INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Greenthumb83]

Unless zoning prohibits it, more than one rooster isn't necessarily a bad thing. The extra guy functions as a spare in the event #1 dies in the line of duty. He makes for two more eyes and ears should danger come knocking. You'll want plenty of girls to spread the love around, but each boy will pick his favorites. I've seen flocks with 30 hens and one roo, and he only mated about four as his special favorites. I have six adult roos and three up-and-comers with 25 laying hens and half a dozen pullets (soon to be laying or have recently started)--and I still get infertile eggs, and have two bare-back hens who appear to be popular with everyone. 

Skiddish is an EE thing. Most EEs are really curious about everything but don't like people grabbing for them or getting picked up. Most of mine will eat out of my hand. A wily disposition appears to be the norm.  

That's what I was hoping for in the beginning. Then I got worried 16 hens wouldn't be enough for two roos. I probably googled too much. We live on nearly 100 acres (much of which is rented for crops), but there "should" be plenty of room for a very happy flock. The coop is 10x12 and the run will be plenty big, so a little room for growth. My main concerns are that they not attack my children and are good protectors. We have a lot of predators, including neighbor dogs and strays that show up regularly. I am starting to think they like getting shot in the but with the pellet gun lol.

Makes sense about the EE haha. I've noticed that about them from the start. Eleanor, the most curious, eats from my hand, but the other two just hide. I don't push though. I only hold who wants to be held. When we got them they all pretty much looked the same. Now they are all three different. They are a lot of fun.

I think we will put our extra Roos in a tractor eventually. When is a good time to separate them from my flock, and how far away should they be?

 

[chick rookie]

Just checking in will try and catch up latter. I hope everyone's troubles has stopped and life is looking up for all. M2H I think of you often and hope things are better.

We were able to get out of buying the new place, it wasn't what we bought and hadn't taken possession yet so it was still the seller's place. So now we are back to square 1. I'm heartbroken but it's for the best cause we could not afford to fix all that damage.
What really ticks me off is knowing that in the end that ----------------- will get away with it, cant get blood out of a turnip!!
I'll be back when I'm in better spirits. Hope everyone has a great day.
@Indyshent I hope your feeling better, @SallyinIndiana I hope you doing well. If I missed anyone it's not because I dont care it's just due to mind block right now.

 

[Greenthumb83]

Just checking in will try and catch up latter. I hope everyone's troubles has stopped and life is looking up for all. M2H I think of you often and hope things are better. 
 We were able to get out of buying the new place, it wasn't what we bought and hadn't taken possession yet so it was still the seller's place. So now we are back to square 1. I'm heartbroken but it's for the best cause we could not afford to fix all that damage. 
 What really ticks me off is knowing that in the end that ----------------- will get away with it, cant get blood out of a turnip!! 
I'll be back when I'm in better spirits. Hope everyone has a great day.
 @Indyshent
  I hope your feeling better, @SallyinIndiana
 I hope you doing well.  If I missed anyone it's not because I dont care it's just due to mind block right now. 

I was just wondering how you were doing. Sorry you had to walk away from the house, but glad you didn't get stuck with it. I wish you the best in finding a new one. Are you trying to stay near TH?

 

[Leahs Mom]

A question for free-rangers that don't have an outdoor pen.

For the first time since moving the birds to the pole barn I'm going to be integrating new chicks. The barn doesn't have an outdoor confinement pen attached so they are either in or out on range.

At my hen shed there is an outdoor pen that can be divided so the adults could go out to range and the kiddos could stay in a covered kennel pen until older and "safer" from hawks.


So... How do those of you that don't have an outdoor pen work on integrating the kiddos into the flock? I don't like mine out in the "big world" until they're pretty large and it pains me to think of having these kiddos inside with no outdoor time for that long. How do others handle that?

I'm contemplating ways to make make them an outdoor pen but it's hard to get them from their indoor pen to the outer door in the barn. So in the meantime, looking for ideas of how other folks do it!

 

[Hholly]

A question for free-rangers that don't have an outdoor pen.


For the first time since moving the birds to the pole barn I'm going to be integrating new chicks. The barn doesn't have an outdoor confinement pen attached so they are either in or out on range.

At my hen shed there is an outdoor pen that can be divided so the adults could go out to range and the kiddos could stay in a covered kennel pen until older and "safer" from hawks.


So... How do those of you that don't have an outdoor pen work on integrating the kiddos into the flock? I don't like mine out in the "big world" until they're pretty large and it pains me to think of having these kiddos inside with no outdoor time for that long. How do others handle that?

I'm contemplating ways to make make them an outdoor pen but it's hard to get them from their indoor pen to the outer door in the barn.  So in the meantime, looking for ideas of how other folks do it!

Could you just make a little moveable pen out of 2x2s and chicken wire? Like 4'x8'x2'? With a hanging waterer and feeder. Just an idea. Or a dog exercise pen with netting over the top.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Anyone want some chicken netting. I have 2 pens that need the netting taken down. If you can help take the netting down it is yours.

 

[Indyshent]

Lost two grown hens (both Brahmas) and one of the broody-raised bitties over the last two days. All had been erstwhile healthy, then suddenly dead. Both hens had purple combs when recovered, but that's apparently normal (?). One hen was under the coop-to-be, the other on the floor of the current coop. I'm starting to wonder if this child is being sneakier about how many and when he kills/maims them. The big hen this morning looked like she might have been throttled because her neck was pretty limp. I really don't want to blame this on the kid if there's something else killing these birds, though.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Indyshent

Is it possible that poison could be involved?

 

[Greenthumb83]

Lost two grown hens (both Brahmas) and one of the broody-raised bitties over the last two days. All had been erstwhile healthy, then suddenly dead. Both hens had purple combs when recovered, but that's apparently normal (?). One hen was under the coop-to-be, the other on the floor of the current coop. I'm starting to wonder if this child is being sneakier about how many and when he kills/maims them. The big hen this morning looked like she might have been throttled because her neck was pretty limp. I really don't want to blame this on the kid if there's something else killing these birds, though. 

That's so disturbing and sad. Could you set up surveillance so that you can be positive of what's happening, while also getting proof for the authorities?

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS:

I know someone that had a roo get into poison. Perfectly normal in the morning, then staggering, blue comb in the afternoon. Dies within the hour. In that case, neighbors had just had the exterminator out and roo visited there - probably either got mouse poison or roach poison.


Re the kid... When my parents used to raise collies, someone once fed one of their dogs bread in which they had hidden poison. We think the situation was similar...they found a piece of the bread w/the poison in in.