Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

'Weird egg' found in run this morning.
Actually saw it get laid yesterday afternoon but didn't know what they were doing at the time. This girl had been laying thin shelled eggs the last few weeks. Wonky shell gland for sure, she never has been quite 'right'.
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That is the weirdest egg that I've ever seen.

 

[uchytil]

Well heck, thought I'd check in. Boiling sap daily...lots flowing! Coming home today and guess who was a softy? So there's a bird in the middle of the road. Thought it was a crow. Had to drive around it. Stopped the truck and back up. It walked towards the ditch so I thought it would run off in the woods. I put my hand out and the damn thing just about jumped in my arms. A Easter Egger boy gentle as can be. Well I reached down and picked him up and drove home with the sucker in my lap. I even forgot to put my seat belt on. Pretty much country roads so not sure where he came from but def would not survive the coyotes so...I guess he's got a new home?

 

[SillyChicken]

awww... someone dumped him I bet. I won't tell a soul you're a softy!

eww...now that's nasty aart..

I'm at work today, haven't decided which project to tackle today. Maybe a little demolition, that's always fun... and then some mudding........that's ok too, it's the sanding I don't like.

Hope everyone enjoys the first weekend in spring!

 

[1muttsfan]

John you are a big softie. Love it.

Raz, Now that you are a country boy you will have to beef up your security considerably - sorry to say that run setup is not adequate to protect your birds. Fence holes too large, no security around the bottom, not covered (migrating hawks are on their way).

A local friend had a bad scare with her animals last week, a neighbor dog who had shown up on their property repeatedly finally got inside the fence. It killed several chickens, then went after the goats. Their doe was down on the ground with the dog at her throat when they ran out to the pen, and when the dog turned and growled at them they shot it point blank.

At first they though the doe was dead, but she apparently was just in shock. They got her in the barn and cleaned her up, but she was very shaky for several days even with antibiotics and pain meds. The wether had his ear torn up, but was otherwise unhurt.

The neighbors had to pay for a previous attack on another home farm after the dog killed chickens, turkeys and ducks. Even so, when my friends returned their (dead) dog to them they called the sheriff to file a complaint. After visiting my friend, they went back and gave them a list of dead animals, and told them they would be liable for financial losses.

However, they have a son who had a "hit list" of people at the school who he was considering murdering, and my friend (who is a teacher there) was on that list. Despite being one of the nicest people I know. So they do not want to pursue it, and I can't blame them. I did talk to the neighbor's father, who was indignant about the whole thing - until he found out about all the dead livestock, and the fact that they made no serious effort to keep the dog home. He is a good guy, and can hopefully explain to them why they are completely responsible for what happened.

 

[aart]

However, they have a son who had a "hit list" of people at the school who he was considering murdering,

HolySh!t...how did they find that, and is that boy locked up?

 

[1muttsfan]

Not locked up. Nowadays you have to compassionately feel sorry for the poor lad, and not make him feel bad about himself.

My friend's solution was to put security cameras around their entire place. So the whole attack was actually recorded. Not that that means much if a lunatic comes and shoots you.

 

[RaZ]

Raz, Now that you are a country boy you will have to beef up your security considerably - sorry to say that run setup is not adequate to protect your birds. Fence holes too large, no security around the bottom, not covered (migrating hawks are on their way).

I sure do. What I have now is just temporary so the birds can get outside. And then only when I'm out there with them. I have several hundred feet of welded wire fence and hardware cloth. Now that the weather is getting nice I can start drilling fence post holes. It is still half mud and frozen ground around the coop. The post hole digger should do alright but I might get the tractor stuck.

I haven'e seen too many wild critters since the opossum was on the porch last month. I think the dogs help but they are not out at night. I did see the eagle at dusk last Sunday. There was a road-kill fox 5 miles south of here. I don't know how far they range. DNR live-trapped a female lynx last week. The last time a lynx was in the lower was in 1917.

The coop is secure and has wire and hardware cloth between the studs and the siding. The run is my priority now. I hope to use my first paycheck to get a hot wire. My bills can wait.

 

[uchytil]

Just to say...I will try and find the "new" boy a home. He's really nice for a roo. Anyway, Silly, do you have a flyer for Chickenstock? And if so could you message an image to my FB? I have a few people that may want to go that are not part of our flock. If you don't mind I could share the image with them.

 

[uchytil]

Not locked up. Nowadays you have to compassionately feel sorry for the poor lad, and not make him feel bad about himself.

My friend's solution was to put security cameras around their entire place. So the whole attack was actually recorded. Not that that means much if a lunatic comes and shoots you.

Ummm, not this guy. Nowadays or not, some issues need a different level of "help" rather than feeling sorry and enabling behavior that may affect others in a negative way.

 

[RaZ]

I've worked jobs where I have ended the day mentally exhausted.
I've worked jobs where I have ended the day physically exhausted.
I prefer the latter.

I spent most of the day on the tractor grading the driveways, moving compost materials to a new pile and generally doing yard work stuff.
I'll switch the back blade out for the post hole digger tomorrow. Need a good, secure run for the hens before I start working.

At least the new job starts as part time to begin.