Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

Got all of my available containers down today and out on the porch. Probably around 20 total so far. I could have used about 3x that many from the number of seeds in my seed drawer though!!

Has anyone grown lettuces in containers? I have a few packs of those from last year and I'm thinking about trying to make railing planters to grow salad greens in. Not sure about how deep to make them or how much sun they should get.

 

[SillyChicken]

Ha, I would love to come to Chickenstock and meet all my Michigander friends, but Washington state is just a wee tad far away for me. Well, I'd do it, but I don't think himself would be too pleased with me.

@chickflick - yes, I'm really excited about the SFH's too. I hear they lay enormous eggs, and besides they are pretty birds.

I will be in Seattle WA in August.. think DH would let me sneak some chicks on the plane for you Chick? LOL!

 

[Totalcolour]

Quote: What are you doing in Seattle @SillyChicken ? I'm in Olympia - does your schedule allow for a meet up perhaps? (I don't mind the drive if it's during the day - bad night vision)

 

[snowflake]

Has anyone grown lettuces in containers? I have a few packs of those from last year and I'm thinking about trying to make railing planters to grow salad greens in. Not sure about how deep to make them or how much sun they should get.

lettuce grows very well in 2or3" of dirt planters a great cause you can move them out of the hot sun in summer they like cooler temps

@Maah , I always had golf balls in the boxes to get the hens to lay. They even pull them under and set on them. When we noticed the eaters we took them out. What you say might work? When we got the new birds they immediately were pecking the golf balls. Taking eggs out all day is a chore! It is really the only way to save some. I bet I've lost 3 dozen already.

I think Opa has directions for a nice roll a way box,, cant eat them if they roll out of their sight

Question: does anyone use poultry nipples for their brooder/grow out pens? Do you prefer them or was it experimental? If the goal was cleaner/drier bedding, was it an effective change? How difficult was it to make the switch for the chicks? How do you elevate them over the brooder area?

I'm tired of damp wood shavings and overturned/spilt waterers (courtesy of the older bantam Cochins)

I used nipple waterer's in the brooder last year worked great, took no time at all for them to learn to drink from them and you didn't have all the poo, wood chips, ect. in the water, no spills either

 

[mindylee]

I also use Ivermec, on the back    but you can have a stool sample done at the vet for $25-$30   and it will tell you if you need to worm or not
           

Mindylee how is your DH? recovered from the accident I hope?


Thanks Amy good advice on the ventilation    I may try putting a fan out this spring as the up and down weather and snow melt may cause more then normal humidity 

T
He walks with a limp. All insurance companies involved is denied paying his er and dr bills as well as workmans comp. Workmans comp told him he wasnt hurt bad enough... sorry he wasnt kill jerks!!! And the drunk driver who had no license and 2nd offence had his lawyer going after my hubbys insurance because he claims that my hubby was blocking the rd. What a load of crap!
Drunk crossed center line hitting my hubby head on, my hubby has 70 strobe lights on wrecker, which you can see from the bar parking lot a mile away on a straight rd. Drunk couldnt he give his name he was so drunk but mysteriously can remember that my hubby was supposedly blocked his lane...
Just hate this guy!

My hubby is still sore and has a bad limp but did go through a bad case of nightmares of dieing in crashes and was weary on doing wrecker calls for about 2 weeks. Still scared but managing but I know its effeting his ability to do his job like he should. Elbow still sore but healing. Most bruises are yellow and going away now. Still not eating a lot and still has a few nightmares but has slept through the night now a bunch of times. So hes coming around. Its scary to see such a big guy who isnt scared of anything be like this. I worried there for awhile but relieved to see him coming around again.
We'll get through this however the big stressful part is about to happen with lawyers and workmans comp....

 

[Opa]

A rollout nest box is the best way to deal with egg eaters or you can use the Harlan Sanders method. Once subjected to his method they never again eat eggs.

 

[aart]

Harlan Sanders!!! had to google it hahahaha

 

[aart]

Anyone here have much experience with Welsummers? If so, would you check mine out?

 

[RaZ]

What a wonderful day out there. The garden tractor started on the first try after sitting all winter long. I even managed to drive it through the mud bog that is the back yard.
Got one of the utility trailers unstuck from the ice and a good bit of yard debris cleaned up.
The big brooder was cleaned and set up.

So nice that t-shirt weather was here today. I'm sure that I'll be feeling it later.

 

[Faraday40]

I made a temp waterer out of a plastic bottle with a chicken nipple in the cap. I made a holder out of an old coat hanger. (like a rabbit bottle) I made a second one for the other side of the brooder. They used it from the start, but I also had a reg water fountain for the dumb chicks. The bottle never leaked & rarely needed cleaning, but the fountain needed it almost hourly. I then added the chick fountain only once a day. The chicks definitely preferred dipping their beaks, but a sanitary brooder was pretty high on my list.

They also make a 1.5qt "Chick-N-Canteen" that can be hung from your brooder roof. Because it hangs, the chicks can't roost on it, so less mess. (Can spill when bumped, though)

I made my own hanging feeder out of a flat sided container & PVC elbow. This definitely worked great & like the waterer was practically free.





Here's the bottle just as the chicks grew out of the brooder.




Here's the larger version of my feeder. The hens must stick their heads inside the elbow, and no food gets spilled. As they eat, more fills in from the sides. I was hoping for a pretty "Tidy Cat" bucket, but this is what I found. Also worked better when I added a hook to my run to hang it so no chickens sitting on top of feeder.