Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[bigmrg74]

Hi all and happy Wednesday...I’m a newbie to chickens and a SW Michigander. I’m glad I found this thread. I have 5 3 wk old chicks that I hope are all pullets...although I’m having my doubts. Coop is being built currently and they are chilling out in their digs in the dining room...rookie mistake! I’m looking forward to being a part of the community here in Michigan. Any tips for a new chick mama are appreciated. Cheers...looks like the sun is coming our way today!

And always, us half inch hardwear cloth fencing on your coop. Better to go overboard on the security now than risk a varmint breaking in and killing your flock. Chicken wire can be easily shredded by any critter that would want to eat them in michigan. Hardwear cloth will stand up to raccoons, coyotes, and dogs. And the spaces are small enough that mice and weasles can't slip through it. Heck, I still, have a mouse carcass that got stuck in my coops hardwear cloth. I figure its a good warning for the others. And its been there for several years.

 

[aart]

Found them cleaning up the last of a broken egg on the poop board last night when I locked up....someone's egg maker is broken.
Clears Mama of the egg eater charge.....I think.

 

[snowflake]

love red bud, one of my favorite spring blooms.
young chicks are sweet.
looks like a nice day hope every one can relax and enjoy!!

 

[aart]

@snowflake How's your wounded girl?

 

[Folly's place]

Memorial day! Thinking of this, and then today's irritating but not so important problems at home.
So, a rant follows! This morning, looking out my bedroom windows, attic insulation on the shrubs under the soffett, a 8" hole chewed through the soffet, and obviously an unwanted attic resident escaping, or adding another exit point to it's lair. On a holiday! No way to get a pest control company today, right? And I'm not climbing into the attic after raccoons, or whoever...
Then, our wall air conditioner, which does the main part of the house, and hasn't been on since last summer, is NOT WORKING the morning! Again,
I hope it's not 'bad things come in threes' today!
Rant over, at least it's not raining yet...
Mary

 

[TheBajan]

Memorial day! Thinking of this, and then today's irritating but not so important problems at home.
So, a rant follows! This morning, looking out my bedroom windows, attic insulation on the shrubs under the soffett, a 8" hole chewed through the soffet, and obviously an unwanted attic resident escaping, or adding another exit point to it's lair. On a holiday! No way to get a pest control company today, right? And I'm not climbing into the attic after raccoons, or whoever...
Then, our wall air conditioner, which does the main part of the house, and hasn't been on since last summer, is NOT WORKING the morning! Again,
I hope it's not 'bad things come in threes' today!
Rant over, at least it's not raining yet...
Mary

We didn't wake to new house guests but we did wake to an air conditioner working in reverse! Inside temp was 83 at 3 am! Still haven't heard from them about fixing it and I don't know when we will. They installed the furnace and update the whole system last May so we are still under the service period until the 30th. I don't do well in the heat and the humidity keeps rising in the incubator!

 

[aart]

No attic critters here.....haven't had AC in years.
Did get the whole house fan back in gear yesterday.
Coop windows all opened, winter draft baffling down, window fan installed.
Gotta get at least one shade cloth up and Savachik electrolytes out this afternoon.

 

[1muttsfan]

Wow Bajan, good timing, still under warranty.

No AC here. We savor every day when the temperature gets above 75, cuz there ain't that many

 

[Frankiegirl]

And always, us half inch hardwear cloth fencing on your coop. Better to go overboard on the security now than risk a varmint breaking in and killing your flock. Chicken wire can be easily shredded by any critter that would want to eat them in michigan. Hardwear cloth will stand up to raccoons, coyotes, and dogs. And the spaces are small enough that mice and weasles can't slip through it. Heck, I still, have a mouse carcass that got stuck in my coops hardwear cloth. I figure its a good warning for the others. And its been there for several years.

I love it!!
If I may ask another couple of questions....my chicks are4 weeks old yesterday and what I have read says they should be kept at 75 degrees. This weekend has been glorious and they have spent the better part of it a make shift pen outdoors. but will remain inside until the interim coop arrives. I am building a house but everything was put on hold so their coop at “the ranch” will come in the fall when I move in.
Question1 - is it okay that I take supplemental heating out of their brooder and is it okay to turn the light off at night when we go to bed? The house is about 75 degrees give or take.
Question 2 - I’m thinking about ordering a prebuilt coop from the local farm store to have a place for them until i move. I will make sure the coop is “fortified” against critters and I could use it at the new house in case of injury or a rooster ends up in my flock that I can’t bear to part with!
Question 3- I have 5 chicks and i am almost certain at least 2 of them are Roos! May i send something photos when it is clearer and get some guidance from you all?

My chicks honestly saved my sanity through this covid crisis. I was planning chicks, but not quite so soon. Shelter in place pushed up the plan...and i am thrilled but a less prepared than I’d like. Thanks in advance for your enthusiasm and fresh outlook on life. This is a great thread and awesome site.
Cheers to the sunshine

 

[aart]

May i send something photos when it is clearer and get some guidance from you all?

You can post them here and/or start a new thread here.

is it okay that I take supplemental heating out of their brooder and is it okay to turn the light off at night when we go to bed? The house is about 75 degrees give or take.

Probably.
Here some tips about chick heat:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-chick-heat-blurb.75619/