Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

In other chicken news........... I have none.. .

 

[aart]

Am enamored with this Olive Egger project..wish I had more space for different breeds to play with. Would like a blue egg layer that laid a bluer egg.

Little Sister is laying everyday so far, color is changing a bit as her 'machine' gets tuned in.
Far right is egg from another OE that I have some pullets from with BCM sire...just have to wait another month or more to see what *they* lay, could be browns due to EE lineage.

 

[1muttsfan]

Silly, that may change someday

 

[bigmrg74]

I would also suggest putting powder down where they like to dust bathe outside. I have the same issue with mine, I powder the run outside, roosts, bedding, birds.

Will do, I do think that I'm already ahead of the game with them now as that we haven't seen them or gotten that immediate itchy feeling after handling the chickens. Hopefully its just getting the mite eggs now.

Did another round of dusting on Tuesday evening. Went pretty good as I had them in a little tub on a table to dump dust on them and work it a little more into their feathers, then just dumped out the excess stuff in the dust bath. Only thing is that one of my older girls seemed to be a little groggy when I was putting her back up on the roost. I turned around to go grab another bird and then she goes and takes a header off of the roost, didn't even open her wings to slow the fall any. Just kinda of a thud with a slight squak when she landed. I picked her up and it seemed like she was coming around. Put her back on the roost really carefully and she was find for the rest of the time I was there.

Got back out to the farm the next morning and I found what I believed to be the same older sex link bird dead on the floor of the coop, right about where I had placed her on the roost. Guess that fall was just harder than what I thought it was.

 

[RaZ]

Today was my second day of work. A real for-pay job. It's only part time but it sure feels good to be doing something constructive after all this time.

 

[aart]

Got back out to the farm the next morning and I found what I believed to be the same older sex link bird dead on the floor of the coop, right about where I had placed her on the roost. Guess that fall was just harder than what I thought it was.

Oh, Crap! Bummer
Either she was already ill and/or she got a big snootfull of the dust,
but I doubt it was the fall.

Today was my second day of work. A real for-pay job. It's only part time but it sure feels good to be doing something constructive after all this time.

Congrats!! Well, you've done plenty of construction
but the paycheck from 'outside' work. along with the satisfaction of working with others sure is nice.

 

[chickflick]

Your life sure has turned around, RaZ.
Back from camping with the grandkids. Now I need a vacation! Kept us busy but was fun. Great seeing, RaZ. I told the kids he says he doesn't like kids. The little 4 year old says, "I think he's lying, Grandma" Randy was very sweet with the kids. He made their day. Made the ride to his house and home very fun for them! Not such a tough guy, after all!

 

[SillyChicken]

Shhhhh... I think he's a softy......... but I promise I won't tell a soul!

Yeah, chickens always have something going on. This last batch of hens don't seem to be healthy stock from the get go. I have been thinking about just sending them all out to be processed and start over from a different supplier next spring. Always having issues with gleet, pasty butt... the tail feathers never really grew in, until this year. They hardly lay eggs. Eggs look good, as far as rarely any deformity, just not many of them. I have several that I suspect may be egg eaters... I have 18 birds and should get at least a dozen a day, but only get 3 or 5 eggs...... I have kept the coop cleaner than ever, but they are just a high maint batch of birds. The only one that doesn't cause me trouble is my old uggo hen. she will probably stay.

 

[RaZ]

The little 4 year old says, "I think he's lying, Grandma" Randy was very sweet with the kids. He made their day. Made the ride to his house and home very fun for them! Not such a tough guy, after all!

Lies, slander, and defamation of character.
Your post has been reported to the BYC police.

 

[bigmrg74]

Oh, Crap! Bummer
Either she was already ill and/or she got a big snootfull of the dust,
but I doubt it was the fall.

Hard to say, the roost is probably a good 4 feet off the ground and I don't think she got her wings out to break her fall any. It sounded like she biffed it pretty hard anyways. Could have just been that she was 4 years old and it was kinda stressing them out that night.

Did another round of dusting tonight, did it a little differently as I set up for it a little earlier and closed up the coop so that they couldn't get in until I put them in. seemed to go pretty well I thought. Might have just wanted an assistant to help catch chickens that way but I got through them pretty good.

Anyone else looking a bunch of feathers in their chicken pen lately?? Think I'm pretty sure that I'm going to see a big molt among my girls soon.