INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[tmarsh83]

If he's black and white, he's most likely a black Cochin. Dark Brahmas are more brown and "muckledydun" (as my mom puts it); they feather into black and white later, and some have brown feathers up until their adult molt. Black Cochins can have various amounts of white fluff on them (just like Giants and Australorps); some look more like penguins than others, and once in awhile, you can find them with no white at all. What kind of comb does he have? If it's a pea, he's a Brahma; if it's a single comb, he's a Cochin (unless he has muffs, crest and/or an extra toe, in which case, your LF options just got a lot more interesting). Dark Brahmas actually look very much like muted partridge chicks--lots more gray in their down than normal partridge chipmunks. 

This is why I like this place. Great information. Leaning heavily towards Cochin after looking at chick pics again. Will check for extra toes later. Want them to get settled before I'm messing with them much.

Can you tell combs this early? I blew the picture up and it looks the same as the Australorp who I had a similar angle of.

Noticed the brahma almost have a chipmunk look to them in some of the photos I saw. Seems like Cochin is where it is.

 

[Indyshent]

This is why I like this place. Great information. Leaning heavily towards Cochin after looking at chick pics again. Will check for extra toes later. Want them to get settled before I'm messing with them much.

Can you tell combs this early? I blew the picture up and it looks the same as the Australorp who I had a similar angle of.

Noticed the brahma almost have a chipmunk look to them in some of the photos I saw. Seems like Cochin is where it is.

He looks just like the black Cochins I hatched earlier this year (still have a few about that size). If the comb has one row of tiny knobs, it's single. If it has three rows or doesn't have a lot of definition just yet, it's probably a pea. Other comb to look for would be a v-comb, which would denote the Sultan/Houdan/La Fleche/Polish types. One of the relatives (name escapes me) has no crest but has feathered feet. If it has no comb but has crazy nostrils, it's a Breda (most hatcheries don't carry them, so this isn't likely).

Other options with single combs: Faverolle (if he has muffs) and Langshan.

 

[tmarsh83]

He looks just like the black Cochins I hatched earlier this year (still have a few about that size). If the comb has one row of tiny knobs, it's single. If it has three rows or doesn't have a lot of definition just yet, it's probably a pea. Other comb to look for would be a v-comb, which would denote the Sultan/Houdan/La Fleche/Polish types. One of the relatives (name escapes me) has no crest but has feathered feet. If it has no comb but has crazy nostrils, it's a Breda (most hatcheries don't carry them, so this isn't likely).

Other options with single combs: Faverolle (if he has muffs) and Langshan.

I'm going with cochin then. One row comb, no extra toes, and given what MM carries, cochin is where we land.

All things considered I'm happy with that. Should I add a rooster she may go broody for me, and if he's a roo I've heard more good than bad about their temperament. More variety for a guy that likes variety in the flock. How can you go wrong?

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

Research which ducks you want first! Just like with chickens, there are better layers, pets and/or meat birds. Mallard derived breeds have loud girls and raspy boys. Muscovies are seasonal layers, are exceptionally tasty, quiet all the way around, but they fly and are more susceptible to cold. Both have rapacious boys (Pekins are among the most notorious rapists in barnyard settings). Runners require less water and look like a roving herd of bowling pins; they're also champion egg layers (rather the Leghorn of the duck world). Khaki Campbell are also champion layers, but they like lots of water (like all the other ducks, really even Runners will take a swim every opportunity they get). Pekin hens lay huge eggs all the time--some reports claim hens occasionally lay twice a day. Ducks don't peck at their food; they shovel it in, so, pound for pound, they eat more (and waste more) than any other animal I've kept (except maybe Cornish and BB turkeys, which were both bred to have enormous appetites and get big fast). 

I'm most partial Runners, call ducks and Cayuga. Never had a Cayuga but they're gorgeous, small and can lay black eggs. Runners are roving bowling pins and lay tons of eggs. It's just all the ones I ever get to pick up are ALWAYS male. I can't buy male Rouens, and can't buy female Runners or Pekins. It's a curse. Calls are just bantam ducks; they're adorable-ness incarnate. 

Ooo good to know! I've done research and was leaning towards the Pekins and those are most common around here and read that they are the easiest. I was between the Pekins and the Khaki Campbell. The one thing that made me nervous about having ducks was the migrating and flying away, just cause our farm is close to a lake like 1/2 mile away so there's a lot of ducks and geese flying in and out, but read that you can clip their wings just like chickens.

 

[weezerfish]

Wintering birds isn't bad as long as your coop is big enough and you have enough ventilation to prevent frostbite. Cold doesn't bother chickens like heat does. User Aart has a really good link about ventilation in his signature.

Do you have an idea how many birds you are looking to keep? (double it, at least, once you get them, LOL) Are you planning to free range at all?

