Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Sally PB]

Thanks, @aart. I was worried about the 15-20 to start idea myself. I want to talk to her some more today, if possible. While she has a big shed (that needs a lot of modification), I wonder if she realizes how big the run needs to be.

I told her I don't free range because of the predators in the area; there are next Bald Eagles on her property. Not to mention the hawks, raccoons, her dog, etc.

She thinks she want RIR, but isn't sure. She says they can go through a dozen eggs a day, with the 5 of them, so that's why she was thinking 15-20 chicks. Maybe they should eat fewer eggs...?

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with @aart about her coop and chicken numbers. If she adds a roofed run for winter, then maybe more birds. Starting with eight or ten would be good, at most. Also, if she plans to add new birds every year or two, to keep egg production up, there will need to be more space, and subtractions...
Talk to her about biosecurity!!! You could order chicks together, always a good way to get a hatchery order done, and Marek's vaccinated chicks. If either of you gets birds with Marek's disease, or Mycoplasma, both of your flocks will be infected, a very bad thing.
Here we don't have near neighbors with chickens, so much safer for us.
Mary

 

[riss]

@aart what software do you use to make blueprints they are brilliant

 

[Sally PB]

Talk to her about biosecurity!!! You could order chicks together, always a good way to get a hatchery order done, and Marek's vaccinated chicks. If either of you gets birds with Marek's disease, or Mycoplasma, both of your flocks will be infected, a very bad thing.

Yeah, I'm a little worried about the possibilities of disease.

I've already ordered my chicks; waiting for June! If she had decided to get chicks about a month ago, we could have ordered together, easily. Oh well, so it goes.

@aart, (and anyone) I read the quarantine article you referenced in another thread. I'm assuming that day old chicks brooded for 4-5 weeks inside the house, away from the coop and run of my current birds would be quarantined long enough to know if there is a problem, correct?

 

[aart]

I really don't take many chick pics anymore.....will try later tho, maybe.

OK here they are, out in the coop but still hiding from my presence:

@aart what software do you use to make blueprints they are brilliant

Which blueprints are you seeing?
I have Autocad Mechanical for 2D and Inventor for 3D.
Have 30 years experience using cadd.

@aart, (and anyone) I read the quarantine article you referenced in another thread. I'm assuming that day old chicks brooded for 4-5 weeks inside the house, away from the coop and run of my current birds would be quarantined long enough to know if there is a problem, correct?

IMO hatchery chicks don't need to be quarantined.
Any other source, yeah, in the house for 4-5 weeks would suffice as long as cross contamination protocols for clothing, shoes, and equipment were observed.
That said, of my current batch 6 came from a local 'breeder' and 4 came from the feed mill which is none too 'secure'.
I didn't do any quarantining....only had them a week before moving to the coop.
Hopefully I don't regret that.

 

[Sally PB]

So now I have chicken neighbors! My next door neighbor got 16 day old pullets of different breeds this morning. The adventure begins...

 

[riss]

I was looking at the 2D designs. It looks pretty advanced

 

[aart]

I was looking at the 2D designs. It looks pretty advanced

The nest detail drawing?

 

[1muttsfan]

80 degrees, HA! Seems like we complain every day lately about how cold it is here - sharp North or East wind too. Today is not bad, East wind but 52 out. So I get home early and let the girls out to forage, and just as they spread around the yard and sprint to the birdfeeders I look up to see 8 hawks circling overhead

Looks like they are migrating ahead of the cold front that is on its way. The lowest was a Redtail, the others looked like broadwings or maybe Red Shouldered. Shook the grain can and got everyone sprinting back into the covered run

 

[snowflake]

1mutt, are the hawks migrating north or south? Just started free ranging again, hate to have to lock them up again, they enjoy the grass so much