Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[NovaAman]

I have 6 hens with babies. 3 in the garage, and 3 in the coop. I only block them off long enough for the eggs to finish hatching, and then its up to the moms when they want to take them out. I have one hen who had her chicks out the day after the last one hatched. AND I have one whose chicks are 2 weeks old and she has not left the coop at all.

There is a lump on the neck, on the opposite side to the direction it is cocked... He can hold it up straight, but as the day progresses, he get worse. Then after a rest, he's better... I honestly thought he'd be dead yesterday morning, the morning after he was injured. But nope, I put him in the garage, separate from everyone, but he wanted out, he got out, he went back to his pen in the coop, with hs girls, but then he got out and freaking Rod attacked him again, and I found him walking in circles, with his head upside down facing up... hard to explain. BUT then i kept him got him in the garage again, and made sure he couldn't get out at all, and his head was almost normal, cocked to that side, and only occassionally bad to the point like he was in the vid where he stumbled, but he still wants to cozy up to the girls...

Would maybe some sort of flexible splint?? I am open to ideas...

 

[lhawes]

sorry to hear.. is your son alright.. that rooster needed to go.. thats must of been pretty scary..

Our son is fine.. We were standing out there with him, and he was feeding some of the goats and the chickens when the roo decided to act up! Thank you for your concern

Oh no...! Sorry you had to lose your rooster

, but good call, he needed to go. There is such an excess of roosters around that nobody needs to put up with one that doesn't know it's place. He might understand the reasoning for a mother hen, but he really should have been more concerned with mother bear! Hope your son is ok.

He was our first rooster, and not too bad all things considered, but since our son LOVES to be in with the chickens and goats, he was a little too much for our flock. He had been riding his chosen few favorite hens ALOT too, and they were starting to decline from it. Hopefully they bounce back! We have a few other roosters,and I am sure some of our chicks will be roos too, so we at least have backups!

Ihawes, might I suggest no rooster until your little ones are much older? I am very happy that your boy is ok. BUT roosters and toddlers do not mix. Just saying. Can be a terrifying experience for both parent and child when a roo goes bat crap on the child.

We have other roosters that we have had since chicks that are great with him, granted they are a bit smaller, and a different breed. He can reach down and pet them, hold them, and feed them just fine. He is never out there with them unless we are there with him. Although, I do appreciate your concern and advice!

He has been around this roo before several times the last 6 months and we have never had a problem. This time he decided to be a jerk for some reason with him just two feet from me... so hubby said that was it!

 

[snowflake]

OK, here is a crazy chicken person...
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/lifestyle/easter-jumpers-knitted-for-chickens-1-4947503

what a pretty easter outfit!!

Hey Raz or anybody that can help me on this. My order of strawberry plants came yesterday, and its too early for me to do any planting.

The pigs are not out of the garden yet, and I have not made any raised beds yet! So, what to do with the plants? Freeze them until I am ready? Thanks for any help!

do not freeze them, just as Raz said, pot them up and keep them in a cool place.

Hey gang. I am coming up on having the chickens for a year without any significant health issues. I noticed that three of my hens are losing their back feathers. My original thought was molting, but now I notice the rooster is losing his features too. Any thought or suggestions? I will try posting a pic of my backfeatherless chickens tomorrow. Thanks.

hey b737, was wandering were you have been, glad you are still with us, I would have said the bare backs were caused by too much rooster activity, but that doesn't explain the rooster losing feathers?? could be molt?

Today is somewhat a sad day in our household. Our main rooster decided today was the day he wanted to leave his flock! We got him when he was 8 months old, and while he was not really aggressive, he had his moments. He would buck up on my husband and our daughter a few times. He never really bothered me that much, but I never gave him reason to. But today, while enjoying the wonderful sunshine with our 18 month old son out with the chickens and goats, he decided today was the day he didn't want to live anymore! I say this because he decided to make our son his new "hen", and when he realized he couldn't do that, he went after him just like he was a rooster and tried fighting him. Needless to say, we will have a lot of Rooster Noodle Soup in our freezer...

you did the right thing, once they start going after kids they are asking to go to freezer camp, there are plenty of good roosters,no need to keep them once they start getting aggressive.

Up early this morning and headed to Flatrock to flish the Huron river. Fifteen minutes after setting our lines David pulled this 7 1/2 pound steelhead. The fresh fish haven't came up river yet so this male had been in the river since last fall. Tomorrow 1/2 of him will be on my grill.

NICE CATCH

 

[NovaAman]

I agree, I wouldn't give him a second chance. I trust the roos I have right now with my boys. I always tell them though, to NEVER run past the roos, or towards them. They may feel threatened and attack. I also never handle the roosters like I do the hens. Once I know if they are pullets or cockerels, I leave the cockerels alone. I feed them, pull them off the roost at night and check them over if there is a concern, but I don't pet/grope them. The silkies are a different matter though. LOL. They are free game. LOL. And then there is Pat the Rat. HIM I am sure, if he could, would be an attack roo. He's just too short, too feathered, and too teeny tiny to do damage to any other bird let alone try and get people. He sure tries though. I also don't have any roo in the yard that is over 1.5 years right now. Mr. Fluffers, my first faverolles rooster, he was nearly 4 when he died after a coon attack, he was very good. Never attacked a person, never showed any aggression either. That's why I love them. Good birds. Well, except the one that Opa got. That one, not such a nice guy. Well, anyway...

 

[naglady]

Nice catch opa..

well one of the pip egg died so dd and i went thru and check the other eggs that didnt pip. they were all dead..

we still have one pip egg alive that is it.. so will see what the outcome will be..

i have my hygrometer/thermometer in the bator. just came today.. temp is 100 humidity is 54 ..

 

[NovaAman]

Wonder if there was a spike during lock down that you didn't catch...

 

[naglady]

there was a couple of spikes in temp last night.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Daron,
You can plant strawberry plants when the ground is workable. Meaning when it is thawed enough to dig and not too wet. If you can dig the hole with your hands then it is workable.

Or you could put them in pots until you get the raised beds ready. Mine are in pots for now.                   HTH

Great! Thanks!

 

[Maah]

Nice catch opa..

well one of the pip egg died so dd and i went thru and check the other eggs that didnt pip. they were all dead..

we still have one pip egg alive that is it.. so will see what the outcome will be..

i have my hygrometer/thermometer in the bator. just came today.. temp is 100 humidity is 54 ..

Hope that last chick hatches!

 

[RIRJen]

Up early this morning and headed to Flatrock to flish the Huron river. Fifteen minutes after setting our lines David pulled this 7 1/2 pound steelhead. The fresh fish haven't came up river yet so this male had been in the river since last fall. Tomorrow 1/2 of him will be on my grill.

Nice fish Opa!!! Bet he tasted yummy!