Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Approaching my 7th decade has resulted in my having skin that is thin and wrinkled. Eyes that have required surgery to see. Hearing that has to be amplified. Hair that is thin and graying. Knees that no longer bend as they once did. Hips that ache when walking. Fingers that are starting to twist and ache with eatch weather change. Yep, this getting old is lots of fun.

However, I am happy with the life I've led, and thankful for each day that comes. I strive to never let it get me down..............................It's to hard to get back up.

 

[iamfivewire]

Welcome new people .

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome everyone! With winter getting too close for comfort, I'm getting anxious to get the run project done; planned to reframe and roof it last year, didn't happen, this fall I'm determined! Today we moved some scrap lumber to the site, as I want to use stuff already on hand before getting new. Also working on firewood, better late than never. Never actually ready for winter, so ah well.... Mary

 

[Opa]

As a retiree the days of the week don't have the same significance as they did when I was working every day. Yet often I must come in contact with the people who are affected. I never really understood letting the day of the week affect you but maybe that was because I had a job that I looked forward to doing each and every day.

Today is going to be a rather busy day. I'm taking Granny for what hopefully will be the last procedure necessitated by the contaminated steroid shot she received. We met with the doctors last we and they think she is over it but they still wanted another MRI just to be on the safe side.

While this fungal infection took a lot out of her, she was very fortunate. Many lost their lives, others have been in horrible pain, some have required long hospital stays, and most have faced a long treatment. Throughout it all she really didn't have much discomfort and has maintained a positive and upbeat attitude.

This afternoon will be spent transplanting red raspberry bushes, stowing much of the chicken paraphernalia used in the additional coops, and finally winterizing the primary run with tarps to keep the snow out. I have a 16x16' run that I cover so the birds have a dry area outside of the coop. It also opens into the garden and the more adventurous birds will often venture out through the snow.

Later this week I will replace the shavings on the coop floor and that will stay until spring. Between the dropping boards that catch the night droppings, and having the outside dry area, the coop stays relatively clean.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Came up with another winterizing question, on cleaning this time. Each morning I go out to let birds out, I clean their poop tray and fill water dishes and feed if necessary. They free range during the day, so never a big mess in there. I change the straw out once every other wk and put new in, I put linoleum down on my floors, so I wipe down with vinegar and water, let dry and refill. Then I empty all their water and feed dishes once a week and clean with water and vinegar and their roosts. How often is it necessary to clean and sanitize? I tarped off a 10x10 section coming out of the coop, to keep snow out and got bird netting finally over the rest and 2 new roof vents put in coop. I also still have full grass in my run, do I need to add straw on top of grass or anything? Welcome

to all the new people, I'm still fairly new and always learning, this is a great bunch who have experienced alot and can save you from alot of tried and failed. HeeHee Thanks ahead of time

 

[lbrykowski2011]

As a retiree the days of the week don't have the same significance as they did when I was working every day. Yet often I must come in contact with the people who are affected. I never really understood letting the day of the week affect you but maybe that was because I had a job that I looked forward to doing each and every day.

Today is going to be a rather busy day. I'm taking Granny for what hopefully will be the last procedure necessitated by the contaminated steroid shot she received. We met with the doctors last we and they think she is over it but they still wanted another MRI just to be on the safe side.

While this fungal infection took a lot out of her, she was very fortunate. Many lost their lives, others have been in horrible pain, some have required long hospital stays, and most have faced a long treatment. Throughout it all she really didn't have much discomfort and has maintained a positive and upbeat attitude.

This afternoon will be spent transplanting red raspberry bushes, stowing much of the chicken paraphernalia used in the additional coops, and finally winterizing the primary run with tarps to keep the snow out. I have a 16x16' run that I cover so the birds have a dry area outside of the coop. It also opens into the garden and the more adventurous birds will often venture out through the snow.

Later this week I will replace the shavings on the coop floor and that will stay until spring. Between the dropping boards that catch the night droppings, and having the outside dry area, the coop stays relatively clean.

The days of the week are the same to me as far as needing that coffee in the morning. lol I pray for the best for Granny, that steroid scare was awful. I was getting shots at that time and thank goodness am ok. When I heard of it, I have not had 1 since. Unfortunately, the shots worked longer and better than meds, but, o well. Will chickens still free range when it snows? What will you replace your shavings with? Thanks for your Friendly and understanding advice and help you give.

 

[snowflake]

Hi, you should not need to clean out whole coop more then once ore twice a year, if you have dropping boards under roosts and food and water is outside. as Opa said coop stays rather clean if they have an outside snow free area and food and water is outside, they tend to stay outside more if they have wind and snow free area. I would not cover the grass, if you still have grass in your run you are lucky, they will at some point scratch it clean, might as well let them eat up what they can. besides straw,hay,or leaves would most likely kill off what grass you have.
my run is all dirt except the few weed they don't care for, I free range but once the snow flies they stay under cover more often, I put leaves, wood shavings, hay, in the run and toss scratch in it so they have something to entertain them during the winter months.
I do clean off the dropping boards about twice a week and in winter I toss bedding from the floor onto the boards, keeps the poo from freezing to the boards and looks warmer to me

may not make a bit of differance to the birds. I then toss sme fresh hay on the coop floor ontop of the wood pellets and wood shaving, gives them something else to scratch in

 

[snowflake]

Opa, so glad Granny has farred so well, prayers for her continued good health, ....has your surgery been scedualed yet?

 

[Opa]

As long as a flock is healthy I don't see a need to scrub and sanitize the coop more than once a year of course that may be just because I'm a lazy old man who doesn't want to do anything unless it is absolutely necessary.

My personal view is that straw is a horrible choice to use is a coop or a run. It doesn't absorb anywhere near as effectively as wood shavings and is much harder to remove. Also I would never add any organic material to a run. It holds moisture and eventually creates a stinking mess. I know many folks claim that their birds like to scratch through piles of leaves and straw but why create more work for yourself? I occasionally add more sand to my runs so they dry quickly and odor is kept to a minimum. I throw scratch grains in the run and the birds are quite content.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Hi, you should not need to clean out whole coop more then once ore twice a year, if you have dropping boards under roosts and food and water is outside. as Opa said coop stays rather clean if they have an outside snow free area and food and water is outside, they tend to stay outside more if they have wind and snow free area. I would not cover the grass, if you still have grass in your run you are lucky, they will at some point scratch it clean, might as well let them eat up what they can. besides straw,hay,or leaves would most likely kill off what grass you have.
my run is all dirt except the few weed they don't care for, I free range but once the snow flies they stay under cover more often, I put leaves, wood shavings, hay, in the run and toss scratch in it so they have something to entertain them during the winter months.
I do clean off the dropping boards about twice a week and in winter I toss bedding from the floor onto the boards, keeps the poo from freezing to the boards and looks warmer to me

may not make a bit of differance to the birds. I then toss sme fresh hay on the coop floor ontop of the wood pellets and wood shaving, gives them something else to scratch in

I will have to look into boards for droppings and see if there's room or how I would add that. If it's another board, don't they just think it's another roost? I think cuz they free range all day, I have been lucky to keep all my grass. Except for having to squeeze my lawnmower in there to cut. Maybe this winter, they will clear it out some. Guess I was way over cleaning the coop, how about water and feed dishes? Thank you, Lana