Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

This one time...when I was at TSC.......lol....

....they had 3 different kinds of layers, don't remember what kinds - but they all looked similar, all mixed up in 3 different bins all labeled with the 3 names of the birds.

Must be that the hatchery doesn't segregate them in the boxes...and the employees surely didn't know the which was which.

 

[RaZ]

Senator Stabenow spoke first at the Ag Meeting and mentioned several times that the feds, at least, appreciate small farm operations and is actively working to promote young farmers and returning military veterans as farmers. Several MDARD people seemed to squirm a bit at those comments.

Anyhow, all of the GAAMPs were passed, even those with sketchy details that need to be clarified. The exception was the Site Selection proposal. The vote on this change is being delayed until a special meeting in April so that the Commissioners can get more details of how zoning affects the new categories. You can bet the lobby arms of the Farm Bureau and Michigan Municipal League will be making lots of calls to get the proposed changes passed.

Thanks to all of you who wrote letters to MDARD and the commissioners. Those powerful statements got the attention of at least a couple of the commissioners. They seemed surprised that many places are zoned residential even if they are rural homes with acreage. The MDARD career bureaucrats tried to spin the idea that rural homes are not affected. Clearly a false statement.

Updates were posted on the Michigan Small Farm Council FB page thoughout the day. You can read them here: https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil


The entire meeting was filmed and you can see a small potion here:

 

[Amy PT]

Yes, it could have been 2 from the list. Either silkie or porcelain. Although a common silkie chick trait, a silkie chick doesn't always have the dome on the head. You would be able to tell the difference between the silkie & the porcelain chicks easily by the skin color. Silkie will have black skin, porcelain will be your standard issue chicken color.

Most likely what you were seeing is the porcelain... So, what store was this cuz that's what I've been looking for!! I'll race you for it. LOL!

When had porcelain chicks last year they weren't as yellow. They had a definite yellow and grey color. Hm... It was at the TSC in Hudsonville, so I couldn't have picked it up to count toes and look at skin.
I emailed Townline today asking about porcelains. They said if I can be there at 8am on a M, T, or W they could try to snag some before they pack them up.
Where(ish) are you? If this is the route I go, I can get some for you, too, if that makes sense for our locations.

 

[Opa]

The chicks do arrive from the hatcheries segregated by breed, however, due to space requirements many stores mix them. I've seen some stores attempt to dye mark the different breeds, in some the employees can tell the difference, but in most they just toss them all together by type.

 

[aart]

The chicks do arrive from the hatcheries segregated by breed, however, due to space requirements many stores mix them. I've seen some stores attempt to dye mark the different breeds, in some the employees can tell the difference, but in most they just toss them all together by type.

These looked to be mixed together by type...3 breeds, 3 bins, 3 breed names on each bin...all mixed up...was silly.

 

[SillyChicken]

We lost internet again for several days and I'm 130 posts in debt once again. There is zero chance of catching up. I apologize.

I just wanted to say thank you to whoever it was that mentioned BORNHOLM disease on the board months ago. After I had another painful flair up last week, I asked the Dr. for a blood test and it came back positive! Nine years ago in June I contracted the coxsackie B virus (bornholm) and suffered painful "devil's grip" attacks every couple of years and had NO CLUE what caused it. Doctors told me I was pulling muscles and that was pure BS, doctors who would not take me seriously, who were too lazy to do some homework. It has created so much anxiety in my life, nine years of it. Now I know and peace of mind.

So, whoever EVER comes in here and complains of discussions going off the poultry topic... they can kiss my a**. Telling stories, sharing our experiences is what being social is about and that is the category that this thread is in: BYC Forum>Social>Where am I? Where are you!> Michigan Thread - all are welcome!. I am very grateful to hear everything everyone has to say... when I have the time and connectivity to keep up with it

wow... you know some time I feel like Drs think it's all in our pretty little lady heads. I'm glad your Dr listened and was willing to give you a test... not so much cause it's positive, but to finally know what it is and maybe get the right treatment has to be a huge relief!!

 

[Totalcolour]

We lost internet again for several days and I'm 130 posts in debt once again. There is zero chance of catching up. I apologize.

