Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[chickwhispers]

O my, you take a couple days off and your 100 pages behind. Had a shot for my back and had a bad reaction, so down for a few days, but back up and going. 

I did get my 9wk old chicks put outside Sunday and the run separated so they can see the big girls, but not get beat up yet. My DH and boys helped all day and got coops and duck houses cleaned out and both runs, all the winter pallets down and burned. I'm blessed to have such great helpers, especially when the chickens and ducks are my project.

I have 12 bales of straw that I used around the coops in the winter. They were wet all winter and still now, lol. Can I just tarp them for next winter or should I dry them out and burn them? I know Hay molds, but wasn't sure about straw.

My White Muscovy is finally 24/7 laying on her nest, so very excited to see how many ducks she hatches. She is sitting on 16-18 eggs and this is her 1st. Hoping for a real good mom and daddy. Can't believe they have a 35 day wait, ugh, so nervous.

Sorry about your back, but glad you're feeling better. I would dry out the straw and burn it. It does mold and the chickens like to eat the left over grain and chaff in it. I just bought 2 bales from one of my suppliers and one was wet inside and musty smelling. I put it on the burn pile and am waiting for a non windy day to burn with the huge pile of brush.

Good luck with the Muscovy eggs! Sounds exciting. I'd love to have ducks but this isn't the year.

 

[Folly's place]

I would compost that straw, or spread it as mulch somewhere. Burning it is a waste of good earth improvement material. Or stack it by the road, free to good home... Mary

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I would compost that straw, or spread it as mulch somewhere.  Burning it is a waste of good earth improvement material.  Or stack it by the road, free to good home...  Mary

X2 Absolutely a waste to burn it.

I spread mine on my garden as weed block.

 

[RaZ]

Straw bale gardening, straw bale flower planters.

 

[chickwhispers]

I compost all my other straw. But not the stuff that has mold in it. My chickens scratch in the rest of it so it doesn't have a chance to mold with the black mold. Mold is not good for chickens. But then too I'm allergic to mold so anything that gets nasty black mold is gone. The mold that comes with composting is different from the the nasty black mold. So to be safe I always burn any moldy bales of straw.

I never heard of straw bale gardening, though, sounds interesting!

 

[1muttsfan]

I agree with above, compost or planter. Mold is part of the natural process of breaking down, all mulch has some mold in it. Straw is not great for spreading in gardens, small rodents like voles will burrow in it and destroy plants.

 

[gladahmae]

Oh my goodness do my little meatie chicks STINK! Ugh. I've been cleaning out their brooder every other day, but it smells like I'm going to have to do it EVERY day now. Really wish it would warm up some and at least stay in the mid-40s at night so I could just put these guys outside already!

Had to switch out the turner in the incubator today since I noticed on Sunday that every time I checked the temp. on it, it was in the same position. Good thing I have an extra turner! Weird though, since it worked fine while I was collecting eggs and it was just sitting on the bench.


Thanks for all the advice about my peonies! I'm going to give them the summer to do SOMETHING before I mess with them. I tried to make sure they were planted *just* below grade when we moved in but who knows if they've pulled themselves too deep or if the dirt managed to blow/mound itself over the eyes. Ugh.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I was wondering if my daffodils have sank and need lifting. I'd say its been probly almost 10yrs in same spot... Many have disappeared. Is that "sinking" more common in clay soils?

 

[Maah]

I've used straw in my garden for many years, but only around the tomato plants. I mound it high around the plants & down the rows (though not covering the plant itself). It works great to keep the weeds out and no need for tomato cages! I just let the tomato plants grow up & out naturally and the straw protects the ripening fruits. It's easy to maintain with very little weeding and no fighting with the darn cages as the plant grows. At the end of the season we just till everything into the soil.

 

[gladahmae]

OK. I'm feeling like a big idiot right now. I CANNOT remember what the temps were like when I put my white broilers out last year. Seems like I did it at around 1.5 weeks last time because of the stink, but spring came a lot earlier last year. I have a protected area for them to huddle in, and would obviously put a heat lamp out, but it's 37 here today and I don't really feel like throwing all that money away if it's too cold and they all die. I know that they generate a lot more heat than "regular" chicks so they can go out a bit sooner......ugh. Winter needs to get the memo that it's not welcome anymore.