Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

I skipped this spring just because of the cold and plan to do fall meaties. Anyway, when I do mine they are in a pen with nothing but shavings, water, and food. I space two heat lamps out and they all huddle together. Pretty sure (since they are pea-brained chickens) they smothered each other like you said. I never use any medicated food or special anything and always do well with about a 5% mortality rate from heart problems (CX, sheesh). I usually only have them on heat for about two weeks (2 weeks inside, 2 weeks on lamps, and 4-6 more weeks on nothing). We average 7-9 lb hens and 9-12 lb roos dressed.

Yeah, it was a LOT warmer last year at this time, and we actually got our birds 3 weeks earlier this year because I didn't want to be dealing with July heat and 8-10wk old birds like I did last year. The only mortality issues we had last year were 2 from shipping stress and then 15ish from neighbor's dogs. Our birds were good sized last year, but not as big as yours! Hoping to be able to grow them an extra week or so to get a little bigger birds this year.......if they stop killing themselves!

I had the same problem a few weeks ago with my meaties. The CornishX are so stupid that they don't get out from under the pile and are smooshed to death. I moved them to a bigger pen. It's harder for them to pile because they can't brace themselves on the walls. I'm really sorry for your loss, its not the same as a pet loss but it's still a financial loss and that hurts too, been there.

Exactly! I guess the silver lining is that it was NOW when I don't have $8+ into each of them for feed. What sucks is that we basically lost 20%. We're planning on moving them into the tractor this weekend (as long as is doesn't RAIN) so they have a little more space and, as you said, less walls to get stuck in.

For those of us mi people do you insulate or do anything special with your coops? Mine is just sided with t1-11 siding think this will be ok in the winter?

You can insulate if you really want to, but it's not necessary. As long as your coop provides good ventilation and no drafts down at bird-level they will be just fine. I housed [juvenile] birds in my meat-bird tractors for most of the winter, and those are just tarps over fencing/framing....and only tarped on 3 sides.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Photoshop.

 

[JackieandChicks]

Photoshop.

I should send you my map and have you do it too

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

For those of us mi people do you insulate or do anything special with your coops? Mine is just sided with t1-11 siding think this will be ok in the winter?


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You can always stack hay bales around the perimeter for winter. That's what I've been doing, but my plan is to have a new insulated place by Winter 2014-15

Incredible art Silly

 

[jlynnet]

Silly, I love your art skills! Very cute.
This fall weather needs to go away! I'm still cold from being in the cold rain at my son's bb game. At least the chickens don't care.

 

[1muttsfan]

Nice work, Silly

 

[Opa]

Death by "piling" is not an uncommon occurrence with young chicks particularly when there are boxes or corners they can pile in. That is why I would recommend brooding chicks in a round pen. One can be made from an 1/8x48x96 sheet of Thermo Ply cut in half lengthwise. You then duct tape the ends together to create a circle. The material is quite durable and is much easier to construct a circle then if you used cardboard. Thermo Ply is a HVAC cold air return panning material and costs about $18 per sheet. It can be easily disassembled and stored flat when you no longer need it.

Several years ago I went to a monastery in southern Ohio to buy a trio of blue laced red Wyandottes. I was to be there at 7am and drove thru a horrible thunderstorm enroute. I arrived at the same time as the caretaker and as he opened up the building he warned me to not be shocked if we found a lot of dead chicks. The building had 12x12' pens on both sides of a long hall. There were no more than 50 chicks being brooded in many of the enclosures and in most we found dead chicks. He told me that it was a common occurrence for chicks that were frightened by thunder to pile in a corner resulting in many birds being suffocated.

Raz, I meant to comment earlier when you posted the PM from Rob. I received the exact same letter a couple of weeks ago and I can only conclude the only reason we are in such a select group is the wonderful people on the Michigan thread.

 

[SkinnyDragon23]

I'm afraid that I'm probably going to lose that chick :'( It's the one that always jumps up on the side of the pen to greet me when I take care of them… but at least I know the rest will probably be fine. Going to get Corid in the morning for them.

Well that chick was still alive this morning, and not any worse than before, and seems to be a little better now… I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll recover! It's healthy enough to keep jumping out of the box I have it separated in and rejoining the rest of its chick friends, lol.

 

[Trefoil]

Opa- where do you get Thermo Ply? Lowes?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

@Opa I got a lead on cattle fence in a roll. In Howell. It isn't yours by chance? LOL Do you think that is something I should consider for my new pasture? It won't be enough to do all the area I want to do, but it would be a start. Please advise.