Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RonEstrada]

Yes, I'll get winter hardy breeds. I plan on raising them in my basement with a light for heat. I'd like to have eggs as soon as possible next year (to justify this to my wife), but don't want to risk sickly chickens. I understand I can buy older birds, too, for a much higher price.

 

[swampducks]

DH and I put up a 2 strand electric fence with a 2 mile fencer (charger) in April to keep my dogs IN the yard (Luna was notorious for going under the fence and Ziggy for jumping over as it was only 30"-42" field fence). We used a little over 1/4 mile of wire. wire comes in 1/4 mile rolls so we had to buy 2. We needed a lot of bags of insulators, more than 6 bags (at $7 per bag) and I think there were 25 in a bag? Along with three 8ft ground rods and a pair of insulated gate handles and a wire tester, it came to about $200. If you need less fencing than we used it should be closer to $100. It worked really great for keeping my dogs in the yard. Not so much for keeping the fox out though. I'm thinking of maybe running a wire on the outside of the fence to deter the fox....

Got the supplies at tractor supply. You can go to their website and cost it out (site is down at the moment) and see.. It was very easy to install, hardest part for us was drilling a hole in the house to pass the wire to the fencer (it needs to be kept out of the rain, and our garage was at the wrong end of the house to run it from there.)

Oh and I've seen my guineas and ducks slide right under the wires with no effect, feathers must be good insulators.. But dog nose on wire and "yelp!".

The netting over the top though would be the first thing I do to keep the birds from getting out.

 

[NovaAman]

Ron, people are selling off pullets due to feed prices going up. You may get lucky enough to find 6 birds at POL. Yes, you are going to pay more, but you are also missing the expense of chick feed, electricity for constant heat for 6 weeks. You will also miss the absolute cuteness of chicks. Watching them suddenly drop where they stand, which will freak you out if you aren't forwarned, which now you are, and sleep. Then jump up after a short time and take off again. The chicks chest bumping each other, running over top of each other, zipping across the brooder like theres a bug up the keisters.. Teaching them that you are friend, food man... BUT If you get chicks, which I personally see no reason not to, since I have chicks right now, but you will be raising them in your basement for 2 months... If you plan to start taking them out of doors before the move to the coop, for play time in the yard, you will need to bring a heat lamp out with you, so they have a place to run to warm up then go again. This wouldn't be a hassle if you had a mama raising them, but since you'd be raising them, wow... what a pain in the butt. You could do it, but you'd also have to take into consideration, that in December, they will not have the nice temps of your basement, even if you have a typical MI basement that is cold as heck. Actually, if you have a basement that does get cold as heck, then that would make the transfer easier. My old house would get so cold in the basement... OK... in the 50s... Well anyway, it'll be more work for you. Less work for a hen to do. You could always put a heat lamp in the coop in December when you move them to it, but be prepared for power outages and have a back up power source on the ready. A sudden drop in temps when the birds are not feathered for 15 degree weather... well you get the picture. So, all in all, it really depends on how much work you want to start out with.

Personally though, since your coop is planned to be complete in December, then that is when I'd get chicks. If there is a hatchery near you that you could drive and pick them up from, which would be better for the chicks, that'd be the best option, or even from a private party who is hatching what you want. You'll have 6-8 weeks of raising them in your basement. By the end of January/February (I'd shoot for getting them at the beginning of the new year so they'd go out in February) you can move them to the coop, minimal heat lamp will be needed, and by May you should have eggs.

Sorry if this post seemed to be rambling. Some days its hard to be coherent when my brain goes faster than my fingers... and my fingers try to keep up... LOL

 

[NovaAman]

Darn huskies are closer by nature to wolves.. I went with a friend to a dog sledding match. I had with me Bere, he was just a puppy. A man there told me to keep a hand on him at all times, not to let him anywhere near the sledding dogs since they might decided he's good for dinner. GAH! Yeah.

My dogs are lovely. They love my chickens... To play with, to tear up, to chase away from the fence. I have had several dog/chicken encounters. Two very badly injured hens, one dead chick, one played with, survived though, chick, one pullet with her tail ripped out and one that got out in just the nick of time. Vonna, my only remaining original GLW goes in the dog yard all the time. I yell at the dogs to leave her be all the time. They know she is not a toy or dinner. They are used to her being naughty. She's usually smart enough to go back over the fence when she sees them coming.

