Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

My runs are dirt, rather heavy soil with lots of jagged rocks; they are partially (about 20%) covered. In the fall, winter and spring (snow and mud seasons) I add straw or hay peeled off round bales in thin layers to keep them up from the snow/mud. The hay/straw disappears on it's own over the course of the summer. Never had any foot or leg problems, the birds love to scratch around in the hay and the dirt.

Love the egg sign Snowflake!

 

[Opa]

Chickens can turn any run into a lunar landscape in just a matter of days. I have witnessed them excavate holes of incredible depth, yet after over sixty years of observation I'm still wondering where did all the dirt go.

I'm fortunate in that anytime I want to improve my chicken runs I am able to get clean sand from my own property. I even have some veins of extremely fine "sugar sand". The only problem is that a shovel seems to be much harder to operate than it did twenty or thirty years ago.

I know many people advocate the use of organic material in runs but I would strongly advice against it. Eventually it becomes saturated and will have to be removed. Why make work for yourself?

 

[brian5161986]

So I posted a picture of the chicken plucker. Here is a video of the plucker in action. It does show the scalding process as well so it can be graphic depeding on your definition of graphic. As you see in the video it does an amazing job only leaves a few end feathers which you cut off anyways.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

The property where my chickens are is nothing but blow sand. They seem to do ok. I have respiratory illness, but i think it is from other birds. Under the trees there is either pine duff or broken down leaves, they don't hang in the open sun in sand, so merit to hot feet issue. Since the ground IS sand in the deep layers below it drains great, but idk if i'd do sand on dirt. Clay i'd almost try to do a slightly raised roofed run, and sand vs chips?? Never had clay.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I also advocate giving a good hosing to dirt/sand runs that don't get rain. Is washes the micro poo away.

 

[Maah]

Good Morning!



We got a little bit of rain early this morning. It feels really nice outside right now.

A silly story that happened over here yesterday...

I work from home, and yesterday I was in my kitchen refilling my coffee cup and looked out the back window. There was a red bellied woodpecker in front of the smoke bush pecking around at the ground. (Um, shouldn’t you be pecking some wood up in a tree? Anyways.) I watched it for a few seconds & decided to go get my phone off my desk in the next room to take a picture of it. By the time I got back to the window, just seconds later, the woodpecker was gone & standing in it’s place was the barn kitty (Laney). She was standing in the middle of a pile of grey feathers. LOL!

My guess is that she was hiding in the smoke bush watching the same woodpecker I was, but she wasn’t too interested in just getting a picture. She could have waited for me! Ugh.

However, Laney only had a few feathers to show for her hunt. I didn’t see the woodpecker there & Laney was just sniffing feathers (and sneezing them out when they stuck to her face), and sniffing around & into the bush. I decided to go back to work.

As I sat at my desk thinking about it for like an hour… I wondered… Did the woodpecker go into the bush? That’s where Laney was heading when I left the kitchen. So I had to go look, from the window I saw no woodpecker or kitty. Everything was quiet (except the goats cuz mom opened the back door).

I walked out & headed towards the smoke bush… & out comes Laney from the tall grass underneath it. She walks right up to me with a seemingly big kitty grin (I’m sure) and I gave her a pet on the head. I pushed aside the tall grass & look under the bush… but no woodpecker there either. Laney walks back under the bush and sits down “in her must be spot”. The little sinker is laying in wait there for the bird to come back.

LOL!

I should try to find a way to teach her that woodpeckers aren't farm pests. She should stick to the rodents & barn swallows. I suppose I’ll just be happy that she doesn't seem the least bit interested in hunting the chickens.

I'm sure I posted this picture before (it's from a year ago)... but this is Laney checking out a chick. She's a good girl. Excellent lovable cat & great hunter.

 

[getreal]

Love your cat Laney. Calicoes have a special place in my heart.

my girl Penelope is a good hunter too, but is afraid of the chickens and ducks. love the funny pic up on top too! It's cold and windy and few sprinkles here up north.

 

[Spitzboyz]

What you look'n at Willis?

 

[Brennigan]

What you look'n at Willis?

oh.my.gosh // want! need!

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I've been an enclosure that's measuring about 20' x 30' for my three girls. Will it always keep its grass if I keep it mowed/raked/water or will they eventually get it all to dirt? They have a section of rocks/dirt under the deck to digging and dust baths...

Its been SUCH gorgeous weather. Finished flower pots & baskets in the front of the house, but adding compost and a bit of organic fertilizer to the garden today. I've figured out that I'm overwatering my green bean bushes, but I'm not sure about the rest. Do I water my lettuce seedlings everyday? Carrots too? I have carrots, sweet potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, bell peppers, basil, spinach, romaine, cabbage, cucumber, and a few different herbs.

 

[mindylee]

Well building my new chicken run this weekend. All my feather babies was running loose and enjoying pickin gass and bugs while I was swaeting my butt off working hard. I had almost the whole thing done EXCEPT the flight netting and my cute lil blind hen Candie was hanging out with me.

All of the sudden the roosters sound the alarm for danger and everyone ran for cover. I looked around and saw nothing and looked at Candie about 15ft from me.and as fast as I blinked my eye a cooper hawk hit her and took her. I freaked and before I can get up she was over the trees and gone! This is the 4th time a cooper hawk has done this to me and always never further then 20ft. The last hen taken, the hawks wings tuched me, thats how close she was from me. I HATE COOPER HAWKS!!!

Candie was my lil lavander splash 1 yr old blind baby who I coddled all the time and def my fav. So smart and altho blind, got around just fine. Came running even bumpin into stuff heading towards my voice every time she heard me. Im sooooo greatfull that the ONLY egg she ever laid, I hatched and got an identical daughter from her. I too named her Candy. So she will live on through her. But wow I cant get over how ballzy these hawks are here and it never fails they grab my favs.

RIP Candie!