INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ellymayRans]

Check out the little orphan cuties!

So I've noticed with some natural sunlight that my chocolate toupee boy has blue eyes. Pretty sure that's indicative to silver genes. I'll have to look that up again!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

My Dads been hospitalized, his COPD has worsened. Went to our family Dr on Monday, and was sent to ER. DH took him there since I had Mom at Dialysis. He's pretty sick, contracted a respiratory infection and it's escalated fast. On oxygen and they are keeping him a few days. There is discussion his COPD has advanced to where he will need an oxygen machine full time.
My farm is certainly telling me to expect an early spring. No matter what life events are happening I am out there a few minutes every day. Hired my neighbors son Arrick to help keep my animals tended until Dads home. Arrick visits my critters daily anyways, so I am very comfortable knowing they all like  him already. I offered he take any eggs home he collects also! Very kind and caring young adult, my cows and goats adore him. He has a love for waterfowl, and his parents do keep chickens too.
I may not be on here much this week.

Sending lots of good thoughts and healing vibes.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Being that spring is coming and people will be buying chicks, I wanted to post this warning. If you plan to keep your chickens for their entire natural lives, especially if they will be kept as pets, please, please avoid red sexlinks! They may be labelled as Red Stars, Production Reds, Golden Comets, Golden Buffs, Cinnamon Queens, ISA Browns, or Assorted Reds, just off the top of my head.

The reason I'm posting this now is because, as of last night, it has become apparent that my last red sexlink, sweet Skua, has begun into either ovarian cancer or internal laying. Both are very common ailments in red sexlinks due to the sheer number of eggs they produce, and they both result in eventual death after weeks of pain. This is completely devastating to watch a pet hen go through. Red sexlinks are funny, charming, lovable hens, but their longevity is typically minimal. Skua is the oldest one I have owned by far, nearly 7 years old. Six others I've owned passed away at around 3 years old, all as a result of these ailments. As much as I have adored them, I will never get another one. I'm now faced with the heartbreaking situation of deciding when Skua no longer is living a quality life, and when it would be more humane to let her go. I hate to have to make this choice, but I don't want pain and misery to be the last thing she knows.



For educational purposes, since the terms 'internal laying' and 'egg bound' are sometimes used interchangeably, internal laying is very different than egg binding, which is when the hen has an egg stuck inside her. Internal laying actually is when yolks are being deposited in the abdomen rather than traveling down the oviduct and being laid as fully formed eggs. This leads to swelling in the lower abdomen, especially below the vent, and can reach the point where hens are standing more upright, often described as a penguin-like stance. Egg yolk peritonitis is a result of the buildup of yolk and is incredibly uncomfortable, leading to wilting and darkening of the comb, fever, loss of appetite, and increased swelling and tenderness of the abdomen. A big indicator of internal laying is when a hen's breast bone feels prominent like she is losing weight, but she doesn't feel any lighter than she did before. A hen may be losing weight from her body, but the buildup in her abdomen is adding back that weight. Another big indicator, which I believe is a symptom of peritonitis after significant buildup in the abdomen, is yellow, almost eggy droppings. Skua has both of these symptoms, which is why I believe she's internally laying. Ovarian cancer resembles this in that a hen may have a prominent breast bone from losing weight and an enlarged abdomen; however, rather than a buildup of yolks and infection in her abdomen, she instead has tumor growth.

Obviously there is no guarantee that either will happen to any particular bird, and these ailments can happen to other breeds as well, just far less commonly. It's been my experience, however, that it happens incredibly often in red sexlinks, and that is why I choose to avoid them and warn others who raise chickens as pets to avoid them as well. It's hard not to fall in love with these birds, and that's what makes it all that much worse.

 

[ellymayRans]

My Dr friend that some of you met with the peafowl rescue has rescued 6 cats (2 adults and 4 younger). She reached out requesting I help with placing them. They are all scheduled for spaying/neutering tomorrow or next Thursday can't remember now.

If anyone is looking to add any please PM me and I will send you pics!

They all appear non feral based on their poses for pics!

 

[wheezy50]

Do any of our members here raise polish??

I'm specifically looking for tolbunt and/or WC black, but I'm interested in any.

Thanks!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo

When I bought my first group of chicks, I got two "RIR" chicks in the batch. The hatchery also sold red sexlinks (a couple varieties) in addition to the ones they were calling RIR.

I've always wondered if those RIR girls were really sexlinks. I don't know if there would be any way to know for sure. I still have one of them (rehomed one) who will be 5 yo this March. She seems to be still going strong along with the other 2 girls that are the same age (1 BR and 1 Charlie ...uh...Easter Egger).

 

[Leahs Mom]

We got bees last year - our first time "raising" them

@iamfivewire
How did they do for you? Did they make it through the winter so far?

I'm really wanting to avoid buying a package since most of them are shipped in from GA and from stock that isn't necessarily acclimated to seasons or even healthy.

I have considered ordering through Gold Star Honeybees since theirs are treatment-free and regressed to small cell, but they are still coming from GA and TN. They say they are far enough north to be acclimated to seasons. And Gold Star is in Maine...and they seem to winter okay up there which is a good sign. Still not sure I want to pay the price this year for a package vs. a local nuc.

Perhaps I'll try setting out a swarm lure box and just seeing if any take up residence.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

@pipdzipdnreadytogo

When I bought my first group of chicks, I got two "RIR" chicks in the batch.  The hatchery also sold red sexlinks (a couple varieties) in addition to the ones they were calling RIR.

I've always wondered if those RIR girls were really sexlinks.  I don't know if there would be any way to know for sure.  I still have one of them (rehomed one) who will be 5 yo this March.  She seems to be still going strong along with the other 2 girls that are the same age (1 BR and 1 Charlie ...uh...Easter Egger).

They're actually pretty easy to tell apart once you know the difference, especially since you still have one available to look at in person. Go out to your girl and lift up her feathers to look at her down. Red sexlinks have red feathers with white down, while Rhode Island reds, regardless of quality, should have down that is close to or the same as the color of the rest of the feather. The same goes for New Hampshires, which are also often confused for red sexlinks.

Red sexlink and hatchery Rhode Island red feathers, for comparison:

 

[twoacrefarm]

They're actually pretty easy to tell apart once you know the difference, especially since you still have one available to look at in person. Go out to your girl and lift up her feathers to look at her down. Red sexlinks have red feathers with white down, while Rhode Island reds, regardless of quality, should have down that is close to or the same as the color of the rest of the feather. The same goes for New Hampshires, which are also often confused for red sexlinks.

Red sexlink and hatchery Rhode Island red feathers, for comparison:

Look at you! That is great info to know, and nice to have examples!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yep...my girl is red all the way. No white.