Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

She's all set with 5 fresh fertile eggs from my long coveted BCM x CCL cross.

 

[SillyChicken]

I understand the desire not to kill the varmints. However, you're also dropping the problem off for someone else to deal with. Part of good husbandry is doing the deeds for the unwanted. And as stated, it is illegal to trap and relocate.

Monday I started having throbbing pain in my lower jaw, thinking between all the stress of late I was just clenching my jaw. Well, I was and I split my tooth, bad enough the dentist said we couldn't fix it. So it got yanked. I wasn't expecting that! Took me out for the whole day yesterday.. what a friggen whimp! LOL!

 

[gladahmae]

Glad, I've a few ideas here.
What's wrong with roosting in the rafters? Chickens what high roosts, and there they are. Many of my birds do the same thing, with no problems.
Your roosts are low, and too close together for comfort. Try tree limbs or saplings, raise them a bit, and have them 14" to 18" apart.
How high up are the nest boxes? Do they roost on top of them, or is that impossible?
How many birds? Do you need six nest boxes? I wouldn't remove any, but is it the lowest ranking birds who roost there?
Mary

Roosting on top of the nest boxes is not possible.

I usually try to keep 15-20 birds in that coop. 6 nest boxes is probably too many, which is why I have blocked 2 of them off (I left the ones closer to the floor open to encourage them to roost elsewhere).

My issues with the rafter-roosting is that most of the time they roost right over the waterer and poop all over it. I've chiseled their frozen poop mountains off that thing way more times than I wanted to this winter. They have also ended up in my growout area (which is a smaller section of the shed) by accident a few times and they *cannot* fly out of that. I very much do not want to have grumpy old hens in with a batch of little chicks if I can help it. The rafter-roosting birds ALSO were hiding their eggs in the supplies area of the shed last summer, which got annoying to look for, or find one broken in a box of nails, etc.

Most of these birds are 3 or 4 years old, and I'm going to be culling them this summer, and putting a new batch in, so if my issues are a *layout* issue, I'd like to get them fixed before I put the new birds in and have them also develop bad habits.

 

[RaZ]

Monday I started having throbbing pain in my lower jaw, thinking between all the stress of late I was just clenching my jaw. Well, I was and I split my tooth, bad enough the dentist said we couldn't fix it. So it got yanked. I wasn't expecting that! Took me out for the whole day yesterday.. what a friggen whimp! LOL!

The things some people do to get out of chores.
Hope you are doing alright.

 

[Folly's place]

Painful teeth are the worst! Glad it's fixed.
I have covers over the feeder and waterer in the coop section with rafter roosting birds, I agree poo in either isn't good. It was easier for me, rather than blocking them from the rafters. Lots more roost space, and less arguing over prime locations!
Mary

 

[1muttsfan]

You could put roosts above the nest boxes, with a poop board if desired. I use shelving angles to put mine up. I also use 2x4s, but your are spaced very closely, and some birds may not like that. You could also build outside nest boxes, giving you more internal space, and use roosts above the access holes. I only have 1 large box for 15 birds, and rarely have an egg layed anywhere else.

 

[1muttsfan]

Silly, sore teeth are nothing to sneeze at. Better get a bite splint, if one cracked you probably have others that are stressed.

 

[Folly's place]

Yesterday, 18 eggs, and today, 19 eggs! Longer days, finally!
This week the Sandhill cranes are appearing too, wonderful.
I'm so ready for spring, and it's still February.
Mary

 

[RaZ]

Knocked out a big pile of wood today. Filled two racks and started a third before I ran out of steam. Working one-handed is quite tiring. It's more like one and a half hands as I try to re-hab the other hand. I'm sure that will give the doctor and therapist fits.

The best thing about cutting and splitting wood is finding an ant colony. The chickens just love to help me split wood. They have learned that there is good eating when I do firewood.

 

[RaZ]

3 dozen + 4 eggs this week, I think the hens like it up here.