Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ladyrsanti]

Hi everyone, looking for a little advice (seems to be all I do now days LOL) While we were out working around our chicken coop today we spotted a dog a ways off, probably about 100 yards. I drove that way to see what we were dealing with, when I caught up I found it was a pit with a collar and tags. I got out of the car to see if he would come up to me and he ran off. I am not too worried about our safety but I worry about the birds since they free range. Granted I never cut wings so they can all fly but just wondered what you all do to discourage these unwelcome visitors?
Thanks!

I don't have much advice but I had a similar experience today. I was headed out to the barn and a large chocolate brown boxer type was wandering around my yard. This one DID NOT have a collar and as soon as he saw me, he tore off across the field and into the neighboring yards. Luckily my birds were not outside but that's why I stopped letting them free range. We've had SO many dogs out here lately, wandering free. So I guess that may be my only bit of advice, is to lock the birds up or expect an attack eventually. There are a lot of negligent dog owners out there. Every time I think I've got one figured out, another dog comes around. I'm not sure where they all come from.

 

[Herducks]

Pics of my SFH chicks I love these guys! I can't wait until they are old enough to lay!

 

[snowflake]

Hi everyone, looking for a little advice (seems to be all I do now days LOL) While we were out working around our chicken coop today we spotted a dog a ways off, probably about 100 yards. I drove that way to see what we were dealing with, when I caught up I found it was a pit with a collar and tags. I got out of the car to see if he would come up to me and he ran off. I am not too worried about our safety but I worry about the birds since they free range. Granted I never cut wings so they can all fly but just wondered what you all do to discourage these unwelcome visitors?
Thanks!

all I can say is fence the dogs out if possible, for some reason chickens don't think to fly when in danger, they run....flying seems to be a second thought. a fence is your best bet.

Pics of my SFH chicks I love these guys! I can't wait until they are old enough to lay!

Love all the pics every one has posted, and BFM's puppy avatar, she is so cute!!

 

[Herducks]

Looking for advice. I need to build some runs for my new coops. I need to do it cheap so am looking at using pvc and creating hoop runs. My question is what is the best size pvc to use? I was thinking 1 inch, but if smaller will work let me know! If I need to go thicker let me know! And if anybody has these how do you attach them at the ground level. I have a couple ideas, but wanted to see what others do. They come in 10 foot lengths so I am trying to figure out the best way to do this. Any and all advice is appreciated!

 

[1muttsfan]

I think it was Hillbilly Hen that had hoop houses

 

[BobBry]

isn't that an issue with teeth and gums?


Sounds like a line from Jack Benny radio show.

I know I don't post often, but ladyrsanti's chicken issue struck me as familiar.

I had a Maran pullet, the only one that didn't lay, do something similar last year. She started out lagging behind the group, then gradually lost interest in treats and food, didn't move far from the coop and eventually just laid in the yard all day. She spent a lot of time with her tail tucked down whenever she was up and moving.
I tried isolating and feeding her, and for a day or two she'd get better, but then go right back to being listless. I spent well over a month going back and forth with her until one evening I found her slumped over at the end of the coop ramp. I thought she'd died, but when I moved her she fluttered a bit, so I brought her in to warm her up and see if she'd recover.
By morning she wasn't any better and BF and I decided that it was for the best to cull her.

She showed no signs of respiratory problems, no lumps, her comb only became pale when she stopped moving around, other than becoming so despondent she didn't appear to have any issues.
I have no idea what it was, if she had an illness I am unaware of or if she simply lost the will to live. None of my other birds appeared to 'contract' whatever that Maran had either.

I hope that your hen has not fallen into the same thing.

Very interesting. Thanks for this post.

Hi Mom, sorry to hear about the neighbors

- how are you all doing?

Heart disease is difficult to diagnose for certain without diagnostic testing. The signs are often very suggestive - exercise intolerance (tires easily), weakness, decreased appetite as the problem progresses, and pale or blue-tinted comb from poor circulation. There is not any reasonable treatment in chickens.

Same symptoms I had prior to the bypass surgery a few years ago. Except for the comb color.