Was thinking about 4 to 6 to start with. Mainly because the farm store won't sell smaller numbers. But I guess I've talked with a few people and saw some stuff on here that tells me that would also give us enough eggs for family use and also a few eggstras to give to my folks. Thinking that you're probably right on the number I'll actually want when the dust settles. Trying to keep coop costs down, but I'm guessing that the decision to build the coop is the expensive thing and going slightly larger to accommodate 4 or so more birds probably won't add a ton of cost. Stayed up too late last night looking at ventilation, overwintering, and coop designs. I'll check Aart's link tonight when my kids go to bed.

The free range idea is appealing, and I think we have the room to do it. The snag would be predation, but not what you might think. We have awesome neighbors who are good friends. They have an equally awesome dog whom I love like my own. She's a mini-schnauzer that has a knack for catching song birds out of the air, so I'm quite certain the chickens won't fare to well when she's out. So rather than upset the apple cart, I'm going to try to build a decent sized run to begin and then later a tractor so I can move them around a bit.

 

[dennislambert79]

Research which ducks you want first! Just like with chickens, there are better layers, pets and/or meat
birds. Mallard derived breeds have loud girls and raspy boys. Muscovies are seasonal layers, are exceptionally tasty, quiet all the way around, but they fly and are more susceptible to cold. Both have rapacious boys (Pekins are among the most notorious rapists in barnyard settings). Runners require less water and look like a roving herd of bowling pins; they're also champion egg layers (rather the Leghorn of the duck world). Khaki Campbell are also champion layers, but they like lots of water (like all the other ducks, really even Runners will take a swim every opportunity they get). Pekin hens lay huge eggs all the time--some reports claim hens occasionally lay twice a day. Ducks don't peck at their food; they shovel it in, so, pound for pound, they eat more (and waste more) than any other animal I've kept (except maybe Cornish and BB turkeys, which were both bred to have enormous appetites and get big fast). 

I'm most partial Runners, call ducks and Cayuga. Never had a Cayuga but they're gorgeous, small and can lay black eggs. Runners are roving bowling pins and lay tons of eggs. It's just all the ones I ever get to pick up are ALWAYS male. I can't buy male Rouens, and can't buy female Runners or Pekins. It's a curse. Calls are just bantam ducks; they're adorable-ness incarnate. 

I love Runners I've got one male and a female Peking. My runner he needs more girls. I've got a few rescue chickens he kinda crew up with and their missing some feathers because of him. I tried taking them out and move them in the main coop but he quacks at them and they find their way right back to him.

 

[kabhyper1]

Quote:
If it is a cochin it will have a straight comb. That comb looks pea to me. I think you have a black Brahma.

 

[James Beller]

I MUCH PREFER having a wooded area for the chickens. It gives them lots of brush to hide under if there are hawks in the area. MUCH BETTER than open pasture.

They also have the great ground that is covered with leaves and forest debris. Makes a great area to scratch through and get lots to eat.

If you're concerned that they'll go to far - or that dogs, etc., may come through, I highly recommend getting portable electric netting. I use it to deter ground animals. Mine free-range while I'm away at work and part of it is the woods. I plan on expanding them more into the woods as time goes on as it's so healthy for them!


There is a regular fence to the front but the back side toward the larger woods I use the electric net with a solar charger. Any ground predator will hit the fence with nose first and get a shock, deterring them from going back for more. Fully movable. I get mine from Premier. I use the Poultry Net Plus with double spikes https://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/fencing.php?fence_id=30 But there are lots of other choices. Mine is the 48" high.https://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/fencing.php?fence_id=30 100 ft green roll but I kind of wish I had gotten white.

The last picture the gold one in the back i have that same color she is rose comb and bantam what color is it?????

These photos show the netting at the back of the little woods. Since these were taken I've moved their territory farther back to include more of the "larger woods".

I also keep an outdoor run for times that they need to be confined so they can still go outside. You can see it in the background of the first photo.










Can you find the camo kids?

Last picture gold one i have that color she is rose comb and bantam very beautiful. What color is it???

 

[tiffmw10]

Hi all! Are there any Call Duck breeders around NW Indiana?

 

[Leahs Mom]

These 3 girls are Swedish flower Hens. They were pretty young in this photo - maybe 18 weeks.

Her color would, I believe, be considered milfluer. And it's not a rose comb on these girls. I think they just look that way because they're pretty young.

This is a better exhibit of the coloring of the Swedish Flower Hen - black based mil fluer.







And just for the fun of it (since I haven't posted many photos lately.....)

Here are the 2 predominantly black SFH girls now that they are older.













And a blue based. This girl has a crest and - I admit - I DO NOT LIKE CRESTS. So I only take uncrested.