Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[LyonFuzz]

Curiously, is anyone going to the swap at TSC in Battle Creek tomorrow? I heard about it from a FB site.

 

[flufssilkies]

I would like to know why my peachicks are different colors
. two are brown and two are yellow.

 

[mindylee]

Curiously, is anyone going to the swap at TSC in Battle Creek tomorrow?  I heard about it from a FB site.

Nope...
Im doing the petting zoo at the TSC in Lapeer tomorrow for the Purina Days. All the TSC's are doing something tomorrow for the event. And most will have rescues. Simone has the swap set up there. And im doing the petting zoo.
Im bringing a mini horse or 2, a bunch of my calico cochins, and a bunny.

 

[LyonFuzz]

That sounds like fun! I think I better call my local TSC and see what's happening there

 

[flufssilkies]

Hey I was wonder if a wood duck be OK in with a mom and baby chicks its a baby.

 

[dyorto]

Hi. I'm brand new to chickens. Will this coop be able to hold 3 hens and keep them ok over winter?

 

[Opa]

Your coop will be more than adequate. And welcome to the world of chickens.

Some times I don't know why I bother reading or watching the news since it usually just makes me irritated. Today was no exception. I was reading where several of the parents of the Fort Lauderdale Beach children who were carried aloft in a bouncy house when a sudden storm created a water spout that came ashore.

The bouncy house was rolled several times before being carried aloft for a considerable distance. When it finally came to ground the children only sustain non life threatening injuries. Rather than just giving thanks that their children will be fine, they have served notice to the city and the vendor of their intention to seek damages.

The parents of a five year old girl, who was immediately thrown as the bouncy house first started to roll, are claiming she sustain severe emotional trauma along with her sprained wrist. The claim the city and the vendor were negligent to have allowed her to enter the bouncy house in the first place. I feel nothing but scorn and disgust for people who want to profit from an accident that was totally unpredictable and unpreventable.

However, my old callus heart does go out the families in Texas and Oklahoma whose lives were devastated by the massive flooding. Particular sad was the family of four celebrating the holiday weekend when the house they were staying in was swept into the river. As the frantic family tried to escape the house hit a bridge and disintegrated. The father was found severely injured, but his wife and two children were lost to the flood waters. Sadly the young boy was found dead today while his mother and sister remain missing.

 

[dyorto]

Thanks Opa, I haven't even gotten my chicks to the coop and I'm already paranoid it's not good enough for them!

 

[OldMissionChick]

Hi. I'm brand new to chickens. Will this coop be able to hold 3 hens and keep them ok over winter?

should be fine for 3. We are in the process of building an 8x12 coop and in the mean time our ducks & chickens are residing in a tent.

Your coop will be more than adequate.  And welcome to the world of chickens.

Some times I don't know why I bother reading or watching the news since it usually just makes me irritated.  Today was no exception.  I was reading where several of the parents of the Fort Lauderdale Beach children who were carried aloft in a bouncy house when a sudden storm created a water spout that came ashore.

The bouncy house was rolled several times before being carried aloft for a considerable distance.  When it finally came to ground the children only sustain non life threatening injuries.  Rather than just giving thanks that their children will be fine, they have served notice to the city and the vendor of their intention to seek damages.

The parents of a five year old girl, who was immediately thrown as the bouncy house first started to roll, are claiming she sustain severe emotional trauma along with her sprained wrist.  The claim the city and the vendor were negligent to have allowed her to enter the bouncy house in the first place.  I feel nothing but scorn and disgust for people who want to profit from an accident that was totally unpredictable and unpreventable.

However, my old callus heart does go out the families in Texas and Oklahoma whose lives were devastated by the massive flooding.  Particular sad was the family of four celebrating the holiday weekend when the house they were staying in was swept into the river.  As the frantic family tried to escape the house hit a bridge and disintegrated.  The father was found severely injured, but his wife and two children were lost to the flood waters.  Sadly the young boy was found dead today while his mother and sister remain missing.

Opa I feel the same way. It was a freak accident not that the vender & city conspired with Mother Nature to have the bounce house thrown. It was the parents choice to allow the child in.

 

[MittenChickens]

Good evening all you Michiganders. New to BYC and this whole experience, in fact this is my first post and what better thread to start in than this one. I never thought I would be raising chickens when I was growing up in Lansing, but here I am 20 years later getting ready to purchase 6-8 pullets from Family Farm & Home tomorrow morning. I've been doing research for a few weeks to prep for this and make sure this is a commitment my wife and our 4 girls can handle. Free ranging chickens was our first thought, to help with the ticks and other creepy crawlies in the yard but we live on 10 acres in the woods and predators would be a huge issue. So the task of building a coop will be on the immediate honey-do list while these chicks are in the brooder. I've read that I should calculate roughly 2 sq/ft. per chicken for the coop and atleast 10sq/ft per for the run, does this sound correct?

I have many questions and as I keep digging on this great site I'm sure I'll find my answers, but I have a few specifically geared to our state. I'm sure they have been asked at nauseam within this thread but with over 3000 pages on this thread I'm at a loss. I've heard several arguments as far as insulating or not insulating a coop. 1 argument is pretty obvious while the other is that these animals are somewhat built to withstand cold temperatures. My issue is I don't know what "cold temperatures" means for each individual, so please help me fellow Michiganders. As I begin planning for this coop, should insulation be considered? I know ventilation is important, but is just "boarding" up for the winter sufficient? Also how many of you utilize fans and heaters for summer/winter?

Here's to the beginning of a new adventure and I'll see you guys on the other side!