Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Farmerboy16]

MIchickens- It looks great to start the chicks in the first few weeks with the divider in, then after that let them have the whole brooder, while you are doing that, make a lid or two to keep them from flying out.

When are your chicks arriving?


Edit to add-
When you are changing the bedding, just move the chicks, feeders, waterer, and heat source to the other divided part of the brooder that is already clean. It would be much easier for you that way.

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Noodle Doodle (EE)



Some outside fun from today!
Who is the best mom in the whole world? Umm.. I have to say the mom that built this awesome snow fort (But my opinion is a little bias)

I am new and have a question for you Michigan people. How do you keep your chickens/quail warm in the winter. I am told that you just have to keep the edge off (cold wise). So I should use insulation in the walls. I know I need to make sure the insulation is fully covered and there is no way the chickens can get to it.

My coop is not insulated... However, I do stuff my coop with straw so they can get right down in it if they need to get warm.
When my mom had chickens, the goofy things never went inside anything and would sleep right under her shrubs... They know how to keep themselves warm.
I was surprised when I picked up my EE today... her feathers have really filled out and she is very well insulated all by herself!

On the floors; if you design the coop and floors with a very slight tilt and seal everything good you can use a hose to power spray it clean in the summer!!!

Ugg... that is smart... why didn't I do that?... Well, since it is homemade it might have a slight tilt anyway... LOL

I have a question for all of you. I built simple brooder that is 4 foot by 8 foot. I have a divider in the middle so i can examine the chicks everyday and put the ones I have inspected on the other side. my question is. Should I keep the chicks in the 4 foot by 4 foot area for a while until they get bigger so the don't wander too far and get cold....or do you think it would be ok to give them the whole 4 foot by 8 foot? Btw...I am getting 36 chicks. also the divider is removable...it just slides in and out.

I would leave it seperated for a little while... you will have to open the whole thing up eventually and cover the top... Those stinkers can FLY at 3 weeks!!!
If you feel they are too crowded open it up... not sure they can have too much room (the question is how much are you going to want to clean everyday?
I would add a dish of sand too...Mine loved digging in the sand even at a young age. Keeps them busy if you through some mealworm bits in there... gets them ready to scratch for goodies outside too!

.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADY AND LADYS DH!!!!
Tartan is soooo cute!!

 

[NovaAman]

And Tartan, getting in my face while I was trying to photograph Chip. How could I resist a face like that?


It's also my birthday today. We don't do anything here. It's my husband's birthday as well

I didn't notice the saddle on her at all! And, you are tight... who can resist that mug! Adorable! Happy Birthday to you both. I like the no present thing. I think just being together is gift enough ya know... I am weird.

I took some pics for a better example.

Cool! Yeah, keep them to the one side for a few weeks, then open it up to both as soon as they look like they are too crowded.

My coop is not insulated
Tartan is soooo cute!!

Wonder mom.

My coops are not insulated either. They are draft free, but have good ventilation to let out the bad gasses and moisture.

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

We used a laundry soap tub to build the snow fort! So much faster than one of those brick things or making snowballs!
Still took forever, just DS and I... mostly I.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Love all the pics everyone!

Happy Birthday lady

 

[snowflake]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADY

my daughter and I were just talking about B-day's and sending cards & I told her I still send a card to my siblings, and if I forget or don't get it out on time I call, It is just nice to know some-one remembered it is your b-day


My coop is insulated,no heat, window cracked open about 2in
I noticed with the warmer weather it smelled a little in the coop tonight, will need to clean again tomorrow,

love the pics, mine don't come to far out in the snow, love to see them on the porch

liked the fort too, my grand-daughters were out building castles for their dolls, got a little sledding in to.
they are calling for 40 and rain by the end of the week. All the forts will be gone.

 

[besjoux]

Hi everyone, we are in West Michigan and looking into getting meaties this summer. Trying to figure costs and would like to take them to be processed. Do you have any references of some local folks who process? Any deals on large orders? Would especially love to have someone come here but not sure that is feasible. Can't imagine hauling 50 if we decide to get that many and not ready to process ourselves. We are in the Kalamazoo area.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Hi everyone, we are in West Michigan and looking into getting meaties this summer. Trying to figure costs and would like to take them to be processed. Do you have any references of some local folks who process? Any deals on large orders? Would especially love to have someone come here but not sure that is feasible. Can't imagine hauling 50 if we decide to get that many and not ready to process ourselves. We are in the Kalamazoo area.

I saw an ad for a guy who'll come out to your house and process on site with your help. I don't remember where I saw it or heard of it but I know he's out there, out here somewhere.

Maybe someone else knows. I'm hoping to do the same this year for the first time.

Maybe check on craigslist?

Thanks for the b-day wishes everyone

 

[Trefoil]

I am new and have a question for you Michigan people. How do you keep your chickens/quail warm in the winter. I am told that you just have to keep the edge off (cold wise). So I should use insulation in the walls. I know I need to make sure the insulation is fully covered and there is no way the chickens can get to i

I have a question for all of you.

You can get cheap vinyl floor covering at Menards or HD in rolls. I think 7x7 and some other sizes.

I think if you turn over the shavings it won't smell. I just can't see mopping the floor every day. Isn't it slippery for the birds? I like the shavings even for a softer landing when they jump off the roosts.

I wondered where everyone was getting their vinyl floor coverings. If you sprinkle stall fresh (maybe its stall dry) over the litter before you turn it, it should get rid of the smell. If it doesn't, you aren't using enough bedding or enough stall dry. I get the stall dry at TSC, its sold for horse stalls.

Daron, good luck with your breeding efforts. I was just telling my kids how fun it would be to get a small incubator and try hatching a few of our eggs rather than buy new stock. BUT, all of my birds are from the hatchery and I was really hoping to get some from a breeder this year. Shouldn't have opened my big mouth; now my kids are excited to hatch our eggs. Doh!

Just uploaded these to Facebook and thought I'd drop them over here too. Here's chip with her new saddle. I made it out of an old piece of valance that my grandma had in her scrap fabrics than I inherited. *shrug* It matches her feathers and not a single chicken has picked on her for it so it works. Chip recovered from whatever yucky she had that day too. I guess she must have just eaten something that didn't agree with her. She's fine now, just pretty ratty looking still from being our rooster's favorite. I love the look on her face in the photo though; she was just getting ready to jump down and looked at me as if to say, "follow up with those treats now, like you promised."



And Tartan, getting in my face while I was trying to photograph Chip. How could I resist a face like that?


It's also my birthday today. We don't do anything here. It's my husband's birthday as well so we just get up in the morning, wish each other happy birthday and confess that neither of us got anything for the other and move on. So I don't feel too bad fishing for birthday wishes around the web, tee-hee

I get a couple on facebook but it's nothing compared to my husband with his hundreds of "friends". Most of the few friends I have on FB unsubscribed when I came out as an atheist, the rest are family. Eh, that's life.

That was mighty Christan of them. Happy Birthday. Love the pictures. When I try to get pictures of my pets, they all turn out like your Tartan's. You could buy eggs from a breeder here on the forum, just if you have them shipped set them small end down and let them rest for 24 hours before you start to incubate them.

they are calling for 40 and rain by the end of the week. All the forts will be gone.

I'm ready for it. All my water tubs are frozen to the ground and full of ice. My ducks and geese are not pleased.

 

[tjbeckman]

So yesterday we picked up a new roo from Trefoil. Here is a pick of him, he is doing great! Thanks again Tre!