Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Question.......does any one have cement floors in their coop?  my son in law said his brother has lost 8 hens this winter (I think he has around 50)  he contributes it to the cold cement floors even though he has lots of hay/straw on the floor.

I've got cement floors & 12"-18" DLM. And I've been really having a heck of a time with moisture this year.

No monarchs here either and tons of milkweed in the field. Lots of Biting Ladybugs tho.

 

[chickflick]

I heard/read today that there were far less migrating monarchs this year.

 

[RaZ]

Question.......does any one have cement floors in their coop? my son in law said his brother has lost 8 hens this winter (I think he has around 50) he contributes it to the cold cement floors even though he has lots of hay/straw on the floor.

I've got cement floors & 12"-18" DLM. And I've been really having a heck of a time with moisture this year.

No monarchs here either and tons of milkweed in the field.

Lots of Biting Ladybugs tho.

Cement floor for me. It has a base layer of pine shavings in direct contact with the cement and then 12 -18 inches of straw on top of that. No problems with migrating cold from the floor or any moisture issues.

If you have moisture occurring it could be several variables such as too many birds, inadequate ventilation, water spillage or water migration through the cement. There is a term for that but I can't think of it.

Monarchs were hit hard this year. It was the worst on record according to Monarch Watch. Many factors involved such as loss of habitat, too much monoculture agriculture, excessive use of glyphosate and the one that irritates me the most is that road commissions are spraying herbicides along road sides.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Cement floor for me. It has a base layer of pine shavings in direct contact with the cement and then 12 -18 inches of straw on top of that.  
...
... is that road commissions are spraying herbicides along road sides. 

RaZ- what is the role of pine shavings and how does that work? I'm totally doing that after Spring clean. Thank you. Why would RCs spray herbicides? Bonkers.

 

[chickwhispers]

I mix pine shavings in and sweet PDZ to absorb moisture.

(I know I'm not RaZ but I hope it's OK)

 

[chickwhispers]

This was on my Facebook. It's from the U.P. in 2010 .

I will not whine about our snow any more. I will not whine about our snow anymore. I will not whine......

 

[RaZ]

RaZ- what is the role of pine shavings and how does that work? I'm totally doing that after Spring clean. Thank you. Why would RCs spray herbicides? Bonkers.

I did it to build a quasi-barrier against direct contact with the cement in case of cold seepage or water migration. I have a couple of cracks in the other part of the garage that sometimes get damp and frosty in extreme cold.

I also keep an eye on the coop temperature and humidity within the coop within the garage.
I forgot the mention that I have a tray of sand, PZD, DE and wood ash for the canaries to dust bathe in. It may act as a desiccant but I don't know for sure.

RCs can spray for less money than mowing. Several years ago, the honeybee population took a sudden nose dive for no reason. After an independent investigation, it was found that herbicides sprayed along roads killed local bee populations. (I have a lot of that information on my old computer. A grad student did her thesis on it)

 

[preciouskitty]

Love that UP snow pic!
ALSO love that I will be here in 60 degree Huntsville this weekend, while it looks like we (er, DH) may see up,to another 12" of snow Saturday. Added an hour and a half massage prior to my hair appt Saturday. Decided I deserve ONE day of total pampering since I have no normal chores while out of town. PLUS I got a 92/100 on my exam this morning (& it was NOT EASY & I had a headache bordering on migraine...). Should've been a 95 but I made a really stupid 3pt mistake

Miss all my critters. Told DH that we are going to have to do a FaceTime call Saturday so I can see everyone. He just picked a head of cabbage for them to play with

 

[chickwhispers]

Love that UP snow pic!
ALSO love that I will be here in 60 degree Huntsville this weekend, while it looks like we (er, DH) may see up,to another 12" of snow Saturday. Added an hour and a half massage prior to my hair appt Saturday. Decided I deserve ONE day of total pampering since I have no normal chores while out of town. PLUS I got a 92/100 on my exam this morning (& it was NOT EASY & I had a headache bordering on migraine...). Should've been a 95 but I made a really stupid 3pt mistake

Miss all my critters. Told DH that we are going to have to do a FaceTime call Saturday so I can see everyone. He just picked a head of cabbage for them to play with

Thanks preciouskitty! It looks AWESOME! Just glad I'm not/was in it. Awesome job on your exam! I wondered how you did. Enjoy your pampering and your Facetime!

 

[taprock]

Question.......does any one have cement floors in their coop?  my son in law said his brother has lost 8 hens this winter (I think he has around 50)  he contributes it to the cold cement floors even though he has lots of hay/straw on the floor.

I have a cement floor but have pine shavings about 8 inches thick. It does retain more moisture than wood but at this point I haven't ever lost a bird to cold. I guess seeing what my birds have lived through with no ill effects I would say the cold was secondary to something else and that the cement had nothing to do with it.

I too missed our Monarchs the past year. I joke that I grow a better crop of butterflies than any vegetable because our biggest 'weed' in the garden is milkweed. I am the oddball that leaves it because I want the butterflies.

Raz do you have any boy canaries or only girls? My own little canary was covered in blood last night. She is our only bantam faverolle and I love her. I checked her over and couldn't find anything. I found two other spots on two other birds but no injuries. It makes me a bit concerned but everyone appeared ok.