Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[thechickenflock]

Does anyone want a 9 week old Ancona cockrel? He is beautiful, a little bit lopsided but very sweet, he is from hatchery stock and turned out to be a roo when I have more than I need alredy, I really don't want to cul him, but I really don't have room for him.

I am located near Howell.

Thanks!

 

[bigmrg74]

Glad to hear the finger is doing well! Have you heard of TNR for cats? When we bought our current home, it came with ten barn cats. That was almost a plague so I started to do some research and have learned a lot since then about responsibly controlling cat populations. The old timers, while charming with their burlap sacks, bricks or .22s have it all wrong.


I know I've gotten on this soap box before in this thread but it never hurts to repeat it. I'm not trying to be condescending. It's all about education. I've been seeing so much stray cat talk on the internet lately (not just here) so it's time for refresher. Best way to make sure they don't keep turning up is to get them fixed before turning them loose on the world. Cats and kittens should NEVER be given away for free. They should be sold with full round of shots but at the very least spayed/neutered. It's the only way you can possibly know for sure that YOU won't be part of the problem. You don't know what the person who takes them in is going to do with them and you could end up with their offspring back in your yard next year or the kittens being used for snake snacks if that bothers you. The statistics are sobering. FACT: Two cats can equal 11,000 cats in 5 years. There are a couple really good organizations in MI that do the spay/neuter on strays. They guide you through the process and even let you borrow equipment to do it. I use Carol's Ferals in W. MI. If you can't pay the vet fees, they can help or do it for free but they're non-profit so they need all the donations they can get. Consider paying the vet bill in full. I think it's around $45 per female cat (males are cheaper). TNR (trap/neuter/return) is the best way to control the stray population -not shooting them, as some folks in this thread might have you believe. Removing cats from your property only makes way for more to move in which just perpetuates the problem.

[/public service announcement]

there are plenty of other outfits who do TNR as well. We used the Tecumseh Cat Coalition to thin out the herd of barn cats we had. There was about 10 of them and only a few of them were even halfway decent mousers. Some of them were dumb enough to sit there and watch the tractor tire as it rolled right up over them. Got them all fixed and it cut down on the amount of cat food we had to keep getting.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Does anyone want a 9 week old Ancona cockrel? He is beautiful, a little bit lopsided but very sweet, he is from hatchery stock and turned out to be a roo when I have more than I need alredy, I really don't want to cul him, but I really don't have room for him.

I am located near Howell.

Thanks!

How big is he compared to a bantam?

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Before I could get close enough to intervene Rebel decided to teach that kitty a lesson!

 

[bigmrg74]

Before I could get close enough to intervene Rebel decided to teach that kitty a lesson!

Kitty took off wondering what in blue thunder is that flapping menace thing doing and would it eat me??

 

[jlynnp]

http://therapidian.org/legalization-urban-chickens-shows-desire-integrated-secure-food-systems

Looks like Grand Rapids is seriously considering the benefits of allowing chickens.

After the fuss the last time and Hebrucks coming in and talking about how unhealthy it would be I am shocked to hear they are considering it again.

 

[Opa]

Last year one of my neighbors decided to start feeding a couple of feral cats. This year the number of feral cats around here has gone up substantially. One afternoon I counted over 20 all waiting near the neighbors porch waiting for her to bring food. One cat had a litter of kittens under my gazebo. Another had hers under some wooden pallets behind my shop.

Being awaken in the middle of the night to the squalling of fighting cats is a common occurence and several spots in my flower beds now reek of cats. You would think that given the problems occurring because of these feral cat that I dislke cats. However it is my belief that any man that doesn't like cats has never had one properly prepared.

 

[RaZ]

I love cats. They taste like chicken.

Oh lighten up, I was just kidding.

I had a cat several years ago that would go outside from time to time. The neighbor poisoned her.
Since then, the cats that I have are strictly indoor cats and were fixed as soon as I got them from the shelter.
I find it rather entertaining that one cat will groom the dogs.

Speaking of kats, where is PK?

 

[uchytil]

I love cats. They taste like chicken.

Oh lighten up, I was just kidding.

I had a cat several years ago that would go outside from time to time. The neighbor poisoned her.
Since then, the cats that I have are strictly indoor cats and were fixed as soon as I got them from the shelter.
I find it rather entertaining that one cat will groom the dogs.

Speaking of kats, where is PK?

During the Great Depression cats were pedaled as rabbit meat so really they taste like rabbit. Anyway, PK has faded away like so many others but hopefully she'll return.

 

[Amy PT]

After the fuss the last time and Hebrucks coming in and talking about how unhealthy it would be I am shocked to hear they are considering it again.

Some keepers in GR (hey, are you guys here?) really spent some time with a commissioner who voted no the first time. Since then, that commissioner has come around. Fingers crossed that big-ag keeps out of this, and that it all goes smoothly.