Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ladyrsanti]

So it's official. Our barred rocks just have some faulty genes. First Slipper molted, wasted and died. Then Scrambles started molting and wasting so I brought her in the house and now she's back in the coop doing really well, though still pretty skinny. Now Her Majesty Souffle is down with the wastes. She's not actively molting, just finished a mild molt, but wasting all the same. She was getting picked on so I grabbed her to get some blu-kote on the wounds and noticed she weighed next to nothing and her crop was empty while everyone else was full. Rather than pull her inside, I just held her and fed her out of my hand until she had a good crop-full. I'll make her an egg tomorrow and my sister has some parrot chick feed she's gonna share with me come New Years, that her vet gave her for her wasting barred rocks (that are roughly the same age and came from the same hatchery - Townline). It seems as if they are not meant to survive a molt. All of my other breeds are doing great.

 

[Opa]

Headed for the farm this morning not overly optimistic about our changes since the farmer's nephew had let his grandson spend hours on Friday running everywhere on his quad. The few deer we saw Saturday were all extremely jittery. So we expected today to be a repetition. Imagine my relieve to not see his truck sitting in the drive as we entered the farm.

Got in my blind about 30 minutes before legal shooting hours and just sat enjoying the quiet and listen the the sounds of the woods coming awake. At 8am two does and a button buck came strolling by at 60 yards. The larger doe stayed behind to add to our larder.

Thirty minutes later, as I sat watching to make sure she stayed down, 15 more does came by about 75 yards to the south. David picked a nice doe and would be joining my deer for the trip home. We sat another thirty minutes to ensure his was truly dead and then began the task of field dressing and hauling them out of the woods. All of the down trees from the tornado that struck out woods a few years ago made it a rather arduous task.

Now both deer are skinned, the carcasses cleaned, and they are hanging in my shop's unheated truck bay. With the falling temperatures I needn't be concerned about spoilage before I can get the butchered and in the freezer.

 

[RaZ]

Congratulation on the success, Opa.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Awesome & Good for you @Opa

Has anyone ever seen frostbite on ducks? I have a very sensitive Runner drake who is limping from time to time with whitish flesh colored bumps today...No sign of bumbles prior to snow. Or is this caused by the sand I added? Or something all together different?

 

[gladahmae]

Any new symptoms?  Is he putting weight on the feet? Any swelling, soreness in the joints? Are his toes frost bitten? Is he too weak physically?  He will have to be hand fed every few hours, and definitely fed and watered before bedtime each night. No chance of seperating him in a garage? (And no other roos? A head peck blow can be severe, to this point and even death) 

No other Roos in his pen. He won't really stand up so I can't tell if he's putting weight on his legs or not. I'm really just hoping he jumped out of the coop and strained something. I have been giving him his own dish of mash where the others can't get to him or the food. He was still alive this morning. Will check in him once we eat dinner.

No signs of frostbite. No swelling or heat in his joints that I could tell.

My baby boy turned 2 yesterday! Unfortunately both dh and I came down with a horrible stomach flu that is going around, so we are celebrating today.

 

[SillyChicken]

Congratulations on the doe Sam!

We had 10 doe walk the fence line this morning, but they headed away from where I could have gotten a shot.

 

[SillyChicken]

I think silly's roo is a Phoenix she got him from Nova

Close, phoenix/yokohama cross!

 

[jlynnet]

Opa, congrats on the doe! I wish my son had someone he could hunt with. Nobody hunts on either side.

 

[chickwhispers]

Congratulations Opa on the doe! And I'm glad you're feeling better too. Hope your ordeal is soon just a memory and you are completely healed!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, But with so many without electricity I'm sure it was challanging to say the least. I do hope everyone's power is back on now.

Sorry for any losses over the past week or so. Happy for any and all good fortunes to those who had them.

On a good note and an update on my 5 remaining hens, all are getting better and 4 even have their feathers coming back. My BO that's laying, has no sign of feathers returning on the bare spot just below her bottom fluff. But she is the only one laying and seems to want to go broody? She stays in the nest box and keeps returning to it after I've taken her out. They really enjoyed the warm up. I had them out with me for a while the other day and today they were out for several hours while I cleaned the coop up completely except for hosing it down as it is too cold for that. AND Except for the BO who wanted to keep getting back in the nest box.

We've had to buy eggs at the store. We can really tell the difference!

Well I wish all a very Happy New Year! With Power! Stay well and stay warm!

 

[lbrykowski2011]

How do I get Bonnie to eat oyster shell? I have it out for everyone to get. I'm pretty sure I found a egg yolk, no shell in the coop the other day. She doesn't want to eat the oyster.

What about cooked egg shells instead? Mine like those better. If I run out, then i use oyster shell, but usually always times itself well. We keep a bowl in the fridge and when it's full, we microwave for a few mins (so no raw egg) and transfer to a QT jar and fill their self feeders when needed.