INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[weezerfish]

Time for some updated chick pics! (about 10 days old.... give or take since this hatch was scattered over several days)

blue laced orp blue orp


Buff Colombian orp bred to lav orp (2 diff chicks)


2 black orps


black orp bred with laced orp (2 diff chicks)


Leghorn x Orp mix


2 seramas

To my untrained eye you have yellow chicks, black chicks with white patches, and yellow chicks with dark patches. LOL! I don't know how you can tell the difference. I look forward to seeing what all these look like when they feather out!

 

[Faraday40]

To my untrained eye you have yellow chicks, black chicks with white patches, and yellow chicks with dark patches. LOL! I don't know how you can tell the difference. I look forward to seeing what all these look like when they feather out!

LOL
I only know because I marked the hens' eggs.... and separated them during hatch. There are only 2 possible daddys - both are orps.

Now the orps are divided into 2 breeding groups, so next time I won't have to guess the daddy & colors. Last spring when all the schools were hatching, I had too many chicks to easily identify. I marked them with food coloring or leg bands as they hatched. Then I had the fun of getting a little over 30 chicks to care for. When people come to buy chicks, I like to be able to point out the parents, so they'll know what they're getting.

I mark my lavender orps (& black/lav splits) with purple, my EEs with green, etc. DD really liked one one lav orp & went overboard with the purple dye so she could easily find it. I remember one person actually thought that lav orp was a purple chicken.


I wonder what she would have thought about DD's silkie:

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

LOL
I only know because I marked the hens' eggs.... and separated them during hatch. There are only 2 possible daddys - both are orps.

Now the orps are divided into 2 breeding groups, so next time I won't have to guess the daddy & colors. Last spring when all the schools were hatching, I had too many chicks to easily identify. I marked them with food coloring or leg bands as they hatched. Then I had the fun of getting a little over 30 chicks to care for. When people come to buy chicks, I like to be able to point out the parents, so they'll know what they're getting.

I mark my lavender orps (& black/lav splits) with purple, my EEs with green, etc. DD really liked one one lav orp & went overboard with the purple dye so she could easily find it. I remember one person actually thought that lav orp was a purple chicken.


I wonder what she would have thought about DD's silkie:
View attachment 1702580

Cuties, great pics!

 

[Finnie]

Did anybody see this CL ad for emus? Man, if only I had a ton of already-fenced land!

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/d/darlington-emu-chicks/6842680732.html

(I'm joking of course. They're hound mixes and have an incredible prey drive)

Ha ha! I thought you meant they thought the LITTER BOX was a good idea!

As far as feeding eggs to stop feather-plucking, I can't remember who it was, but a knowledgeable person on another thread once said that the percentage of protein in eggs is not all that high. Somewhere around 12-16%. I tried to look it up, but I could not confirm that unless I do a bunch of math. But if that person is correct, then adding eggs to your chickens' feed will NOT increase their protein intake. (If you're feeding 16%, and you mix in some 12%, you LOWER the total %.)

To increase the protein, you could try using 24% game bird starter for a while, and see if that helps.

I did find out that a feather is 81% protein, so if your hen is lacking protein and you give her a choice between eating an egg or her neighbor's feather, I imagine she will choose the feather. (After she scarfs up the yummy egg, of course.)

 

[oldrooster]

The feather eating reminded me of when KFC supposedly entered into part of the orient that someone mistranslated finger licking good to eat your fingers off. Sorry off topic, but that's where my mind went and caused me to chuckle...

 

[Leahs Mom]

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Had a scare Friday, and just a very sad day period.. Anyone that knows us personally also knows my hubby and I are very close. He is not just my husband, he's my best friend too. Called me from work late Friday afternoon. Severe pain in his left arm and tingling, pain from his neck on left side. Told him to call for an ambulance! This man works a lot of overtime and will not call off work period. He finished his shift, ugh stubborn man.
My youngest DD was coming home from Carmel and grabbed him up, took him to the Community Heart & Vascular. Her first question was where do I take him? I've had 3 family members treated there and is hands down our choice with a suspected heart attack or stoke. My Nephew picked me up, we beelined to the hospital.
Thankfully not a stroke or heart attack! He's got a band of nerves pinched in his neck, and a high fever. He is home but still in a lot of pain. He has to see his VA Dr. ASAP to follow up. He is a big guy, so my fear was a stroke or heart attack. I'm watching for any other issues. I demanded he rest and relax this weekend, see what VA finds Monday or as soon as they can get him in.
When I got home, and got him settled in bed, I ran out to check on my 2nd Doe Coco overdue to kid. She did, had given birth to a doeling. It didn't survive. I wasn't here so no idea if it was stillborn or died after birth. Very tiny little doeling. Her little body was still slightly warm. This is the one part of homesteading I hate most. We have lost a couple goats over the past 8 years, this is the first baby death from my own herd.

 

[Finnie]

Aw Janet, I'm so sorry about your doeling! And also that your DH is in pain. I hope the drs at the VA are able to fix what's wrong. Thank goodness it wasn't a stroke or heart attack!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Did anybody see this CL ad for emus? Man, if only I had a ton of already-fenced land!

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/d/darlington-emu-chicks/6842680732.html

Ha ha! I thought you meant they thought the LITTER BOX was a good idea!

As far as feeding eggs to stop feather-plucking, I can't remember who it was, but a knowledgeable person on another thread once said that the percentage of protein in eggs is not all that high. Somewhere around 12-16%. I tried to look it up, but I could not confirm that unless I do a bunch of math. But if that person is correct, then adding eggs to your chickens' feed will NOT increase their protein intake. (If you're feeding 16%, and you mix in some 12%, you LOWER the total %.)

To increase the protein, you could try using 24% game bird starter for a while, and see if that helps.

I did find out that a feather is 81% protein, so if your hen is lacking protein and you give her a choice between eating an egg or her neighbor's feather, I imagine she will choose the feather. (After she scarfs up the yummy egg, of course.)

OH MY goodness! If these emu were closer I'd have a pair right now! I used to see them at one of the zoos when my kids were little. Fascinating birds! I later "met" a flock at a friends farm. I've wanted to add them for a long time, but really prefer to hatch myself. Its a someday thing for me. I might still take a road trip if things pan out.

Aw Janet, I'm so sorry about your doeling! And also that your DH is in pain. I hope the drs at the VA are able to fix what's wrong. Thank goodness it wasn't a stroke or heart attack!!

Thank you, we were both pretty scared. DH has struggled with his weight, been on a diet 3 years now. Its basically Adkins diet, he does not like/eat veggies period. His Dad recently had a mini-stroke. This is what they diagnosed, sure fit his age and type of work he does:
https://www.healthline.com/health/pinched-nerve-in-neck-exercises

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000
Hugs and prayers.