INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[flyladyrocks]

You guys do deep litter I am guessing?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@Indyshent if you want pheasants you better get them before April 1 b/c they are not on the allowed list for our lovely rezoning! (And if you get them I wanna come see, they are soo darn perty!)

In case you can't all tell from my post below I am less than happy about the new zoning. What I learned in trying to fight this was I was fighting a one woman battle

(once again special thanks to @Dreamwalker for providing much needed moral support at more than one meeting!) that few knew about and that in reality the City Council was going pass with a few minor changes to an over 700 pg. document b/c of a multi million dollar HUD grant that was used to create this albatross. Sure, the Councilors would act like they cared what the few who showed up thought, but public comments were pushed off over and over and it had too much covered in it to not pass it just because a couple people showed up at the meeting and were against it. In the end, only ONE councilor on the committee who passed this on to the whole council with a recommendation to pass, voted against the recommendation with obvious disgust.

Indy Rezone Reminder:

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings,

but just an unhappy reminder if you live in Indianapolis, in case you did not know, Indy Rezone is a done deal. So if you live in Indianapolis make sure you know the new laws taking effect.

Indy Rezone takes affect April 1! If you want to be grandfathered in with more than 12 birds, more than one rooster, or birds other than chickens, quail, pigeons or ducks, my understanding is you need ADULT birds 8 months or older at that time (this definition of adult is in the footnotes). There are also limits on other livestock - see pg. 527 for the permitted livestock table.

(kinda humorous that one of our councilors went over the official numbers so his chickens were grandfathered in!)

From the Gov. website:
The Metropolitan Development Commission approved the amended version of the Consolidated Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance on October 7, 2015 which was the final step in the adoption process. The new ordinance will take effect on April 1, 2016.
The six month time period between the adoption date and the effective date will be used to train city staff and modify administrative procedures. There will also be training sessions for practicioners and developers to help them understand the new ordinance. In addition, there will be an outreach effort to inform the general public about the new ordinance. (HA!)
very little outreach has been done, and it has barely been publicized. You can find a public meeting to attend here: http://www.inrc.org/zoning You must register and I am not even sure livestock is covered at any of them from the list I've seen of topics. To see the meeting dates you must click "select" below "Please select which date you would like to attend?"

Here is the link
with the document on Indy.gov (this link has changed AGAIN even our new councilman had a hard time finding it!):
http://www.indy.gov/egov/City/DMD/Current/Pages/ordinance.aspx

Here are page numbers - these are the pages printed in the actual document (in my pdf reader the pages are slightly different)
.

• Agricultural uses, Farmers Market, Garden as Primary use (Pg. 483-486) (in a very logical place, right between substance abuse and adult entertainment!)
• Personal Garden, Personal Livestock (pgs. 526-528) (again in an easy to find location right between Dry-cleaning/Laundry and Outdoor storage!)
• The only thing that would be considered “Grandfathering in” what you currently have/are doing- "Applications and Nonconformities" begins pg. 118.

The entire code can be downloaded at the top of the page above. If you scroll down to the very bottom of the page you can download the "draft" of the livestock license.
HOWEVER PLEASE NOTE: The Personal Livestock License is limited to ONLY chickens quail, pigeons or ducks. And you are bound by certain restrictions, which is why you are better off to have adult animals outside these numbers before April 1 so you are Grandfathered in!

Also, if you want to be Grandfathered in you need proof! When we asked one of the authors of the document how to prove what we have, these methods were mentioned (but there is nothing printed anywhere explaining how anyone can prove to Code Enforcement that they had these things before April 1):
1. Receipts
2. Pictures with a Date stamp
3. Pictures if your animals with a copy of the Indianapolis star

Okay, on to happier things like a sink full of dishes and those lesson plans I still need to work on!
THANK YOU for your hard work fighting this new ordinance. INDY FOLKS YOU ALL NEED TO READ THIS POST!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Going to bed but did one more water change for ducks and geese. I am carrying water to every coop to keep electric bill down. Did I mention I hate winter?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Winter seems much worse when you have animals. Funny how I never really noticed weather much before I had animals except that I don't like cold. Now I look at temps every day and forecasts to figure out what to do or not do out there.

I do think I'm much better acclimated to the cold since having animals, however, because I'm out in it more. Before having the chickens I just stayed in all winter except to go between house/car/work/store etc. Now I don't notice the cold as much since I'm used to being in it more. And 30F feels like a heat wave.

Still don't like cold for sure.

 

[ellymayRans]

Been extremely busy these past few weeks!! Remodeled the hall bath, replaced all but the shower/tub insert. That was last week then started on the living area Thursday. Removed everything, painted, ripped up all of the carpet, removed ceramic tile in the foyer and installed new Pergo flooring. We love it! But wow!! 24 cartons, 480 square feet, great room, foyer and hallway! It took us 2 days to complete the flooring from morning til morning! Sheesh! Needless to say my knees, ankles,feet and hands hurt sooo bad!
Bathroom
Before

After (still touching up at that time and quarter round yet to install)

Living room
I didn't really take a good before pic, wish I would have. You cN see the beige carpet and blue walls atleast. My 9 yr old!

