would likely have the whole front of that open year round and then only close the top windows (the monitor windows) in the winter. But the whole front stays open. It's a very interesting concept and seems to be a really healthy home.

 

[Hholly]

Quote:
Natures Miracle enzyme cleaner might work. Ya have to let it dry on its own, and may take multiple applications.

 

[ellymayRans]

So my plan is i am absolutely building pens for every breed very soon, a layer pen and 1 for the turkeys and ducks. I wanted to do this last year and just didn't. This year is a must. Ive lost too many since this past summer. Very bad predator issues. Daytime hawks, coyotes and opossums killing chickens and a Tom, to nighttime predators owl and fox, juvie pea and female ducks!! I can't win!

I like this open style but the coops will each only house approximately 10 chickens each, some less. Is this even possible on a very small scale to be affective?

Thoughts?

My plans are drawn out for the runs and the coop portion is a work in progress. .i plan to free range all of the chickens rotating about an hour each day for each individual pen.

11 runs total. The turkey and duck housing will just be a lean to type as they sleep outside in the elements by choice anyway. The peas will be the only ones not penned. They go in the coop during the day to roost and sleep when all the chickens are out so my hope is that they will roost at night in an empty house which will solve my owl predator issue with them. To date that is the only predator that has successfully ever gotten one.

I know i am adding only 2 more breeds this spring if all goes well with the Sand Hill order several of us here went in together on last spring. That will be Salmon Faverolles and Spangled Russian Orlaf for me.

Ive struggled every year with breeding by breed, such a pain, now adding the losses this is just a must here.

I hate i have soo many breeds but there isn't a one that i am willing to part with but the layer flock as they are just some crosses and other randoms I've taken in or hatchery birds.

Figured i should keep a layer flock so I'm not eating my breeder eggs.. that layer flock though is getting close to rotating out...it will be nice to separate and see who is laying well and able to actually keep records, which i plan to do also!!

A ton of work but what a relief once its all done.. i will then be able to restock my duck hens. So frustrating.

I lost my last duck hen the last snow we got. Got it on my game cam...a fox. Walked right onto the deck and got both in pics, she flew across the pool and it just ran across it since frozen and got her. It was a small fox but that morning no sign of her besides the pics i got of them. I feel awful. Built up from 2 to 4 and one by one within that week all gone. I still have both drakes but seeing the size of the fox they are just too big for it, same for the peas and turkeys out there.

Sorry Janet. I always feel 100x's worse when it was someone else's babies.

Hoping Patrick sets me up with some eggs before his vaca otherwise i will be shopping for hens very soon. I'm keeping penned from day one here. I wish i would have kept it that way. I just couldn't get them after already releasing.
Sorry, just still really sore over the whole ordeal!

 

[abbyf]

Hi everyone,
I have been reading for a while not through the whole thread I must admit.
We ordered our chickens from Cackle hatchery and they are now 9mths old. We have 5 light brahmas mine and 5 speckled Sussex which belong to hubby one of the Sussex is a cockerel "Bruce" Anyone ever seen this cross because Bruce loves him some big fluffly butts.
We are thinking (well me) to add some geese this year, would love some goats to help with honeysuckle and brush control lol but might push hubby over the top.
All this talk of chicks make me wants to buy some would love some dark brahmas and buff and cochins

and now I understand chicken math. Maybe if I get an incubator

Abby

 

[ellymayRans]

Hi everyone,
I have been reading for a while not through the whole thread I must admit.
We ordered our chickens from Cackle hatchery and they are now 9mths old. We have 5 light brahmas mine and 5 speckled Sussex which belong to hubby one of the Sussex is a cockerel "Bruce" Anyone ever seen this cross because Bruce loves him some big fluffly butts.
We are thinking (well me) to add some geese this year, would love some goats to help with honeysuckle and brush control lol but might push hubby over the top.
All this talk of chicks make me wants to buy some would love some dark brahmas and buff and cochins :yiipchick and now I understand chicken math. Maybe if I get an incubator
Abby

Welcome! Well we all know chicken math all too well! Unfortunately all you will get here are a bunch of enablers! !

Some on your list I'm sure folks here may have. You can always look to @jchnny2000 and click on our members link to see a list of breeds kept by the people on our thread as well as their county. Also you can be added to that list if you like.

Where are you located?

Glad you joined us...really great group we have here. Even if we are just going to tell you "Yes, do it, you'll love them!" Lol

 

[ChickCrazed]

I've decided on my summer building project for this year......Get the birds out of the barn! I can't keep anything else in the barn when they are in there. They soil everything, and if it is remotely possible to eat it, it gets torn apart. I tried tarps over some equipment, and they've absolutely shredded them. and then pooped all over what's underneath (and laid eggs under there too....) Also, since it is an old barn, the walls are not air tight and I get some cold breezes no matter what I try. Frostbite has been a problem and the cold this winter has reminded me that I need something that will work in our winters and our summers.

Then I found this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/445004/woods-style-house-in-the-winter

I got the book that is referred to in thread and am starting my planning! It won't be cheap, but I'll get my barn back! I can keep the barn coops for breeding and hospital pens.

That is really cool! If I ever need to build a new coop I would do something similar but build it onto a hay wagon so it could be towed around the property. I'd love to be able to contain them in a large coop but also be able to offer them grass to offset feed costs.

 

[Faraday40]

Soooo teeny tiny!! They are just so easy to keep. My mom loves the little eggs too, super healthy for her to eat. I will only hatch about 60 out at a time and let them mature before adding more. Its easy to get overloaded on them lol.

Wow! That's still a lot!

What kind of noises do quail make? Can you tell males from females easily?

 

[abbyf]

Welcome! Well we all know chicken math all too well! Unfortunately all you will get here are a bunch of enablers! !

Some on your list I'm sure folks here may have. You can always look to @jchnny2000 and click on our members link to see a list of breeds kept by the people on our thread as well as their county. Also you can be added to that list if you like.

Where are you located?

Glad you joined us...really great group we have here. Even if we are just going to tell you "Yes, do it, you'll love them!" Lol

Thanks ellymayRans I am located in pike county.

So far shopping list is some super African geese, dark brahmas, buff brahmas although i think my light are trying to be buff! cochin, a couple of goats, some new sheds lol an incubator plus need to start some new gardens for all the fresh veg for the chickens.