Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[cuppycake]

Such a nice day, and I really needed to get outside and do something. Chickens had a good time following me as I weeded the flower beds and unearthed worms, spiders and other tasties. We started talking about where to put our new coop and future breeding pens. Next year I hope to be able to offer pure GLW and silkies. Trying to talk DH into letting me have showgirls but he says they freak him out. Lol!

 

[SillyChicken]

Such a nice day, and I really needed to get outside and do something. Chickens had a good time following me as I weeded the flower beds and unearthed worms, spiders and other tasties. We started talking about where to put our new coop and future breeding pens. Next year I hope to be able to offer pure GLW and silkies. Trying to talk DH into letting me have showgirls but he says they freak him out. Lol!

You could always show him a photo of an uggo if it helps your case any!! LOL

 

[ladyrsanti]

So I just saw this : http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1324285#bmb=1

What does everybody think of the bird flu stuff???

The last I heard it was only transmittable directly from bird to human. As is, it's not a serious threat to us. Most of the people who are getting sick are in direct contact with the birds. However, if it evolves to spread from human to human, it could be very dangerous and it's being monitored very closely. ...last I heard. Viruses evolve very quickly, leaving little time to formulate a vaccine. Needless to say, other news has held my attention this week so this and that little country called North Korea fell off my radar temporarily.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

For sure.

So do you guys help along hatch or not? I just found a half hatched duckling (only Day 26?) Outside of the nest, and I started to help but I was thinking, nope, not a good idea. I left it with mom.

 

[RaZ]

How is this for a celebration of Earth Day?
After doing chores all afternoon, the last thing I did was fill the bird feeders. As I hung up the high one some seed spilled on my sweaty neck and shoulder. The next thing that happened was a male Northern Cardinal landed on my shoulder and snatched up the sunflower seeds.

 

[lubap]

Hi! I don't raise chickens, but work with eggs. A FB friend (and BYC member) suggested that I might be able to find white chicken eggs through some of the people in this group.

I live in Union Lake (NW of Detroit)." Why white eggs? I make pysanky, Ukrainian Easter eggs. Some of my collection is currently on display at the Detroit Historical Museum; you can view my eggs on my site here, and contact me via e-mail.

Thanks.

 

[ladyrsanti]

How is this for a celebration of Earth Day?
After doing chores all afternoon, the last thing I did was fill the bird feeders. As I hung up the high one some seed spilled on my sweaty neck and shoulder. The next thing that happened was a male Northern Cardinal landed on my shoulder and snatched up the sunflower seeds.

Awesome!

 

[kimmie6067]

I'm not seeing anything flowery.

This is the first time they have been shorn; they're just a year old now. I will certainly spin their wool and my husband gets the first request, a stocking hat made out of Tartan's wool (the wether). Whatever I can't spin, I will probably sell either raw or washed.

Is there a chicken in there? It looks like a cotton ball!

Oh yeah and I meant to say welcome to all the newcomers so... welcome!

MOSQUITOES are out! UGH! I sectioned off that run I was talking about but was getting swarmed. Don't think I got bit but they're out there and with the flooding... they're gonna be bad this year.

Lady how do you wash the wool? No mosquitoes!!! I hate them they love me. I saw flowered wall paper on here for some reason I thought I was back in the 70's,

 

[Opa]

Laura, my old JRT is 17.

When she passes I doubt if I will get a replacement. Almost any breed I can think of will probably outlive me and seen too many instances of older dogs not being wanted by anyone when the owner dies.

 

[ladyrsanti]

I typically put it in one of those mesh laundry bags and soak it in a top-loader washing machine, in as hot of soapy water as my water heater will put out (being careful to reset it back to normal when I'm done). The trick is that you can't agitate it or it will felt and be worthless. So then I drain it (spin cycle) and do another soak in just hot water, drain again, check it to see if the lanolin is still there and repeat if necessary. My issue this year is that I don't have a top-loader washing machine anymore and my only bathtub has a whirlpool in it (not my choice, the house came with it). So I'm not sure what I'll do. Wool is stinky, dirty, greasy stuff and I don't think that would be good for the inner workings of the whirlpool tub. I could do it in small batches on the stove in a large pot or check craigslist for a cheap top-loader and stick in the basement. But then I'd need a plumber to hook it up properly. I can do small plumbing jobs but the drain would be an issue for me. We'll see. I'll make it work somehow.

In other news, my chickens helped me build the garden fence today only not really, lol. I love how they refuse to budge when taking a dirt bath. They lose all sense of time and place.