Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Trefoil]

Im finally a chicken owner. I got the call at 11:00pm last night that my chicks were at Flint. I braved the weather and made the 2 hour round trip to pick them up. 2 had passed when I opened the box and 1 more a couple hours later. But I have 44 beautiful and healthy chicks!

Congratulations! Enjoy What breeds did you end up getting?

I'm just glad we got it last night and not tonight, I have a 6am flight to Atlanta tomorrow. I'm going to the International Poultry Expo; it'll be 70 degrees when we get there

That sounds like sooo much fun. Hope you have a great time

Amen !

I totally agree.

 

[glambka]

Hi All...it's been awhile and I have been busy egging my little fingers to the bone from all the goodness I received from you all last year in the many eggs that came my way!!!

Although I lurk quite a bit (sorry about that, but not having birds means I don't have a lot to contribute...although I sure do enjoy y'alls chit chats) So...by not having birds I am left to consistantly throw myself on the mercy of you good folk and beg for eggs.

I am not below begging (as you can see)

I am back again because Easter is right around the corner and my pysanky friends and I have managed to go through just about all the eggs we acquired last year. It took many of us, but we managed.

So...back to begging...I am looking for past prime eggs that won't be eaten OR infertile eggs which won't be hatched. In particular, darker brown eggs, speckled brown eggs, turkey and goose. NO duck as I am very ducked out....quack.
Pheasant, partridge and quail also welcome.
Peahen would be...well, it'd put me to tears, frankly

I will continue to post as we get closer and closer to laying season. I figure if I bug you all enough with my begging someone will give in and let me have some eggs just to shut me up.

I plan on going to Chickenstock and Fowl Fest in Alma.

Are there any other meets I should attend that I don't know about??

 

[Stacykins]

Hang out? Well I suppose where ever they want, lol. The UP is so beautiful! But to much snow for me and stays cold to long. Also to many predators, bears, wolves, foxes, racoons, etc...... But there is plenty of room that's for sure. What breeds of chickens are you getting?

Kimmie

Yep, we do have a lot of predators here in the UP. But even the longtime livestock keepers I've talked to have never had a problem with losing stock (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) to wolf or bear predation, those animals would rather stay away from human settlement. Coyotes will opportunistically take livestock, so that is the same as everywhere.

Actually, dogs are a bigger worry to most folks with livestock around here. They have no fear of humans, and kill for fun rather than snatching one animal and leaving. A dog will leave a trail of slaughter, as they go from one animal to the next, since once the first victim is dead, it doesn't make a good 'toy' anymore.

 

[SillyChicken]

Came home tonight to find my little disablled chick had knocked most of the water out of their dish. Poor tthing was soaked, cold and churrping er little heart out! I got her dried and warmed up. Looks like she'll make it.

 

[Chambertin]

Thanks to those who replied to me, and here are a couple responses to questions.

I relocated to the UP about a year and a half ago. Thus far, I haven't found any unfriendly folks yet. All my neighbors are awesome, so I keep them supplied with eggs when my girls are producing better!

For better employment prospects, it would be a good idea to live in the area of the three biggest cities (which are very small by lower peninsula standards). Escanaba, Houghton/Hancock, and Marquette, with Marquette being the biggest. All these cities also have colleges. Marquette has Northern Michigan University, H/H has Michigan Tech, and Escanaba has Bay Community College.

Esky gets the least snow (it is in a "banana belt" area), and really has a nice small town feel. Downtown is so quaint and fun. While logging and mining is the biggest generator of income in the area, tourism is important too. Maybe that is why folks are so friendly. If you want PILES of snow, H/H gets a ton of snow, since it is in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Marquette gets a pretty decent amount, enough that NMU has what I call 'hamster tunnels' to get from building to building.

I had a friend with relatives in the UP. I remember the second floor door on the house for when drifts went over the main door. Those were fun times, so I'm planning to move in to the snow belt, but as you said employment will be the largest factor in my relocation.
Visiting my grandparents in Muskegon I remember building kid sized hamster tunnels to move around the back yard and the prospect of doing that as an adult really excites me.
Plus after about 4 years without snow my cold blood is itching for a chance to make itself useful.

It's good to hear that there aren’t many anti chicken laws. One of the reasons I want to return to Michigan is the Farm Act and how it has protected farmers and farm supporters over the years. Although I hear its up for review to put us small time self supporters out of a lifestyle.

