Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ladyrsanti]

(Edited because I massacred a quote trying to shorten)
I went to Cedar Creek this morning to pick up mine. Bluebells and assorted marans. The Delawares quit laying so she substituted extra marans - no complaints here! I did not receive any BCM so I won't be able to compare notes though as promised. So, along with the bluebells I received a nice french marans assortment: golden cuckoo, wheaten, blue copper, blue/splash (non-copper), black-tailed buff, and cuckoo. Those will go into the incubator in t morning along with eggs from my own hens. Mine all live together so it'll be interesting to figure out the combinations. I know which hens the eggs are from or at least which breed, which rooster will be the mystery.

When I went back, I got six wheaten marans eggs instead of the BCM because they weren't laying very well at the time and they had just changed out the rooster too and I didn't want to risk it. They said the wheatens have been 100% fertile so I felt good about that - plus the eggs are every bit as dark and they are beautiful chickens. Good luck to you! Sounds like it will be a fun assortment. I'm loving my flock mixes. They're so robust and energetic compared to the hatchery eggs' chicks. They just figured out scratching this afternoon, so funny. I can't wait to see how they feather out.

 

[Trefoil]

In Clare we had a very cold 24 degrees for the parade! So cold and a little windy. I wish the snow would go away. This time last year my hubby was spreading fertilizer on the fields, whats going on?

Love the little baby goat and donkey so cute and I didn't know they can have blue eyes

Welcome to the newbies I missed.

I agree about the weather, but last year it was so warm all my fruit trees blossomed out early and froze. I had no fruit last year. I would rather have later cold than no fruit.

 

[taprock]

Morning!

 

[uchytil]

Been awhile again! Boiling sap and remembering giving away my syrup at chickenstock last year. Saps flowing strong this year! All my critters- Toggies, flemish's, chickens, and Mr. KC the duck have soring fever. Still trying to decide if I want to bring bunnies to CS this year? Nobody seemed interested last time I was on. Well, take care peeps, seems like everyones a newbie to me now except Laura, Silly, Kimmie, Nova, and a few others.

 

[uchytil]

Soring means Spring fever, ha ha

 

[uchytil]

Oh yeah, any contact should be email - johnuchytil@aol. Just because.

 

[uchytil]

Love the pic tap, mine are clowns for sure.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Lady- good luck on yours too! Here's mine as of 6:30 this morning.

Yes, those are cans of tomato sauce...my heat sinks/rack-holder-uppers. Very high tech (lol) but hoping it does the job. It's been extremely steady running for weeks now while testing.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

so........no one answered my random question about the TSC coops sturdiness or lack of......

Does that mean the whole idea was nuts? There really is a way to do a "for looks" one cheaper??? I can do functional, it's the "pretty" that i have trouble with All i have to work with is very basic tools.... I thought about beadboard, or thin board similar to what you'd get off a pallet, but got stumped when it came to making the edges pretty and figuring how to secure the hardware cloth without the screws being overly visable. I had really good ideas, too, if i could do one. (Or is there someone who has tools and wants to build a coop with me?) I'm looking at the thing as i would a piece of furniture, which essentially it will be if it has to be inside.

Since my breeding program was based on personality primarily, i HAVE to keep at least the one hen to be my "eve" for any future flocks. Anyone that remembers my basketball hen that i loved, this little pullet is her second daughter and if she had blue markings instead of black would BE her mother. (My little blue and buff hen i'm holding in my avitar, she was the one with the 5 inch fluff! That bird lived to be held, waited every day by the door for me. Had a heat stroke last summer with the horrible heat wave, wanted out of chickens until i held her daughter )
So a touch of desperation here.

I had to move for personal reasons, i need the aviary/coop before i can move into my own place; that's why i was looking at the TSC ones. Right now i'm driving an hour each way just to care for my birds! So time is not on my side here and i'd appreciate any comments/ input!

 

[ladyrsanti]

Sorry, I have no experience with purchased coops. I just make stuff. It's not always pretty, only functional.