Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[NovaAman]

Oh, how I wish Sarah! Those boys turned out great! They were such cute chicks! I still can't believe you had so many boys and what 1 girl right? Lol. Smartest last batch of chicks... All three were boys too.

Freaking touch pad... Smartest was supposed to be Skatter...

 

[1muttsfan]

I had a broody silkie, but she gave it up - I think she finally realized no one in the banty coop was actually laying eggs.

Snowflake, I will be working the weekend of Chickenstock this year

- but I do travel down to Lansing to visit my folks periodically. Did you have a breed in mind? I will be concentrating this year on the Basques (I really do like them) and hopefully Cream Legbars, with possibly a sex-link cross of Cream Legbar roo over Delaware hens - producing Delaware pattern hens with crests that lay green eggs. I have so far managed to hatch out 3 CL chicks from the appx 30 eggs shipped more or less 3 weeks ago - not great, but 2 are pullets. My older ones are 3 months old and will hopefully start laying in the spring.

 

[eeyore75]

I'm anxious for spring so that I can segregate my birds and start collecting eggs for hatching. I need to hatch a few Welsummers for my flock and several folks have expressed a desire for eggs and chicks.

I couldn't wait
all the roos in the polish pen but one are my tolbunts or tolbunt splits, and 70% of the hens are one of those- will see what pops out of the eggs colorwise (hoping for a bunch of tolbunt)

Also have the EE roos over EE, 3 colors of Wyandotte, olive eggers, welsummers, barnevelders, partridge rocks, faverolle and some barnyard mixes from previous years- hatching those out cause they make pretty babies and pretty eggs (and big eggs!!).
The speckled sussex are in their own pen, as are the golden cuckoo marans (and 1 white maran hen) and the 4 little banties are in their area- but the D'Unccle pair are living with a pair of bantam cochin hens (all 4 are millie fluer colored)

so hatchs will be interesting until the weather breaks and we put the breeder pens up (easier not to have them all seperate for the winter w/ heated water & heat lights- don't need to burn the coop down!

buy a bator! LOL! (Check craigs list). I think it's too early for broody hens... or you can see if someone in the area could incubate some eggs for you. Both mine are fired up so I can't loan one out.


Yeah, I'm thinking goat house too.

I have some room in my bator if he is near Battle Creek!

 

[Trefoil]

The Site Selection committee has met via telephone and they decided not to include Wingless and myself on the committee. However, they did ask us to address the first face-to-face meeting on April 12 in East Lansing. We are working on what we want to say to them.

Meanwhile the Michigan Small Farm Council (MSFC) has been organized and we could use some help if people are interesting in preserving their own farm operations.

What do you (MSFC) need? Anything I can do?

 

[Trefoil]

TJ are you going to make your coop using the cattle panels or pvc?
Everybodies pictures are great. I really don't need a pig, I really don't need a pig. I....

 

[Opa]

While spring is still a ways off once the turkey vultures return it's well on it's way.

 

[RaZ]

What do you (MSFC) need? Anything I can do?

Right now, we are mostly in the "organization phase" of becoming an organization.
The website should be up and running by the end of the weekend.

The main thrust of this organization is that the Ag Commission listened to a few of us over the past 6-8 months as we talked about backyard poultry. We spoke as individuals and how the MRTFA and GAAMPs affected us. We researched and presented to them how changes would (might) affect a majority of small farming operations.

A couple of the commissioners recognized that there is a growing movement of people who want to provide agriculture for themselves and share with their neighbors. It was suggested that we organize to better present our views with state officials. Thus, the MSFC was formed.

We are not just "chicken people", we are everyone who has a stake in agriculture in all of its forms. We are the people who may be steam-rolled by local ordinances that try to prevent us from sustaining ourselves and/or making a living.

I have asked that Michigan people address the commissioners and they have done so. Several have attended the meetings and spoke in favour of backyard poultry and small farm operations. Many have written letters and sent e-mails in favour of self-sustainability. Those individual voices were heard. However, our voices carry more weight if we are organized.

This is just my opinion, but I think that if we continue to send letters and e-mails supporting our rights to raise our own food sources we can get the powers that be to recognize that we have the right to do so. So I'll ask again that you contact your representatives with your opinions.

 

[tjbeckman]

TJ are you going to make your coop using the cattle panels or pvc?
Everybodies pictures are great. I really don't need a pig, I really don't need a pig. I....

After much debate I think we are going to use cattle panels. I think we are going to go with apx 20x8 I figure that will be big enough for a while LOL

 

[zengrrl]

Eh - got completely wiped out Thursday. Hubby and I checked around the coop and with the tracks came up with a weasel. I was set and determined it was a wily, ninja raccoon but it's proof positive now. Have you seen the picture of these cute buggers?? You would never suspect they're serial killers. So my 5 silly silkies, easter egger and Light Brahma are gone. Well, at least I can begin again, alittle smarter about birds. Less silkies (though I ADORE them) and some "real" chickens as my hubby would call them. I imagine by February all the wildlife is good and hungry.

 

[Grammi]

Raz, Is there a minimum acreage?