Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[BigHope888]

I'm not sure if I want to keep up on the AI outbreaks or not. This year was the first time I have seen geese land on our property...and I proceeded to chase them off.

. I don't want to be overly paranoid but I don't think they really have a true idea how it's spreading at this point. I'm also thinking eggs are going to be like gold if it continues spreading.

Yeah....bird diseases are scary. Our town is on a river, and LOTS of wild geese and ducks are downtown, here, there, flying and walking everywhere. I've seen traffic stop a couple times to let them cross, including one time on a 5 lane, 50 mph highway. (Another shudder.) High five to Taprock with the insight-"Eggs are going to be like gold if it continues spreading."

In other news, I'm pretty pumped to have found a way to vanquish the ants that have been invading my kitchen! Non toxic, cheap, and easy = WIN! And no, it does not begin with "Go get a chicken..." Mix a small amount of Borax OR baking soda with powdered sugar to achieve a 50/50 ratio. I used half a teaspoon of baking soda, half teaspoon powdered sugar. (Must be powdered, cannot be granulated.) Put this mixture in a shallow plate, or lid, something easily accessible to pesky ants. My choice was the lid of a spent molasses jar. Now put a few drops of water in the lid mixture and place lid where the ants will find it. Ants normally won't touch Borax (or baking soda), but when you mix it with the powdered sugar they can't tell what it is, and when it gets slushy apparently it appeals to them (tried it without the water for a day, no results). They eat some and I believe they take it to the nest, too, to aid in their demise. Ants are almost gone. Virtually free. And I don't have to worry about my silly cats eating it. Refresh as needed.

And I can prepare food again!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

FF in Holland but I'm sure they all have them. Remember to quarantine!!!! This is not good.... http://www.wilx.com/topstories/head...-Lock-Down-to-Prevent-Bird-Flu-300876661.html
The Michigan Department of Agriculture is preparing for the worst.
"Should it come we are prepared to respond quickly, effectively and as efficiently as possible to protect the public health to protect the health of Michigan's agriculture industry," said spokeswoman Jennifer Holton.
Flocks in 12 states have bird flu, and Holton is asking the poultry industry to help stop the bird flu before it gets here.
"Taking a couple of those proactive steps goes a long way in protecting the health of their flock," Holton said.
Almost every commercial poultry farm in the state is on lock down trying to make sure their birds don't get this flu. And the state veterinarian says local farmers can do the same thing.
The massive poultry farms are following bio-security protocol.
That means closing their facilities to anyone who doesn't work there, not sharing any equipment and isolating new birds that haven't been on their property very long.
Dr. James Averill is the state veterinarian.
He says if every bird owner doesn't try to protect their flock, there's a better chance the flu will end up in Michigan.
"When it gets into our domestic birds, the chickens and the turkeys, it will kill them," Dr. Averill said. "And so having it and not recognizing it in your own back yard is perpetuating the disease, and then putting other birds at risk for it."
He also said the flu spreads from ducks and geese migrating, so there will probably be another bout of it when they fly south in the fall.
There's no risk of humans getting this if there's no bird cases in Michigan, but if it gets here people can catch it if they come in close contact with an infected bird or its droppings.
You're less likely to get it from eating an infected bird.
The department told me what's more likely is that it will catch any infected birds before they're sold.
Then egg and chicken prices will go up because of the shortage.

Good article, but that quote concerns me a bit. Almost as if to blame those with birds in the backyard for spreading this? I thought it was "unknown" how this was spreading? And I thought AI was showing up in the heavy-population-density commercial ops? Where are you @raz @opa? Thoughts??? From: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102606208 "The outbreaks are following an atypical path—random and unpredictable, Poulsen said. Outbreaks often spread in concentric circles, but these are jumping great distances, leaving farms in between untouched." "The types of farms hardest hit by outbreaks are also puzzling—most of them are high "biosecurity" facilities, where birds are kept in enclosed, strictly monitored environments. Workers at some of these farms are even required to shower before and after their shifts." "One explanation is that the feathers of diseased, migrating wild birds are falling into ventilation systems or somehow getting into facilities. Even the virus' rapid arrival in North America suggests it may have been carried by wild birds." "Scientists are expecting cases to taper off as summer approaches, and possibly increase again with the annual fall migrations of wild bird species. The cycle will likely go on for months or even years at varying levels, but we are not facing a public health crisis, Poulsen said."

