Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[NovaAman]

My January chuckles did not occupy the same coop space until May. The wandered together and all, but CG is right. You may want to give them their own coop space first, let the see each other, but not be together. So, I think your plan is good.

 

[swampducks]

Refrigerator pickles are called refrigerator pickles usually because they must be stored there. But my recipe is not for one that uses a water bath canner. IF you've got the right ratio of water to vinegar and salt (check a regular canning recipe) and really used a water bath or pressure canner, you'd probably be fine.

 

[Stacykins]

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

What is a Gottenburg? Do you mean a Toggenburg goat?

Could she have Soremouth? That article recommends use of Gentian Violet on the sores, which is also known as blu-kote and can be found at TSC and other farm supply stores.

 

[gladahmae]

I need some advice from fellow Michiganders. Never hatched eggs before and just finished building my incubator using lots of info/plans from BYC. It's holding temp beautifully. I don't think I can wait til Spring!!! 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. It's not insulated or heated in any way but well ventilated - added more based on what I read here. 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? Good idea or bad, hold off til spring?

I'm pretty new to all this chicken stuff as well, but I've got eggs coming this week! We've brooded our chicks in the basement in a kiddie pool so far, and it does get a little stinky after about 2 weeks (but I didn't change the shavings, so by week 4 it was like

). We're doing the partitioned-run thing right now with a few of our younger chicks...they're getting to know eachother through the fence NOW, so that by the end of September or mid-October (when they're of similar size) I can put them in the new BIG coop together. Plus, I have one pretty-sure cockeral, and one maybe cockeral, so I'd like for them to all get along until I decide if roos are for us or not. Then, I'm planning on putting our newest chicks, assuming my incubating goes well, into the original coop. In my very inexperienced opinion, I think that by keeping them divided, they'd be fine.

DH won some eggs on ebay the other night that are supposed to ship tomorrow, and got them for a song. While I was at work tonight I cynically thought that we got them for soooo cheap that it wouldn't surprise me if the seller magically didn't have them for some reason or another. Got home tonight and saw that I had a message that the hens of one particular breed have "stopped laying."

They offered to replace with a different kind, so I chose one, but I really wanted my original choice!! Oh well. It'll give me something to hatch out in the spring I guess. We also got the floor on and the exterior walls framed up on the new coop/shed this weekend! YAY!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Just spent an hour drinking coffee and visiting with my son. He had just got off work and stopped in. He knows his momma would be awake at 4:30.
Nice when they get old enough for adult conversation time.
Nicer when they want to visit you just to visit you and not because they are about to ask you for money. We remembered when he was four years old and we would sit outside looking at the stars while his sisters were sleeping. Now, we did the same thing, only he is 19 instead of 4.

Memories. Always good to make memories.

 

[Opa]

Off to a rather slow start this morning but that's okay I'm just glad that I'm starting the day. Kim, isn't it amazing how quickly our kids grow up? I still find it hard to believe that my sons are as old as they are. Even the baby is now 40 and the oldest is not far from 50. It's a good thing that I started my family when I was very young or I'd be an old man.

 

[Mom 2em All]

In a blink, Sam.

It amazes me how fast they grow up. Even more amazing to me is how much faster time goes, the older I get.

Its been a rough past eight years with my son, but I think he finally gets "it" now- and is making progress on growing up. If he could find a good job now, I think he would do okay.

 

[BobBry]

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.

Nova, ubua. But when were u ever rong?

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.

I have a recipe for FREEZER PICKLES, that seem to be fine for more than a year after frozen. If I can find it, if you want to try those. PM

Just spent an hour drinking coffee and visiting with my son. He had just got off work and stopped in. He knows his momma would be awake at 4:30.
Nice when they get old enough for adult conversation time.
Nicer when they want to visit you just to visit you and not because they are about to ask you for money. We remembered when he was four years old and we would sit outside looking at the stars while his sisters were sleeping. Now, we did the same thing, only he is 19 instead of 4.

Memories. Always good to make memories.

Lucky is the person who has only good memories, if there is such a one. I wish.



Sam,

Did you just discover that prices of everything are always going up? Anyway, I've noticed it to.


I'm JUST WONDERING,

Much advise I see/hear says to leave eggs alone once incubation is started, whether by hen or incubator. Why do you, if you do, candle them?? Seriously !!!!

 

[RIRJen]

Well, we got a lot done on our coop project yesterday! Started building the individual coops on the inside and next we'll build the runs. I'm already trying to get things done because the dreaded winter is right around the corner! I'll post pictures later RAZ, my tree is still alive! Much much shorter...but still alive! I'm going to put a fence around it this time so it doesn't get mowed over again. For some reason I can't make the "enter" key do anything so excuse the fact that this paragraph runs on and on. lol I'm heading down to the Wolf Animal Swap in Indiana this coming weekend and since my husband will be attending MIS...moooohooohahahahahaha...I'll be free to buy what I want!!! (not that I wouldn't anyways LOL) Hope you are all having a good day!

 

[RBahmer]

Well, we got a lot done on our coop project yesterday! Started building the individual coops on the inside and next we'll build the runs. I'm already trying to get things done because the dreaded winter is right around the corner! I'll post pictures later RAZ, my tree is still alive! Much much shorter...but still alive! I'm going to put a fence around it this time so it doesn't get mowed over again. For some reason I can't make the "enter" key do anything so excuse the fact that this paragraph runs on and on. lol I'm heading down to the Wolf Animal Swap in Indiana this coming weekend and since my husband will be attending MIS...moooohooohahahahahaha...I'll be free to buy what I want!!! (not that I wouldn't anyways LOL) Hope you are all having a good day!

Hey Jen. I'm suppose to go down there too this weekend but not sure I am going to. My best friend has asked me to go to that fiberfest thing that is going on Sunday so I will be going to that. Not that I really want to but she asked LOL.. When I was in the exotic animal trade I went to Wolf Lake every month in the summer for years. Haven't been there for awhile though.