Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

I'm following the Michigan Small Farm Council's up dates on face book - they are posting play by play, live from Lansing. Regarding GAAMPS changes.

https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil?fref=nf

 

[uchytil]

Potatoes. I've tried everything it seems but I like the trench method best. Dig a long trench about a foot deep and as wide. Toss in the seeds and cover with a little dirt from the trench. As the plants come up keep adding dirt to just the top leaf. When you reach the top of the trench start pulling soil up from next to the trench to keep hilling all growing season. I keep about a 6 inch plant above ground at all times. Since potatoes only produce above the seed you end up with quite a haul from this method, and since the roots are down below grade they don't dry out. I'm no good at boxes, tires, and straw methods since they need more watering and get hotter. Not a big fan of too early either since they get such wet feet this early. I lived in potato country once and they have snow cover into May and won't start until after memorial day planting. Plus I like to let the frost kill the plants before I dig and I can still dig past Thanksgiving. The farmer across the street only likes baby potatoes so he pulls the whole plant with all these golf ball size seeds and eats those.

Try Norlands. I got some huge ones from those plants last year.

 

[Amy PT]

townline feather-sexes their chicks which is NOT the most reliable way to do things since it has to be bred in (fast-feathering gene). I didn't think they sold EEs as anything but straight run?

Maybe FFH has them mislabeled, but my usual store, and the store I bought ours from both had them labeled as pullets.

 

[Elyssia001]

I am also following the meeting on facebook thanks to the MISFC. It's driving me crazy, but I can't stop refreshing my browser.

 

[ladyrsanti]

I'm following the Michigan Small Farm Council's up dates on face book - they are posting play by play, live from Lansing. Regarding GAAMPS changes.

https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil?fref=nf

I am also following the meeting on facebook thanks to the MISFC. It's driving me crazy, but I can't stop refreshing my browser.

Me too. It's depressing, exciting and stressful all at the same time.

 

[Brennigan]

Hello. I am a new chicken mom! I have week old chicks, 2 buff orphingtons, 2 black sex links, 2 ameraucanas, and 1 golden sebright, ( an impulse pick because it was so cute, now just found out what is was). I am planning on keeping hens only, not sure what I will end up with. I am planning a coop that is 4 x4 and run 4 x 10. Will this be enough and will I need to insulate this coop for the winter? I plan on free ranging them for few hours in the evening when I am home and can be outside with them. I just want to make sure they will be comfortable when they cannot get out. I am also concerned with the sebright, do they winter well? Any other thoughts on this breed, so far it is very docile and will quickly fall asleep when it is held and doesn't protest when picked up.

Welcome to BYC! I was told you need at least one square foot for each hen in the coop and two square feet in the run for each hen. Buffs can get pretty big (I think BSLs can too?), so I'd definitely make it bigger -- especially for the winter. I thought I was annoying asking so many questions when I first got here, but I was encouraged to speak up from everyone, and all my scary new-mama questions were answered and my flock just got moved out to the coop!

ASK AWAY! I want to spread my newfound chicken knowledge!

Hi Juliemarie, welcome to BYC and the Michigan thread

For standard sized birds, minimum is four square feet of floor space in the coop, and 10 in the run, per bird. Bigger is better. Crowding birds increases the chances of illness and pecking issues. A 4x4 coop could comfortably hold four birds, same with a 4x10 run.

YES! I "mathed" correctly with my 3 1/2 (one's a silkie!) birds! I would never have been able to figure out this stuff with just my English degree. Everyone has been of such great help!

I'm following the Michigan Small Farm Council's up dates on face book - they are posting play by play, live from Lansing. Regarding GAAMPS changes.

https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil?fref=nf

Looks like the results are in...

 

[snowflake]

Potatoes. I've tried everything it seems but I like the trench method best. Dig a long

Try Norlands. I got some huge ones from those plants last year.

never tried potatoes before, this sounds like a good way to do it, may have to try it, so you don't plant till the end of May?

I have some other questions about the whole process if you wouldn't mind me picking your brain a little bit.

no problem. I was able to get some antigen cheap last yr. DH built a light box for me, Farmerboy and I did about 1/2 of his flock( a large flock) but I don't know if he finished later, I left my light box and bleeder with Daran, maybe he will bring it to CS if he still has them. it is easy to do but until you do it a while it takes time. you have to poke the bird under the wing or the leg to get a drop of blood witch you mix on a glass over a light to get a positive or negative. They let you try it out in the class and they will spike some birds with a positive so you can see what it looks like.

Hello. I am a new chicken mom! I have week old chicks, 2 buff orphingtons, 2 black sex links, 2 ameraucanas, and 1 golden sebright, ( an impulse pick because it was so cute, now just found out what is was). I a

Welcome

I agree a 4x4 is too small for 7 birds it would be OK till they are full size but after that rather crowded. I have 5 birds in a 4x4 for a few months for breeding purpose but I wouldn't keep them in the winter,in that size

 

[snowflake]

Congratulations Opa, nice bird, nice way to start the day

 

[aart]

I was told you need at least one square foot for each hen in the coop and two square feet in the run for each hen.

That's a commercial space parameter.....something most of us are trying to avoid.

I saw 7 sqft per bird get kind of crowded after a solid week stuck in the coop during the frigid temps and massive snowfall we saw this winter.

So Welcome to the Newbies....and Go Big!!

 

[Brennigan]

Quote:

Most of the backyard farming books I've read use those as minimum parameters too. What about tractor coops? They can't be too large or else you can't move it. Any advice? Ours is hard enough to move with a 5 square foot floor...but then again we did build it tall enough to give them other level to jump on.

I wish my budget would go big!