Esky was one of my top picks, but I really want that heavy show aspect of the UP. It was so much fun in high school, but back then I wanted to see more of the world. Seen it, now its time to go make a nice life.

Have to get back on the job search now. Thanks again for the reply.

[COLOR=0000CD]Hang out? Well I suppose where ever they want, lol. The UP is so beautiful! But to much snow for me and stays cold to long. Also to many predators, bears, wolves, foxes, racoons, etc...... But there is plenty of room that's for sure. What breeds of chickens are you getting?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Kimmie[/COLOR]

I remember the wildlife up there and its one of the other main draws to relocating in the north. I'm confident I can construct what is necessary to protect my birds from most predators and those that give extra trouble, I'll just show them why I got my Expert shooting badges.

If my sneaky little plans go the way I want I will be taking a number of hard boiled Houdan and Silkie eggs from the flock here. Other than that I wanted to see which breeds do well in the winter and still have a good productive aspect to them.
While almost any chicken can go through a winter the UP is a special place and I dont want too much trouble for the flock. Going to be doing a lot of research and talking to the neighbors when I arrive.

 

[Juise]

Juise, that is. Stroke of luck. When is the bonfire? Glad nothin hit your setup..

Nova, that is. Bonfire Spring. Probably. Should come. Most of it I will get set for the wood stove for next Winter, wish it wasn't almost all pine. :\ Much of it is twiggy things, though, and I already have a massive burn pile from before this Winter that I never burned. So you'll have to come on over and we'll burn one down. A stick pile, that is. Although I am open to alternatives.

Also, guys, I was wondering... today is ivermectin application day for my flock. I know that the BYC-accepted dosage is 4-5 drops for regular commercial types. But what dropper is best? I've heard some use a needled syringe. I don't have one but could buy one this evening when I'm in town. I also have an oral medicine syringe laying around somewhere from my cat's worm medicine, years ago. I might be able to find that. But what about a food-color dropper bottle? Are the drop sizes so different?

Close enough for this situation. I had heard 1 - 3 drops, though, depending on the size of the chook, are you using the cattle pour-on? Maybe I just ended up with a different source, but it did do the trick for the mites on my chickies. I did a few practice runs to make sure I could control the number of drops very precisely, since overdosing will kill, and found that every few times, too much would squirt out. I had the least amount of control with a oral medicine syringe, you mean the kind with the little plunger in it, right? It would all be going well, and then ssqqquuuiiiirrrttt! I don't know if my droppers just sucked, but it worried me, and in the end I just made sure I only had as much ivermectin as I wanted to use on the specific bird in the dropper each time. A needled syringe would probably give you the most control, I think I will find one by next time. Just make sure it doesn't get sucked up by the feathers or all is for naught.

 

[Brethren49619]

Bretheren, Hi, how is your husband?? haven't heard for a while

Husband is doing amazingly well. He is walking now with only a cane (at least he is supposed to be using the cane!) Stubborn Marine. Doc is pleased with the progress, much to do with the ball joint at the ankle seems to have sustained no chips/cracks. He is currently in hydro therapy for another 4 weeks, then land bearing therapy to follow. There is even talk of being able to return to work (though not the same type) in another month or so.
I still get on the site and check out the conversations each morning, but at 4 am, there is no one else on and no active conversation to be a part of. Gave up the second job as the first job developed into a full time position, running the produce department at our local grocery. Schedule is still rough, but there is light at the end of the tunnel now.

Thank you for asking

 

[snowflake]

Brethere ,Glad things are going so well!!

Chambertin, you may want to check into breeds with very small combs, so you don't have to worry a bought frost bite. I do love my Delawares, they chirp like little birds when they talk to you and are very friendly ...and I would never be with out EE, I love the blue, & green,eggs

Rain is lovely isn't it,,,(NOT),,, my back yard is a lake, and it is all running through the run to the hill,,,put extra hay down to give them a little dry space...

 

[snowflake]

forgot glambka's ...this would be a good way to get rid of eggs that can't be eaten because of worming med's ...to bad I just tossed mine

 

[tdhenson86]

Quote:
THAT IS GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad to hear about his recovery!!!

Also, congrats on the job!!!