Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[wannahomestead]

I cannot imagine having these chicks inside and they are only 4 weeks! Are you from northern Michigan as well?

I'm "from" Northern Lower Mi, but I now live in Southern mi

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Hi Everyone! I need your help and creative minds! I finally have a contractor coming out to build a permanent pen for Moose and Lucy and he asked me to draw up some rough ideas. Crap! I don't know where to start??? I want a fenced in area attached to a Michigan winter/predator proof pen that they can enter or exit as frequently as they want. 

The fenced in area needs to look nice. I'm thinking a 20 x 30' or 30x30 should be enough for 2 geese and possibly 2 ducks in the future. I have a 5'x2' pool for them that they can't get out of and I need to figure out some kind of ramp with hardware cloth so they can get out of but not get stuck when they dive. I need a pen that will keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. What do I use on the floor? I currently am using pine shavings which they love, but it sure is a pain to clean out every day! Then I have all those shavings to put in the trash. Inside the pen, I would like a bench, so we can go in there and sit with them in the winter when it's too cold to go out. Did I mention that there is a Critter Control company 5 houses down from me? Ya, so after they collect all their raccoons, fox, skunk, etc. they dump them practically in my yard. I just had an albino raccoon removed from my attic last week. So I have major predators. 

So, Basically, I need an aesthetically pleasing fenced in area(I live in a sub), with their big pool I bought them, and a pen/house that will have good ventilation/insulation, seating, food, water that NO animal can get into.

I need to be able to leave them for up to a week at a time and know they are safe.

Who can help me? If you can give me ideas, pictures or offer to build it for me, I'll cancel the appointment with the contractor. I live in White Lake.


I was looking at those shed/playhouse kits from home depot. I want the strength of the metal structures, but the look of the wood. The squirrels and wood chucks have chewed my deck, my kids Rainbow swing set and anything in my yard. I had an insulated heavy duty plastic deck box on my deck that I was keeping bird food in when I used to have feeders. The "heavy duty" box was a fail! The squirrels chewed through the 2 layers of plastic at the bottom corners and got in.

Please help!!!! 

Search the "wichita coop" (spelling?) It is a very good coop for an urban setup, visually pleasing and practical. For absolute foolproof i suggest a cement base, pressure treated lumber, and 1/2 " x 1" hardware cloth in 16 gage; screws and washer to attach the wire vs staples. You can let them into the yard when you are there, and cover the wire with plastic come winter.

You need a bigger setup but can use the ideas in that design. Or browse byc coop section for blueprints. Sorry if i am too late haven't been on in a week at least.

 

[OldMissionChick]

Hello, I am Nicole and we have our first chickens! We got them almost 4 weeks ago. There are 2 EE, Vanilla and Milky Way, 2 RIR, Ember and Sunrise and 2 BO, Clarence and Pablo. All are pullets (we think/hope). I have a 13 year old who is helping as much as she can and a 10 year old boy as well are there other members from Northern MI? Tonight is going to be COLD (low 30s) and I am a little nervous about their coldest night yet! Their coop is 40 degrees right now, but I do have a 100 watt bulb they are sleeping in front of so that area is warmer...trying to decide if they NEED the 250 watt lamp. Oops, getting way off topic on my intro! I have really enjoyed reading here so far.

Our peeps & quacks didn't leave the brooder in the house until they were 7-8 weeks & fully feathered. I was worried about them the first few days. But they had extra bedding with 17 birds & the light on so they were fine. They LOVE it when I open the door in the morning, take off running & flapping on their tip toes. I am happy to have a rain free day so their run can dry up a bit.

 

[uchytil]

There really isn't much you can do to stop it if it's coming from wild birds. You can't possibly kill every bird that flies over or near your coop, not to mention I am not sure of the legality of doing that. You can't be getting yourself all worked up with worry on the "what ifs". life is too short, and chickens are going to die one way or another.

Try to set up your coop to frighten them away.

x2

 

[uchytil]

Stable salt? Sweet PDZ maybe?
Sand makes poor cold-weather bedding. Wood chips from a sawmill are also not ideal. Shavings sold for bedding are kiln-dried and have relatively less dust, while sawmill waste is from green wood and higher in moisture.

Ducks and chickens do not always make the best companions, ducks can make a wet mess.

Very solid advise for someone starting out.

Duck DO make a wet mess! No ifs, ands, or buts...

 

[Peep-Chicken]

What does the scoop look like? A big kitty litter scoop?

I'll get a picture tonight, won't have time this morning. I got it at TSC though. Think it's originally for horse clean up.

 

[mundamnsel]

Hi michigan friends. I wanted to post the new coop my husband and family built! We live in the Kalamazoo area and finally outgrew our old coop. This new one is 8x10. It has 20 sqft of ventilation built into the roof area plus two windows that open 10 inches on each side. It's not quite finished yet but inside will have a couple roosting bars plus a dropping board. It will house 18 chickens who free range during the day. Any suggestion or critiques are welcome. Thank you

 

[mundamnsel]

This is a side view before we finished!

 

[aart]

Hi michigan friends. I wanted to post the new coop my husband and family built! We live in the Kalamazoo area and finally outgrew our old coop. This new one is 8x10. It has 20 sqft of ventilation built into the roof area plus two windows that open 10 inches on each side. It's not quite finished yet but inside will have a couple roosting bars plus a dropping board. It will house 18 chickens who free range during the day. Any suggestion or critiques are welcome. Thank you

Hi and Welcome.

Looks pretty good....pics of inside please?
Nice size and lots of up high ventilation....tho you might need to baffle off parts during winter, depending on prevailing winds and roost location.

What is it sitting on?

 

[mundamnsel]

Hi and Welcome.

Looks pretty good....pics of inside please?
Nice size and lots of up high ventilation....tho you might need to baffle off parts during winter, depending on prevailing winds and roost location.

What is it sitting on?

I will get some inside pics later! The roosts will be along the back wall far enough under the venting so there are no drafts. Hopefully. The backside faces the west. It's sitting on 6 sawed off 4x4s and each one has a concrete block under it. Sits off the ground about 15 inches. My husband was going to make me flaps to go over the vents in case of oncoming storms this winter so we can pull them over the vents accordingly.