INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ellymayRans]

I had 6 duck eggs due, 3 have now hatched, 1 dead late, 2 candled and see movement in 1. So we shall see. The 3rd hatch is also the atipico or "dusky" type.
Here are the 2 that graduated out of the bator today.

 

[weezerfish]

Hello Everyone,

I'd really appreciate some advice from people more experienced than myself. I have now lost two hens and had two others attacked in my yard after 3 years of being able to free range on our property during the day only. We have a great coop and a large run, but I love seeing my hens out an about. Our neighbors have one year old pups that have been coming over to play with our dogs and at first I didn't put it together (I though it was raccoons), but the other day I had to chase them away after they went for one chicken twice and then another day, I had to rescue a hen that was being eaten by them. I got to her in time and she is recovering (although she looks terrible). I've been really nice to the neighbors and have asked them to compromise with me by keeping their dogs somehow contained on their property at least part of the week. They have said that they do not believe in restraining their dogs and that I must chase them off or shoot them with a pellet gun (we only own a 22), in order to train their dogs to stay away. I love their dogs, but should have to keep my hens in the run 100% of the time because they won't keep their dogs put up even part of the time. Also, I'm not sure if it matters, but we have one small dog that runs free too but we have asked each of our neighbors to let us know if he was a problem in any way and are willing to get a wireless fence to keep him home if he is. We have a 130 lb bullmastiff that does not run free because she would make the neighbors uncomfortable because shes huge and a brindle.

What would you do? Thank you in advance.

Before you shoot someone else's dog, you better make really sure you understand the law on the topic. I absolutely agree 100% that people should keep their dog on their own property, but there was a change in the law a year or two ago In Indiana that addressed this issue specifically. Don't have the details at my fingertips and am really short on time today so I don't have time to track it down, but as I recall it makes the killing of a dog EVEN ON YOUR PROPERTY a crime unless certain circumstances were present. Possibly a felony. Again, just my recollection of the casual conversation that I had with an officer. Lots of awesome chicken advice on here, but this is a legal matter. Whether you'd consider shooting them or not, educate yourself by talking to your local law enforcement. Know the ramifications of what you might do, and think about what you might do in the heat of the moment when your chickens are being attacked.

Update: Found this on the Indiana Code site that would seem to authorize if the attack is in process but not as preemptive. I'd still talk to your sheriff to make sure you know the ins and outs of the law.

15-20-2 Chapter 2. Livestock Killing Dogs IC 15-20-2-1 Liability of owner or harborer
Sec. 1. If a dog kills or injures any livestock while the livestock is in the care, custody, and control of the livestock's owner or the owner's agent, the owner or harborer of the dog is liable to the owner of the livestock for all damages sustained, including reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. IC 15-20-2-2

Authority to kill dog injuring livestock
Sec. 2. A person who observes a dog in the act of killing or injuring livestock may kill the dog if the person has the consent of the person in possession of the real estate on which the dog is found. As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. IC 15-20-2-3 Repealed (As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. Repealed by P.L.60-2014, SEC.1.) IC 15-20-2-4 Repealed (As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. Amended by P.L.1-2009, SEC.114. Repealed by P.L.60-2014, SEC.2.) IC 15-20-2-5 Repealed (As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. Repealed by P.L.60-2014, SEC.3.) IC 15-20-2-6 Repealed (As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. Repealed by P.L.60-2014, SEC.4.) IC 15-20-2-7 Repealed (As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11. Repealed by P.L.60-2014, SEC.5.) Indiana Code 2015

 

[racinchickins]

So 2 of my 3 turkey hens are laying. 1 was attempting to brood and I broke her of that. However I have another that must be as well because I've seen her but day 3 and she still isn't sleeping with the others. I saw her briefly yesterday morning and I have looked for her yesterday and today at different times and cannot find her nesting. I've not found her remains either sooo I am hoping she's still out there. The one came out when I fed this morning but the other didn't. I hate they all look identical so I never know which one I'm seeing unless they are all together. I need to mark them somehow cleverly!

