Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

The horses drink about 150 gallons every 5 days, would be nice to only use a gallon!

 

[Folly's place]

We are down to only four horses, and no oxen, so only one 150 gallon tank to be heated and kept full! And the chickens drink about three gallons of water daily, give or take, so two heated waterers at the coop.
Love winter? Not so much.
And heating water for the horses costs less than one simple non-surgical colic, something I remember each month paying the electric bill.
Mary

 

[aart]

The horses drink about 150 gallons every 5 days, would be nice to only use a gallon!

Well, I was speaking only of chickens for @Dreamzchaser's benifit.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Well, I was speaking only of chickens for @Dreamzchaser's benifit.

Yeah! I have 2 empty milk gallons and take one at a time. It sucks. I empty every 3 days because dirt gets in them since they still make holes to dust in the run. I thought they would stop because the earth is cold. Not a chance. I empty one in a 5gl pail and toss outside. Then the next. Easy task in summer. Winter is another 20bucks,lol
I am old guys. 2 plates with 13 screws on right ankle. Right knee with arthritis. The hands, deforming arthritis but they work for what I need most like eating and....
Left is only good to wear a watch and hold the cell,lol I have no clue what else is good for,lol I am right handed. Lost 40lbs but would love to loose another 30lbs. Then pre-diabetic and now hypertension. It sucks to get old!

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Well, I was speaking only of chickens for @Dreamzchaser's benifit.

Tes. Not getting any more animals in 2 more years. I will resist the chicken math even if it kills me,lol I got the new ordinance and I can have any animal according to Mich Farm whatever. For me to have anything else, I will need to move it all further back. However, with winters, I like the coop right by the house. Sally knows how close it is to the house.

 

[Folly's place]

As we get 'more mature', more stuff happens. No kidding! We used to carry water for the chickens over 100' from the next closest hydrant, miserable in ice and snow. That wonderful gadget next to the coop is so very worth it!
Most of the time I can drive out there with feed bags in the car, but not always. Also not so good sometimes.
Yesterday a smaller hawk nearly hit our front window, going after songbirds at the feeder. The chickens have been in, hating the snow, so no issues there. Maybe a sharp shinned? Need to look in the bird book.
Mary

 

[RaZ]

I had planned on running a water line to the garage when I built it but it didn't happen for a variety of reasons. So I tote out water for the chickens every day. The coop is 100' away from the house and not always fun to walk to when the ground is ice covered. However, I have a cheat. I have the water founts just off of the porch. The chickens spend all day under the porch so water is right there for them. With temps being the way they are currently I have to swap the founts every couple of hours. I need to replace the broken heated waterer. I don't like the Farm Innovators, Inc. unit that I got from TSC. I want to check FFH and see what they offer or else go to a heated base metal waterer. Next allowance.
Time to get bundled up and swap the founts and check for eggs.

 

[Folly's place]

I too dislike that FI plastic heater waterer. It's miserable to fill and manage. The heated bases with waterers on them are much more user friendly.
Mary

 

[snowflake]

I have a heated waterer, but I usually only have to fill it once a week, I also have a heated dog water bowl that I clean out and refill a couple times a week. The hens seem to like the bowel, but it does get dirty faster. I only have 11 hens so trips out to the coop with water are fewer than those that have a bigger flock. Coop is about 100' from the house, and not too much ice yet this year

 

[snowflake]

Dream, congratulations on the weight loss, that is not easy. You should be very proud of yourself.