Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[wcbpolish]

My first batch of chicks are out of the incubator. I wasn't able to separate the breeding pens very well...
I learned that one of my roosters seems to be a dud (good to know before I start hatching in earnest) but otherwise fertility is good.
As I have no silkie rooster right now, I had polish boys in with the silkies... and a Polish rooster on some buff orpington hens... and the polish were all running together, so my WC and bearded Polish were running together... But I think I have something purebred in the brooder...
If anyone is interested in Polish crosses, I might have some for sale in the near future.

 

[Candy442]

starting to get excited about hatching, tho I lost one of my project birds (1 of 2, so half)so that kind of dampens the motivation.

Sorry to hear you lost a project bird. We have lost 4 this winter so far...last night an EE hen not eating or drinking. Nothing else could see wrong with her. First Pullet lost this year ...
but....we got 14 eggs yesterday which is double what we normally get.
Aart your idea to give all Savachick is great and we are going to do that now.

 

[1muttsfan]

What do Arkansas blues look like? Do they lay blue eggs?

They are sprightly smaller birds that lay lots of large to XL pure light blue eggs. They are quite feed efficient as well. I've had Cream Legbars and these guys have a bluer egg. They are sociable but dislike being handled. They fly pretty good too. They were developed as a commercial blue egg project at University of Arkansas. They are typical Andalusian blue-black-splash color.

These are my young birds end of last summer, before they reached adulthood.

And here is the young cockerel on the right in the above picture, all grown up, with some of the blue and black girls.

Here is the AB thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arkansas-blue-egg-layers.874920/

 

[RaZ]

Happy February.
I've been gifted with a dozen eggs so far this week. I'll have to watch closely and gather them before they freeze. Temperature is falling along with the snow.
I'm hoping my spell of bad luck is over. things are looking up and I'm cautiously optimistic. The cable supervisor finally came out and he approved service to my house. I should have it next week.

Now to the feed store. Need to keep the critters well fed.

 

[chickflick]

Happy to hear that, RaZ! Been worried about you.
Chickens sure did enjoy the warmer weather, as did I. Had enough snow. I'm over shoveling.
Enjoy today before temps drop

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

Temps are dropped here. 11 degrees and still falling. Single digits tonight. 3 eggs so far today....should have more when I get home at 4:30. 6 inches of snow since early morning as well...it was fun while the warm-up lasted!

 

[bigmrg74]

Cleaned out the nest boxes today and put in a fresh liner made from a feed bag and shavings in the nest boxes. had 2 eggs with soft shells earlier this week and it made bit of a mess on the liners. and the girls at that time had pretty well kicked out the shavings in those nests as well. That and a flock block and filling the oyster shell feeder in the coop should solve that issue.

Raz, Amy already has someone in mind already for the ceremony. But if you can get your beard back to being a respectable wizard beard, we just might consider you.

 

[taprock]

Hi everyone! I haven’t posted in ages but have keep up reading. It’s good to hear what’s going on with you, even if I’m not posting. I’ve spent most of my recent time over in the pigeon threads. My sons 4-h racing pigeons decided winter was a good time to hatch their first squabs. I’ve also been busy studying. I’m in the process of licensing and certification for being an avian wildlife rehabilitator. Chicken ARE the gateway bird!

I still have about 80 chickens + ducks, turkey, guinea and pigeons. We’ve had a wild Jake join our turkey group. He started out hanging out for a couple hours and then leaving. Now he roosts in the tree next to the coop and never leaves. I can’t imagine he’ll stay come spring.

My older chickens have had a hard time this year but my oldest is 8 so it’s not surprising. I’ve lost about 6, mostly during our -27 and 53 week. A 80 degree change in temp is rough on them. I have one lone Serama girl and I moved her to the basement and gave her heated coop to a group of older Silkie, naked necks that are having a hard time. I also have some nice Polish now and I’ve spent more time thawing crests that I can remember in the past. I think I solved the problem by giving them a chick waterer so they can’t get their crests wet.

I’m hoping spring weather comes a bit sooner this year! I am looking for bantam calico Cochin and Serama eggs sometime this spring.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

I’m hoping spring weather comes a bit sooner this year! I am looking for bantam calico Cochin and Serama eggs sometime this spring.

Hi taprock,

Where are you located? I am around Boyne. That week was brutal, but was glad to get the reprieve from the -20s. Now we were back down to -6 this morning. I am new around here, just started the whole chicken adventure this fall. I guess I've had a good winter to break into keeping birds alive! LOL.

 

[taprock]

Hi taprock,

Where are you located? I am around Boyne.

I’m eight miles south of Mackinaw. We were at 0 this morning but we are elevated here so we usually avoid the worst.

This is a great place to learn. My first year I knew nothing and spent hours reading on here.