I just wanted to say thank you to whoever it was that mentioned BORNHOLM disease on the board months ago. After I had another painful flair up last week, I asked the Dr. for a blood test and it came back positive! Nine years ago in June I contracted the coxsackie B virus (bornholm) and suffered painful "devil's grip" attacks every couple of years and had NO CLUE what caused it. Doctors told me I was pulling muscles and that was pure BS, doctors who would not take me seriously, who were too lazy to do some homework. It has created so much anxiety in my life, nine years of it. Now I know and peace of mind.

So, whoever EVER comes in here and complains of discussions going off the poultry topic... they can kiss my a**. Telling stories, sharing our experiences is what being social is about and that is the category that this thread is in: BYC Forum>Social>Where am I? Where are you!> Michigan Thread - all are welcome!. I am very grateful to hear everything everyone has to say... when I have the time and connectivity to keep up with it

@ladyrsanti , I think that was me. I had it when I was 19 back in England. Yup, it's really painful, and few doctors know of it. Glad you got diagnosed. I haven't had a flare for years - have they come up with anything that can help with the pain? I hope so.

 

[RTFchickens]

[COLOR=0000CD]Senator Stabenow spoke first at the Ag Meeting and mentioned several times that the feds, at least, appreciate small farm operations and is actively working to promote young farmers and returning military veterans as farmers. Several MDARD people seemed to squirm a bit at those comments.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Anyhow, all of the GAAMPs were passed, even those with sketchy details that need to be clarified. The exception was the Site Selection proposal. The vote on this change is being delayed until a special meeting in April so that the Commissioners can get more details of how zoning affects the new categories. You can bet the lobby arms of the Farm Bureau and Michigan Municipal League will be making lots of calls to get the proposed changes passed. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Thanks to all of you who wrote letters to MDARD and the commissioners. Those powerful statements got the attention of at least a couple of the commissioners. They seemed surprised that many places are zoned residential even if they are rural homes with acreage. The MDARD career bureaucrats tried to spin the idea that rural homes are not affected. Clearly a false statement.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Updates were posted on the Michigan Small Farm Council FB page thoughout the day. You can read them here: https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil[/COLOR]


[COLOR=0000CD]The entire meeting was filmed and you can see a small potion here:  

[/COLOR]

It's funny that they say that large rural properties won't be effected by the change. They have already said via a conference call between my township, Michigan Senator's office, and MDARD they said that I DO NOT HAVE RIGHT TO FARM PROTECTION BECAUSE IM ZONED RESIDENTIAL! So if this is already their claim (that I supposedly don't have RTF protection due to my township zoning) then what's going to happen if these changes do go into effect?!? These changes specifically spell out that ALL residential zoned property will be excluded from RTF protection, even my 50+ acres, or my neighbors 1,000+ acres zoned residential...
I've already begun my next round of blowing up their phones. MDARD was my first call today, tomorrow will be a follow up with Stabbenow's office, etc.
the squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?

 

[RIRJen]

Hello!!! We ended up winning Best of Breed Silkie at the specialty show in Lima,Ohio last weekend with one of our white cockerels. (Silkies) I don't have a picture of him but I did a little photo shoot with one of our blue hens and with one of our white naked neck silkies.....




Our blue hen that won best of variety blue in both shows

 

[JackieandChicks]

Thank you all who are going to bat for us with MDARD & RTF. We are lucky to have bought property zoned Ag, and am surrounted by zoned Ag. I assumed we were Res until I checked - the only Res is a development put up a few years ago, and a house across the street that was built about 10 years ago. Funny thing is the property was split and the original house is still zoned Ag. Go figure. Thank you again - I did send in emails and will continue to do so.

I did evict my 5 week old chicks today - they are on the enclosed porch which is about 45 - 50 degrees and they have a heat light (I won't put a heat light in my barn for fear of fire). I did put styrofoam sheets under their tarp - and they seem to be having a blast with all the room suddenly. If this weather doesn't break soon I'll have to put a top on the pen - my leghorns are already flying around!

For your entertainment:




I have wall repair to do - when I moved my furniture I found some water damage. Good thing I had to evict the chicks!