Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself and see if I can get some advice on raising chickens. My Mom and I would like to raise a few to have our own eggs. We don't want a rooster as I have read that they are mean. I know that they help protect the flock, but I think with proper planning and safety measures we can do without. We're working on a portable enclosure/run that we can move around the yard(we have 5 acres and used to have horses)for daytime foraging. We haven't worked out the coop yet. Would like suggestions about size, orientation( for light, wind, sun, etc) what features you like in a coop.  Planning on getting 8 chicks mid-April, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes.  Any suggestions for others? I would like to handle them a lot when they're young so that they are friendly. Tips about bedding, sand, scratch etc are also welcome. As far as feed goes, I'm glad to hear that Armada Grain has a favorable reputation among some of you as they are my local feed store. Looking forward to your replies.

Wendy

Welcome.
I love my Black Copper Marans (also have 2 EEs, 3 NHRs & 4 PRs & love them, too). The mix of birds gives a very nice palette of egg colors.
As for the rooster. My 2 EE roosters are sweet..AND fabulous at spoiling the girls and protecting them. My NHR rooster got mean at one year old &'went to freezer camp. Personally, since I free range I really depend on the roosters. There have been more times than I can count that I would have lost one of the girls to a hawk had it not been for the boys.
My coop & pen are about as predator proof as you can get. I have listened to all of the sage advice on this thread; using hardware cloth, burying it around the perimeter of the pen,,etc. (pix of coop & pen can be found under profile). Though I am not sure if you can do the same type of predator proof w/a tractor type set-up (will defer to those who have/use them).
I am glad that I placed my coop fairly close to the east side of the house...this has given it great protection from the strong westerly winds we have gotten this winter. It also gets full south exposure which I think has helped keep things a bit warmer in the coop/pen this winter.
My first year having chickens. I love them,the fresh eggs...the people &'friends I've made on this thread....
Very excited for you!

 

[chickwhispers]

My coop has a cement floor. I love it! so easy to clean. I use straw and pine shavings mixed. I have areas sectioned off with walls made of 2x4s and 2x12s on the bottom and hardware cloth, inside doors the same way. Works great.

 

[RaZ]

Since we get a lot of Northwest winds here, we were thinking of an area around the southeast corner of the barn. It is a 30' x 32' x 8' side wooden pole building. I wish my dad hadn't cemented the floor after we took out the horse stalls, when the horses were gone. It would be nice to somehow incorporate the coop into an indoor outdoor sort of thing.

How about incorporating an inside corner of the barn for the coop? You can then put a chicken door in for outside access. That is what I did.
Of course, you should ask dad first.

 

[jlynnet]

Welcome newbies! Having chickens is a fun adventure. I have a variety. I really like the Orpingtons calm friendly nature. Even the roos are friendly. They've never gone after us like others have.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

My bator is holding steady, and the sun is shining here. It was windy and snowed an inch last night, but it is already melted.

Sorry for the duckling loss, i have been reading just busy feeling sorry for myself. One thing about flocks is that they all need you; so onward and foreward i go.

In the midst of all the chaos i have been going through a long and delicate job hiring process for a company hiring direct ( been a temp at my current place) I am at the final stage and should it go well it will alter my circumstances greatly. Much poker face to hide the stress! So not all sadness.

 

[chickwhispers]

Good luck Fuzzy!

 

[chickflick]

Wow, those Jubilee Orpingtons are beautiful!!! Where are you located?

 

[Maah]

Welcome newbies & sorry for your hen fuzzy, hope the hatch goes well!
.........................................................................................................................

**keeping my fingers crossed**

DH picked out some chicks at FFH a couple of weeks ago... one of which was a buff orpington. Well, that little buff took a long time for the feathers to come in. It's still struggling just to sport some wing feathers while all the other chicks are mostly full feathered. And... her legs look a bit beefy... and her comb is coming in. Her comb is about the size of the combs on the leghorn chicks the same age. Hmm. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but thinking we got a rooster. :/ All well.

And I will neither confirm nor deny having stopped into FFH today and picking up 2 more little EE's. I apparently happened to get there within a couple hours of their shipment today & there were 2 yellow & 1 blue'ish EE in the bin running around with all the brown EE chipmunks... and one of the yellow & the blue'ish may or may not have come home with me. Curious to see how they feather out.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome Wendy! Lots of folks indoors today! I gave up on driving to work; went out to do the critters, and no way is my car getting out of the driveway until it's plowed. Tomorrow will be better... Sadly, one of my Belgian d'Uccle pullets died overnight. Tomorrow I find out why, didn't notice any problems ahead of time.

The blackbirds arrived here today; they are optimistic for sure. WE must have eight inches of new snow today, again not fun tramping through the drifts.

 

[iamfivewire]

@Maah ; i hope whoever "may or may not have" bought the EE chicks will be kind enough to send you frequent pictures of the growth progress