With your husky, I'd run a hot wire or roof the run, even with some simple chicken wire. My pit used to climb the fence... He never was interested in the neighbors chickens. Never even bothered with them. (this was before I had chickens) If I still had him, I am sure he'd be the GD of the flock. No raccoon would have gotten near the coop. Different temperament. I think the most important thing is dog containment. If that can't be done, then I would seriously find a new home with a couple who had time to devote to a dog with separation anxiety. Barring then, put him down. I am not saying this to be cold hearted, I am a dog lover. I JUST GOTTA HAVE ONE! Or two... But you gotta do whats best for the dog, and for the chickens.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

No everything is normal .......... I need to take a trip to his house but I don't want to bring whatever it is to my flock. But he was here yesterday roofing a new coop for me. The roo did die, so sad he sat around my house after roofing because he didn't want to see him die, he loved that young roo, he would greet me son like a dog then lay across his feet, awwwww I hate this

He was already at your house, coop no less! I'd go over there ASAP and have a look-see. It's easy to miss a detail when you see it everyday, a fresh pair of eyes is always good. Look at their combs. If nothing else is turning up, and you can't find any indication of sickness, i'd suspect mites. Some of them are purely nocturnal, so you'll never know. The chickens will be pale and lethargic. I have heard of cases where they didn't respond to the ivermectin, so something stronger may be needed. I personally use the permethrin, and though i have to throw away the eggs for a while it puts a halt to the bugs right away. That's the best guess i have right now, if he has any money whatsoever he would be best to bring one into the vet to know for sure, since this is a killing thing whatever it is.

Yes, I'll get winter hardy breeds. I plan on raising them in my basement with a light for heat. I'd like to have eggs as soon as possible next year (to justify this to my wife), but don't want to risk sickly chickens. I understand I can buy older birds, too, for a much higher price.

Curious, what kind?
I ended up having to do a fall hatch without a broody, so this is new to me also. Usually i do spring buying. (My hen died so i hatched her surviving eggs)
Another option is to buy a couple hens that are a broody breed, and then come spring you will be able to buy fertile hatching eggs. Sometimes you can buy better quality and rare breeds this way, since the eggs can be shipped better. Some hens lay through the winter, so up until they go broody you will also get some eggs! There is damage to the eggs during shipping, but usually people get at least half to hatch. Silkies and cochins are infamous for their broodiness hence the term "silkie-bator"

 

[gladahmae]

With your husky, I'd run a hot wire or roof the run, even with some simple chicken wire. I think the most important thing is dog containment. If that can't be done, then I would seriously find a new home with a couple who had time to devote to a dog with separation anxiety. Barring then, put him down. I am not saying this to be cold hearted, I am a dog lover. I JUST GOTTA HAVE ONE! Or two... But you gotta do whats best for the dog, and for the chickens.

Yep. Containment is going to be the key. And getting DH on board for it is also going to be a factor. It just seems like when he (the dog) has finally settled down, hasn't done any destructive things for awhile and we start to relax he does SOMETHING he's not supposed to, be it chewing up a sandal, shoe laces, getting into the trash, etc.

I'm picking up some netting for over the run on my way to work tonight. I'm also going to put a few pallets up to block line-of-sight between the yard and the run to see if that helps. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind a little hopefully.

 

[Scifisarah]

Yes, I'll get winter hardy breeds. I plan on raising them in my basement with a light for heat. I'd like to have eggs as soon as possible next year (to justify this to my wife), but don't want to risk sickly chickens. I understand I can buy older birds, too, for a much higher price.

I am getting a dozen of her eggs next week, and raising them in my basement: http://www.westknollfarm.com/Mottled-Cochins.html One other thing to be aware of is the amount of dust these little guys create. If you aren't familiar with birds, their feathers come in like little spikes with a translucent coating which breaks off and creates a big mess. I have horrible allergies to dust and my husband always complains about the thick dust that covers his big tv in the basement when I have chicks down there. It helps a little if you have an air purifier you can stick right next to the brooder though.

 

[RonEstrada]

Long rambling replies are welcome! The basement stays fairly warm and I can always open the furnace vents down there to make sure. My cats will be a challenge, but I'm sure with enough heavy objects and threats I can keep them at bay. Then I get to deal with my terrier in the yard. Thanks for the great advice!

 

[RonEstrada]

I like the black australops. But my friend down the road says they don't give as many laying years and she recommended ISA browns. I'll shoot for 6 birds so I can mix a couple breeds. I need something that can whip a terrier's ***, but I'm sure the neighbors would complain about a rooster. Guess they won't get to free range.

 

[snowflake]

Good morning. My newbie question yoday is: should I wait until spring to get my chicks? I won't have the coop finished until December at best. I'm in Oxford in north Oakland County.

Welcome Ron

chickens in the basement grow old VERY FAST...we made that mistake when we first got chickens...... they are VERY dusty, hate to discourage you as you will see .. If you can't get the coop ready before Dec. I would wait. building a coop in freezing temps is no fun either, Also if you wait till spring you will have a better selection of breeds available. if you incubate eggs you can start early takes about 21 days, then with in a month you will want to move them outside. sooner if possible, with a heat lamp they can be outside in a good coop.....if you get your coop done early you can some times pick up chickens a little older Some times people want to thin out their flock before winter sets in. if you get a 1 or 2yr old Orpington that is prone to going broody she could hatch and raise the chicks and you don't need to worry so much about heat. momma takes care of that...which ever way you decide to go you will love chickens, they are a lot of fun