Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

Have you ever locked 'em in to 'home' to the coop?

The new coop is their home base. They free range during the day and either go back to the "new" coop or sometimes follow the old flock to the "old" coop. I was just impressed with the vertical leap of 6 feet up.

Speaking of the new coop...I got the last row of shingles on just as the rain started. 20 - 30 minutes of steady rain and not a leak anywhere.
Next step is wiring, cable and internet.

 

[rachelsflock]

Hey, was there someone on here that raised Flemish? I have a neighbor looking for an unrelated buck for his does.

 

[RaZ]

Hey, was there someone on here that raised Flemish? I have a neighbor looking for an unrelated buck for his does.

@uchytil

 

[1muttsfan]

What size flat screen are you getting them? It's Amazon Prime day...

 

[rachelsflock]

Today the birds are just being weird. No picture, but it looks like the only female khaki campbell duckling i hatched out this year is growing a drake feather...but still acting and quacking female. The other three non-quackers seem undersized. The kicker is that they parents aren't related at all, so it's not inbreeding. My khaki line may be dying out simply because I can't get any decent birds out of it anymore. The one normal female I have is about 5 years old and although her eggs would hatch in early spring, now the few she lays are all clear under broodies. Ah well, i wasn't so keen on their eggs anyway. They were just for beauty's sake.

And as a weird side note: I have a broody california white hen-you know, the commercial layer hybrids that are 3/4 leghorn (very nice hybrid imo). Today she took a muscovy's nest and is not giving it back. I guess she's doing that one. Big white eggs are irresistible.

 

[MIchickenlady]

Hi fellow Michiganders
I have questions for those who live in a town or within village limits.
We live in a small village in sw mi that allows 6 hens, no roosters, and no culling within village limits. We got our four BO chicks last year this time. I love my girls and just want to be prepared.
If an emergency were to come up, what plan could I have to euthanize one of my pet hens if it were suffering without violating the local ordinance to not slaughter/cull in village limits on our property?
Also, if a hen died on its own, how to dispose of it? Someone suggested digging a hole and planting a bush-which would work well for spring/summer/fall-but winter not so much.
Also, for fellow city chicken keepers-what do you do with ALL you chicken manure?
If I put it around my plants or in a compost heap-it will attract skunks and possums....
Thanks!!!

 

[aart]

Hi fellow Michiganders
I have questions for those who live in a town or within village limits.
We live in a small village in sw mi that allows 6 hens, no roosters, and no culling within village limits. We got our four BO chicks last year this time. I love my girls and just want to be prepared.
If an emergency were to come up, what plan could I have to euthanize one of my pet hens if it were suffering without violating the local ordinance to not slaughter/cull in village limits on our property?
Also, if a hen died on its own, how to dispose of it? Someone suggested digging a hole and planting a bush-which would work well for spring/summer/fall-but winter not so much.
Also, for fellow city chicken keepers-what do you do with ALL you chicken manure?
If I put it around my plants or in a compost heap-it will attract skunks and possums....
Thanks!!!

One bird in a paper grocery bag, or a feed bag, in your landfill curby would likely not be noticed.
Euthanization can be done bloodlessly with broomstick cervical dislocation.
Slaughtering would be harder to 'hide'.

 

[RaZ]

Hi fellow Michiganders
I have questions for those who live in a town or within village limits.
We live in a small village in sw mi that allows 6 hens, no roosters, and no culling within village limits. We got our four BO chicks last year this time. I love my girls and just want to be prepared.
If an emergency were to come up, what plan could I have to euthanize one of my pet hens if it were suffering without violating the local ordinance to not slaughter/cull in village limits on our property?
Also, if a hen died on its own, how to dispose of it? Someone suggested digging a hole and planting a bush-which would work well for spring/summer/fall-but winter not so much.
Also, for fellow city chicken keepers-what do you do with ALL you chicken manure?
If I put it around my plants or in a compost heap-it will attract skunks and possums....
Thanks!!!

1) Cervical dislocation is quick, efficient, and more or less humane.
2) Carcass goes in a bag and then into a trash bag if you have pick-up service. This is actually recommended in the MAEAP verification handbook. Burial in the ground is also approved by MAEAP.
3) Compost the manure for best results in your garden. It will not attract skunks or opossums. Since you only have 4 birds, you can even compost the manure in a 5-gallon bucket. If you need more information, PM me or post here.

 

[1muttsfan]

Good advice by both above. Compared chicken manure is excellent fertilizer.
If you do bury a hen, the bird should be a minimum 2 1/2 feet underground to reduce the risk of it being dug back up.

 

[Candy442]

Good advice by both above. Compared chicken manure is excellent fertilizer.
If you do bury a hen, the bird should be a minimum 2 1/2 feet underground to reduce the risk of it being dug back up.

we like to dig a hole in our garden area to bury the bird. If its winter, we bag the carcass and freeze until able to dig deep hole in garden area. Our garden area is already easy to dig from being tilled deep.