INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[kittydoc]

People need to be educated that Salmonella is real, potentially deadly, and avoidable. All of us have a duty to make sure our friends and customers are given the information they need. I believe the Indiana State Poultry Association on the Purdue campus has brochures available, or you can print info from their or other reputable university or government websites. Here's a recent news link:http://michiganradio.org/post/don-t...s-blame-backyard-chickens-salmonella-outbreak

 

[JanetMarie]

To keep hens cool while in their nest boxes I have used the flexible type of freeze packs, they're actually called Freez Pak. I put each one in a ziplock gallon freezer bag to protect the outside of the Freez Pak from toenails, and in the nest box put it under the shavings.

 

[kanina]

I remember reading that an Easter egger (specificially Ameraucana X Marans) X Ameraucana will produce an offspring that lays a lavender egg. Don't know if it makes a difference if one or the other is male or female.

I now do have an Ameraucana X Marans cockerel (he's adorable) and maybe will keep him if he's good and he'll have to be with another Ameraucana mix cockerel. I would love to try that experiment.

Ameraucana x Marans tend to be olive eggers (just my experience from Grandma's breeding). But I'm starting that experiment next spring when my girls finally start laying. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Indyshent]

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/pet/d/button-quail/6195406008.html
Button quail $7/each Very socialized and adorable.

 

[akorte]

I had a crazy sleek week so wasn't able to check the thread. But, all 9 RIR. Bantams that made it to lockdown hatched successfully. Yay! But, we don't need that many, so if anyone wants any, lmk. They seen to be really outgoing chicks so far!

I bought this dog house for$100

 

[akorte]

Whoops. Anyway I bought this doghouse. It is extremely sturdy and I thought it would make a great coop. I would need to add ventilation, a way to clean it, and possibly a nesting box. Anyone have ideas?

 

[Nyla]

Just bought 40 Coturnix chicks and got 10 free! 30 of which are jumbos!! Also got 28 hatching eggs free! Built a new cage to hold the new ones in. In the pictures, the new ones on top with the new chicks!

 

[Indyshent]

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/d/laying-hens/6231578137.html
24 young laying hens for $75. Likely all girls from feed stores last spring. Variety of breeds, including Brahmas, EE, BO, RIR, ISA browns.

Free BO https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/d/free-young-buff-orpington/6231659098.html

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An update on my urban farm: the ducks hatched four chicks successfully, one hen is giving motherhood another shot, and the turkey started laying!

Holy moly, for first eggs especially, these have been HUGE. Her first eggs have been bigger than the vast majority of the chicken eggs I get and on par with the biggest I've ever gotten. My goodness, Penny's going for the gold! It's even more hilarious because she doesn't weigh more than some of my chicken hens, even though she's a turkey, and her eggs are bigger than those of my biggest hens (big, heavy hens tend to lay smaller eggs, in my experience).

The rejected duckling has moved put of my house and has been in the general fowl populace for a week or so now. It overnights with the four bitties who seem to look up to it and enjoy its company. Still very sociable with people. It's a Rouen and likely to be the biggest duck in the yard before long. The four bitties appear to all be EE (Not terribly surprising since an EE/Brahma hen has been laying in the duck nest).

I've been putting bigger eggs under the tiny broody OE hen. Want to be sure they've got plenty of room because some mondo babies hatched under the ducks. Plus, I like big eggs from reliable layers, so...

 

[Indyshent]

Whoops. Anyway I bought this doghouse. It is extremely sturdy and I thought it would make a great coop. I would need to add ventilation, a way to clean it, and possibly a nesting box. Anyone have ideas?

View attachment 1085652

Vinyl flooring (can be super cheap, even a remnant) makes clean up much, much easier. A long door along the floor on one side, if not just make one side a door, to help with removal of soiled substrates and otherwise necessary cleaning and upkeep. For bedding, I use a lot of Stall Refresher/Sweet PDZ, in addition to a lot of pine chips.

Put roosts in. Everyone has favorites; I use 2x4s and keep them at the same height to avoid squabbles. Put in a door for the birds--cab be as simple as another similarly painted piece of wood with an eye and pulley system to be manually raised each morning.

Raise it off the ground and surround it with hardware cloth to keep pests and predators from getting in, if it doesn't have a "fixed foundation" of, say, concrete or patio bricks. Basically, the foundation/floor needs to be protected from water damage and pests, both of which will come in from below and ruin a good coop.

Some screened windows or plain vents will help with airflow and humidity control. Dry bedding isn't so stinky and lasts a lot longer, so ventilation is key to everything from odor control, to preventing frostbite.

 

[akorte]

Vinyl flooring (can be super cheap, even a remnant) makes clean up much, much easier. A long door along the floor on one side, if not just make one side a door, to help with removal of soiled substrates and otherwise necessary cleaning and upkeep. For bedding, I use a lot of Stall Refresher/Sweet PDZ, in addition to a lot of pine chips.

Put roosts in. Everyone has favorites; I use 2x4s and keep them at the same height to avoid squabbles. Put in a door for the birds--cab be as simple as another similarly painted piece of wood with an eye and pulley system to be manually raised each morning.

Raise it off the ground and surround it with hardware cloth to keep pests and predators from getting in, if it doesn't have a "fixed foundation" of, say, concrete or patio bricks. Basically, the foundation/floor needs to be protected from water damage and pests, both of which will come in from below and ruin a good coop.

Some screened windows or plain vents will help with airflow and humidity control. Dry bedding isn't so stinky and lasts a lot longer, so ventilation is key to everything from odor control, to preventing frostbite.

Great suggestions, thanks!