Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[uchytil]

Congrats @RaZ !

Please help me. Snow has gotten inside my barn. Into my duck house.

It is quite damp. ~4-5 sq ft available for each bird. And they also have a Day Pen where the food & water is located. I've been using Sweet PDZ, gentle raking and then adding more dry straw atop the damp. So today, seeing that while this is really going to provide me with some beyond excellent mulch for my gardens, it really is not doing right by my ducks. So I bought Pelletized Softwood Bedding and tossed it down thickly and dry.
The directions say to add water before using?! Will this help or hinder? Please help. Thank you, Holly

I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but if you're worried I'd just empty out the bedding and replace. My ducks have a small house, sort of like a doghouse that's actually a scaled down, modified a-frame pig house I built. Anyway, they have hay bedding we change out every two weeks, or so. They spend most of their time in the snow and go in at night. We lock them in for safety sake. My thing is that ducks (mine anyway) (K.Campbells) are not affected by wet, rain, snow, slop, cold...they seem to get happier the worse it gets out? On flip side, my wife gets worried (has for years now) and thinks they need to be in the barn. Like I mentioned, we do change out the straw about every two weeks because it gets matted down with poo. I'd stick with the straw.

 

[suwahsen]

Hi all, I wanted to thank everyone for all of the great info! This is my first winter with chickens and this thread has been so helpful. BYC has all the best info, but to hear specifically about how other Michiganders are dealing with this winter has helped keep me sane.

I am really enjoying all of the pictures of chicks (I don't get mine until May) so please keep them coming! I am already plotting how to move one coop closer to the house so that I could get some earlier.

 

[GalloSiSupieras]

Just finished cleaning out the pullet coop. Had 2 bales of pine shavings, and that's what that coop needs to refill. Talk about GROSS! I looked it over and I think I know how to fix it to add a poop board and not lose any of the useable floor space. Just need some lumber. Lol

Just came in from Spring-ish cleaning and had the exact same thought about our coop!

Sure was a lot harder to maintain balanced deep litter than the last couple winters, so we're also trying pine pellets for the first time.

 

[Trefoil]

Hello!

I just joined BYC after lurking around the forums for a long time and I thought I'd finally introduce myself to my fellow Michiganders!

Welcome. Your story sounds sooo familiar. We love baby pictures, sheep,goats, chicks, lambs, whatever.

Opa I sure agree!! We have 4 and 5' drifts in the yard, where last year there were 2-3' drifts. With this weather this week I expect the maples sap to start flowing, tis the season. May it be a slow thaw. Lake Huron should get a good boost this spring.

I have two Icelandic pullets wanting to go broody, I hope that they do. I am going to set up a couple pens just for broodys.

Anyone interested in some turkeys, I have 3 June 13 hatch, one ea Hen and Jake Black Spanish, and one Jake Bourbon Red. Nicely grown, we dont have freezer space so will sell them for $15 each to move them. They are in the pens I want for the broodys. I will have some turkeys this year but wanting the Wishards, an excellent free ranging breed I have had before.

I am also going to have 2 small starter Icelandic trios, free to anyone wanting to get started with Icelandics. I love them. As is I will have 3 small flocks working.

I will have Icelandic eggs available about May-June.

Again for folks interested in getting started. I am wanting to see more folks here seeing just how great these little guys are !

Anyone interested in getting started in icelandics, Jakes' birds are great. The 2 delaware pullets and pair of spotted ducks I got from him last year are doing wonderful.

Just came in from Spring-ish cleaning and had the exact same thought about our coop!

Sure was a lot harder to maintain balanced deep litter than the last couple winters, so we're also trying pine pellets for the first time.

I haven't had luck this year with deep litter either, then I read that you don't use pdz or DE in deep litter, and that probably means lime as well is a no no. So now I know why mine didn't work.

 

[gladahmae]

I just fill my coop up with pine shavings and keep adding as winter goes along and it all gets packed down. That makes for a lot of shoveling out come sping. I'm definitely planning to put poop boards on as soon as dh has time to help me (I'm a lefty so running a circular saw is a tricky task and I'd rather not lose an arm).


Last year I used all me clean out litter to mulch my tomato plants and back flower bed. My tomatoes were ridiculous. 5 ft tall and I couldn't get down my rows that started out 3-4 ft wide!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

me personally I'd just put on top of whats there and let the ducks work it around.

That's what I did. Time to build a new duck house! Today is so warm 43'F now! I had to remove my coat while I was out. ... But not ready to deal with the melt. What I am seeing I've not seen before. Thanks All. Anyone want to build a pen with me?

 

[JRGriff]

Will do! I think just #2 maybe a boy, but not sure as I've never done them before. I only want 2 hens,so once I figure it out the other 3 will be available

 

[chickfanatic]

I have chicks you can have for free!!!! I am in Lapeer but work in Waterford/Pontiac M-F if that would help??? I was checking fertility and hatching some much wanted bantam cochin eggs so I have extra large fowl mix chicks now. White Leghorn mixed with Speckled Sussex and then 3 LF mix (I think Light Brahma and RIR mix).

PM me if you are interested!

Not wanting to butt into your conversation but I am also from lapeer and am looking for a different type of chicken breed than what TSC could provide. Spoke with Mindy at TSC today which she indicated knowing you and I also expressed interest in purchasing some of her chickens. Excuse me as I don't really know much about types or breeds only have had chickens for about 1 year now and learning as I go. My wife and I would like some silkies but they just seem hard to find any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jeremy

 

[taprock]

Good news, our water problem is all taken care of. Only a few hours with a torch melting ice build up and digging it all out to be safe. It appears it was all above ground but under the snow. I also cleaned all the coops and added shavings while watching the melting process. This time of year it means dragging the sled full of bedding to dump on the compost spot. Not fun!

Good news also, Posey the house chicken not only laid her first egg today but is now back in the coop with her very happy boy.

Bad news, I now have two more chickens in. One can't stand and the other was bloody from fighting. So one bird out and two in, it seems to be a losing battle.

Good news, 23 eggs! Not sure what happened, I've been getting 6-8 a day. I guess they liked the weather too.

Bad news, I hurt, not sure what I have done exactly, but the digging, spudding, shoveling, dragging and snowshoeing from today seems to have done me in. DH is still injured so I did some of his stuff too. I was even good about taking breaks, I finished the book I started last night!

Stay safe with whatever the weather brings you tomorrow.

 

[uchytil]

Good news, our water problem is all taken care of. Only a few hours with a torch melting ice build up and digging it all out to be safe. It appears it was all above ground but under the snow. I also cleaned all the coops and added shavings while watching the melting process. This time of year it means dragging the sled full of bedding to dump on the compost spot. Not fun!

Good news also, Posey the house chicken not only laid her first egg today but is now back in the coop with her very happy boy.

Bad news, I now have two more chickens in. One can't stand and the other was bloody from fighting. So one bird out and two in, it seems to be a losing battle.

Good news, 23 eggs! Not sure what happened, I've been getting 6-8 a day. I guess they liked the weather too.

Bad news, I hurt, not sure what I have done exactly, but the digging, spudding, shoveling, dragging and snowshoeing from today seems to have done me in. DH is still injured so I did some of his stuff too. I was even good about taking breaks, I finished the book I started last night!

Stay safe with whatever the weather brings you tomorrow.

I wish I could finish the book I started last winter.