Hi everyone, looking for a little advice (seems to be all I do now days LOL) While we were out working around our chicken coop today we spotted a dog a ways off, probably about 100 yards. I drove that way to see what we were dealing with, when I caught up I found it was a pit with a collar and tags. I got out of the car to see if he would come up to me and he ran off. I am not too worried about our safety but I worry about the birds since they free range. Granted I never cut wings so they can all fly but just wondered what you all do to discourage these unwelcome visitors?
Thanks!

I just have the yard fenced. In your situation, remain vigilant.

 

[BobBry]

Thank you for the concern and good wishes. The x-rays will not be read till Tuesday. The pain is a little less today. I'm scarfin on an extra vicodin once in awhile now.

Got rid of two roosters today. they will become flies. This leaves us with 5 hens and 5 roosters. Hens are starting to get beat up. feathers on back of head pulled out. How fast do I have to get rid of the horney buggers? Is it urgent? or worse ?

 

[RaZ]

I don't have much advice but I had a similar experience today. I was headed out to the barn and a large chocolate brown boxer type was wandering around my yard. This one DID NOT have a collar and as soon as he saw me, he tore off across the field and into the neighboring yards. Luckily my birds were not outside but that's why I stopped letting them free range. We've had SO many dogs out here lately, wandering free. So I guess that may be my only bit of advice, is to lock the birds up or expect an attack eventually. There are a lot of negligent dog owners out there. Every time I think I've got one figured out, another dog comes around. I'm not sure where they all come from.

I guess in that case, I would consider getting some of those step in posts and mesh fencing to define a chicken run area. It is cheap and seems to be effective. I suppose if a predator is determined enough, a flimsy fence won't stop it. But I use this method to create chicken runs and areas to keep my dogs out of.

My solution may not work for your particular situation.

Funny aside to this...The guy who live 2 doors down, lets his chocolate lab roam the neighborhood whenever his yard is wet. That darn dog craps all over the block but nothing is done about it because he is a court officer of the city.

 

[1muttsfan]

Bob, fortunately for people there are treatment options, the heart its one of those things you just can't do without. The nail beds are very revealing when people have circulation issues. Sorry to hear you are still in pain :/

 

[ladyrsanti]

I guess in that case, I would consider getting some of those step in posts and mesh fencing to define a chicken run area. It is cheap and seems to be effective. I suppose if a predator is determined enough, a flimsy fence won't stop it. But I use this method to create chicken runs and areas to keep my dogs out of.

My solution may not work for your particular situation.

Funny aside to this...The guy who live 2 doors down, lets his chocolate lab roam the neighborhood whenever his yard is wet. That darn dog craps all over the block but nothing is done about it because he is a court officer of the city.

I don't know about tjbeckman but I think my chickens would fly right over one of those fences. They fly over our 4' pasture fence all the time and step through it and find ways around it, etc. When Mr. Rooster decides it's time to forage in the corn field, by George, there's nothing stopping him from leading his hens out there. I don't want them out there for several reasons, pesticides, fertilizers, hawks and dogs. I've even tried herding and chasing them back but they go right back out. He makes this noise that says, "hey ladies, follow me and don't listen to that human." Very determined. And there's a beagle mix just across the field who is "well trained". He stands at the edge of his property and watches... most of the time. He may have an invisible fence but I saw him in the field before, rolling on a dead raccoon so... with enough temptation, he'll leave his property. I think I'm going to have to give up the free range permanently or limit it to when and ONLY when I can be outside to keep them in line, which is like babysitting a 2 yr old. I just don't have time to watch and herd chickens like that.

So here's the forecast for tonight and tomorrow from NOAA,

Tonight: Rain before 2am, then rain, freezing rain, and sleet between 2am and 5am, then rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet after 5am. Low around 29. West northwest wind 7 to 14 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime ice accumulation of around a 0.2 of an inch possible. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Sunday: Snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 11am, then a chance of snow, freezing drizzle, and sleet between 11am and 2pm, then snow likely after 2pm. High near 33. North wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of around a 0.2 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Seriously?