Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[eatwhatyougrow]

TSC in Lowell doesn't have a whole lot in the way of variety. They had some meaties, mixed duckies, mixed pullets (ambers, barred rocks and something else), welsummers and maybe one more - can't remember.

I wasn't in the market for chicks anyhow. I'm looking for maple tree tapping supplies. Anyone know who has some? Just want the spiles. It's not too late to tap right? With this frigid stuff going on?

Not gonna shear the sheep for a while now, until this cold snap blows over and any subsequent cold snaps that follow. They need that wool to keep them toasty. I'm even putting off thinking about starting garden seeds indoors as this colder weather will definitely keep the ground cold for longer. I can't even get basil to germinate in the house because most window areas are in the 50's. I have to put them over a heat vent to get them to germinate and then move them to the sunny window to grow, but even then it's slow-going. I have a seed warming mat somewhere but it wasn't worth digging it out to sprout my son's styrofoam cup of 3 seeds from his school project.

There's plenty of time to be thinking about building some more cold frames though! I still have plenty of old storm windows that I didn't put into the coop that would make excellent cold frames. Might come in handy this spring.

I know the ffh in sparta had the tapping stuff and the TSC in greenville had it as well today when i was in there.
their chick selection was poor there as well (greenville tsc). only had the mixed pullet bin, some meaties, sr astralorps, and some sr SLW

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Gaitengirl x2 on NOT rubbing.
If her legs turn black she needs to be put down. No quality of life and that much gangrene ....If you are stilltrying to treat her make a warm mash out of her food. As badly as she is dehydrated on the flipside if all she does is drink she'll get the runs and make it worse. So both. In the water try a litle sugar for energy. The frostbite will swell first, then when it goes down you should know. I' going off what i've read. I have had one overdrink and go off her feed; it was a nasty cycle. Had to feed her special several times a day to correct it. Never had frostbite so bad. I'd go with plenty of bag balm for the antiseptic and menthal aspect.
You will be in my thoughts, i don't honestly know how she made it this long. .. just remember you can only do your best. The only other thing perhaps is baby asprin, somewhere in my "fuzzy's notes" link under my post is disease and dosing charts, should have dose there. I'm helpless on this phone since i don't know how to copy and paste yet.

 

[Opa]

The temperature is going to be falling though out the morning, once again making me doubt the wisdom of living in this arctic environment. If I could figure out a way to live in the south without spiders and snakes it might be something to consider.

When my oldest son lived in Louisiana his neighbor's free ranging duck flock often fell to a predator that we never have to worry about, alligators. She initially thought Joe's Jack Russell was killing her ducks until her son caught a 4' gator that was living in the drainage ditch between their properties.

Another time when he was hunting doves and he reached down to retrieve a bird he had shot, a large snake had already taken possession. So while I may gripe and complain about our cold winters our arctic clime does help prevent many cold blooded creatures.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Some people watch the news, weather, or whatever on their television. Here, we have The Goat Channel. The black doe (you can see her white side mark in the pic) is due March 12th, and has been acting different. So, to keep eyes on her, I set up a security camera!

yeah but only in da moonlight.........  lol!  (get it? anyone?)


I need to set up my camera too.. is yours wireless?  mine has cables and I don't think they're long enough... hopefully the kids arrive nice n healthy!  

 
Mine is due end of March... though her udder is getting fuller I wonder if she's not going to kid sooner!

I have a doe due to kid any time. I brought her in January as a bred doe. This will be her first kidding, and it will be my first time to have goat babies born here.

Here is Myrtle. I can feel the babies! So cool to feel the head(s) and limbs. Pretty sure she is having twins.

[COLOR=0000FF]Breaking news.[/COLOR]
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/02/judge_dismisses_feral_swine_su.html

So sad. Makes me mad!

Congrats Chickflick!

 

[ladyrsanti]

lady put starting plants on top of the fridge, it is warm and usually close to a light

I would but the previous homeowners built the fridge into a cupboard which is a pain in the butt because when we had to buy a new fridge, we found that only two models fit the space -_- But yes, that's otherwise a great idea.

Breaking news.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/02/judge_dismisses_feral_swine_su.html

Wow.

I have a doe due to kid any time. I brought her in January as a bred doe. This will be her first kidding, and it will be my first time to have goat babies born here.

Here is Myrtle. I can feel the babies! So cool to feel the head(s) and limbs. Pretty sure she is having twins.

So sad. Makes me mad!

Congrats Chickflick!

I'm keeping an eye on you and your goats. Someday I want some goats for milk. But I'm pretty sure my fencing could use an overhaul before that happens. I have a hard enough time keeping my sheep in.

 

[snowflake]

The temperature is going to be falling though out the morning, once again making me doubt the wisdom of living in this arctic environment. If I could figure out a way to live in the south without spiders and snakes it might be something to consider.

X2 I like my bugs and snakes small,

another beautiful blizzerdly day was going to meet a friend in Lansing for lunch till we saw the weather report.

hey farmerboy, love the goat,hope all is well with you and yours

I keep a bag next to the stove for egg shells when it gets full I crush them and through them in the run for the girls, some say not to put in food as they may not need more then they are already getting and if you have roosters they don't need it. hens seem to know if they need more and will go to a source

one nice thing about all this COLD makes me not eager to bring home baby chicks, DO NOT WANT THEM IN THE HOUSE

 

[snowflake]

Raz thank you for the up date, I hope he is able to sue for damages. very sad what is happening to our freedoms
So many pay the price for a few careless people.................I am glad that he was able to breed and in part continue his program

 

[Jake Levi]

Goats work well with chickens, and turkeys. I am adding a couple kids this spring to raise out for pack goats. So much state and federal forests to hike here in MI. I am getting Kikos, a meat goat imported from NZ, very hardy and excellent growth. I am getting a doeling and a buckling, after he has a son or two I will castrate him and keep him on as a packgoat. The doe will go along on hikes too, but without any great load, maybe snacks for the two of them and a water bottle for them.

My Icelandics have been laying well this winter, even with the cold, getting too many frozen cracked eggs but its not their fault. I have lights near the next boxes but apparently not enough. We had -5 this morn, and will again tomorrow. Still, life goes on.

Farmer Boy let is know when your kids arrive ! All of you with some coming. Baby goats, and chicks are among the blessings of living in the country.

 

[aart]

Best to crush shells so that they no longer look like eggshells, or you might encourage egg eating.

Quote:

I never thought of that.

Eating un crushed egg shells is not likely to lead to egg eating. Plenty of folks feed them just halved.

.....I keep a bag next to the stove for egg shells when it gets full I crush them and through them in the run for the girls, some say not to put in food as they may not need more then they are already getting and if you have roosters they don't need it. hens seem to know if they need more and will go to a source....

Yes, good reason not to put egg shells in feed....rooster and non layers don't need them.


I rinse and air dry shells, crush them up a bit in my hands and store them in an open jar on the counter, then pour them into the oyster shell feeder - which is just a Jfeeder attached to coop wall. I feed flock raiser with calcium available for the layers.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sorry, but eating shells that look like eggs does encourage chickens to peck at other egg-like things - like intact eggs.