Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

Good news for us today... what ever was in Gino's gut has moved through and ready to pass. I am suspecting it may be my drawing eraser... but won't know for sure until it reveals its self! it was a rock!! But he's out of danger for the time being. Thanks for the words of encouragement!


sorry went back and read some posts.. wanted to say that I hope granny will be ok Sam!

 

[mrshaggie810]

How is everyone elses morning going?
Hmmm... so far I have had to...

dig a small toy out of a babys mouth,
clean a 3yos feces up off my cleared for surgery!
Lets add all that to the list of why I don't drink coffee... (But if you send a guy over that looks like that...I might reconsider... )
I love Garfield as well! I was born on his birthday so he has always held a special place.
Ohhh are you getting some new ladies???

PS I use to watch Darkwing Duck LOL

I watched it too! Lol...my hubby came up with the name though...and yes! I'm excited...some new ladies...that are already laying! Yay! Then i'm also getting a couple little cochin girls, and then I'm getting some ducklings too! Fun times!!!

 

[Juise]

Opa - Hope she stays well.

I got my mower deck cable repaired (without cussing)

So I haven't gotten an egg from one of my young hens in about a month and a half or so. I thought she was just laying somewhere else, and I kept trying to figure out where. Eventually I gave up and shut them in for 5 days in the coop and run. Still no egg, what is going on? Just treated them for lice, mites, and worms shortly before then, so I don't think that should be a problem. She seems fine, and she's not old enough to molt yet, what's the deal? She was laying blue eggs nice and regular.

 

[NovaAman]

Esdee has been looking Rather rough lately. I got a hold of her today, and guess what... She is molting and she is only 10 months old. Yup, Pins everywhere. I was getting concerned, but when I got a hold of her, and started looking her over...

 

[Opa]

Molting , feather replacement, and the inherent drop in egg production is triggered by diminishing light not age. Having supplimental light will extend the time between molts and keep egg production up. Be aware that a hen is born with all the eggs she is ever going to lay. The faster those eggs are laid the faster she enters the phase where she has no eggs to lay. Some folks prefer to allow the birds to have longer living birds that cycle natuarally. While others prefer to maximize egg production.

Spent the afternoon seeding and slicing sweet bell peppers that I picked just before the first hard frost. They are all on cooki sheets in the freezr and later this evening I will bag them in ziplock freezer bags. I also cooked up the last of the tomatoes, ran them through the food mill and now 3 gallons are settling.

It really was a shame how many tomatoes remain on the vines but there is a limit to how much work this old fool wants to get into. As I was working up the tomatoes I got to thinking that I've been doing this sort of thing for over 60 years. Even my food mill and pressure cooker are much older than the majority of you fine folks. I keep this up and I'll be an old man before you know it.

 

[PurpleEast]

I lost a 18 week old leghorn hen the other night. I knew it wasn't good when she was really listless and let me pick her right up. Typically they keep as far away from me as possible. I noticed she had a growth on the back of her head (possibly a fatty tumor?). She just progressively got worse through the day and couldn't stand or move eventually. I was able to give her fluids but it was all for naught. She was super disoriented. She eventually had a final seizure in my arms. :\

It's super frustrating when you know you can't do anything. I have no idea what the cause was, but I'm going to blame it on the tumor putting pressure on her nerves near her head? I don't know... could be anything. I'm not really thrilled with the Brown leghorns I ordered as we already had to cull a chick with disformed legs. What a bummer.

 

[NovaAman]

Yes it does bum you out when you see there is a problem and yet, you can't do anything at all...

OMG! I am sorry! I didn't mean to give you the face palm plant! I am now sitting here laughing my butt off!

 

[Juise]

Esdee has been looking Rather rough lately. I got a hold of her today, and guess what... She is molting and she is only 10 months old. Yup, Pins everywhere. I was getting concerned, but when I got a hold of her, and started looking her over...

Huh, well, what do you know. She is probably a little younger than that, I don't remember for sure without doing some looking up and I don't feel like it. She doesn't *look* like she's molting, but I will try to check her out a little better.

Molting , feather replacement, and the inherent drop in egg production is triggered by diminishing light not age.

None of my others molted until their second Fall, so I was not expecting it!

I lost a 18 week old leghorn hen the other night.

 

[greenmimama]

Well it happened, we lost one to a predator, I feel so bad. SHe was the sweetest thing, a beautiful Silver laced Wyandotte, and she would sit on my lap.

I hope the predator choked on her and died in the process.

I feel like whatever we do they will just come after the rest of my girls now, sigh.

We are going to see if we can tighten up security and maybe set up some traps?

 

[ladyrsanti]

Spent the afternoon foraging for more hickory nuts and harvesting the meat from the last batch I collected. I've got two ziplock sandwich bags FULL in the freezer. They're so yummy but a lot of work, pliers, brick, hammer and nut pick. I probably should wear goggles too but I don't.

My chickens won't come out of the barn today on account of the high winds... unless I'm out there with them. They followed me out back to the hickory tree but disappeared the moment I went back inside. They can be seen huddling in the pasture door, looking out. I think they're spooked by the flying corn husks.

I have been keeping a close eye on my chickens. A customer stopped by to buy some eggs the other day said that the lady he usually got them from had her flock attacked by coyotes. She lives just down the road. That's why he was coming to me for eggs. I feel like I'm next.