INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Finnie]

, so I'm bummed that I can't get very good photos.

Those look like great photos to me! Been there done that with the not getting the photo to show the shade correctly. But I’ve had a lot of eggs like your photos, so I can imagine what yours look like in real life. Even eggs from the same hen vary a little day to day. I’d say those are keepers!

Brown Chinese are laying also.

Wow, I’m impressed that your geese are laying this early. I’m excited for mine this year. I have gotten a few Khaki Campbell eggs, but then this deep freeze hit and they backed off from laying.

Molly is here so I'm hoping she won't have calving issues. Sad for her and her Mom very hard choice.

Yes, sad problem to have. Hopefully Molly didn’t inherit it, and then with luck none of her daughters will have it either. But if she does, at least you are prepared in advance and it won’t be such a shock.

I'm frustrated angry and just feel robbed that this came on so fast.

I would feel the same.

 

[CRSelvey]

Hello Everyone! I was wondering if anyone will be hatching Salmon Faverolles this year? I would really like two chicks when we get our others and this breed is one I’ve wanted the longest.

 

[Faraday40]

Between Covid isolation and these cold temps outside, we've had to be creative with ways to combat boredom. I may have mentioned before that we've been teaching some of the bantams to play piano.

Here's Styx (modern game bantam) playing "Twinkle, Twinkle" She still needs a lot of practice, but she's getting better. (Sorry about the sound quality. DD recorded it on my ancient iphone and for some reason the sound got messed up. I'll make another video when she gets better.)

 

[Kristee]

Here's Styx (modern game bantam) playing "Twinkle, Twinkle" She still needs a lot of practice, but she's getting better. (Sorry about the sound quality. DD recorded it on my ancient iphone and for some reason the sound got messed up. I'll make another video when she gets better.)

Oh my! Styx is so adorable. That's so cool you're teaching her that! I was proud of Anna for learning "Anna, up" when I want to hold her, but this is on another level. Question: Have you found it's easier to teach chicks? Anna is around 7 months old, she's very friendly and "eager" to do things for treats, but I've never tried actual clicker training like this! My other girls aren't quite as outgoing, but they follow Anna's lead when they see her getting rewarded.

Those look like great photos to me! Been there done that with the not getting the photo to show the shade correctly. But I’ve had a lot of eggs like your photos, so I can imagine what yours look like in real life. Even eggs from the same hen vary a little day to day. I’d say those are keepers!

Thank you! I've had quite a few different colors through the years, from chocolate (marans), mints, blues, pinks (easter eggers are my usual favorites!)... But I've never had anything like what my current olive eggers lay! They're always pets first of course, but the eggs are a very lovely bonus. Grandpa loves them!

 

[Faraday40]

Oh my! Styx is so adorable. That's so cool you're teaching her that! I was proud of Anna for learning "Anna, up" when I want to hold her, but this is on another level. Question: Have you found it's easier to teach chicks? Anna is around 7 months old, she's very friendly and "eager" to do things for treats, but I've never tried actual clicker training like this! My other girls aren't quite as outgoing, but they follow Anna's lead when they see her getting rewarded.

Personality is a big part of it. You need a chicken that is more "outgoing" curious and motivated. All chickens are motivated by treats but some are just more intelligent.

I never tried to train a chick. (other than learning to trust, cuddle, and come when called)

Styx hatched on July 4, 2020 and I've only been working with her for a few weeks. Some of my other bantams will peck ONE note .... and then come running back for their treat. Styx is just starting to understand delayed gratification. (More notes in a row = larger reward)

 

[Kristee]

That's awesome and very helpful! Looks like I know my next project now... I'll have to look into some chicken tricks. I still have my clicker that I used for my border collie and my shepherd.

Anna is a very smart girl, I have faith in her. I've only had a handful of chicks on her level, a past boy and two other girls. Anna just seems to "think" differently than the others I have now. She picks up on things faster and is noticeably more curious. I actually thought of the perfect example! The girls recently started getting into the bad habit of roosting outside at night, so I've been going out to their run each evening to put them in myself. Anna discovered a few nights ago that I'm going to carry her in the coop eventually when it's dark. Instead of waiting for me to grab her and put her in, she discovered another way to get a treat. I just point to the coop and say "bed". She walks up on her own (but stays standing in the doorway). I still have to carry the others to put them in. Anna gets her evening treat for "listening" and waiting patiently as I grabbed the others. Finally, she'll go in all the way for the night. It's pretty much a new but accidental routine for her.

So in short, she'll probably be my best candidate. I'm getting more chicks on the 20th, but I usually just bond with them so they come to me and get comfortable. I'll stick to that with the babies but try more intensive training with Anna.

 

[CharlemagneRoost]

Those look like great photos to me! Been there done that with the not getting the photo to show the shade correctly. But I’ve had a lot of eggs like your photos, so I can imagine what yours look like in real life. Even eggs from the same hen vary a little day to day. I’d say those are keepers!

Wow, I’m impressed that your geese are laying this early. I’m excited for mine this year. I have gotten a few Khaki Campbell eggs, but then this deep freeze hit and they backed off from laying.

Checking in with y'all hope everyone's flocks and critters are well. I've still got 3 chickens! My OE flock that's left. And getting eggs. I told my daughters I may add a few layers late spring lol but honestly not likely.

My Muscovy ladies and the Brown Chinese are laying also. Haven't been outside in a while now, was warned cold air is really bad for COPD. Family are managing what birds are here. I'm itching to start my garden but being realistic... I'm not going to burden family with my "wants". I'll plant me some tomatoes and that will be about all I can do. The beautiful yellow Dr. Whyche are my favorite. You will never find them in the grocery, I save seeds every year. DH will not eat veges so what I plant is for me.

We had our 1st uterine prolapsed mother cow Gracie this week, stillborn calf and some other issues. I won't continue breeding her. 9 years into cows, this was a first. After discussion with a few vets, including my own. Gracie would be 6 this year, honestly too young to be culled. It's hard making these choices but you have to be diligent about not breeding poor genetics. She left yesterday. Her daughter Molly is here so I'm hoping she won't have calving issues. Sad for her and her Mom very hard choice.

Is this you, Janet? Birdie, here — I’ve dumped Facebook and am trying to reconnect with bird friends via BYC. Trying to get the hang of things on this site — it’s been a long while since I have been active here.

 

[CharlemagneRoost]

Any suggestions welcome: I have left Facebook and won’t be going back. I raise Ohiki and American Longtails. I presently have some adult birds I would like to rehome (reasonably priced) but don’t know my way around here very well yet. I am thinking about doing some Craigslist ads — do people still use it for agricultural sales? Thanks kindly for any thoughts you might be willing to share on the matter.

 

[Finnie]

Any suggestions welcome: I have left Facebook and won’t be going back. I raise Ohiki and American Longtails. I presently have some adult birds I would like to rehome (reasonably priced) but don’t know my way around here very well yet. I am thinking about doing some Craigslist ads — do people still use it for agricultural sales? Thanks kindly for any thoughts you might be willing to share on the matter.

Hi Charlemagne Roost! I still use Craigslist. For a while I was using FB too, before they started cracking down on any type of animal sales. But I don’t care for the general format of FB, so I stopped bothering with it.

 

[CharlemagneRoost]

Hi Charlemagne Roost! I still use Craigslist. For a while I was using FB too, before they started cracking down on any type of animal sales. But I don’t care for the general format of FB, so I stopped bothering with it.

Oh, that is good to know! I’m going to give it a whirl and see how it goes.