Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[cuppycake]

When talking about keeping animals for any purpose, there are still minimum care requirements that don't constitute "spoiling" - such as providing for minimal requirements for food, water, and shelter (including proper temperature). Your young birds would likely benifit from heat supplied when the temps go down at night. Young animals that are too cold grow more slowly and have less immunity to illness, and probably also just feel cold at times, probably survivable but not what might be considered a good quality of life.

well they aren't getting a heat lamp, I'm not going to risk burning the barn down and killing all of our animals for the sake of their added comfort. They're fully feathered, have a secure and dry environment, and all that they want to eat and drink. They seem fine to me, so I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree about how to raise our animals.

 

[SillyChicken]

John:

What rabbits are your brining to CS? We may be looking for some...unless I can convince DH to hold off for another year....of course, that could easily turning into another year...I am trying to convince myself to just take the plunge.....

He has Flemish giant ( I'm getting a buck from him)...

I hope to have some NZ/CA mix mutt rabbits to bring as well. If anyone lets me know in advance I can bring some too.

 

[gladahmae]

Back to work for the first time in almost 2.5 weeks tonight.

I gave away all of my shifts the week before we went of vacation, and then gave away my shift the day after we got back from vacation. Sometimes I'm pretty happy with waitressing because I can do things like that, but other times (like today) I wish I had a different job. Or didn't have to work. Or something.

I keep hoping every day I go out to check for eggs that my silkie has decided to be broody, and she's still not. I wish SOMEONE would decide they wanted to sit though! I bid on some marans eggs SURE that I wouldn't win, and then I did....they'll be here Friday. And I have BLRW eggs coming next week. And I've been saving my EE eggs. Sooooo......my incubator is going to be full by this time next week. Oops!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Hi all! Over 1,000 posts behind so I have been just skimming....

Welcome to the new members!

Snowflake, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. She was a wonderful person and I am glad to have met her.

 

[chickflick]

Hi Laura! Nice to see you on here. Hope things are going well with you.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Thanks chickflick

Doing well for the most part. Been busy with some sewing projects. I hope you are doing well too. The grape hyacinths are starting to come up!

 

[wanaBfarmer]

Silly Chicken, your profile pic is awesome!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hillbilly Hen-- I love ur pic, but must say it would work for me! LOL

RaZ-- I'll be watching w/ baited breath to see how the trial & MAEP stuff goes. We should start an Etsy shop, I'm telling you, the money some people pay just astounds me!

Nigellas- my white Pekin Ducks are LOUD! My neighbors ~600' away tell me that they can hear the parties that my Ladies have out there. They don't bother me a bit however. My Khaki Campbell's are pretty quiet unless you bother their broodyness. But o ya, cannot stress enough: M. E. S. S. Y. But you love them anyway. & I think their eggs are just the best!

 

[Zephie]

When talking about keeping animals for any purpose, there are still minimum care requirements that don't constitute "spoiling" - such as providing for minimal requirements for food, water, and shelter (including proper temperature).  Your young birds would likely benifit from heat supplied when the temps go down at night.  Young animals that are too cold grow more slowly and have less immunity to illness, and probably also just feel cold at times, probably survivable but not what might be considered a good quality of life.

I think this was directed at me, cuppcake. And thanks, 1muttsfan, I agree. The girls are in the coop, with a heat lamp. It's 40 out right now (feels like 32!) and is only gonna get cooler. As I was prepping the coop, the girls just stood there and watched me. They seemed either scared or cold. I feel better that they have a heat source.

 

[SillyChicken]

Silly Chicken, your profile pic is awesome!

yeah......... thanks, it's me........ I'm an a** sometimes with a big mouth! LOL!

Which I'm about to open..........

I don't use heat once my birds are feathered and too big for the brooder. I had a close enough call with a heat lamp and my coop twice, I will not risk losing everything either. Now that said, I feed higher protein food when it's cold and use deeper bedding. I've also had the experience with a broody hen that hatched chicks in October one year........ it was COLD... no heat lamp, mom did all the work chicks were fine. When I pick up my current chicks who aren't smart enough to go inside after dark yet, they're all huddled in a pile and feel plenty warm.