Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Amy PT]

Mabel our EE is 21.5 weeks old. I know all birds are on their own timelines, and that EE can sometimes take longer than normal to start laying. I'm standing next to the coop with my hands on my hips, and tapping one toe.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

How old?

Oops sorry, I forgot to add that. He/she will be is 8 weeks old.

 

[tntchix]

I am pumped for my first hatched/raised here birds to be giving me eggs...I wanted BCM and Ameraucanas....can't afford it, but I got some nice color!

My Welsummer started out very light but darkened up after 3-4 eggs.....spray booth tuned up I guess - 12 eggs out of her so far.
My maybe olive egger that I hatched out of a fairly dark brown egg from a friend (we think maybe an amberlink covered by one of 2 EE roos) has been between a nice pretty nice olive but sometimes green - 28 eggs from her so far.
One of the hatchery EE's has given a pretty nice shade of blue - only 4 eggs from her so far, so we'll see how it progresses.

I have one more EE to start laying and a couple light brahmas...but I am really excited to have these girls and a Welsummer rooster to hatch eggs from next late winter/early spring..


Here's my Pullet Palette:

pullet palette i love it.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Has any one found Mareks vaccine for under $50?   I can find it for $17 &15 for cooler &$22 for shipping. Too much for 5-10 chicks. hatched by a hen, some times only 1or2 chicks. Until I can find it cheaper, I can't sell or give any chicks away as I have had Mareks on the property and will not take a chance. 

Mareks vaccine will keep the chicks from *showing* it, but they will certainly have it since it defeats good biosecurity and there is no true vaccine as of yet. One of the few that science hasn't defeated! The only way to be sure is to try selling hatching eggs. It isn't transmitted in the egg. But your hen will give it to them in her down.

 

[Maah]

My white leghorn bantam. Pullet or cockerel? Took this yesterday, comb is bigger today.

At 8 weeks old my guess is pullet.

 

[Maah]

@uchytil Goat pics! Plus lots more. I apologize to everyone for hogging the page. Please forgive me. Also, yes, I realize there seems to be a yellow tint to the pictures... It was quite sunny outside, plus I was playing around with the setting on my phone & apparently left it on the wrong one.

This is "Buddy". He's our biggest Nigerian. He was a single birth. Not sure why he looks all "cattywampus" in the face picture... but I think it looks funny! I think the coloring in his face is playing tricks because he's not deformed. LOL. I think he's smiling for the camera. You can see some of the chicken runs in the background. We have a larger coop/run for the laying flock & a smaller coop/run for the breeding/grow out pen.



This is "Rascal". I was trying to get a picture of the marans hen, but he decided to photo bomb! My daughter is introducing him to the Polish. You can see my very deluxe high class water trough there. Nothing but the best for our little goaties. Hey, it works. Buddy didn't seem to mind giving the chicken a ride, but I don't think Rascal was impressed. He magically morphed into a mule. DD removed chicken & there was a goat again.



Last little goatie... "Dipper". Hmm... Why is there only 1 picture of Dipper? Good question. LOL.



And now that you've all seen the goats and our fabulous looking deluxe goat playground consisting of logs & a beam. Maybe you all can help me figure out if that Polish is a pullet or a cockerel? Some pictures of it are with the goats, but here are more. ?? Let me just say, that either way - boy or girl - that is a COOL LOOKING POLISH! Thank you @jlynnet ... I believe we got this one from you at CS? Do you remember how old it is? Because I forgot what you told me. This one doesn't have a name yet, though I've been throwing around some ideas depending on the sex of the bird.



Also from jlynnet, we received the Swedish Flower Hen. She is starting to pink up in the comb. We just call her "Flower". I know it's not very original. And we got the Iowa Blue/Delaware cross from @iamfivewire & @Candy442 , her comb has come in nicely & she is laying eggs now! My daughter named her "River". Yes, she does still have legs, she's just enjoying the tall grass next to the coop. LOL. Here are both of those girls.



This is the marans we got from @Wynette . She is doing ok too... but she doesn't have a name yet. Hmm... maybe we should think up something.



Last but not least... the big spider I mentioned! UGH. So this critter decided to make a huge web IN ONE DAY right behind the latch for the meaties pen. It's hard to see in the picture but her web was BIG & took up the whole corner of the pen, right behind the latch that we use to go inside. EEK. Ok ok... all you spider lovers. I know it's just a garden spider, but does she have to be so huge? Hungry girl too... already had lots of morsels tied up. A rather smart spider I suppose... to make a web by stinky meat chickens. Anyways, "Excuse me lady, I need to get through there"! And though it's hard to see the spider in the second picture... there are 3 of the meaties, waddling around in hopes that I brought their food. They were sorely disappointed because it wasn't dinner time yet.



There you go... lots of pictures. Not not really any of the regular laying flock or coops. If you quote this, please be courteous & remove the pictures so it doesn't plug up the page all over again. Thanks.

 

[jlynnet]

I think they hatched in May. The polish looks like it has a fluffy girly crest! The Swede looks like a pullet too.

 

[taprock]

Only have a minute, love the pictures.

My son did ok on the pig, he only got $2.00 a pound but the pair of turkeys - plain bronze meat, sold for $275.00. There were only three pairs this year but I foresee a big jump in the number for next year when kids start looking at the profit and work involved.

 

[SillyChicken]

Glad they got the photo upload fixed.....though I'm sure you all would hate to miss out on seeing picts of pudgemuffin... Can't wait to get her!

 

[1muttsfan]

Mareks' vaccination is VERY effective in preventing disease, and very highly recommended. No vaccination prevents infection, they only reduce or prevent clinical illness. Birds die from Mareks, so anything we can do to prevent that is beneficial, whether it prevents infection or not.

Snowflake, I bought a few bottles of vaccine this spring, and the dating was very good, into 2015. If you could combine an order with someone it might be less expensive overall. Instead of small hatches this year I am only doing 2 so that the chicks can all be vaccinated. Really it works out a lot better for me, fewer pens and less fussing with chores. Got a batch of eggs cooking right now - candling this weekend.