Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

What are the benefits to membership?

No ads the the best part.
You should have a gotten a notification with a link to the benefits page.

Could she simply not be laying because of the heat?

Could very well be.
The heat can make them back of on eating which can reduce laying....plus just the stress.
One a week dose of Electrolytes/Vitamins can really help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Folly's place]

Birds will pause egg laying over stress, and heat could be one reason.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Just got home from Okemos, suprised by the big rain/ wind event that hit while i was there. Wind! Trees down, serious rain, fun drive home. The radio didn't mention it either as I was driving in it. No tornadoes, fortunately. 20F drop in temperatures in a few minutes...
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Two weeks ago we had a large (two ft. diameter trunk) locust cut down right north of our kitchen, because it was ant infested and the trunk leaning over the house was splitting. Just the sort of situation that would have had it fall today!
Mary

 

[aart]

Just got home from Okemos, suprised by the big rain/ wind event that hit while i was there. Wind! Trees down, serious rain, fun drive home. The radio didn't mention it either as I was driving in it. No tornadoes, fortunately. 20F drop in temperatures in a few minutes...
Mary

Those have been popping up all week....weird that they are moving from east to west.

 

[Frankiegirl]

Has anyone ever used redwood shavings in their coop or run? I got them from my builders wood shop. They are fine shavings so I’m not sure if they would be good for the girls.
I’m thinking about putting the littles out in the baby coop tomorrow but don’t want to use the shavings from the wood shop if they could possibly harm the girls. I will dump them out back and compost them.

 

[Frankiegirl]

@Sally PB how are the chicks?

 

[RaZ]

No type of rain anywhere close to me. In the last 2 weeks I've had 0.01 inches of rain. It is full-out drought conditions here. It's so dry that the white pines are dropping needles like crazy. My yard is a carpet of bone-dry needles and chewed up oak leaves thanks to the swarms of gypsy moths.

I'm watering the gardens every evening when I get home. We went from winter directly to summer with no transition at all. As much as I like the heat of summer I would welcome a nice steady rain for a few days.

 

[Sally PB]

We got about 40 minutes of rain here. Not enough, but I'm glad for anything we get.

I learned to appreciate rain during the summer of 1988. By September, I said I would never complain about rain again. And by and large, that's been the case.

 

[Sally PB]

The chicks are doing well! The two Blue Australorps are just starting to sprout tail feathers. The Jubilee Orpington is bigger than they are, but still has the cottontail nub.

I leave the light on in the mudroom (where the brooder is) from when I go take food out to the big birds' coop until about 7:45 pm. They get a little natural light coming in the window before it gets dark. They seem to be acclimated to a natural day/night cycle already. They quiet down at dusk and I just hear a few little peeps.

I'm thinking ahead to next weekend and maybe taking them outside for a little bit. I have a small dog crate that would serve as a playpen. I could slide the bottom tray out a bit to have them experience dirt and grass.