Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Herducks]

I just had to share, I have been wanting a sizzle and I think one of the silkies I hatched last week finally fulfilled my wish!

 

[NovaAman]

look at that! Very cute.

 

[taprock]

Congrats Stacy!

Snowflake - I thought that was what they tested for NPIP. Do they test every bird in the flock? I have birds tested each year as we take them to the fair for 4-h, but not the whole flock.

Opa - glad to hear Granny did ok with surgery. It sounds like she still has a lot to go through, 10 days in the hospital can make time really drag.

I'm not looking forward to the weather they say we have headed for the next week. No sun, snow everyday and temps single digits and wind.

I did however order all my seeds for the garden this year. I guess I will just have use my imagination to think about the warm dirt and nice green things. I know my guys are finally geared up for ice fishing but.... I'm wishing for spring.

 

[gladahmae]

I'm not looking forward to the weather they say we have headed for the next week. No sun, snow everyday and temps single digits and wind.

I did however order all my seeds for the garden this year. I guess I will just have use my imagination to think about the warm dirt and nice green things. I know my guys are finally geared up for ice fishing but.... I'm wishing for spring.

I am sooooooo with you! I checked the forecast when I got home from work last night, and I kept looking for the "1" in front of the nighttime low temps. *sigh* We're going to burn a lot of wood next week! Speaking of gradens, I'm planning on drastically increasing the size of our garden this year, and hopefully putting in some kind of drip irrigation system. Or soaker hose. Maybe both depending on what all I end up planting. I'm trying REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to NOT buy any seeds until at least Feb. I have a seed collecting problem. I really do. One of our kitchen drawers (that we use for dishcloths and towels) is half full of partially-used seed packets from LAST year.

Can any of you tell me what the trick to snap peas is? I've tried to grow them for the past 2 years (both in my garden and in hanging baskets) and they've done miserably. I'm plating them in mid-April since our last frost is in May, but they get about a foot high, spindly, and I get *maybe* 3 pods off of each plant. I'm going to have to get a better bunny-protection system too since they mowed off my green beans on the second night I planted them out last year.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Speaking of politics...
What would you folks think about inviting the Agriculture Commissioners to Chickenstock?

I ask this because, until this past fall, they did not seem to realize just how many of us are small scale (i.e. backyard) farmers. In the meetings that I have attended, I have come away with the impression that our appointed officials are keyed in on "real" farmers and not so much aware of us little, backyard operations. Once we began to speak up, we got their attention.

Yes!!!!! And if I can make it, I'm hoping to unload my stash of yarn for sale. Etsy just isn't moving it fast enough and I don't have room for all I spin and I will have sheared my sheep by then. Hope y'all like to knit.

Please note that the following statements are based on my understandings after obsessively searching on here, and not real-life experience. I'm new to this chicken stuff.

From my understanding, Wazine ONLY treats round worms. And 2 weeks is kind of the 'standard' withdrawl period for medications. I know that some have said that it is fine to eat eggs after treating with Ivermectin, but not all agree on this. If you are of the school of thought that you should *not* eat after treating with ivermectin, you should discard the eggs and that feeding them back to the chickens is re-introducing the medication to them via food and thereby lenghthening the withdrawl period. Some dogs are sensitive to ivermectin (collies I think?) so I would be careful about feeding it to other pets. Re-treatment after a certain period of time is necessary to break the life-cycle of the worms. The first treatment will kill the current worms, and the second treatment should kill any worms that were in the egg-stage during the first treatment. Chickengrandma recommended re-dosing with ivermectin after 10 days, per the advice of the class she took at MSU.

Once you see evidence of worms, you tend to have a full-blown infestation, which is why some treat for them 2x a year. Others are willing to wait and see if and when their chickens get worms. Using the same wormers over and over and over again is kind on like getting amoxocillin over and over and over again. Eventually it will be less effective. Don't abuse it, and be willing to rotate worming meds out (valbazen is another option).

From what I can figure out, DE is kind of like washing your hands. It helps knock most of the parasites off the chickens, but there's always the chance something will get through.

Natural de-wormers such as garlic and pumpkin may work, but I don't know of any studies that confirm this outside of anecdotal things. Some people don't like chemicals in themselves, and therefore don't put them in their animals. Holistic approaches are well worth researching, but in my experiece, get REALLY conflicting as to effectiveness and use.

