Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[tdhenson86]

I will be checking tonight to see if any racoons come back then they are going to get a big surprise from a 12 gauge shotgun

So sorry to hear about the losses!

 

[Scifisarah]

Forgot to ask do racoons come back night after night

Mine did after they got a taste of silkie chicks ripped through my chickenwire fencing. A few nights of getting chased by a collie and having logs flinged at them (badly) made them decide not to return.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Nice pics!

So I created a monster. After having no luck locating a motor for an automatic pop door, I asked my hubby if the Lego Mindstorm motor could possibly work. He had mentioned the K-Nex motor not being able to be hooked to a timer, which didn't surprise me, and it sparked the Lego idea. My boys were in the Lego Robotics for a couple years down in Monroe Co. We're starting up a league here this year (DH and I being the coaches). In the meantime, we'd bought the kids an actual robotic set of their own. He and my oldest son are now feverishly pouring through Lego pieces to make this work, LOL! The brick (brain) will run a set number of revolutions, reverse and delay in seconds or a repeated, programmed block of seconds. We'll need to calculate the number of seconds in a chicken day - can't say I've ever thought I'd have to do that. It's battery powered and fairly strong but I will probably have to rig a lighter door still. We'll see what happens.

 

[jimmywalt]

Yeah, I had that happen last year (nest in the engine). It was disgusting! They royally messed it up in there. I started it, not realizing. Mouse guts and other parts are horrible to try to clean out . . .

I purchased my first rider last year (new) and was told by a friend to make sure to stuff steel wool in the exhaust pipe at the end of the season so that mice don't get in there in the winter. I did that, and everything turned out fine.

 

[RaZ]

So all these started with me finding the katydid in the first photo, then I went all wildlife biologist photographer on every insect I could find in the yard.

Nice work.

 

[Amy PT]

Nice pics!

So I created a monster. After having no luck locating a motor for an automatic pop door, I asked my hubby if the Lego Mindstorm motor could possibly work. He had mentioned the K-Nex motor not being able to be hooked to a timer, which didn't surprise me, and it sparked the Lego idea. My boys were in the Lego Robotics for a couple years down in Monroe Co. We're starting up a league here this year (DH and I being the coaches). In the meantime, we'd bought the kids an actual robotic set of their own. He and my oldest son are now feverishly pouring through Lego pieces to make this work, LOL! The brick (brain) will run a set number of revolutions, reverse and delay in seconds or a repeated, programmed block of seconds. We'll need to calculate the number of seconds in a chicken day - can't say I've ever thought I'd have to do that. It's battery powered and fairly strong but I will probably have to rig a lighter door still. We'll see what happens.

This is so completely geeky-smart-cool! I hope you get it figured out. Know that I use "geeky" in a very complimentary way here.

Nice photos, Sarah! You still have pansies? It's awfully hot for them.

 

[morrisonmanor]

Do

Hey there Tap I would love your Seabrights I have Raz' flock. I have do something with one of the roo's his tail is sideways. My chickens free range and them seabrights can hold their own. Today I saw one on top of my Mom's travel trailer, they can move and get out of the way thats for sure. I don't know what got my little Rouan duck so mad about that, now I have my Pekin in the chicken run that has hardware cloth buried 12 and goes two foot over chickenwire. I think I am getting poultry netting for the night time or do you think two strand hot wire? I want to get another rouan so my pekin can have company.
Kimmie

Do you still have the sebright pair that are looking for a new home?

 

[morrisonmanor]

My eggs in the incubator are almost done hatching. I think I'm gonna have incubator withdrawals when they are finished...So does anyone in lower Michigan have any hatching eggs? Let me know know your location, what you have available and a cost.

Thanks. Incubating is addicting. I have bought some non local eggs but the hatch rate with shipped eggs is less than spectacular.

 

[jimmywalt]

My eggs in the incubator are almost done hatching. I think I'm gonna have incubator withdrawals when they are finished...So does anyone in lower Michigan have any hatching eggs? Let me know know your location, what you have available and a cost.

Thanks. Incubating is addicting. I have bought some non local eggs but the hatch rate with shipped eggs is less than spectacular.

What breeds are you hatching?

I'm looking for a Wyandott (silver laced) pullet to add to our extremely small flock of backyard chickens. We live on the lakeshore of Lake Michigan near Grand Rapids.

 

[ladyrsanti]

I made this one with an automatic car antenna from a junk yard (for $5 bucks) last Friday. It works like a DREAM!!! Best couple hours of my time I've spent in years!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...a-radio-antenna-from-a-junkyard#post_11628128

I bookmarked that page for when we build a permanent automatic pop door so thanks for that. It looks good. Right now, we've got a test program on the Lego brick to run a 3 second delay, 3 revolution, 3 second delay and 3 reverse revolutions and it works, lifts quite a bit actually. I need to build a mount for it in the coop today so they can test a real time program and cut/mount a plexi door and get some fresh batteries. We should be in business. WHEW!