Those of you raising turkeys is there any tricks to finding them?? I had really hoped they would have taken advantage of the large plywood pieces I have leaned in several areas in hopes they would use those as nesting spots so I could then enclose them making it safer for them, but of course they didn't!

I just found a broody turkey hen in a brush pile by the barn, I also have two broody turkeys in the barn. On crawled in the back of a stock tank that was on its side behind some plastic, the other just picked the chickens favorite place to lay in the hay bales and claimed all the eggs!

I had 6 duck eggs due, 3 have now hatched, 1 dead late, 2 candled and see movement in 1. So we shall see. The 3rd hatch is also the atipico or "dusky" type.
Here are the 2 that graduated out of the bator today.

I love that you are seeing so many colors. I hope I get a good variety with my hatch.

 

[racinchickins]

Question for those who have peacocks. One of my males has come up missing. I saw him saturday afternoon, as both males were out displaying. Then when we went to close up the pens that evening, no sign. The other male and both females are still accounted for. We looked all over including driving around the local area. Nothing. Not even any feathers. We were on the property all day, and didn't notice any panic among the flock like there would have been if a predator was around. And other than coyotes, we haven't had anything around that could carry off a full grown peacock without at least leaving some evidence.

Have you ever had one just decide to fly away? I would be surprised that he would vacate with two females on site. I never saw any aggression between the males.

 

[flyladyrocks]

@CRSelvey , so sorry you have had to deal with all this. You've gotten lots of good advice. @weezerfish listed Indiana code, also make sure you know what your city code is for dogs as well as chickens and if there is no code for livestock you need to find out where they fall in the code. The unfortunate reality for you is there are few cities in the US that do not have laws that dogs need to be restrained, either contained by a fence or chained up (and some cities the dogs can only be chained for a certain amount of time), so if you report them, then you may end up with code enforcement problems too. However, the dogs are getting your livestock and that just is not cool. Noone wants to shoot a dog, but if it is threatening your property, or even you cause you are trying to defend your property, sometimes there is no other recourse. Do you rent or own - if you are renting, get consent to protect your property (ie chickens) from your landord so there is no question.
@chick rookie has dealt with the same thing, and it actually ended up with her breaking a leg trying to chase off the neighbor's dogs, so it can end up with bodily harm to you too! It ended up being a huge pain in the neck, and there is no way around it, it will be for you too. Oh and please share a pic of your Brindle Bull Mastiff!

It may help you to install an inexpensive outside camera so you can get the dogs recorded on your property. As @Hholly said, no matter what you end up doing the relationship with your neighbor will suffer. I know it sucks but after almost 17 years of trying to get along with our next door neighbor I have come to realize it just is not possible. Some people are just that way. Very VERY difficult for me as a major people pleaser who likes to keep the peace!

@Indyshent Oh please get a backdated receipt and get an Emu from that link @tmarsh83 sent! Then invite me over when code enforcement shows up cause I want to see the look on their faces! Plus I want to see an Emu in person.

@chick rookie before I forget - your little Billy is so precious! I am so happy he has you to take care of him. It makes me so sad to see such a young kid without his mamma. You seriously should become a livestock rescue once you get this house stuff ironed out. What a DISASTER! And for your dream property too. Have you already closed? If not, the house would probably not pass inspection right now and at the very least would need to be sold for significantly less. I don't know what the contract is like with your mortgage co. or the seller, but if you have not closed, then this could be a major bargaining tool. It will be hard for the seller to get anyone to to buy under these circumstances and he knows it. Even if you have closed, the property is not what you bought - your contract was for a property with a certain value. And it was the tenant the landlord let live there 6 mos. without paying rent that did the damage. What a mess. And what an idiot! But unfortunately the idiot probably will not be able to pay for what he has done.

