Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[kimmie6067]

Does anybody let their chickens out in the rain/snow. I let mine out today and it's kind of cold and drizzly outside. Is that ok?

My flock love's the snow, at first the look on their faces was "what the heck is this stuff" but now they like to eat it. These birds crack me up

 

[kimmie6067]

I dunno but I went out to the barn to give the sheep their treats and the chickens were just out there standing in it. They have a dry coop but I guess the elements are preferable?

My flock love's it outside their for coop, my Icelandic's really love it. The roo's do anyway.

 

[kimmie6067]

He's probably between 7-8 pounds. He's much bigger than Mr. Fluffers was, but Vonna was also a big girl. She was probably about 5-6 pounds. Thanks. I was trying and trying to find anything I could about the Roosters standing on the hens even though they weren't mating. Just standing on them after ya know... Couldn't find anything...

Sorry about your hens. I know a big roo like a Jersey Giant can cause injury but I don't know if it would kill them. I got mad at one my comet hens she was picking on my crippled blue girl so I put her in the Jersey pen to pick on them, well she love's it in that pen and seems to be the boss in that pen, lol. Anyway she don't seems to be ok in there and she is less then half that size of the hens. The roo is over two foot tall.

 

[kimmie6067]

Thanks for the thoughts about my blue girl, I loved that bird.

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad, he is likely to demolish any indoor crate, and may do himself damage on the wires. If you get a good, insulated dog house that is just big enough to curl up in and heat with his body heat, he should be fine outside - and probably much happier than closed inside.

 

[kimmie6067]

Glad, he is likely to demolish any indoor crate, and may do himself damage on the wires. If you get a good, insulated dog house that is just big enough to curl up in and heat with his body heat, he should be fine outside - and probably much happier than closed inside.

Glad, first I agree with Mutts the dog will be ok outside, my dog is an Australian Cattle Dog and I put her outside in a kennel whenever I don't want her in here.

What I would do to get her used to a crate is cover the crate take a dog toy that you can stuff and put something really smelly like peanut butter in it. Put it in the entrance of the crate so she can get it pretty easy without having to go all the way in, everyday do this putting it further and further inside always leave the door open, have the crate in were you usually sit and watch tv. Also cover the crate with a blanket so it's more of a cave, my dogs love this. They would go in there on their own to sleep, chew on their toys etc...or you can make it sort of a game take a toy it loves play with, play in the house for a while then get the toy and toss it in the crate when it comes out give a treat and do all over.

Sorry for using it I can't remember if the do was a girl or boy

 

[gladahmae]

Glad, he is likely to demolish any indoor crate, and may do himself damage on the wires. If you get a good, insulated dog house that is just big enough to curl up in and heat with his body heat, he should be fine outside - and probably much happier than closed inside.

We originally did the crate training in the first few months after we got him from the shelter. My hope is now that he's been with us for over a year and a half that he won't be *as* convinced that we're abandoning him.

Glad, first I agree with Mutts the dog will be ok outside, my dog is an Australian Cattle Dog and I put her outside in a kennel whenever I don't want her in here.

What I would do to get her used to a crate is cover the crate take a dog toy that you can stuff and put something really smelly like peanut butter in it. Put it in the entrance of the crate so she can get it pretty easy without having to go all the way in, everyday do this putting it further and further inside always leave the door open, have the crate in were you usually sit and watch tv. Also cover the crate with a blanket so it's more of a cave, my dogs love this. They would go in there on their own to sleep, chew on their toys etc...or you can make it sort of a game take a toy it loves play with, play in the house for a while then get the toy and toss it in the crate when it comes out give a treat and do all over.

Sorry for using it I can't remember if the do was a girl or boy

We did pretty much all of those things while crate training. Initially I would go in the crate with him for 15 or 20min so that it wouldn't be strictly associated with us leaving, kongs stuffed with peanut butter and so on. We put him in for gradually longer periods while we were home and then completely ignoring him and so on. As long as we were home while he was in the crate, or in the yard, or gone for under 10min he was fine.


Looks like a doghouse is in order though. Will have to see if DH wants to mess around with building one, or if I should just go and buy one. I've been watching craigslist for weeks and not found anything.

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Sorry to hear about losses. We're going to have to take one of our wyandotte pullets here soon. I feel bad for the poor girl. I think part of her problem is neurological too since I noticed that she walks with stiff legs and very high steps.

I have a dog question:

I have a friend that has huskys... She had to get the metal trayed metal cages to keep them in. They would eat through the plastic bottom turn the crate over and excape through the larger holes in the bottom....

I would say dog house outside, crate inside, and lots of busy treats while you are gone. Frozen meat in ice is a good busy maker!

 

[snowflake]

sorry for the loss of hens to both of you, I had a young roo that stood on the hens longer then I thought necessary but never had an injury, that is weird could it be because she was in the box that she suffocated?
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[BobBry]

My flock love's the snow, at first the look on their faces was "what the heck is this stuff" but now they like to eat it. These birds crack me up

Your chickens change the "expression" on their face? Bet you could make a million off of that.