Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[snowflake]

Congrats on the first eggs, always SOO much fun

 

[Folly's place]

Good morning!
Must get outside before it's too hot, again, and rip out more weeds. Want to move the pokeweed on before all those berries ripen, again, and grow more of the stuff. Why do it early in the year, when doing it now is so much more fun?!
Some hens are now molting, so feathers and ragged looks out there, and fewer eggs. Some of the April pullets are getting brighter combs, so there is hope, but not yet producing. Another month, anyway.
@RaZ , we need to compare notes on when those first pullet eggs arrive!
Mary

 

[chickflick]

Good Morning! Sure has been humid out there. Been hiding in the house a lot. It'll will probably rain today since I broke down yesterday and watered the flower beds yesterday.
I've got one hen molting after being broody forever. Amazing how many feathers they have.

 

[aart]

Good Morning! Sure has been humid out there. Been hiding in the house a lot. It'll will probably rain today since I broke down yesterday and watered the flower beds yesterday.
I've got one hen molting after being broody forever. Amazing how many feathers they have.

Icky Sticky YUK!!
....and it didn't hardly cool down last night, or for the next few nights.
There's a nice storm headed over the lake right now, we might get some of it,
but it's headed mostly south so good you watered.

Cockerels got to go soon!

 

[Folly's place]

Talked to Bret last night, and only six out of sixteen eggs he has from our bantams are developing! Late in the season, but decided to try anyway, we'll see how things go with those six. One of our bantam hens is broody, and if she stays that way, maybe she'd adopt chicks, due to hatch August 6th.
Mary

 

[RaZ]

@RaZ , we need to compare notes on when those first pullet eggs arrive!
Mary

Should be getting close.

 

[RaZ]

Day off but I'm going to help a guy pull some stumps.

 

[RaZ]

Day off but I'm going to help a guy pull some stumps.

Got 'em done. Dug out, yanked, pulled, picked up, and holes back-filled. All from the seat of the tractor. Even still, it was hard work. Now it's beer-30.

 

[Frankiegirl]

So my new little egg layer seems to have a large squishy crop. It feels like a swelled hot water bottle. I tried to smell her breat
and smell no odor. But her poop the last couple of days is watery.

She laid her first egg on Saturday and every day since although the shells have been paper thin. I started her on oyster shell yesterday and she appears to be gobbling them and the shell of her egg today was much better.

She appears to eat and drink well but is very verbal. She’s not lethargic but again very chatty. I’m going to read up in other threads but wanted to ask for advice from my Michigan friends. I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[aart]

So my new little egg layer seems to have a large squishy crop. It feels like a swelled hot water bottle. I tried to smell her breat
and smell no odor. But her poop the last couple of days is watery.

Could just be full of water from the hot days.

This is how I check crop function:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.