Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[NovaAman]

Welcome to the thread Wright...

Since you are incubating now, the September chicks will be fully feathered out before winter hits. I have a broody who just hatched out chicks 2 days ago. I have another who was on some eggs from the neighbor. They were not fertile, so going to give her some new ones... or break her... Hmmm... I also got chicks in January, and put them out in a coop towards the end of February, with a small heat lamp till the end of March. Well anyway, I guess what I am saying is, the chicks you are incubating now, should be just fine come winter. They'll be near full grown by then.

If I am saying anything not right here, don't worry, I'll be corrected.

 

[NovaAman]

Oh, and I also had 2 hens do the broody thing in January as well... LOL. Chickens are fun.

 

[RaZ]

So I'm curious, do any of you hatch chicks in September or October? The brooder could go in the basement (no? Too stinky?) Or in the unheated garage, but I'm worried about putting them into the coop with the others for the winter.

I hatched any so I can't comment. In January or February, I got a couple of Uggo chicks that were hatched in December. They went into the unheated garage coop but I did put in a heat lamp, just in case. So I would think that your fall chicks would be alright once they feathered out. Of course, I'm no expert.

I'm also not an expert in canning and I have a question.
I canned refrigerator pickles and all 16 pints sealed well. Can they be stored at room temperature or do I need to keep them in the fridge?

 

[Mish]

Armada fair is next week, Monday 13 August - Sunday 19 August 2012. http://armadafair.org/ Come see other people's chickens.

 

[Wrightsx4]

[rule]I'm also not an expert in canning and I have a question.
I canned refrigerator pickles and all 16 pints sealed well.  Can they be stored at room temperature or do I need to keep them in the fridge?

I make fridge pickles - I think they have to be refrigerated since theyve not been processed to kill bacteria, not positive though... thanks for the chick insight!

 

[RaZ]

I make fridge pickles - I think they have to be refrigerated since theyve not been processed to kill bacteria, not positive though... thanks for the chick insight!

I did some research after posting. It looks like fridge pickles are good for about 2 months. Alas, not the answer I wanted to hear. I figured that since the cooked juice is all vinegar that they would keep for a while. I think that I might freeze a few pints and see how they last.

Thanks, Wx4 and welcome to our new home.

 

[taprock]

Snapped some pictures today Here's the rebuilt coop with the flooring put in it for easy clean up! I need to tack it onto the wall and it'll be all done.

Two black pullets

I never used to like silkies but I have one now and just love her to pieces.

I have a story along the lines of the chicken groping. I have a showgirl cockerel name Buzzard. His face is really heavily feathered so he has a hard time seeing - he still will not roost. Any way I found him out wandering and went to round him up. I went to pick him up only to have him grab my hand with his beak and proceed to do his "Rooster business" as we call it around here. I was laughing so hard and he was just so proud of himself. Poor guy - thought he had found himself a girl and was too blind to realize there really wasn't anyone there.

 

[uchytil]

WOW, so I get a call toady from a member and find there's been "alot' going on in here! As some may remember my laptop was fried during a big electrical storm and it's still in custody of #2 son whom says he has to flash the hard drive and basically I've lost all my data. My DW's desktop (I'm on it) is in her small office that makes me feel like Aicce down the rabbit hole, lol! So, pop in and debrief time - Bob Bry, yes I have canned some Banna peppers and I'll PM the recipe from my iphone if I can...Thanks for the thoughts everyone that said so (you know who you are).

New stuff- Corn is most excellent this year and a bumper crop for processing. Heck, I've still got corn from 2010! I rescued a Gottenburg doe today. She has damage to her right lower tooth. The owners let her repeatedly run away and now she's in my care. She has loose lower teeth and some abcess, and bleeding, for the mouth, however, she has a good coat, appetite, and clear eyes. I hope she pulls through and any ideas please email me at [email protected]. Maybe if you are the goat expert you can help me thought this. I would love to make goat cheese at some point!

Peace out Michigan.

John

 

[NovaAman]

Nice to hear from you Pop-pop!

Tap,

 

[chicken grandma]

I'm worried about putting them into the coop with the others for the winter. Thinking of insulating outer walls underneath the nesting boxes and creating separation from big chickens with chicken wire. They'll have their own separate run area outside too. Thoughts?

I know you can keep them warm enough but I have had some serious 'pecking order' situations and I would think it would be real risky to put young chickens in a coop with older chickens. The younger ones could get beat up really badly when some of the older chickens get that 'cooped up' feeling in Wintertime.
It is easier to hatch new chicks in the Spring and then introduce them to the older chickens in the big outdoors. But since you have two areas of your coop and two runs, it could work if you carefully kept them apart.