Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[snowflake]

I AM A PROUD FIRST TIME CHICKEN MAMA!

Meet Leven (Dutch for "Life" and pronounced "lay-ven")! We brought her home from FFH just tonight before they closed and she'll be meeting her sisters bright and early Tuesday morning! I just can't contain my excitement! DH and I have all our professional camera gear out plus the phone, and I'm texting everyone saying "I'm a Mama!"

I'm so happy to officially be joining BYC with the addition of our first baby girl Welsummer!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! very sweet, had fun checking out welsummer chicks at TSC but reminded my self I DO NOT WANT THEM IN THE HOUSE

-20 on DH car therm.

Opa,X2,,,,,, fingertips were froze after letting chickens out, feed and water, even with gloves on

 

[Maah]

FFH get their chicks from Townline, and Townline is the only hatchery that I will buy chicks from for they are MG free. The banties I got are the Old English. They had silkies, but I already have non-hatchery quality silkies, so I pass them.

FFH by you had banties already? I'm a bit jealous. The FFH over here doesn't have them in yet. I think they wanted to wait a bit for it to be warmer out before getting them in... ? I need a handful of those little cuties. But I agree on the silkies. I already have non-hatchery stock, so I'll pass on those too. I'm hoping to catch some mille fleur from the bin, or at least some porcelains.

While DH was at FFH yesterday getting some chicks... They DID have a shipment of decent looking wood shavings. They were "horse bedding" pine shavings, but looked MUCH better for using with the chicks than the practically sawdust shavings they had before. Still hoping they get the Wayne Davis back in. Even though the "horse bedding" shavings are better, with bigger pieces... it still doesn't look at clean as I'd like to see.

Congrats Brennigan.

Love the video Ladyr.

 

[uchytil]

Nice Winter Video!

FFH in North Muskegon is never (yet) in short supply of wood shavings it seems. Anyone striking out to get some should call ahead and make sure though. Even straw is abundant and the price dropped recently. I have my own supplier that's about 1/2 price of the box stores though.

Off to see if I can get a bator today. My friend that works at FFH is moving to Idaho and selling off his estate. I may walk into some good barn deals - I hope.

 

[Brennigan]

@uchytil // love your signature saying!

 

[SillyChicken]

About 5 am this morning I wake to a really loud earthshaking noise... kind a cross between a pop and a bang! Dog got up out of his bed started whining and pacing, I could hear the roosters start to crow out in the coops. So then I lay there and run through all the scenarios on what it could have been... trees, ground, the river, pond....Hot tub.... the house....my foundation.......UGH! I've been hearing a bunch of noises like that with all the cold. Usually it sounds like the river freezing or ice breaking away.. or the house popping... but this one seemed "damagingly" loud. Creepy, Erie sound to wake up to, esp if it made the animals restless.

Lady, great job on the video!

Congrats on the new chicks and canaries..... I have to go to FFH today to see if they have sheep covers/coats. I will have a hard time NOT getting any chicks........ wish me luck!

I guess the plan is to go ahead with the sheep shearing tomorrow because my DB's sheep will be lambing soon (poor babies). Mine won't be for a while yet but this is the best way for me to get mine sheared... so I'm looking for a coat or cover for them to help keep them warm.

I may see about tree tapping supplies too. My parents have a few nice sugar maples at their home I'd like to try tapping.

 

[SillyChicken]

Nice Winter Video!

FFH in North Muskegon is never (yet) in short supply of wood shavings it seems. Anyone striking out to get some should call ahead and make sure though. Even straw is abundant and the price dropped recently. I have my own supplier that's about 1/2 price of the box stores though.

Off to see if I can get a bator today. My friend that works at FFH is moving to Idaho and selling off his estate. I may walk into some good barn deals - I hope.

They wouldn't have any milking equipment would they?

 

[RaZ]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide close to $3 million in technical and financial assistance for interested farmers and ranchers to help improve the health of bees, which play an important role in crop production. The funding is a focused investment to improve pollinator health and will be targeted in five Midwestern states, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Full Story: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=STELPRDB1246681
ETA: Info to contact your local NRCS office...
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mi/programs/?cid=nrcs141p2_024617

I wanted to bump this back up.
I have an appointment with the local field office to begin the grant process. I'll try to keep a running description of what it takes to wade through the government morass of paperwork.

I can tell you that it takes some persistence to get in touch with the right people and you may get transferred between departments until you find the right person. However, everyone that I have talked to has been especially nice.

 

[ladyrsanti]

That's creepy about the sound. I have heard of mini earthquakes happening when the ground freezes hard but I'm not sure it would make such a loud sound. But certainly with this cold, *something* could be shifting violently. That would definitely keep me on my toes.

Our water lines froze somewhere last night. The basement is "warm" so I doubt it's inside. The pressure tank is at zero. I turned off the pump in a panic, hoping it's not burned out but the way this winter has treated us... who knows. There's a heat lamp pointed at the entry point but I'm not too hopeful. Rolling with the punches. I'm still laughing at old man winter but only for lack of anything more productive.

Chickens were all alright this morning. I made them oatmeal with fermented scratch, raisins and a drizzle of molasses. It smelled really good. One thing I learned after losing power for a week back in Dec. is too keep lots of buckets of water on hand. So luckily I had water in the house that I was able to heat for their water dish.

At least the sun is out!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Oh! No good guys. Lady, i heard day before yesterday that the frost line has been driven deeper than usual, and is freezing underground pipes.

Silly, were i you i'd step out for a good listen with a mind for trees and a look at your roof....bring the dog with you. They have extra senses. If they were scared i would be to!

Cold....carharts for me and old grody sheepskin coat to go outside. No pride left! I am worried about my blower moter on my heater too. I have turned it down to 62 and she's still running constant.
Bout fell over when i got the bill. They estimated part of last month and it was the important part! I hope everyone stays safe and well. One more week! Than the worst is over.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2014 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide close to $3 million in technical and financial assistance for interested farmers and ranchers to help improve the health of bees, which play an important role in crop production. The funding is a focused investment to improve pollinator health and will be targeted in five Midwestern states, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Full Story:  http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=STELPRDB1246681
[rule]ETA:  Info to contact your local NRCS office...
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mi/programs/?cid=nrcs141p2_024617

Sounds great! I missed this the first time you posted