Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Trefoil]

Today's project was to get the shed in the picture split. The run will be off the back side of the shed. That will be started tomorrow but not finished till sometime this week.

The door is not finished for the coop portion. I swear the shed (dirt floor) was built cockeyed. Things did not line up. So there are some issues with getting the door to fit. But I think I have it figured out. It had to wait till tomorrow though. I was tired and I know I need to do that myself. I did secure the door better than the picture below showed. The walk in height is just a hair over 4 feet tall. Not the best, but well, me with no real experience and the friend, it turned out pretty well. Not pretty and you can see the mistakes, but it is functional and I am proud of my job.


The gap below the "door" is covered in chicken wire. There is a smaller board going across the top of it to give stability. Like I said, IDK who built the shed, but there are some issues with how things line up in there. That and they covered the walls half in various boards and a door with the knob still in (see 3 pics down). Kinda amusing. It fits in with the design I think. I still need to build them a lower roost. I will build that tomorrow.














I need to pick up more sawdust. I know that. I had the kids in the shed helping me take them out of the container they were in. They had a ball. The 16 month old was squealing with glee. The boys were trying to show the chickens the food and water. The poor things were scared, so I herded the kids out and gave them some time to deal with the change before I took pictures.

Just a caution. If the door with the knob is an outside one, use a lock of some kind, coons learn very easily to open doors by just turning the knob.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Indeed.  Kind of pompous if you ask me but what can I say.  
All I wanted was to feed myself and provide good food to others. Now I'm fighting for rights. Mine and many others.

Don't ever stop!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

About flooring: inside, I have straw on concrete. It does have moisture and lots of work to keep nice for my Ladies (and the 2 drakes too). About straw, last year i was getting huge clean Round Bales for i think it was only $15-20 from Farmer Hart in Bancroft. My outdoor pen was grassy and pea gravel, that's all gone. This year my plan is landscape fabric topped with more pea gravel.
All your babies are cute and one last question...
Anyone else have floods? Looking forward to some sun tomorrow. Oh, who is in charge of games at CS? I have a great one to pass on!

 

[NovaAman]

Yes on the flood. Thursday I had so much water I was afraid the chick might drown in the run. So glad I had those heavy skids I picked up last fall.

 

[RaZ]

Landscape fabric would keep the worms from surfacing and deny your birds those tasty snacks.

 

[Maah]

Well Snowflake the government got their bite out of me . And it is Still Snowing Here argh!! We went from 40% coverage and hope for spring to all-over 6"of hard-packed wet SNOW. The chickens refused to set foot outside until I shoveled out their runs.

On a more positive note my Cream Legbars layed their first lovely little bright blue egg. And I set an incubator full of more CL's, Basques and cochin eggs. Yay for "spring"!

Will you by chance be bringing any CL hatching eggs or chicks to Chickenstock?

 

[cuppycake]

Hi everyone I'm new here. I live in southeast Michigan. A few years ago my family got 4 chickens to help with the clean up of my after my other birds and we never thought that we would fall in love the way we did and all the positive things that come from owning them. Now they have stopped laying and we are looking for a few chicks to start having eggs again. If anyone knows of a place to get some in southeast mi that would be great! Thanks and have a good night.

Depends on where you are and how far you want to travel but TSC and family farm & home both sell chicks. TSC has a minimum purchase of 6 and FFH has no minimum. There are also a few ads on Craigslist. Are you looking for any specific breed? I have a couple of extra gold laced wyandotte pullets I'd be willing to sell, they are 9 weeks old.

 

[gaitngirl]

I'm practically underwater here. Rain, rain, freezing rain, sleet, sun peeks out for 5 minutes, and then it's more rain. Soooo ready for warmer weather!

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Good morning everyone. I was wondering if I could pick you brain on duck eggs in the incubator. I've never hatched them before and am a little concerned about the ones in there now. I posted in the Ducks section but haven't had a reply yet so was wondering if any of you might have some insight for me???? I would sincerely appreciate any

This is the link to my other post:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...al-different-breeds-help-please#post_10937357

Thank you for any help!!!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

So far so good on the flooding here, i thought the creek would wash out the road (dirt, very rinky-dinky overpass of the creek that is now a river) It's happened in the past apparently, but so far............. crossing fingers, we're not done yet from the weather this morning!

I love the coops. I can't wait for the day when i get a "real" coop So many ideas buzzing around about how i'd do it.

One feature i forgot to mention that my birds loved in the past was double roosts, i put 2 roosts side by side about a foot apart so when the birds wanted to pass each other on the roost they didn't have to jump back to the floor, boy did they utilize that feature! I used it at one point to make a sling style poop board as well, and that was a life saver in the winter. I went back to the single roost system this winter as my birds HAD to go one step higher at night

Not liking it. Back to fighting and trying to go under each other to swap roost places! And lordy the poop on the floor!

I've been watching the trailer parks, when they have a trailer hauled out often times the shed is hauled out as well; almost got one a month ago but the park had already given it to the junkers Was dis-heartening to see the thing getting tore down, was in great shape! (An actual 8x8 wood shed)

Just an idea for all those of you lucky ones doing coops this spring/ victims of chicken math