Thanks! I did forget the chili pepper! So silly of me. I went ahead and gave them some wazine yesterday. Now I just have to treat the barn cats and probably the sheep too. So I'll have to track down the choice medicines for them as well. Oh the cats will be fun. Ferals, all nine. Oy! It will be a little easier, I think, once I get the chickens out of the barn and OUT OF THE CAT'S POO. I can't wait to get building the new coop. I wouldn't seriously feed the eggs to my in-laws but sometimes... *shakes fist* My in-laws have a knack for getting on my nerves. They pretty much financed our lives but then continue to do and say little things that just ruffle my feathers. I live with it. I kind of have to.

 

[1muttsfan]

To be NPIP certified, all birds on the farm have to be tested. Birds have to be over 12 weeks old to test, so if you have hatching eggs from outside hens or chicks/young birds from other farms, you will not be able to be certified.

 

[eeyore75]

OK who has built a homemade incubator on here? Can I polyuratane the inside of a wooden incubator/ hatcher? I think it would help with raising the air humidity (and if hatching out in it- ease clean up!!) If I can put a coat or two on it- how long should it air out before using? Will the heat cause fumes to occur after air out? Is there another product that is better to use to coat the inside?

I have a homemade cabinet "hatcher" that holds temps lovely, but the humidity it stays low with. Not a problem for using as an incubator (which is what I did last year with it- hatched out in styoform incubator). But this year I picked up a used sportsman (yah auto turning and not hand turning a cabinet of eggs!!) and I would like to use the homemade hatcher- as a hatcher (could keep batches from differant pens seperate easier)

 

[KrisRose]

I am sooooooo with you! I checked the forecast when I got home from work last night, and I kept looking for the "1" in front of the nighttime low temps. *sigh* We're going to burn a lot of wood next week! Speaking of gradens, I'm planning on drastically increasing the size of our garden this year, and hopefully putting in some kind of drip irrigation system. Or soaker hose. Maybe both depending on what all I end up planting. I'm trying REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to NOT buy any seeds until at least Feb. I have a seed collecting problem. I really do. One of our kitchen drawers (that we use for dishcloths and towels) is half full of partially-used seed packets from LAST year.

Can any of you tell me what the trick to snap peas is? I've tried to grow them for the past 2 years (both in my garden and in hanging baskets) and they've done miserably. I'm plating them in mid-April since our last frost is in May, but they get about a foot high, spindly, and I get *maybe* 3 pods off of each plant. I'm going to have to get a better bunny-protection system too since they mowed off my green beans on the second night I planted them out last year.

I luv to buy seeds. Burpee catologe is my favorite.
Those seeds from last year are still good but buying new ones are always fun .

I plant my snap peas along a fence. Just a 2X4 inch galvanized fencing that is 4 foot high. Its how I plant my cukes also. You have to help run them up the fence by intwine them.
Plant them early since they dont like heat. Also double up the seeds you are planting since I have never found a pea varity with a good germination rate.
Havent planted them for a couple of years. When I did you could not relay on a good crop, I guess thats the same with all vegies.
I also believe you can do a fall crop but have never tried.

 

[RaZ]

Can any of you tell me what the trick to snap peas is? I've tried to grow them for the past 2 years (both in my garden and in hanging baskets) and they've done miserably. I'm plating them in mid-April since our last frost is in May, but they get about a foot high, spindly, and I get *maybe* 3 pods off of each plant. I'm going to have to get a better bunny-protection system too since they mowed off my green beans on the second night I planted them out last year.

Run a soil test. You can get the kit from your local extension office and they send it to MSU for analysis. The report will tell you what soil nutrients you may be lacking for your crop. The test is under $20.

 

[Trefoil]

I just had to share, I have been wanting a sizzle and I think one of the silkies I hatched last week finally fulfilled my wish!

Very cute.

Thanks! I did forget the chili pepper! So silly of me. I went ahead and gave them some wazine yesterday. Now I just have to treat the barn cats and probably the sheep too. So I'll have to track down the choice medicines for them as well. Oh the cats will be fun. Ferals, all nine. Oy! It will be a little easier, I think, once I get the chickens out of the barn and OUT OF THE CAT'S POO. I can't wait to get building the new coop. I wouldn't seriously feed the eggs to my in-laws but sometimes... *shakes fist* My in-laws have a knack for getting on my nerves. They pretty much financed our lives but then continue to do and say little things that just ruffle my feathers. I live with it. I kind of have to.

A member pointed me to ebay for safeguard wormer for goats, at that time, they had the best price.