INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Chaneys Ranch]

Hey everyone, let me know who is still active as far as a "contributor" to our thread. Many folks have moved on due to life events and interest in keeping chickens. When we started our thread about 4 years ago I wanted to be sure we had folks involved.
Contributors just keep members list updated and help us know about shows and swap events.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

We have been trying to get our main pasture dried up. Ag lime is awesome stuff! Scraped about 4 inches of muck, added lime and topped new soil on the traffic areas. We are in a valley so keeping low spots dry is a pain. Problem areas are at the hay and water stations. Everything we scrape up gets dumped on the garden plot.
Its nice to walk out to our main pasture without boots on! My cows and goats sure like dry hooves too. Found it was surprising the chickens especially hens were eating the ag lime. All my poultry have free choice oyster shell.

 

[Crista]

Just trying to figure out how to join the Indiana forum!

Welcome to the party

 

[Indyshent]

Back in July I gave into my 10yr olds request (plea) for a lionhead

!! I adore her and then of course the 7 yr old was jealous and I came across a family rehoming another. So we made the trip and now both boys have their very own but as with most kids I believe mom is taking care of them and loving them to death! They are now free in the house and litter trained!

Our dog and cat are great with them and 1 of the bunnies is quite fond of the cat!

All has been well here and not a single loss since penning all the birds. However I've been so depressed about it and especially the Peas

Agreed, it bothers me a lot. No life for them all being confined, and makes me very uneasy too. I free range each coop on rotation daily. RIR were out today, Wyandottes get a turn tomorrow. I miss seeing my yard dotted with chickens. Don't miss the losses from predators.

Welcome to BYC and our thread!

I hope someone can take them. I have to downsize a lot more here or I would myself.

I had to pen them all up this morning because another (much larger) duckling disappeared yesterday. No clue what's doing it. There's never any sign. No blood, no fluff, no bones, no nothing. The whole bird disappears without a single trace or sign of a struggle. I'm down to one Runner and one Cayuga now. Nothing in the traps.

Penned everyone up, and the Spanish Black girls were pacing the fence, making noises at me. "Mom, what did we do?" Was too sad for words. I felt like I'd betrayed them. going to have to find a way to make more perches in there.

 

[Crista]

@JanetMarie@jchn

Ok. Last call. 6 month old buff and buff/ barred rock layers for sale. Organic non gmo feed and free ranged. They re so much fun, but I am overrun with sggs and need to decrease the flock.

I hate to do it but the ones left will go to freezer camp next week.

I highly recommend these. They are great layers, beautiful, and have a wonderful disposition. I call them my "Sweetness" birds. That was the name of my first hen of that mix.

Thankyou both. They are lovely and so sociable. I m going to miss them either way. But my preference is I m hoping someone will want them.

 

[tmctlt]

I had to pen them all up this morning because another (much larger) duckling disappeared yesterday. No clue what's doing it. There's never any sign. No blood, no fluff, no bones, no nothing. " The whole bird disappears without a single trace or sign of a struggle. I'm down to one Runner and one Cayuga now. Nothing in the traps."

Penned everyone up, and the Spanish Black girls were pacing the fence, making noises at me. "Mom, what did we do?" Was too sad for words. I felt like I'd betrayed them. going to have to find a way to make more perches in there.

This is what happened with the one (1) that we lost last season when it came time to get them back in the coup....we discovered one of our Barred's gone. Haven't lost any since but would still like to know what got her.

 

[tmarsh83]

I had to pen them all up this morning because another (much larger) duckling disappeared yesterday. No clue what's doing it. There's never any sign. No blood, no fluff, no bones, no nothing. The whole bird disappears without a single trace or sign of a struggle. I'm down to one Runner and one Cayuga now. Nothing in the traps.

Penned everyone up, and the Spanish Black girls were pacing the fence, making noises at me. "Mom, what did we do?" Was too sad for words. I felt like I'd betrayed them. going to have to find a way to make more perches in there.

