Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ladyrsanti]

Oh man, I'm still trying to wake up I think and the day is half over. I was up all night... well, almost all night. I crashed at 8:30 last night after my brain came down off the hatching egg high (hatching eggs is hard work!) and woke up at about 10pm and couldn't sleep (I'm a terrible napper). Got to sleep just in time to be stirred by my husband who was just coming to bed with bad news. We had a brown-out. 1:30am. So we got up and turned things off that were trying to run, called the electric company, etc. Dunno if it was the snow or ice or what but it lasted for a few hours. I had to get the chicks out of the brooder as the temps had plummeted and the furnace wasn't working. The room I keep the brooder in is the "sun room", a spare room upstairs that has three walls of windows and it's the coldest room in the house anyway, without the power out. Anyway, I snuggled with them in bed until the power came back on but didn't sleep. Then I had to get up early to get my oldest to robotics practice this morning. Did the barn chores, cleaned the snow and ice off the van... *YAAAWWWWWWWNNNN* The roads were crappy, all ice. And I had to stop and buy some birthday presents for my mom and sister on the way home. Came home and no one else was even out of bed yet.

The chicks in bed with me last night. The one in the crook of my knee isn't squished, just stretched out. They were WAY too happy about the arrangement.

Glad to see others hatches going/gone well. I got 11 out of 22 hatched, 7 of which weren't fertile. I went out to Cedar Creek yesterday and picked up my replacements, such a beautiful drive. Kind of weird though that the best hatches and strongest chicks were my own BO/EE mutts.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Oh man, I'm still trying to wake up I think and the day is half over. I was up all night... well, almost all night. I crashed at 8:30 last night after my brain came down off the hatching egg high (hatching eggs is hard work!) and woke up at about 10pm and couldn't sleep (I'm a terrible napper). Got to sleep just in time to be stirred by my husband who was just coming to bed with bad news. We had a brown-out. 1:30am. So we got up and turned things off that were trying to run, called the electric company, etc. Dunno if it was the snow or ice or what but it lasted for a few hours. I had to get the chicks out of the brooder as the temps had plummeted and the furnace wasn't working. The room I keep the brooder in is the "sun room", a spare room upstairs that has three walls of windows and it's the coldest room in the house anyway, without the power out. Anyway, I snuggled with them in bed until the power came back on but didn't sleep. Then I had to get up early to get my oldest to robotics practice this morning. Did the barn chores, cleaned the snow and ice off the van... *YAAAWWWWWWWNNNN* The roads were crappy, all ice. And I had to stop and buy some birthday presents for my mom and sister on the way home. Came home and no one else was even out of bed yet. The chicks in bed with me last night. The one in the crook of my knee isn't squished, just stretched out. They were WAY too happy about the arrangement. Glad to see others hatches going/gone well. I got 11 out of 22 hatched, 7 of which weren't fertile. I went out to Cedar Creek yesterday and picked up my replacements, such a beautiful drive. Kind of weird though that the best hatches and strongest chicks were my own BO/EE mutts.

Sorry about the brownout but cuddling chicks??? So cute. Yes they look very happy!

 

[minniefarm]

A lot of people use a grow out pen to keep the young safe from the older until they are roughly the same size. With hens doing the work, I don't bother. BUT when I am doing the work, I do use a pen sectioned off from the rest. BUT since you are going have no larger birds in teh coop they are going into, you won't need to worry about a grow out pen until you decide to add more birds in future.

If you are going to get more chicks, can you put a divider in the brooder?

I can divide it, but I use an ecoglow to warm them and I only have one. I don't use heatlamps for safety reasons and because my electric bill is low and I like it like that

.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Quote:Originally Posted by Stacykins DH was wistfull about the boy. He loves goats Very cute babies

 

[Wrightsx4]

(Edited because I massacred a quote trying to shorten)
I went to Cedar Creek this morning to pick up mine. Bluebells and assorted marans. The Delawares quit laying so she substituted extra marans - no complaints here! I did not receive any BCM so I won't be able to compare notes though as promised. So, along with the bluebells I received a nice french marans assortment: golden cuckoo, wheaten, blue copper, blue/splash (non-copper), black-tailed buff, and cuckoo. Those will go into the incubator in t morning along with eggs from my own hens. Mine all live together so it'll be interesting to figure out the combinations. I know which hens the eggs are from or at least which breed, which rooster will be the mystery.

 

[Folly's place]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new folks! I've been out of the loop for months; had back surgery in Jan, and am now doing great. Yeah!!! I live between Lansing and Flint, near Perry. Looking foreward to Chickenstock in June, for sure. Right now I have two Belgian 'dUccle millefleur pullets that need a home; they have slightly wry tails, so not breeding stock. Also, one young nice cockrel, same breed, but one too many for here. I have big birds also, but love the millies! Mary

 

[minniefarm]

I might be able to take your pullets. 'm only about 45 minutes from you. I How old are they? They are pretty birds. What does wry tail mean?

 

[teeville5]

1. All but one of my week old chicks have tail feathers. The one without also has shorter wings. She's has pretty much the same color but I am thinking maybe a different breed? BO maybe? All six came from the mystery red pullet bin.

3. I have to go to TSC for dog food. I will try REALLY hard not to look at chicks. I wanted a BA or two. If they have them, is it ok for me to put them in with my week old chicks, or will they get picked on too much?

Last time I bought chicks from the red pullet bin, I wound up with one boy. First thing that tipped me off that it was a boy was that he didn't have tail feathers and the others did. Give it a couple weeks and then look to see if its comb looks bigger than the others.

I have successfully put new chicks in with week old chicks. I wouldn't put them in with any over 2 weeks, though.

 

[minniefarm]

Last time I bought chicks from the red pullet bin, I wound up with one boy. First thing that tipped me off that it was a boy was that he didn't have tail feathers and the others did. Give it a couple weeks and then look to see if its comb looks bigger than the others.

I have successfully put new chicks in with week old chicks. I wouldn't put them in with any over 2 weeks, though.

hmmm. I'll keep an eye out. Funny, I have another that is much lighter than the rest that I am eyeing as a roo! I hope it's a pullet, I keep calling her Blondie

BTW- I understand what a wry tail is. I would not breed them, just keep them as layers and lawn ornaments!

 

[kimmie6067]

In Clare we had a very cold 24 degrees for the parade! So cold and a little windy. I wish the snow would go away. This time last year my hubby was spreading fertilizer on the fields, whats going on?

Love the little baby goat and donkey so cute and I didn't know they can have blue eyes

Welcome to the newbies I missed.