INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Faraday40]

I know this was 250 posts ago but sounds like someone was looking for snake food to me.

I logically have no problem with giving away extra male chicks as feeders, but it's not my 1st choice. (Let's face it, they would at least be useful & their deaths would give nourishment & life to someone else's beloved pet. There's no other way to sell males in an area where most towns ban roosters.) However that person's conversation was just "off". He knew nothing about poultry & wanted them ASAP.

If someone wants snake food, they usually don't request fancy purebred chickens or at least he/she can share their intentions & offer to get rid of any unwanted chicks. I actually have a list of names of people who are willing to take extras (Usually to grow out & eat, but again, I'm OK with that at times when I don't have the space to grow them out myself.)

 

[nenebynature]

Since many of you out there are owners of mixed flocks, I have a question. Since I have a rooster (And possibly a second one if my Nancy is a Ronnie) and I have one of my older girls melting right now, should I add or mix in flock raiser with my regular crumbles? I'm concerned about the amount of protein some of my chickens are getting versus what they need.

 

[Indyshent]

@nenebynature

Probably a mix. If there's enough meat on him to consider him as a possible dinner, he's not likely a Mediterranean boy. Single combs are common in quite a few popular breeds, and because it's a recessive comb type, the alleles can hide in other breeds, waiting for the I chance to make a sport (like the occasional single comb Wyandotte). His color suggests he's a mix though, probably of a dark bird like an American black copper Marans (no leg feathers) but growing in popularity) or an Australorp, and a red breed like RIR.

Single combed breeds which might've contributed to this handsome boy include: Sussex, Orpingtons, American Marans, Welsummers, Australorps, RIR, NHR, RIW, Plymouth Rocks, Delaware, Old English Games or a closely related game breed.

 

[RoseHaven]

First crow this morning. Meet "Bootsie," our black Cochin cockerel. He hatched May 7, and arrived on the farm (with his flock mates, 13 buff and white Orpingtonhens and one buff Orpington cockerel) on May 10. The second photo is Bootsie in the brooder, a few months ago.

 

[Faraday40]

"Bootsie" is a fun name for a Cochin.

 

[Faraday40]

We left at 4am for Springfield, walked several miles around the fair, enjoyed the exhibits & fantastic weather, and drove home with not one but TWO state champions. (DD’s friend came along and both girls earned a "superior ribbon" in addition to the regular state fair red/white/blue rosette.) After 4 years of going to the fair in search of poultry, this was the 1st one we were present on the same day as the poultry. (In past years we either couldn’t find the building or the poultry were already sent home.) DS was so excited when he saw another Sp Sussex like his Chizzy and liked naming the different breeds. Because of judging times & project pick up, we had to return to the 4H area every 2 hours, but we managed to see the annual “butter cow” in the dairy building, walk through the animal barns, buy a souvenir in the expo hall, explore the conservation area, and eat a picnic lunch that I had packed. All 3 kids were fast asleep in the backseat for the ride home! Great day!

 

[kanina]

@Leahs Mom I did! But I want to choose a picture more related to my flocks and herds now. Have to get with @Mother2Hens once I pick a picture I like! @Faraday40 you are such a dear friend I have never met. Our thread is for anyone, does not matter where you live. @Nyla
Contributors are folks that help us keep our member list updated. We ask you are familiar with google docs or Excel. Give our thread a jump start if things get quiet~or if tempers flare and things need to be avoided..speak up. We have a member page that gives lots of helpful links. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/indiana-bycers-members-events-links.64617/ I have not been able to be here much since March, my Moms decline and passing July 26th. Many of us have shared here for nearly 5 years. 12/18/2012 is the date our thread started. When we started, it was my goal to always keep this going.. there were 2 inactive threads for our state. Contributors help keep it going.

I'm so sorry for your loss.


DH and I finally have the run nearly complete. It was kind of a wing it job, but it looks good, its just a run and its infinitely better than the cattle wire we had up. We have to finish the window on the door tonight, fortify a corner and then I'll post some pictures of our journey so far this year.

Had a huge scare this morning. Since my run walls are higher, we made an attempt at integrating the babies (Faverolle and Cochin) in with the hens . I didn't double check my "safety area" for the babies to make sure the hens couldn't get in. So, this morning when I went out to feed the chooks before work, I couldn't find the babies They had to find somewhere safe from the hens, who are being buttheads. I was already running late, as in I needed to BE at work while I was searching for them. Ten minutes later I had to give up and hope they would find their way back. DH went home after his morning check ins and managed to find them in the yard and figure out how they got out. He fortified the breach and put the babes in their own cage so they're safe from the hens.

I definitely thought my safety area was, well, safe. I'm thinking of putting in a 3'x3'x3' safety box in the corner for the babies to get in and out of. Its just the two of them, is the size good or should we make it larger? They'll have access to the whole coop as well, but this will be somewhere for just them that the hens can't get to.

Thoughts?

 

[ChrisTheChickenFarmer]

Glad to of found this! First year owning chickens and I love it. I own red sexlinks, rhode island reds, and amberlinks so far! These are my layers and I plan on having some meat birds and turkeys next year.

 

[pginsber]

Over the past 3 weeks, we lost 2 hens.

We believe the first one succumbed to the 90+ degree high temps that were going on at the time and was subsequently cannibalized. She was a coronation Sussex and absolutely a humongous bird. That was a very disturbing find! RIP Gloria.

Two weeks later, one of our hens' body had been dragged out from under the coop gate but she was a Delaware and too big to get through the yard fencing. We have iron yard fence with bars every 3-ish inches. The predator appears to have repeatedly tried to pull her through the bars, but only succeeded in 'plucking' her chest. Oh, yes, and her head was missing-YIKES! We're theorizing that the predator was a fox, but I was wishing I had kept @Mother2Hens pages of predator evidence she posts every now and again. RIP Barbra.

We have since reinforced the gate area, but doggone it, Barbra was just the sweetest hen. At Easter time, we'd bring her in the house and she loved to have people hold and pet her. We miss them both.

Both our losses were white birds, and now we no longer have anybody white. Perhaps predator-wise, white hens are at greater risk, but we loved being able to see the hens pecking from the house, and the surviving birds are all brown, black, or barred. Much harder to see.

 

[pginsber]

Glad to of found this! First year owning chickens and I love it. I own red sexlinks, rhode island reds, and amberlinks so far! These are my layers and I plan on having some meat birds and turkeys next year.

Welcome! Where in Indiana are you located?