 

[dportfamfarm]

I cant believe my eyes, snow... Isnt it supposed to be spring?!?

On that note, is it possible to have a coop in michigan without electricity?

 

[Monstro]

Sorry i haven't thoroughly read thru all the AI stuff.

But just to verify it can be spread by wild turkey, ducks, geese... not the common birds such as robins, right?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/pdfs/avian_influenza_F.pdf

 

[Monstro]

I cant believe my eyes, snow... Isnt it supposed to be spring?!?

On that note, is it possible to have a coop in michigan without electricity?

This was our first winter with chickens, no electric, no real problems just giving water multiple times a day. But we're almost into Indiana, not sure about further north.

Only issue was our golden campine getting picked on, still is. May have to rehome her not sure yet, shes the smallest. Not sure I like the Isa Browns attitude, they're bullies but lay well. Hoping once the variety pack of nine 10 wk olds grow up and all go into the larger coop we're working on it'll be better.

Will a rooster automatically take charge and protect ones getting picked once he grows up? Or does it depend on the bird? We were suppose to have gotten one barred rock and one black sex link, but both are barred so either sex link is male or their both BRs.

Apparently i get sidetracked easily today...

 

[Whatshisface]

Wow thanks for the information jackieandchicks. My birds have been in lock down lately anyway. I have lost 3 birds recently and I can't figure out how. It seems when I let my birds out to free range one keeps coming up missing. Whatever it is it's sneaky, perhaps a fox or a hawk because one minute all the birds are there and then they are not. This is happening during the day and there is no trace of feathers or a fight or anything. I have dealt with Racoons for years and I know how to deal with them, this has got me stumped. Until I figure it out they are not going to free range.

 

[Monstro]

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/pdfs/avian_influenza_F.pdf

Thank you

 

[Opa]

I think the year I first was responsible for taking care of chicks was 1951 when we moved to small farm in Belleville. In short order we had milk cow and calf, pigs goats, rabbits, and of course dual purpose chickens. I never considered it work and loved the time taking care of them. Soon I had them all named so when time came for the first slaughter it was a little difficult However, I soon learned of their role in our lives and of our responsibility to them

Over the years I've learned a lot and perhaps one of the more important things is to not worry about what hasn't happened Don't make something an issue until it happens, then deal with it. There is no way to protect my flock completely from something like avian flu So until it affects my birds I won' spend valuable time worrying.

 

[Trexroo]

.

I think the year I first was responsible for taking care of chicks was 1951 when we moved to  small farm in Belleville.  In short order we had milk cow and calf, pigs goats, rabbits, and of course dual purpose chickens.  I never considered it work and loved the time taking care of them.  Soon I had them all named so when time came for the first slaughter it was a little difficult  However, I soon learned of their role in our lives and of our responsibility to them

Over the years I've learned a lot and perhaps one of the more important things is to not worry about what hasn't happened  Don't make something an issue until it happens, then deal with it. There is no way to protect my flock completely from something like avian flu  So until it affects my birds I won' spend valuable time worrying.

I like those words opa.

I know that my very limited family and friends all know that I say the line, "were farming now". They usually bring it up in context to a problem or hurdle this very modest operation I facing. Although they have never asked and I have never explained. I say it during the good times too.

My girl (misfitmorgan) has said before" it either will be or it will not be." She doesn't need to have it explained, she knows.


So, every day is the same. As long as the sun comes up.

"Were farming now."