After
I also want to note that pics don't do the wall color justice. Funny we have a daytime color and night time color but neither actually look like they do in the pics.

I didn't have a better after pic on this phone. I'll post a better later.

Then to top my weekend off my beautiful little frizzled olive egger girl surprised me!
She is in a run in the garage with the Silkies and her Cochin girl hatch mate. Can you find her egg amongst the little silkie eggs?!?

 

[slutter]

I do. Its less labor, and since I compost with so many other species its an awesome mix. I try to turn the coop floors and add new bedding as often as possible. We have a mound of compost DH turns with the tractor.Its right by our garden plot. We do compost from the hogs separately. They eat a lot of things I want more time for it to decompose. I have a pile for carnivore type species, and another for vegetarian species.

Quote: I have heard a lot of good things about it, I know it would be ok for them just for whatever reason though I do not like it and have not tried it...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Winter seems much worse when you have animals. Funny how I never really noticed weather much before I had animals except that I don't like cold. Now I look at temps every day and forecasts to figure out what to do or not do out there.

I do think I'm much better acclimated to the cold since having animals, however, because I'm out in it more. Before having the chickens I just stayed in all winter except to go between house/car/work/store etc. Now I don't notice the cold as much since I'm used to being in it more. And 30F feels like a heat wave.

Still don't like cold for sure.

i have to agree with you on that! I flat hate winter lol, but I can handle it better now than I used to. Its a rare day if I don't go outside like last week when I had the flu. MY DH and nephew had to handle it without me.

Been extremely busy these past few weeks!! Remodeled the hall bath, replaced all but the shower/tub insert. That was last week then started on the living area Thursday. Removed everything, painted, ripped up all of the carpet, removed ceramic tile in the foyer and installed new Pergo flooring. We love it! But wow!! 24 cartons, 480 square feet, great room, foyer and hallway! It took us 2 days to complete the flooring from morning til morning! Sheesh! Needless to say my knees, ankles,feet and hands hurt sooo bad!
Bathroom
Before

After (still touching up at that time and quarter round yet to install)


Living room
I didn't really take a good before pic, wish I would have. You cN see the beige carpet and blue walls atleast. My 9 yr old!

After
I also want to note that pics don't do the wall color justice. Funny we have a daytime color and night time color but neither actually look like they do in the pics.


I didn't have a better after pic on this phone. I'll post a better later.

Then to top my weekend off my beautiful little frizzled olive egger girl surprised me!
She is in a run in the garage with the Silkies and her Cochin girl hatch mate. Can you find her egg amongst the little silkie eggs?!?

Wow, I love the remodel! We are still limping along for ours.
Love the egg color!

 

[farmguy2007]

Looks like everyone is busy busy!! With this break in the cold we are hoping to get some poultry projects buttoned up...newly acquired guineas and our chickens have really bonded nicely seems to be very little if any squabbles amongst the flock!! Can't wait for some hatching action this year!! FG07 some pics of the flocks first time out in just over a week,went really well guineas went right in the coop tonight!

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

I have heard a lot of good things about it, I know it would be ok for them just for whatever reason though I do not like it and have not tried it...

I have always been interested in composing but never have tried it. So thankful that my dad doesn't care that I throw all the chicken poo and straw in the fields. Easier for him to till it up than me!! But I hate the cold. I don't understand why it was easier when I was younger to handle the cold than it is for me now...now I bundle up up up!! Lol and now this weekend they are calling for 50 degrees!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Looks like everyone is busy busy!! With this break in the cold we are hoping to get some poultry projects buttoned up...newly acquired guineas and our chickens have really bonded nicely seems to be very little if any squabbles amongst the flock!! Can't wait for some hatching action this year!! FG07 some pics of the flocks first time out in just over a week,went really well guineas went right in the coop tonight!

Aww! They look so happy, am glad the guineas settled in so well.

Quote: Totally agree about winter.. hate it. The last few years cold really bothers me more, but am 52 and guess as you get older its not as easy.. I just love being outdoors, and with my critters. Spent a few nights outside with a sick calf or a goat doe giving birth too, its all part of it. Several nights outside watching to see what predators are after my chickens and other birds. I would not trade a moment of it for a "regular job".
Composting has so many benefits, and in my situation I have to. With sooooo many animals, all that poop has to go somewhere! When DH or I have to turn the piles all the free range birds are running to it. in those awesome piles are so many bugs, grubs etc. It has so many benefits and since I have a large garden, that also is a plus. I try to be sure nothing is wasted here.