Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Wrightsx4]

Mine eat EVERYTHING! I do give potato peals after baking/boiling (I know - I'm pathetic) because I read that cooking makes them safe and they love them. In all honesty I'm trying to accumulate a compost pile in a corner of the run but it's not working. They eat it all. I'm reading Harvey Ussery's book- it's wonderful - got it for Christmas! I plan to try his suggestions for composting for my garden. Then again, his book gives many ideas for letting chickens do the work as far as creating and working the compost.

 

[Stacykins]

Mine eat EVERYTHING! I do give potato peals after baking/boiling (I know - I'm pathetic) because I read that cooking makes them safe and they love them. In all honesty I'm trying to accumulate a compost pile in a corner of the run but it's not working. They eat it all. I'm reading Harvey Ussery's book- it's wonderful - got it for Christmas! I plan to try his suggestions for composting for my garden. Then again, his book gives many ideas for letting chickens do the work as far as creating and working the compost.

Yea, my compost pile is not really a compost pile because of the chickens. Before I had chickens, I could put all the organic stuff in one area, it'd pile high and I'd turn it with a shovel. But the chickens have flattened the pile because they spread it around. They also eat basically everything food that goes there almost immediately. And yes, they eat the potato peels I put out there that are raw *shrugs* because I don't want to throw them in the trashcan, since all kitchen scraps goes out on the pile.

 

[Herducks]

Check out this listing for Isbars....I had no idea chicks could be that expensive? They have some chicks on there for $75 each.

http://www.jordan-farm.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=41

Isbars are $99 a chick from greenfire farms!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Whenever I peel potatoes I set the peels aside until next time I use the oven and toss them in to bake. The chickens don't seem to mind if they're fresh or old and black from sitting a day or two! I find that mine prefer cooked veggies over raw when it comes to crunchy types like carrots,celery,etc. Easier to eat I'm sure. Frozen veggies - they love frozen peas! Even freezer burnt ones. Our power was out for a few last before Christmas and despite my efforts lots of stuff began to thaw. We ate what we could and sorted out the old stuff forgotten at the bottom of the freezer - chicken buffet. Boy have the eggs been extra yummy since

 

[taprock]

You should only give enough treats that the chickens can finish in 10 minutes.

starbrightfarm.net breeds silkies.

I'm fairly certain she told me she didn't have partridge. I know she has blue, black splash and white because I'm on her waiting list!

Isbars are $99 a chick from greenfire farms!

They have beautiful birds but way out of my price range. I like to just look sometimes.....if I was rich my list would be......

Last year at this time I was getting ready to hatch the first batch of chicks. However, this year's weather is much different and I think I will wait. I just want some sun!

I'm off to sit in front of my light!

 

[Wrightsx4]

I'm anxious to hatch again too. My daughter and I decided to rebuild our DIY incubator and make a few improvements based on what we learned since the last hatch. That will help my self control - I need to resist at least til early March to start incubating so I won't need to brood in my livingroom again. My husband doesn't understand why we "need" more chickens...
I told him there are still just a few more we "need"

 

[gladahmae]

Um... Might need more than a day...

Probably. It'll make for an interesting experiment. I read somewhere (on here) that 1 day was pretty doubtful, 2 days was better, and by 3 days you should have fertile eggs.

I could be wrong, but I don't think your plan will work. I believe that if you "toss one of them in with the hens I want fertile eggs from (in a grow-out pen or big dog kennel or something) for a day, everyone goes back to their own coop at night" they will just spend the day shifting the pecking order and/or otherwise getting used to each other.

Hmm. Hadn' thought of that. Just figured the roo would be quite happy to finally have some ladies and get to doing his job!

I think somewhere read that it can take 2 weeks to gaurentee that the agg is fertilized by a certain roo.

I think the 2 week rule is if the hens have been running with multiple roos.

Oh and I almost forgot, looking for a new roo. Thinking a Wyandotte not overly picky on color as I have both silver and golden hens... If anyone has any please let me know.

I've got a 12wk old blue splash cockerel for free if you want to drive all the way up to Traverse City! Not laced, but a pretty guy.

 

[tjbeckman]

Thanks for the offer on the roo Glad but I think I might get into trouble if I came up there for a roo

 

[Scifisarah]

Congrats! She looks like a little cutie.

Yay yay yay...everyone meet Eloise...my first bantam Cochin!

 

[gladahmae]

Thanks for the offer on the roo Glad but I think I might get into trouble if I came up there for a roo

Oh come on! It's only 3 to 3.5 hours, depending on the weather!