Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RDJJ]

Seven is a powerful insecticide it should be a last resort . Using it on gnats is overkill. Deadly for honey bees.

 

[1muttsfan]

At 6 weeks of age chicks are fully feathered and no longer need supplemental heat. You could move them to the coop now and provide a warm area for them if the temps get cool. If you use a heat lamp secure it carefully using at least 2 wire ties to reduce fire risk.

 

[snowflake]

Well, we closed on our Davison house and now living in Dimondale! It's good to be all done with the selling and buying process! Not fun...
Now have to build a new coop. I'll be legal here! Yipeeee! Exhausted from all the packing, loading, unloading and unpacking. Now in the process of making this house our home. My chickens are staying at a former neighbor until we get this coop done. Can't wait to bring them home..

congratulations on the move and being done with it, moving is a pain. , glad your move went well.

Seven is a powerful insecticide it should be a last resort . Using it on gnats is overkill. Deadly for honey bees.

it is indeed, don't use were honey bees are, only on poop boards and house plants, I do use a concentrate, so I can make it as strong as I need.

We breed Chanteclers. At that age, you should be able to see the hackle and saddle feathers forming. If there are sharp thin feathers on the neck or near the tail, those of course would be boys. The Chantelcers are the most difficult birds we can figure on the sex! Good luck we usually can't tell until about six months old on ours.

I love the partridge it is easier to tell the male from the female, I and pretty sure my 2 whites are roos. starting to develop that tail feather curl and hackles. guess we will have a few more for the freezer

Hi everyone! My family and I are new to chickens in MI. We have 4 ida reds (not sure of age maybe 4 weeks). We haven't finished their coop yet been salvaging wood to be cost effective. Any advice for a newbie family?

Thank you

Welcome,Hmom, you will love your chickens they are fun. I keep food and water outside, a snow free area is awesome, mine don't like the snow. you don't need insulation, just very good ventilation . chickens are very hardy. and water that does not freeze, or be able to bring them fresh water several times a day in winter. there are several ways to make heated water or you can buy a heated waterer.

 

[RDJJ]

Lost half my girls to preditors this summer, hawk, fox, coyote. Heart breaking.

 

[uchytil]

Well, we closed on our Davison house and now living in Dimondale! It's good to be all done with the selling and buying process! Not fun...
Now have to build a new coop. I'll be legal here! Yipeeee! Exhausted from all the packing, loading, unloading and unpacking. Now in the process of making this house our home. My chickens are staying at a former neighbor until we get this coop done. Can't wait to bring them home..

Woot, woot Rose! That new coop you have to build - remember your previous post...make it big enough for more now that you're legal! And a few rabbits too!

 

[uchytil]

Totally been off the grid lately with all the gardening stuff, animals, etc. Now fishing and hunting season is here and I plan to spend more time than usual on that. Only new critter news is we re-homed another 8 layers and one came with a day old chick she hatched (previous owner had no clue). I also decided to offer for sale (still have him) one of my wethers, a purebred Toggenburg sweetie. He's 3 years old now and loves to be right there helping with all the chores. I hate to (maybe) see him go but the herd has to be managed. Good price, would make a great companion animal for the right place.

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[iamfivewire]

@hockeyXmom : for cost-savings on lumber, Home Depot has a cull wood cart @70% off - usually warped &/or cracked boards, but i have found some useful lumber that is still good enough for chicken coop projects

 

[Candy442]

Lost half my girls to preditors this summer, hawk, fox, coyote. Heart breaking.

so sorry to hear. was it because they were out free ranging or did the predators break into the coop?

 

[taprock]

I'll share my boy with you. He did the youth hunt on Saturday. His first coyote, it showed up 30 minutes before the deer. His first buck (5-point) and the first time he's actually used his gun he bought last year (left-handed). He was one happy kid.

It was a good week for filling the freezer. Last Monday DH helped pour cement for someone and brought home 40# of hamburgers as payment. He has been putting out bear bait for a man from down state for yesterday's hunt. He received a extra large cooler full of frozen whitefish and Salmon. And now thanks to the boy we have Venison to add. It's a nice change after a year and half of Pork.

 

[bishopofchaos]

Hey everyone, new to the forum thing. I'm having a hard time finding where breeders in my area might be. We're in Woodland, just outside Lake Odessa. So.... I'm looking for someone that has some cream leg bars, copper morans, Easter eggers, or olive eggers. I'm starting some new crosses in the spring too our Cemani's. Any recommendations on local breeders would be great! Thank You!