Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[MiChickMagnet]

Thanks for the info opa! I am looking longingly at the townline "booklet" and wondering if tractor supply will still be carrying chicks in April. As we are planning a family vacation, we decided to not have any chicks until we get back. Less critters for a house sitter to have to take care of.

I'm not too far from you. We will be on vacay the third week of March. If you want I could watch your chicks along with mine (I will be getting some after vacay) and you can pick them up after you return.

 

[RaZ]

A few pages back we were talking about well water and the fact that municipal water systems are chlorinated and that chlorinated water kills bacteria both good and bad. The overall health of your flock can be improved if you replace that good bacteria by adding probiotics to their food. While I'm not aware of a product specifically for poultry, the powdered probiotics TFC carries for goats will work just as well.

There is sav-A-chick™ that is a Probiotic powder in a 3-pack. You can use it alone or mix it with their Electrolyte in the same waterer. It is a lot cheaper than feeding yogurt to the birds. I find it as TSC in the aisle with chicken supplies. It sometimes gets pushed behind other things on the shelf.

 

[iamfivewire]

Congrats naglady

 

[boris159]

Finally found you guys, days without internet. Am sitting at an open-air bar in Mexico, Cuban band playing, ocean in front looking North to New Orleans, 85F in-the-shade. 1st time on the 'puter in days, don't really miss it. Neighbors near our little efficiency have a rooster that crows all morning, haven't had a sighting (Mexico is a civilized place--no one complains about such trivials so no one thinks about making unnecessary laws).
Will be back middle-end of March (when $ run out). I mean no snark or such with this post, just want to share.
Is "Wish you were here" appropriate?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

85 In the shade. Awesome.

Okay Michiganders, anyone know how many KW hours my heated 5gal bucket should use per month? I just came inside from watching my electric meter spin. And slow as I turned off my by key's breaker. Last year, I used the same bucket in The same setup with nothing anywhere near this. Any suggestions?

If I go to taking water out, do you think 2x per day would be sufficient?

 

[aart]

85 In the shade. Awesome.

Okay Michiganders, anyone know how many KW hours my heated 5gal bucket should use per month? I just came inside from watching my electric meter spin. And slow as I turned off my by key's breaker.

Last year, I used the same bucket in The same setup with nothing anywhere near this. Any suggestions?

If I go to taking water out, do you think 2x per day would be sufficient?

Only way to really know what an appliance is using is to put a kil-o-watt meter on it.

For my non heated water in the seclusion coop, I refresh it twice a day...morning and then afternoon scratch time.
I keep bowls of snow in the coops too, and they do partake....not that that would take care of all their water requirements but it helps.

 

[aart]

If they will allow you to pick your own chicks, Welsummers pullets are easily sexed by only taking the chicks with a very pronounced dark Vee on their heads

Found some good pics that illustrate this well(summer-haha)

 

[chickwhispers]

@aart Those are awesome pics! Thanks for the link!

 

[mattsinger]

thanks aart! good info!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Thanks aart