As for the double wide - it may be something to consider as a TEMPORARY solution to get you on the property sooner but NOT as a permanent. @tmarsh83 and I agree, I'd rather be in a 100 year old farmhouse! Another problem with them, which gets worse each time they are moved, is being sealed water tight which brings you mold problems. So as I think while typing, even as a temporary solution, it may not be a good idea. It is too easy for a temp. thing to end up permanent.

No, we have not gotten to Terre Haute since, well, almost a year ago when we were at your place! Dh's friend comes here so much that we just don't get there. Okay, I just took a picture on my phone of one of your girls, the grey one (Elsa) ended up being a pretty Partridge, but I will have to send that from my phone so it will come a little later. When I can figure out how to get my camera photos onto the computer I have a serious of pics of Anna (the buff) that I must share (no card slot, have to buy one). They are both great layers! They are the only 2 not broody right now and most days I get an egg form both of them. In the next 1 -1 1/2 years we may be in Terre Haute more often. DH is a Chaplain with TruckStop Ministries. He was the Chaplain at the Flying J that burned to the ground here in Indy. They may be expanding to Terre Haute soon, but for now have gone in the opposite direction to Spiceland. But he'd be coming there more often if they get something going at one of the truckstops there. That gives me a good excuse to visit you!

@Faraday40 thought of you a week and a half ago when we made our first trip to the Museum of Science and Industry for robot week. Don't remember where you live in Illinois, but with your passion for science I'll bet you make it there regularly. They asked our robotics team to demo for a day. WOW! What an amazing place. I am so pathetic though, way more to see and do than possible in one day, but I kept going back to the chicks over and over to see how the hatching process was going. Also thought you'd enjoy this un chicken related story - my 15 year old comes downstairs and says "Don't worry I evacuated the dog and my sister..."?????? He decided to do what I told him to and instead of telling me when something is wrong to just take care of it - HA!! He poured bleach AND The Works down the sink drain. Maybe the fumes killed the bats in the attic. Then he asked if it could count as a chemistry lab. I told him that he sorta skipped some steps but write it up and we'll see what you come up with!

@ellymayRans so sorry for your losses and what a precious lab you have to take such good care of the remaining eggs! Glad you have some new hatches to ease the pain.

@racinchickins hope you peacock shows up soon. Haven't you had some birds disappear and then show back up in the past. Hopefully this is one of those situations and no predator gets him.

Okay, I think I have procrastinated enough and need to get some work done.

 

[flyladyrocks]

@chick rookie here is Elsa:

 

[amwchickin]

@CRSelvey - I recently had the same issue, but the dogs doing the killing are my landlord's dogs. We made an agreement that the dogs were either going to be penned up or moved. About two and a half weeks went by with no sign of the dogs...had a fox pair instead...then the other day I saw the main chicken-killing dog on my trail cam. No chickens were killed that day because they were all inside their pens for the night, but it still ticked me off that they had not kept their word. I put up some fencing, bought an automatic coop door, and did some extra things to my coops for protection. I have an Australian Shepherd, but when I am gone, she is indoors. I'm sure when she sees a fox or dog in her yard, she goes nuts, but she can't save them by barking through glass. I am going to be talking to a sheriff's deputy friend of mine to see what kind of action I can take if this continues. My dad is retired police and my brother is working police, and they have both given me their opinions, but I need a more unbiased look at the situation. I am down to two hens - I had 30 chickens in December when I moved to this house. I have a bunch of babies/young chickens, but it will be months before I get eggs going again - one hen is broody (of course...) so I get one egg almost every day. It has really put a damper on things for me. And like many people on here, I am single and doing the homesteading thing on my own. The chicken-keeping has taken over my life - mostly good things, but the extra money spent and heartache because of stupid people is getting to me. GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEIGHBORS!!

@weezerfish - thanks for posting the Indiana codes. I had looked them up myself, but its a good reminder to see that. I have definitely shot after the dogs, but to this point, I have not tried to hit them.

