Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Spitzboyz]

Henderson Chart is excellent to have! Makes decisions so much easier.
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
Good Luck!

 

[Farmerboy16]

A porcelain d'uccle and a yellow easter egger followed me home all the way from Muskegon yesterday.  And then 4 more followed them, and are resting here before Maah picks them up.  Babies!  e


And then today I found out that my son's preschool teacher is interested in hatching a small clutch in a classroom incubator.  Does anyone close to GR have some fertile eggs that she might hatch for you (and then you can have your chicks back)?  She was going to pick some up from Townline - apparently, they have some pre-incubated and you only have to incubate them for 3 days? - but the preschool schedule is weird this year, and their Friday pickup policy just doesn't work.

I have lots of eggs now, and I would not mind getting them back when they hatch.

Had a major bummer last night. I was incubating 180 eggs in my GQF Sportsman cabinet incubator for some poeple. When I checked the temp last night, it was 149 degrees!!!! Last time I used it was last summer, and it worked fine, and I did not touch it since. Any idea what went wrong? Had to toss all those eggs to the pigs. The clears of the eggs were starting to turn white, and the yokes was thick. It took me a long time to collect those eggs!

 

[Amy PT]

I have lots of eggs now, and I would not mind getting them back when they hatch.

Had a major bummer last night. I was incubating 180 eggs in my GQF Sportsman cabinet incubator for some poeple. When I checked the temp last night, it was 149 degrees!!!!

Last time I used it was last summer, and it worked fine, and I did not touch it since. Any idea what went wrong? Had to toss all those eggs to the pigs. The clears of the eggs were starting to turn white, and the yokes was thick. It took me a long time to collect those eggs!

Aw, I'm really sorry about the mishap, that's a lot of eggs. Happy pigs, I'll bet.

I'll let the teacher know that we might have a match! Though, this afternoon, the school librarian told me that we've inspired her to start her own little flock (so she could keep the eggs the preschoolers hatch). So, either way, I'll let you and/or Lady know.

 

[jerabu]

Glad I have you guys to ask all these questions.

I am limited to 3 by local ordinance. I have a feeling that once I start though, I will want more than 3. May have to ask into what can be done about that. Moving isn't out of the question - I am not happy with the house I have - it was kind of a rush job moving into it. I consider it temporary at best. I want to move, but Husband wants to hold off until he gets a better job (we really don't want to move into a house we like, and then end up having to move again once he gets a better job. Logical, but I really hate this house, lol.)

Planning on putting in two nest boxes.

Metal garbage can for feed, with good lid. I can store it on my back porch, where it won't get rained on. Or in the garage, where animal access is limited. Garage isn't mouse-proof, but it is raccoon/opossum/squirrel proof.

I am brainstorming making as much accessible from outside as possible - watering, feeding, egg-collecting (my primary reason for wanting chickens to begin with.)

Not sure how to keep water from freezing without adding heaters or electricity to the coop somehow. Fish tank and pond heaters are pretty standard use for this application, yes?

From the reading I have done, and spoken with people in my area who have chickens, the list of acceptable breeds just keep growing. Chickens (in general) are available at 2 feed/hardware stores in town, and probably at the TSC in the next town over as well. I would just have to see what breeds were available. Leghorns, Orpingtons, Cochen Giant Blue, Barred Rock, Austrolorps, RIR's, and a few others seem suitable.

I take it a poop board is just a wide, flat board that sits under the perch to collect poop, and is periodically removed and cleaned?

I like the idea of the river sand for the run, and perhaps deep litter for the coop. If I go the river sand method, I will probably build a sandbox-like base for the run.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Chart Looks spot on for temperament for the breeds i've owned except i don't like the orloff description. i have not had one pure but my orloff/ee mix was my best girl for intelligence and sheer personality. I came across a roo once at auction and i still regret not saving him, he was the calmest and easiest handled there. My current head roo is a wyendotte mix and so far i am beyond pleased with him

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Leghorns and rir are dominant breeds and will possibly pick on your gentler breeds you listed. Cochins are sweet and adorable but constantly broody and will set more than lay! Same for orpies. My orpington went broody before a year old and was still being a broody mom when her "babies" wrre 6 months old! (So no eggs from her) lol

 

[Candy442]

Quote: I did not use any heat or light and also glad I went that route.

But as first time chicken owner, the first -25 actual temp night I was not getting sleep from worry for sure!! I was afraid to open the coop door in the morning expecting to find flash frozen chickens...but heard the cockerel crowing before I even shut my door

so I knew at least one of our 13 made it!

 

[ladyrsanti]

Sleepy babies. We woke up to nine chicks this morning and they're still popping. I had 100% fertility and hatch rate with my homegrown olive eggers. Got one each icelandic (center photograph) and wheaten marans hatched too -- more to come hopefully. Nothing on the FBCMs yet. I started with 8 eggs, 4 were clear and the verdict is out on the remaining 4. FINGERS CROSSED!

 

[tori8780]

I am picking up 22 chicks from John Blehm on Saturday!

I'm gonna have a few extras so if anyone in the GR area would like a few (unsexed) chicks just let me know!

Last year we brooded in our basement but this year I wanted to try it in our garage since I've read a few people saying they've done it successfully even in this cold weather. Well, we set up the brooder last night and put the light in and it's only 47 degrees in there this morning. So I guess that means we'll have to bring it into the basement for a while. Ugh, did not want chickens in the basement again.

 

[Maah]

I am picking up 22 chicks from John Blehm on Saturday!

I'm gonna have a few extras so if anyone in the GR area would like a few (unsexed) chicks just let me know!

Last year we brooded in our basement but this year I wanted to try it in our garage since I've read a few people saying they've done it successfully even in this cold weather. Well, we set up the brooder last night and put the light in and it's only 47 degrees in there this morning. So I guess that means we'll have to bring it into the basement for a while. Ugh, did not want chickens in the basement again.

What wattage heat bulb are you using? They come in the 125W & a 250W. I use the 125W when brooding inside the house, but use the 250W when brooding in our front room (unheated like the garage). I find the 250W bulb stabilizes the temps better during the night. Might be worth just double checking your bulb.