INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Indyshent]

Everything gives that face when it's about to die. They don't understand what's going on, and they've always been able to come to mom for food, so there's this profound shock on their faces, and even a plea for help. The differences come in how attached the bird and processor are to each other, with the species of the animal also playing a subjective role as some are more or less expressive and sympathetic (as deemed by the processor).

So far, I've processed only meat birds (Muscovies, CX, BB turkeys). They've all given me the look. Only one was a jerk out of the bunch. Rest were very sweet guys. The drakes were very difficult. The meat turkeys were especially bonded to me and the sweetest animals, but meat turkeys always fall apart and have to be put of their misery--if health problems and predation don't kill them first.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Hello everyone! I wish I didn't have long gaps between posting. Too much work. Anyway, I hope everyone and their chickens and other animals are doing well! My girls are all doing well. Yesterday afternoon, my two frizzles from @ellymayRans crammed themselves in a space between a nesting box and a wall. They both acted broody, so I was pretty excited at the prospect of having two broody sisters hatching eggs! I moved them to a small coop, and they both tucked their eggs underneath. A couple of hours later, the larger frizzle lost interest. She was the one who was a very determined broody last spring when I had to change her course because we had to go out-of-town. The smaller frizzle spent the night locked up in the little coop with her eggs, but this morning she hopped out and forgot that she was broody. I've been hoping that I'd have a broody since fall is a nice time for chicks.

I have a few photos of some of my girls.

DH and I watched this movie on amazon prime tonight and of course, it was wonderful since it was about chickens!

 

[Indyshent]

Not sure what happened to Optimus Prime, but I found him up a tree with one eye shut Thursday night. Had to pin his screeching butt yesterday and put some Neosporin on it. Jake Jake decided to be a horny putz, took offense at Optimus being in my lap and tagged his comb. I tried to get him in the small coop with the other sickies (Lion-O and the BO pullet have been sneezing), but *everybody* had mysteriously decided to go in there so I couldn't shut him in. Ugh.

Jake's a weird one. His girl being broody for so long has brought out all of his gnarlier personality traits.

We have two poults now. Most of the eggs went rotten--usually right before they were supposed to hatch. I've been trying to get the gross stuff out, but she hasn't stirred from the nest since the last time I candle and through out half the turkey eggs and all the chicken eggs. The BA pullet has been laying eggs on top of the turkey, and Bowie tries to mate her because she's stuck to a nest. I had to put a plywood wall around her nest because something scalped a poult that wandered a couple feet from the nest. No idea who did it, but it's so heartbreaking. Been waiting forever it feels like for baby turkeys.

 

[Lulu Lipshitz]

Anyone find a feed mill in North Central Indiana? Elwood, Noblesville, Fishers, Anderson, Muncie? Even Kokomo? I think I'm in the middle of a food desert here. We get Dumor from TSC, but I'd like to explore other options for my 25 chickens.

I have ordered from New Country Organic. Love the feed. Interested in starting a buying group to be able to order a pallet to save on shipping charges...at least until we can get it in a store somewhere in Indiana.

 

[Mother2Hens]

I'm reading older posts and still don't have the hang of quoting. I clicked on +Quote, but didn't see it in my reply, so I'm pasting it myself.

@Faraday40 said:
Ducks in trees! That sounds so funny to me!
When we 1st moved here I noticed that our suburban mallards liked to hang out on the roof. I never saw anything like that growing up, but no one believed me when I told them about it. After about 6 months, DH was around to see some up on our neighbor's garage. Now we even have the Canadian geese up there at times. I guess it's a safe place to hang out - especially now with a fox in the area. We don't really have many natural ponds around here (that's where I spent much of my childhood playing) so the wild ducks frequent all the swimming pools & then pop up onto the roof when people come out.
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That does sound funny since they're not the usual kind of bird we see. It reminded me of when I helped @ellymayRans with her Peacock Rescue (along with other Indiana BYC members). We couldn't capture some of them because they'd fly way high into the trees. This photo isn't from that day, but that's what a very large bird looks like hanging out in a tree!

I took two decent photos yesterday of my girls. They just aren't good about standing still!

Dust bathing ~ Notice that the larger of my two Black Bantam Cochin Frizzles, Boa, weaseled her way in between Flock Leader SLW Lacey and Miss "Type A" Hadley, a Lavender Orp.

Here's my favorite girl, Tutu (I always protect the last in the pecking order). She knows to hang with me!

 

[kanina]

Got to meet @Nyla this weekend in Rensselear. Heck of a trip, but totally worth it. She's as awesome in person as she is on here. Unfortunately we weren't able to stay and chat much, we had a busy day. But I did get a chocolate drake and a blue hen, so I'll have auto-sexing ducklings in the spring!

We were able to get a couple bales of straw yesterday, over priced, but it was in town and dry. The girls spent most of yesterday afternoon spreading it out, lots more spreading to do today, but they love finding those fresh bugs.

DH is trimming trees up so I've been taking good branches and making roosts in the corners of the coop. I need to make a lower one for the high one he put in the corner last night.

Thanks again @Nyla !

 

[Nyla]

Very welcome! I hope you enjoy them just as much as I did!

Got to meet @Nyla this weekend in Rensselear. Heck of a trip, but totally worth it. She's as awesome in person as she is on here. Unfortunately we weren't able to stay and chat much, we had a busy day. But I did get a chocolate drake and a blue hen, so I'll have auto-sexing ducklings in the spring! View attachment 1139142

We were able to get a couple bales of straw yesterday, over priced, but it was in town and dry. The girls spent most of yesterday afternoon spreading it out, lots more spreading to do today, but they love finding those fresh bugs.

DH is trimming trees up so I've been taking good branches and making roosts in the corners of the coop. I need to make a lower one for the high one he put in the corner last night.

Thanks again @Nyla !

 

[hbrown322]

Just recently went out to get shots of all the chickies. The majority of them cooperated.

 

[Faraday40]

Yep, my big blue orp is VERY BROODY!

 

[Nyla]

Here is pictures of all the Muscovy's I sold yesterday! Sold out of my Muscovy's 1 hour before swap was over.
These two belong to @kanina

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Here are all of them. 25 Muscovy's!