INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[HelloChickies]

@pbirdhaven ...LOL! "After two springs of suck-your-boots-off mud"
Boy, isn't that the truth!!!

My foot literally came out of my boot a couple weeks ago, so that made me laugh! (I'm so thankful for the last few beautiful days we've had.)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Anyone raise houdans? I have ready that they are great layers in the summer but wonder about in the cooler/colder months. I love the fact that they seem to be so persona le. I think the kids would love to have a few.

I took a look at the member list, you can see it here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zqcpdsOAzQeuVVHn8z-MK57ml5LMd7-F167MOavaFl0/edit#gid=0

Doesn't appear that we have anyone with Houdan listed. Sounds like a good choice!

@pbirdhaven ...LOL! "After two springs of suck-your-boots-off mud"
Boy, isn't that the truth!!!

My foot literally came out of my boot a couple weeks ago, so that made me laugh! (I'm so thankful for the last few beautiful days we've had.)

I almost lost a boot in the hog waller the other day

thats some really gross mud! Dropped my phone in the pen, and all 4 thought it was a treat, ugh! that wasn't fun but got it back undamaged.

 

[racinchickins]

I have 7 BCM roosters out of 10

How should I go about keeping one out of the bunch? They are all pretty fiesty. I've noticed one has a floppy comb and about 3 of the others have a shorter outside toe. (I did not hatch them, I bought them from someone one here). New to BCM but I want to keep the one with the best traits.

Deciding who to keep can be tough. Do you want a roo for breeding? or just to protect the hens? If you are hoping to keep the one with the best confirmation for breeding, you are going to have to wait until they fully feather out with their adult feathers, and that can take up to a year or more. And you don't want to cull because of just one obvious fault, you are looking for the best overall. And I cannot stress enough that personality needs to be one of the most important factors. You don't want to keep a perfect looking roo that flogs you every time you get near him. Aggressiveness is the one fault that sends a roo to freezer camp no matter how pretty he is at my place. There is a lot of good info on the net about how to judge what chicken to keep or cull, I'd definitely take advantage of that if you can. In the end, I've still had to resort to a judgement call on some of mine. If nothing else separates them, I keep the roo I like more.

Has anyone had chicks who obsessively peck at the brooder box?
I just got my chicks yesterday (Friday) and on and off all day today they have been taking turns pecking at the side of the brooder box. There is a little tiny hole there where I nailed in a perch. Before I got these chicks I raised the perch a little higher. The old nail site is where they are pecking. I don't think it's anything to worry about, I was just curious. Maybe they are bored?

Perfectly normal. Anytime I move chicks into a brooder, or from one brooder to another, they examine the walls and peck at anything that doesn't look like the rest of the wall. And if a chick pecks at something, the rest all run over to check out the same thing. Pretty soon it sounds like a woodpecker....tap tap tap tap

 

[Hholly]

Hey everybody. I have an issue with one of my young pullets I'm hoping someone can help me with. Yesterday I saw this girl eat something white. It was a man made object that appeared rubbery. I saw her being chased over it and was too late to get it away from her before she downed it. She almost immediately seemed down afterwards. Everyone else was free ranging and she laid down and closed her eyes. Today she is slow moving and hunched up. Her crop feels empty/squishy. No interest in food. What can I do for her? I try to keep things picked up but I'm always finding pieces of plastic and other debris around here. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Carole AM]

How do we edit this list? I tried and it doesn't work for me.

 

[Leahs Mom]

How do we edit this list? I tried and it doesn't work for me.

Do you mean edit a post? Or do you mean to tag something?

I tried tagging and it won't let me.

 

[Bawk]

HI everyone.

I am trying to find a "non-dinner-table" home for our Gold Brabanter Rooster. His name is Road Runner and he was a July 4, 2015 hatch. He is beautiful and good with the hens except for our Tolbunt Polish Frizzle, he has pulled her feathers almost bald on back and she hides from him. We have one more smooth Polish, a Gold Laced Polish hen and we have two cream legbar hens, they are all fine except he's bullying the TP frizzle, she's a favorite of ours and of our little friends who visit.

So we'd rather find a home for him.

Putting this up here just in case anyone may be interested in him, we want him to go to a free range home if possible or just with someone who will be good to him.

 

[Indyshent]

Hey everybody. I have an issue with one of my young pullets I'm hoping someone can help me with. Yesterday I saw this girl eat something white. It was a man made object that appeared rubbery. I saw her being chased over it and was too late to get it away from her before she downed it. She almost immediately seemed down afterwards. Everyone else was free ranging and she laid down and closed her eyes. Today she is slow moving and hunched up. Her crop feels empty/squishy. No interest in food. What can I do for her? I try to keep things picked up but I'm always finding pieces of plastic and other debris around here. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The "squishy" sounds like an impaction, so you'll want to try looking up tips on dealing with that. Most owners seem to advocate separating the bird, providing water but withholding food, and massaging the crop to help food and the obstructing object down the tube so the crop can empty. Some put oils or other lubricating agents down the hatch, too.

 

[Indyshent]

HI everyone.

I am trying to find a "non-dinner-table" home for our Gold Brabanter Rooster. His name is Road Runner and he was a July 4, 2015 hatch. He is beautiful and good with the hens except for our Tolbunt Polish Frizzle, he has pulled her feathers almost bald on back and she hides from him. We have one more smooth Polish, a Gold Laced Polish hen and we have two cream legbar hens, they are all fine except he's bullying the TP frizzle, she's a favorite of ours and of our little friends who visit.

So we'd rather find a home for him.

Putting this up here just in case anyone may be interested in him, we want him to go to a free range home if possible or just with someone who will be good to him.

Hmm, sounds more like she's his favorite gal than his intentional victim by that description. Have you tried getting a saddle for her?

 

[Bawk]

I too thought she must be more fertile, favorite gal but she has dried blood I just saw today where he has really hurt her. She's terrified of him and hides. When I opened the door to the chicken house she was trying to get out. She's never in the run because she's trying to hide from him. She never walks with him as the others do either. I have never seen a hen look so bad. He is good to the other three; they sometimes avoid him but she can't see to avoid him when he makes a move also.