Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[troyer]

We were unloading hay last year and as I threw a bale down the ones underneath me slipped and both bales and I went flying through the air from 6 feet up - somehow managed to land upside down without major injury. Just missed the trailer hitch, though. Haying is a dangerous sport.

Never before have I considered haying as a sport, interesting thought though.

I bought 10 little chicks at TSC Black Australorps and 6 of them are FOR sure Roosters 3 are FOR SURE hens... But I have this one that I am not sure of...
and this is a hen for sure.

So is it a rooster or a hen?

Looks like a pullet.

 

[taprock]

Glad to see all is well. The past two weeks have flown by and now we are getting ready for camp so it's still crazy.

I have lost two chicks over the past week. Last week I lost one due to crowding on a very cold night even though they have been without heat for a couple weeks. The chick was so flattened I actually missed it until I started moving things around to feed them. This week it was a chick who was the last to hatch and had always been a bit slower.

Still have a broody duck. At least it's only one right now.

My sons hedgehog has surgery this morning. He has developed a tumor on his leg. After hearing all the risks and costs involved my son decided that's what he's spending his birthday money on. Hopefully he has a good outcome for both their sakes.

1mutt - haying was always the big event as a kid and I never thought of the dangers, this year is the boys first year helping friends out. I was a bit nervous but found out they put him to driving when they relized he knows how to use a clutch without losing them off the back.

And last but most important, the weather has been beautiful!

 

[snowflake]

Me too......Do you mind saying when and who?

CN sawdust in Rockford, not sure of the brand, I believe it came to them from the supplier with the grain mites

under the apple trees :

sweet little deer

here are a few pics
this one the culprit is the closest chicken



again the closest but a roo is right behind it.. tails look kinda the same



here it is again but to the left with it's head cut out of the picture is a hen but the tails don't look the same to me.. so Rooster or Hen?

those tail feathers do look a bit long, quite possible rooster

 

[aart]

Quote: Sawdust had grain mites?

 

[aart]

Thinning down the flock....last of my original three year old girls are going - few not laying at all and couple only 1-2 times a week.
2 more down today, last goes one Sunday along with a cockerel and a meatie I'm trading 3 two year olds for.

Wondered how I'd feel taking down the old familiars, the original flock I started with 2 year ago...I'm not a chicken cuddler but was very fond of a few of them.
Wasn't as bad as I thought, had a moment but refocused on the goal of a balanced productive flock...eggs and meat, so I got over it. They were good girls and I gave them a dignified end, and they will be delicious and appreciated.

Was really glad I took the initiative to find the younger 3 a home with a layer flock nearby...acquaintance lost most her flock to a dog this week and asked me if I knew anyone who had chickens for replacements.....I told her about the two yo's, she came to look but had changed her mind by then<rolleyes> not unprecedented. So I called the folks I was buying the meatie from anyway and asked if they wanted them and they did need a few more layers. So that's really cool cause they've got some laying left in them and I was feeling a bit wasteful with butchering them.

Just a catharsis, to those who know, sigh.

Looking forward to the 'extra' room (and much less poop!) for the remaining 6 one year olds and 8 pullets all hatched here this year....them and the one year old Wellie cock is about the perfect number for the space I have over winter. Also looking forward to watching the flock dynamics with these changes in population, I can already see a difference....it was bit crowded in there, and 2 of the two years olds are meanies. I think the crowding may have deterred the older pullets from laying, time will tell.

Next step will be merging the younger pullets(14 weeks)that are in an adjacent coop and run in with the main flock by taking down the partition wall in the coop.
Not sure if I should do it right away amid the upheaval of the culling or wait till things settle down in the main flock before doing the merge.

Had also put up a 3rd roost for the older 3 pullets who were hatched and raised with the flock by a broody but are still not allowed on the main 2 roosts.
I want to take it down because there's not a poop board under it but not sure when to do that, before the merge or after?
The younger pullets will have the partition roost.

I'm thinking I'll take down that 3rd roost once the culling is done and let the 3 older pullets work out a place on the main roosts before merging the youngers in.
Well, sorry to bore you with all that thinking out loud (out type?) I'll leave it tho, just in case someone has a management suggestion.

Groovy Day!

 

[1muttsfan]

Personally I usually get all the upheaval done at one time, otherwise you have just as much drama but it is spread out over a longer time. Since you are changing the flock dynamics they will have to sort out a new pecking order, and that way they only have to do it once.

Peace and love

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with muttsfan here; just get it over with! I currently have almost sixty birds, including the babies, and will get down to about thirty for winter. Excess cockrels for the freezer, nice birds to rehome, and it will all work out. Pictures later for rehoming prospects; white Chanteclers, April 2015 hatch, vaccinated for Marek's, Two beautiful black (with copper) Marans- Ameracauna cockrels, a few milliefleur Belgian d'Uccles, and Speckled Sussex. Decisions, decisions! Mary

 

[OldMissionChick]

Congrats to your new pullets, and all the other new layers here too!  I like your colors.  I have done some thinking and decided to supplement with calcium for the next few days at least, or maybe even until they finish their old bag of chick starter.  Crushed eggshells work, right?  I really hope so because that's what I've been doing, but I will switch to layer crumbles-my girls are all the same age.

On the subject of supplementing, does anyone else do this?  I've read that after you boil your eggs, save that water!  Let it cool down and then go water your tomato plants with it.  It contains calcium from the eggshells (if this really works) and is a handy free fertilizer.  Same with boiled vegetables.  Thoughts?

I bought a 50 pound bag of crushed oysters for $15 because I still have half an open bag and a full bag I haven't opened yet. Our birds (as I call our mixed flock of ducks & chickens) have been free ranging all day everyday (only when we are home which is practically every day) and their intake of feed has drastically dropped.
I never heard of the saving water from boiled eggs for tomatoes. I am bale gardening so will have to try that.

 

[TreeTree411]

Took my chair out to the chicken yard to watch the chicks this evening, beautiful and the mosquitos were not bad tonight. Was able to enjoy being a perch for two of them as we watch the others peck around. I am telepathically saying, please don't peck my phone ( or me) in this picture.

 

[bigmrg74]

1mutt - haying was always the big event as a kid and I never thought of the dangers, this year is the boys first year helping friends out. I was a bit nervous but found out they put him to driving when they relized he knows how to use a clutch without losing them off the back.

And last but most important, the weather has been beautiful!

Is he driving a truck or a tractor? either way, probably the best job out in the field if you have to pick them up.

Our hay supplier uses a kicker and kicker wagons. lot less work that way and all we gotta do is shuttle them over to our place to unload them. Just that they can be a pain in the butt to unload until you've dug down to the floor.