Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

Welcome! Ducks are completely adorable but soooo not for me. If you have a family farm and home near you they usually have a few kinds of ducks as well. Most common kind so you'll find in the stores are pekins, rouens, and khaki campbells. There were a couple of Swedish mixed in with the KCs where I'm at a few years ago, but that's the only time I've ever seen them. There should be lots of backyard breeders down your way.



This week is going to be brutal. My brother's FIL passed away and we are dog-sitting for them while they are downstate for the funeral and burial....a 7mo old yorkie mix that is the most spoiled dog I've ever seen. He's not house trained, not crate trained, and cried ALL night last night because he usually sleeps in bed with grandma. That's not happening here. We have fostered for our local rescue for 4 years, so I'm used to bringing in like.....a 3 year old dog that's never lived in a house and dealing with that. He's making them look like a cakewalk. There isn't enough coffee in the world.........

 

[aart]

Heydiddlyhey neighborooni
We're Lenawee county residents, not totally new to the chicken game but not super experienced.

Welcome to BYC and the Michigan chat thread!

 

[aart]

we are dog-sitting for them while they are downstate for the funeral and burial....a 7mo old yorkie mix that is the most spoiled dog I've ever seen.

Karma for getting too many chicks.... again!

 

[gladahmae]

Hey now! How was I supposed to know that all of those darn little fluffy butts from birch run would still be available almost a week later? Those 20 were NOT my fault!

My brother is already joking that he'll pick the pup back up once I have him house trained. And oh looks there.....someone is settling down for a nap now. Figures.

 

[wcbpolish]

wcbpolish, you should start handling the kittens so they won't be so wild. Get them use to humans.

I'm afraid that if I handle them, the mother will move them to where I cannot find them. What is an appropriate age to start handling?

Already preparing mentally for slaughtering the extra cockerels.

I did 8 this week. 2 went straight into the oven, the rest into the freezer, pieced out. No fun to do, but it's part of raising chickens.

 

[1muttsfan]

Welcome mdavison

 

[aart]

No fun to do, but it's part of raising chickens.

I Know, I Know.
I actually dread the clean up of equipment more than the processing.

 

[RaZ]

Some of you older BYCers might have know Robin Rahmer.
She passed away today after a long painful illness.
It was posted on FB by others so I have no other details. Godspeed, Robin.

 

[bigmrg74]

So, yesterday DH went for a load of hay from the farmer we buy from all winter, and he announced that he only has ONE more horse quality round bale! For three of us, ten horses total. Nice to have one week's notice! In March! I'm looking at the hay site, and craigs list, and putting out feelers. Anyone in SE or SC Michigan have extra horse hay? Let me know, soon.
Thanks, Mary

I'll check with Mom and see if I can't get the number of our current hay supplier. He's in the Saline/Milan area and can deliver and stack the hay for you as well. Think his last name is Finkbinder.

Heydiddlyhey neighborooni
We're Lenawee county residents, not totally new to the chicken game but not super experienced.

Just picked up 9 chicks a couple days ago, and 4 ducks yesterday. All from TSC.

3 Silver lace, 3 Jersey, 3 banties, and 4 Rouens.

Am interested in getting maybe two more ducks but a different breed? Not sure what though.

I didn't realize that farm animals could potentially become an odd addiction.

Welcome. I'm over in the Tecumseh-Clinton area.

Just remember with Ducks, they need to keep their bills wet all the time so that means they're going to splash around water a lot. That doesn't really work out that well with chickens, so you might want to keep that in mind.

 

[mdavison]

Just remember with Ducks, they need to keep their bills wet all the time so that means they're going to splash around water a lot. That doesn't really work out that well with chickens, so you might want to keep that in mind.

atm it's working but I'm thinking rather quickly we'll need to sort them. They're small enough that keeping water available at the right depth is working. They're getting along very well. However, my guess is that soon they'll be happier if they have a bit more water for splashing in. They got some recreational water time today and were quite happy.

We're doing some reading right now on the bantams we have (we're guessing either Silver dw oeg or golden wing) and reading up ducklings a bit too.

The ducks and the silverlaced wy. look so much alike I think they almost do a double take when looking at each other. Ha.