Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Lisa and girls]

Bella my cow finally gave birth today at 9:15 am! Its a girl!!!! Pictures to come soon!

Congrats!!!

 

[gaitngirl]

Ladyr - I'm having the same issues as you. Flock seems healthy and happy. Eating, drinking, pooping well (too well!). They don't seem over or under weight. No parasites. I do have at least one egg eater, unfortunately. I know they are laying somewhere in the fields but I haven't found the nests. I'm getting about 4 - 8 eggs daily in the nest boxes from 25 hens. 7 are in their 3rd year so have slowed down a bit. My EEs are laying the most consistently currently but 3 look as though they are ready to molt. My EE roo is molting. My cuckoo marans should be getting ready for their 1st molt, too.
I have people begging me for eggs and I can't supply them. I could easily sell 10 dz per week if I had them available. My duck eggs sell fast, too, when I have them. My turkey hen just started laying 3 weeks or so ago - her eggs are selling surprisingly well, too. I listed them for $3 each or 2/$5 . . .
My chicken run isn't even half done. I don't know if it will be ready by winter now as my dad just had major shoulder surgery and he was the one helping me. I may just look for reasonably priced dog kennel panels for now (every ad I've seen on CL and responded to - sold before I see it or it's in horrible shape for too much $).

 

[uchytil]

Ladyr - I'm having the same issues as you. Flock seems healthy and happy. Eating, drinking, pooping well (too well!). They don't seem over or under weight. No parasites. I do have at least one egg eater, unfortunately. I know they are laying somewhere in the fields but I haven't found the nests. I'm getting about 4 - 8 eggs daily in the nest boxes from 25 hens. 7 are in their 3rd year so have slowed down a bit. My EEs are laying the most consistently currently but 3 look as though they are ready to molt. My EE roo is molting. My cuckoo marans should be getting ready for their 1st molt, too.
I have people begging me for eggs and I can't supply them. I could easily sell 10 dz per week if I had them available. My duck eggs sell fast, too, when I have them. My turkey hen just started laying 3 weeks or so ago - her eggs are selling surprisingly well, too. I listed them for $3 each or 2/$5 . . .
My chicken run isn't even half done. I don't know if it will be ready by winter now as my dad just had major shoulder surgery and he was the one helping me. I may just look for reasonably priced dog kennel panels for now (every ad I've seen on CL and responded to - sold before I see it or it's in horrible shape for too much $).

My chickens go thru the lay and don't lay stages. Right now they are doing great with one exception - my olive egger stopped and I wish she'd gear up again. Too bad you live so far away or I could help you get the run done. Dog kennel panels do make excellent runs. I was lucky to find a bunch of good 6x6 and 6x12 cheap on CL. I had to buy the clips but in the end I had a 6x12 run with a top made of the same panels. Two panels had doors also.

 

[preciouskitty]

Bella my cow finally gave birth today at 9:15 am! Its a girl!!!! Pictures to come soon!

Congrats !!!

Can't wait for pics !

 

[gaitngirl]

My chickens go thru the lay and don't lay stages.  Right now they are doing great with one exception - my olive egger stopped and I wish she'd gear up again.  Too bad you live so far away or I could help you get the run done.  Dog kennel panels do make excellent runs.  I was lucky to find a bunch of good 6x6 and 6x12 cheap on CL.  I had to buy the clips but in the end I had a 6x12 run with a top made of the same panels.  Two panels had doors also. 

I've been keeping an eye on the listings.

I'm hoping for olive egger chicks next spring!

 

[gaitngirl]

Bella my cow finally gave birth today at 9:15 am! Its a girl!!!! Pictures to come soon!

Congrats! I bet she's a beauty!

 

[Lisa and girls]

You guys ever have one of those moments? The one where you think holy crap, if any one told me three years ago I'd have chickens, have a garden and be canning and pickling my own food (and having a conversation with said chickens) I'd slap the snot out of them? Having one of those moments. And pretty dang proud if myself for learning all this chicken, gardening, canning stuff. And I'd never go back.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Quote:Originally Posted by Jake Levi Perhaps not, but my best girls are descended from my hen who never was quite right. I got her in poor condition and got her good, had 2 years with her before she gave in to last year's heat wave. Her daughters are the strongest and best tempered of my flock. The d'uccles hatched? From my booted bantam girl who i swore wouldn't live last year. I dipped her in sugar water as a chick every couple hours to keep her alive, and the first part of last winter she required antibiotics. But the rest of winter she was doing well, with no heat and this summer she rewarded me by setting on eggs for *6 weeks!* to hatch some d'uccles after the first hatch got ruined. I was worried about the stress of setting so long, and the weight loss, but she's doing great!

So on the one hand you are right, but on the other mother nature is a mystery and sometimes will surprise you.

 

[preciouskitty]

You guys ever have one of those moments? The one where you think holy crap, if any one told me three years ago I'd have chickens, have a garden and be canning and pickling my own food (and having a conversation with said chickens) I'd slap the snot out of them? Having one of those moments. And pretty dang proud if myself for learning all this chicken, gardening, canning stuff. And I'd never go back.

Yep...that would've been me 5 years ago.....I honestly don't go to the grocery store more than once per month or less now...and, lovin' it, too

(And never would've thought I'd spend 20 minutes chopping up stuff to give chickens as a Saturday afternoon treat...which they just scarfed in 5 mins!!!!!)

 

[Farmerboy16]

Belinda being born.

I am so happy!!! e