Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Amy PT]

Hello all,

I've been reading this forum for a week or two and thought I should officially join We are brand new to the chicken world and looking forward to starting. For now, I am taking my time to see what breeds we like best, the most friendly (for our kids sake) and of course winter hardy. For fun, I'd love to raise a few silkies. I fell in love with them! My oldest may take Chickens for 4-H to the fair this summer, so we have that aspect to look at as well. I plan to read through the posts in this thread, but if anyone has some recommendations of Michigan breeders, please point me in the right direction. We want to start with eggs in an incubator and go from there.

Keep warm everyone - sure are some brutal temps out there for us Michiganders lately!
Cheryl

Welcome! @RBahmer might be interested in talking with you. When I was talking with her about bantam cochin eggs, she started swaying me toward silkies.
We have 2 bantam birds. One is a silkie and one is a d'uccle. If you're open to other breeds as well, check out the d'uccle breed. Our Ruby is wonderful with the kids and FULL of personality.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I like my d'uccles, and i like my easter eggers. The best ones are from personal breeders; idk where any are here though. I just got an rooster that's easter egger/ blue laced red wyendotte cross last fall, and he's sweet so far. From what i've read about the blue laced red wyendottes they usually are friendly, and the d'uccle ones too. My easter egger and d'uccle girls are complete hams! Some of the hatchery ones are more skittish; i handle all my birds A LOT and i've noticed a difference. One thought would be to stalk the buy/sell part of BYC? Eggs will be shippable from a long distance once this cold snap lets up! I had a bantam cochin for a little while, sweetest thing. Mean ones i've had? The rhode island reds i started my first flock with feared me and turned buck wild, couldn't coop them and they got ate by raccoons. Got an orpington from the feed mill because they were supposed to be nice, she was permanently broody and had a mean pinch!!! Tried to house a production red girl with my easter eggers, and she wouldn't let them eat......... Other breeds to consider on the friendly scale are speckled sussex, barred rocks, and the orloff (which is on the conservation list, and there IS a breeder here in MI! )

Welcome to BYC!

You have a coop picked out? Another thing to consider is predator proofing, that will be the next likely question you have! Ask away and don't be shy! We are a good bunch here.

 

[mattsinger]

Thank you! I have looked at Townline and they are on my list to visit. I am not sure where Zeeland is, I will have to map it. I am in South Central MI. About an hour south of Lansing. I'm hoping to find a breeder in Lansing or Ann Arbor area.

Depending on what type of birds you are looking for, there is BJs Poultry in Howell. Thats close to Lansing

 

[snowflake]

Hi NightOwel, WELCOME to the MI. thread,
I got birds from Chick hatchery, John Blehm out of Burch Run, he breeds Chanteclair and Ameraucanas, small combs,very winter hardy and very friendly! I got chicks last yr and my granddaughters raise them till they get to big for the brooder then they come home to Grandmas. the girls, 7 and 10 come every Sunday and play with them, their favorite is the Lavender Ameraucana as they are small standard(more bantam size) and look like gray doves, Very friendly The Ameraucana lay blue eggs the Chantecler's brown He also vaccenates all his birds for Meriks unless you request not to have the vac. you do have to order early as he is a small hatchery I have a ## of rooster. from him all are very friendly

The Spanish Basque Roosters are also very friendly I bought from 1mutsfan on BYC Mary is in the UP and has beautiful birds,she may send eggs to hatch, as will some others on BYC

the best hatchery rooster (not from breeder) was an EE from Murry McMurry's


-14 here this AM not sure I want it to get light, afraid to go down to the coop don't remember ever having that low an actual temp ever in our area lived in GR all my life

Chicken Stock in Lansing in June also a good place to get chicks or eggs, many on this sight have very good quality birds and will be selling

 

[preciouskitty]

Just checked online, looks like its -11 at the Howell airport. My house is virtually ALWAYS 5 degrees cooler....which would make it -16. Last week it was -17 actual temp.

Figures my first year having birds would also be the year that's been the coldest in over TWO decades...

Everyone is whining here in Alabama cuz it's +19; heck, feels downright balmy to me
And, there MIGHT be snow flurries today, which could lead to shutting everything down (they got an inch last Jan when I was here; everyone was sent home, the schools all closed the day BEFORE just cuz there was the chance of snow).

 

[snowflake]

There's a place about 30min from me that processed them for $3/ea last year. Final cost of each bird bought, fed, and butchered was just under $11, and I'm ok with that and not having to mess with feathers and guts. I can process if I have to, but for that many I'd rather let someone else do it.

that is the way to go ,we have Amish near us, they charged $2 or $2.50 a couple yrs ago, last yr we did our own but not a large ##

we have had cornishx and freedom rangers in the past, freedom rangers were easier to raise, less stress with the heat, a hardy bird. VERY tasty!
bought from J&M hatchery, 2.10 a bird plus shipping, a bit costly compared to the cornishx

 

[snowflake]

Just checked online, looks like its -11 at the Howell airport. My house is virtually ALWAYS 5 degrees cooler....which would make it -16. Last week it was -17 actual temp.

Figures my first year having birds would also be the year that's been the coldest in over TWO decades...

Everyone is whining here in Alabama cuz it's +19; heck, feels downright balmy to me

And, there MIGHT be snow flurries today, which could lead to shutting everything down (they got an inch last Jan when I was here; everyone was sent home, the schools all closed the day BEFORE just cuz there was the chance of snow).

hee,hee, they don't get the chance to play in the snow very often so they have to get out there when they have the chance

 

[preciouskitty]

hee,hee, they don't get the chance to play in the snow very often so they have to get out there when they have the chance

True that! A week before I had come down last year they actually got a real snow of 6"+. Everyone was showing me their pix of them having a riot playing in the snow..adults, kids, dogs, etc!
I've been coming down here regularly since the early '90s...this is definitely the coldest it has ever been here, I even brought thin long johns for today & tomorrow (yeah, I'm a wimp!).

 

[chickwhispers]

Newbies! You're going to love this thread! So many helpful informative and friendly people! They even let a "buckeye" in! Lol!


@preciouskitty since you are in the south, could you bring a gulf breeze our way when you come back? No moisture please just a Warm southern breeze would be nice.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have a ## of rooster. from him all are very friendly

Oh oh a bad word?!

The Spanish Basque Roosters are also very friendly I bought from 1mutsfan on BYC Mary is in the UP and has beautiful birds


Thanks, they are very sweet - I sent some to Sand Hill preservation last year and he says they are almost annoyingly friendly

Hi Nightowl, welcome to BYC and the Michigan thread