Did you ever get that situation sorted out with the neighbor kid you were suspicious of earlier this year?

 

[tmarsh83]

The septic system is almost replaced so the birds here will be ranging again. I've been lucky with the predator thing, but with the golden and the rott running around, and the trees for cover, it's been pretty good.

We did have a hawk a couple weeks ago, but Biggy had the girls hemmed up and under cover of the big pine tree before the bird could get close. It was the first time I had actually seen the alarm, and how they all reacted. Pretty cool really.

Hoping the egg counts start going back up with them ranging again. Terrible week this last week.

Of course this whole month has been pretty weak for eggs because I started keeping track of eggs and expenses on a spreadsheet. So frustrating to actually see it when it's been a bad month. LOL

On the bright side, I've almost sourced all my parts for my plucker build for meat birds next year, and also managed to scrape together most of the materials I need for a tractor for them as well. Planning on cleaning the coop out and rebedding near the end of the month. I was suspicious of the DLM, coming from the horse world, it just wouldn't have worked, LOL, but I've been really pleased at how the odor has stayed down and the coop pretty clean. Getting a compost area ready on the garden for the coop litter and the leaves that will be coming shortly. Primary problem is going to be keeping the rott pup out of all the butt candy...darn him...

Thinking I will just loop a hog panel around on itself as a compost corral, turn it every so often, then spread it right before we till in the spring. OR, move it off the garden and just shovel it into rows as plants get going. Haven't decided.

Need to get new straw and mulch the strawberry bed as well. Mostly though, things are ready for winter, except for getting power ran to my coop. Need to run tank heaters this winter, and would LIKE to install an auto coop door motor as well eventually.

But i'm rambling...

 

[UrbanRoots]

@UrbanRoots


Just join right in! 


And...better post some photos of your flock

I will definitely post some pics! Once I figure out how LOL

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
With no signs I would really suspect an owl. They come in and grab so fast, there are rarely any feathers shed. I know how you feel, I have all but Physco penned and my little mallards always look so sad.

@JanetMarie jchn
Quote: Thankyou both. They are lovely and so sociable. I m going to miss them either way. But my preference is
I m hoping someone will want them.

Fingers crossed!

The septic system is almost replaced so the birds here will be ranging again. I've been lucky with the predator thing, but with the golden and the rott running around, and the trees for cover, it's been pretty good.

We did have a hawk a couple weeks ago, but Biggy had the girls hemmed up and under cover of the big pine tree before the bird could get close. It was the first time I had actually seen the alarm, and how they all reacted. Pretty cool really.

Hoping the egg counts start going back up with them ranging again. Terrible week this last week.

Of course this whole month has been pretty weak for eggs because I started keeping track of eggs and expenses on a spreadsheet. So frustrating to actually see it when it's been a bad month. LOL

On the bright side, I've almost sourced all my parts for my plucker build for meat birds next year, and also managed to scrape together most of the materials I need for a tractor for them as well. Planning on cleaning the coop out and rebedding near the end of the month. I was suspicious of the DLM, coming from the horse world, it just wouldn't have worked, LOL, but I've been really pleased at how the odor has stayed down and the coop pretty clean. Getting a compost area ready on the garden for the coop litter and the leaves that will be coming shortly. Primary problem is going to be keeping the rott pup out of all the butt candy...darn him...

Thinking I will just loop a hog panel around on itself as a compost corral, turn it every so often, then spread it right before we till in the spring. OR, move it off the garden and just shovel it into rows as plants get going. Haven't decided.

Need to get new straw and mulch the strawberry bed as well. Mostly though, things are ready for winter, except for getting power ran to my coop. Need to run tank heaters this winter, and would LIKE to install an auto coop door motor as well eventually.

But i'm rambling...

Please continue the rambles! I enjoy reading other folks thoughts on management! Lots of great ideas.

Quote: I think there is a number of posts you have to make before they let you share pics. You should be getting close, just keep posting your thoughts!