Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

I use straw or the hay we peel off the outside of the horses' round bales in the winter to put in the run. Usually put it in a little at a time, the birds love it, pick through it, and it gives them something to stand on in the winter so they come outside more. I do not clean it out in the spring, it just breaks down naturally and disappears.

Avoid sawdust and fine wood chips, they are dusty and bad for chicken lungs. I did throw some of the pine shaving bedding from inside the coop into the run last week when we had all that rain, it was so muddy that the eggs were a mess.

 

[Scifisarah]

I'm planning on heading over to the Fowl Fest in Birch Run that is coming up in a few weeks. Do any of you attend that or show birds there so I can keep a look out for them? Also - are there any other poultry shows in Michigan other than the Spring and Fall Fowl Fests? I'd like to attend more shows but they are always too far away. http://www.fowlfest.org/

 

[Herducks]

I'm planning on heading over to the Fowl Fest in Birch Run that is coming up in a few weeks. Do any of you attend that or show birds there so I can keep a look out for them? Also - are there any other poultry shows in Michigan other than the Spring and Fall Fowl Fests? I'd like to attend more shows but they are always too far away.

I was thinking about attending, but at over 3 hrs away, i don't think I am going to make it. Maybe in the spring. I close on my house today, so will be spending the next week+ moving and unpacking.

I HATE it!! All those boxes. And I have to have a duck coop built before I can move my ducks in. And a chicken coop for when I move my chickies out of the brooder. Anybody in the area with good coop building skills?

 

[Wynette]

I'm planning on heading over to the Fowl Fest in Birch Run that is coming up in a few weeks. Do any of you attend that or show birds there so I can keep a look out for them? Also - are there any other poultry shows in Michigan other than the Spring and Fall Fowl Fests? I'd like to attend more shows but they are always too far away.

I'll be running up for a few hours on Saturday - I won't be showing this year, had a few Jersey Giants that I was considering putting in the show but each & every one is in full molt. WHY they have this show this time of year is beyond me. Sigh.

 

[ldomerese]

Does anyone know where this fowl fest is?

 

[taprock]

some one put wood shavings or chips in the run, is that working out well? thought I might try that for the winter, they sure like scratching around in the wood chips,,, hope I can find a place still ope who sells by the yrd.

I have very heavy clay soil and rocky. So with the mud and the amount of bumblefoot I have had this summer I decided to fill it with chips, a thick layer of chips. These are very coarse chips. My DH works for the county and they have a large pile from all the wood, brush they chip, so there was no cost. It has made a huge difference in how clean my birds are. They love them and are scratching around all the time. I think the earwigs also like it and they like the earwigs. I plan on leaving them through the winter and depending on the break down either just add new or clear out and add new in the spring. I wouldn't use sawdust or shavings because they would absorb too much and just get nasty.

 

[Stacykins]

I have wood shavings in my run. Actually, when I clean out their coop, do a 100% change of shavings. The cleaner scoops of shavings from inside get sprinkled into the run. It creates a nice layer between the dirt, so when it rains the run isn't a slick, muddy mess. And the chickens break down the shavings for me by scratching them up. Before I do the next coop clean, I rake up the majority of the stuff out of the run (I rake on a normal basis, but mostly for feathers and to even stuff out) and put it in the compost. Then I repeat.

 

[chickflick]

Fowl Fest is at the Expo Center in Birch Run. 11600 North Beyer Rd. Oct 12-14

Newbies!! Farmer, I lived in Humble, TX for 5 years.

 

[theron]

Does anyone know where this fowl fest is?

It is at the Birch Run Expo Center.

I'm planning on heading over to the Fowl Fest in Birch Run that is coming up in a few weeks. Do any of you attend that or show birds there so I can keep a look out for them? Also - are there any other poultry shows in Michigan other than the Spring and Fall Fowl Fests? I'd like to attend more shows but they are always too far away. http://www.fowlfest.org/

I am attending and showing seramas, a few bantam americaunas, a few call ducks, a few runner ducks, two sebastopols, and two dewlap toulouse.
Hope to see some of my fellow BYC members there. I will be there saturday and sunday and will more than likely be wearing our red farm shirt with bird footprints on the back.

 

[snowflake]

I was thinking about attending, but at over 3 hrs away, i don't think I am going to make it. Maybe in the spring. I close on my house today, so will be spending the next week+ moving and unpacking.

I HATE it!! All those boxes. And I have to have a duck coop built before I can move my ducks in. And a chicken coop for when I move my chickies out of the brooder. Anybody in the area with good coop building skills?

congratulations on you move,,, hope you have a nice area for your critters. moving is definitely a pain but once done it is usually SOO nice

I have very heavy clay soil and rocky. So with the mud and the amount of bumblefoot I have had this summer I decided to fill it with chips, a thick layer of chips. These are very coarse chips. My DH works for the county and they have a large pile from all the wood, brush they chip, so there was no cost. It has made a huge difference in how clean my birds are. They love them and are scratching around all the time. I think the earwigs also like it and they like the earwigs. I plan on leaving them through the winter and depending on the break down either just add new or clear out and add new in the spring. I wouldn't use sawdust or shavings because they would absorb too much and just get nasty.

Thanks Tap, I knew someone had a pic of the finished run. I guess I should have said shredded bark,,, so as not to get confused with pine shavings. some use leaves, but we don't have trees that we rake leaves from, last year I used leaves I got off the st. from people disposing of them but they tend to blow into the corners get wet and moldy, Not so nice to rake out


FEED WITH BUGS
Any one have trouble with wheat beetles? I have bought Hamilton feed which I like very much, but I had to bring it back it was full of bugs,,,, I know chickens like bugs. but I don't like the fact that they are eating the nourishment from the feed. Then last week I saw a few on a bag of Dumore at TSC.... wondering if they are a bigger problem this yr.? I bought the Purina and today needed to buy more so I got the Dumor, didn't see any bugs today..... the Hamilton was FULL they oozed out of the bag when it was in the sun,,,,,should be OK when we get a freeze that should kill them