Several neighbors of mine that I have talked to are also concerned about the dogs. People have cats, there is a cattle farm and its getting to be calving season and that farmer is afraid of losing a calf to them. I have asked them all to please back me if things ever get heated up. Sadly, I am already looking at moving options if I don't feel safe from renting from these people anymore.

@Mother2Hens - I forgot to answer back about my dogs. Roxy is actually the only one that lives with me, the other three are part of her family since we breed. We are breeding again soon and I will be keeping one of the pups and training it to be a legitimate LGD and it will stay outside. I am also hoping to buy more fence if I continue to live here so that even Roxy can stay outside once in awhile. She doesn't run off when she's out with me, but being a "velcro" dog, I am afraid that if I leave, she will just try and come find me. So I have plans, just need time and money!! Don't we all though...

 

[ellymayRans]

Question for those who have peacocks.  One of my males has come up missing.  I saw him saturday afternoon, as both males were out displaying. Then when we went to close up the pens that evening, no sign.  The other male and both females are still accounted for.   We looked all over including driving around the local area.  Nothing.  Not even any feathers. We were on the property all day, and didn't notice any panic among the flock like there would have been if a predator was around.  And other than coyotes, we haven't had anything around that could carry off a full grown peacock without at least leaving some evidence.

Have you ever had one just decide to fly away?  I would be surprised that he would vacate with two females on site.  I never saw any aggression between the males.

I've had mine go visit the neighbor for the cat food sitting out and he captured him and called the humane society. The peas that were rescued originated at the property as they lived at the neighbors and when they visited she caught them and kept them. So I would suggest calling animal control. Post locally some fliers. It's possible he wandered to someone's place that decided to capture him. Mine have never left left and that was the only reason they didn't return was because they couldn't. I've read about others having theirs just up and leave but i always figure there was a reason for it.

I hate to hear that though!!

 

[iamfivewire]

lots of stuff yet to do on new coops/runs - sliwer progress in the 81° heat

 

[Faraday40]

@Faraday40 thought of you a week and a half ago when we made our first trip to the Museum of Science and Industry for robot week. Don't remember where you live in Illinois, but with your passion for science I'll bet you make it there regularly. They asked our robotics team to demo for a day. WOW! What an amazing place. I am so pathetic though, way more to see and do than possible in one day, but I kept going back to the chicks over and over to see how the hatching process was going. Also thought you'd enjoy this un chicken related story - my 15 year old comes downstairs and says "Don't worry I evacuated the dog and my sister..."?????? He decided to do what I told him to and instead of telling me when something is wrong to just take care of it - HA!! He poured bleach AND The Works down the sink drain. Maybe the fumes killed the bats in the attic. Then he asked if it could count as a chemistry lab. I told him that he sorta skipped some steps but write it up and we'll see what you come up with!

Yes, the museum was always an annual school field trip as well as the big Bell Labs / Western Electric night. (Basically the private night for all the engineers & their families.) No one ever goes without at least walking by the giant incubator. As a kid I always liked the fairy castle doll house, coal mine tour, submarine, & old town street with movie theater (near the antique dolls & antique car exhibits). I think the antique exhibits are gone, but perhaps a few of the old cars & horse carriages are in a corner of another exhibit.

Glad your son is enjoying science. Also, his creativity will definitely pay off. My DD made a flashlight out of some LEDs, button batteries, craft foam, & colored duct tape. I told her that it looked like a fun science activity. She corrected me & told me it was an art project because she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Likewise DS takes EVERYTHING apart & thankfully he usually puts them back together. (At 18 months, he learned how to pick locks, so his talents could still go either way.) DH is an electrical engineer, so of course DS wants to be professional video game player / streamer. His 2nd career choice = garbage man. He'd get to work with a big truck, sometimes there are cool-looking toys to pick up, and he'd only have to work 1 day a week! Not bad logic for a 6 yr old.

Kids are so much fun!