Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

@SillyChicken gorgeous pencil drawings, one of my favorite mediums, you've got some mad talent!

 

[Chase Family]

Your art work is amazing. I love watching it come together.

 

[Chase Family]

I have 3 black frizzle bantam cochin roosters that need to go. They are about 10 weeks old. Pm me if your interested.

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Everything iced up last night and now we are expecting more snow today, A lovely winter weather advisory for the day. I am very glad I was able to clean all the coops out yesterday. Not a complete cleaning by any means, but I took the top hard, gross layer off everything added bags of pine shaving and stirred everything up and added BOSS so the chickens would finish my work. Since everything is under snow, including the compost pile, cleaning means scooping into a bucket, carrying it to DH's big sled for ice fishing, and then pulling the full sled through the snow to the compost. Repeat many times.

Yesterday I was going through hatcheries, just looking.

Partially for my sons 4-H this year we have to decide what he is doing. I have three questions for everyone. Answer any or all.
1. If you could only by from one hatchery, which do you like best?
2. What is a friendly and good turkey breed?
3. If you could buy a grown laying chicken what kind or color eggs would be best?

1) I have bought from Ideal and also Townline (from TSC). I purchased different breeds from each though. Most of mine have come from hatching eggs from local breeders though.

2) We have raised White Midget, Royal Palm and Narrangansett. My favorite has to be the Narrangansett and then the RP. Narrs have so much color and they have a great disposition.

3) Are you looking for a good egg layer or just a "favorite" breed of chicken?

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

I am wondering if there has ever been a Michigan Egg Swap done on this thread? Or maybe another thread that I may have missed... Unfortunately I am not on BYC on an all-too-regular basis so I may have missed it if there ever was one.

 

[chickwhispers]

@SillyChicken Awesome work!

@taprock I tried one hatchery the first year that I wouldn't go back to. And last year I used Meyer Hatchery with good results for my chickens. I don't have turkeys though., except for the wild ones around here

.

@Candy442 I have a picture you might like? Wasn't trying to copy but yesterday was the first time I've gotten 3 eggs since dog attacks.

On the left, (first egg) from Blue Marans - AKA Gracie
In the center (3rd egg) from EE? Olive egger? AKA Naomi
And last but not least one from one of the RIRs , not sure which one, AKA Rhoda & Roadie.

Buffy the BO(original name right?) is still broody trying to hatch out of 2 different nest boxes

???

All the remaining girls seem to be doing well now. Almost back to normal. Starting to follow me more instead of running. not quite as jumpy. Even yesterday when one the cats startled them they all perked their heads up to check him out instead of running. The cat was trying to go around them without getting his feet wet in the snow and didn't want to go on the path where they were (he's a 'fraidy cat) and tried to jump and curve around them at the same time. Too bad I couldn't have gotten that on video! Yep, almost back to normal the cats are more afraid of them than the girls are of the cats!

 

[gladahmae]

Quote:
Originally Posted by taprock View Post

Yesterday I was going through hatcheries, just looking. Partially for my sons 4-H this year we have to decide what he is doing. I have three questions for everyone. Answer any or all.

1. If you could only by from one hatchery, which do you like best?

2. What is a friendly and good turkey breed?

3. If you could buy a grown laying chicken what kind or color eggs would be best?


1. I've been happy with Meyer, even though they messed my order up TWICE. (messed up the initial order, and THEN messed up the "let us send you new chicks to fix our mistake order). Our original chickens came from Cackle, and they were also very nice....sent extra pullets, all arrived alive. I've ALSO gotten birds from Townline through someone on CL. Those were nice as well. Really, I don't think there's a huge difference, and I would always go with the closest hatchery that carries the breed I want.


2. we don't have turkeys so I don't know.


3. I actually DID buy grown chickens this past summer to replace my dead-by-dog ones. I'm REALLY liking my amber links (from townline originally). Their egg is darker than all my other "light brown" layers, and is consistently BIG. They aren't too flighty, and get along with everyone else. If you're looking for egg COLOR I love EEs and Marans. I really like to break up the look of my egg basket.





My little silkie is drying out in the basement right now! Soaked, scrubbed, and blow dried this morning. Her legs were thoroughly slathered with petroleum jelly, and if she's dry enough I'll sneak her back out to the coop after dark tonight. The rest of them will get their legs sprayed down when I get the SSS from my mother. 7 eggs already this morning, and I'm expecting at least 2 more from the pullet coop before the day is done. My one Wyandotte in that coop likes to lay after 2pm while everyone else lays before noon.

 

[Amy PT]

Buffy the BO(original name right?) is still broody trying to hatch out of 2 different nest boxes

???

It's got to be stressful to feel such a heavy burden of responsibility.

 

[Candy442]

@Candy442 I have a picture you might like? Wasn't trying to copy but yesterday was the first time I've gotten 3 eggs since dog attacks.

On the left, (first egg) from Blue Marans - AKA Gracie
In the center (3rd egg) from EE? Olive egger? AKA Naomi
And last but not least one from one of the RIRs , not sure which one, AKA Rhoda & Roadie.

Buffy the BO(original name right?) is still broody trying to hatch out of 2 different nest boxes

???

All the remaining girls seem to be doing well now. Almost back to normal. Starting to follow me more instead of running. not quite as jumpy. Even yesterday when one the cats startled them they all perked their heads up to check him out instead of running. The cat was trying to go around them without getting his feet wet in the snow and didn't want to go on the path where they were (he's a 'fraidy cat) and tried to jump and curve around them at the same time. Too bad I couldn't have gotten that on video! Yep, almost back to normal the cats are more afraid of them than the girls are of the cats!

No worries about "copying". My egg avatar is far left, RSL egg, middle is Iowa Blue, and end is EE. Now I get a beautiful variation of medium brown, light brown, and very light beige colors. I will be happy when my EE's start again, they have been on egg strike since end of November but also decided to lose some feathers at the same time....my ONE Ameraucana has not laid one egg yet, we will really be floored if IF we EVER see a blue egg in the nest box

Then I will update the avatar

Speaking of cats, my chickies love to raid their foodbowl so I don' t put out kibble until I get home from work, give the chickies their bedtime treat so they keep away from kitties bowl. Well, the RSL's are on to that routine and I filled up the bowls. I forgot the scoop on the deck rail, and saw out the storm door Ms. Lizzy trying to raid my kitties bowl. Well, for the first time I saw kitty defend her meal and pop Ms. Lizzy (the lead hen) in the face with her clawless front paws. That did not deter Ms. Lizzy!! My kitty is brave when it is one on one, but the reinforcements were wondering where Ms. Lizzy was and were coming up the deck ramp. I decided to pick the bowls up until the birds were locked up for the night...
I hear you on the kitties being more afraid of the birds....

I am so glad to hear your girls are back to "normal" after the bad experience. Out of 8 laying pullets, I get anywhere from 4-6 eggs a day, not bad since the EE's have stopped completely and one girl who is 10 months old never has started!

 

[chickwhispers]

Ah ... we Lizzys' are very smart creatures! We learn quickly, but can be determined!