Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Ginger87]

Great find - free - would make a great frame work for a coop and run!! Use your imagination!!
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/zip/3794107065.html

Hey why don't you find me something like this! Sure would make my life easier!! lol

 

[19sarah90]

Hi everyone. I've been reading along but seems I rarely post unless I have a question -sorry about that. So here it is...
I have a hen that sounds raspy - like something's stuck in her windpipe. She sounds funny, breathes with a rattle -all the time. Occasionally a cough or a head shake. It started three days ago. My son had been pulling long grass to feed them - no longer doing that. She's eating/drinking/laying fine, crop isn't full or hard. No eye or nasal discharge. Any suggestions?

Hopefully someone else can help you out some more, but I had a hen that breathed raspy and shook her head all the time. I never figured out what it was and she was fine otherwise, and none of the other chickens "caught" it. She lived a nice long life. Not to say that yours could actually have something though! I'll be watching to see what everyone else has to say. There's also another place in the forum to post Qs like this. I think.

 

[Lisa and girls]

I sent a tip to natural news on RaZs situation. Hopefully he'll pick it up. He gets pretty fired up about these things and has a huge following.

 

[RaZ]

I'm done with chores for today, I'm exhausted.

Here is why.



Two of those cut pieces fill the garden cart once they are split. It takes me about an hour to split, load and unload a cart.



The left over branches will be processed through the chipper for a bed to grow mushrooms in. Everyday is a work in progress.

 

[RaZ]

Two of my hens found a new home tonight. Crispy and Gravy are on their way to Traverse City. They were my 2 favourite hens.
The good news is that the lady who took them said I can have them back when I am vindicated. So for now, they are on vacation up North.

 

[Trefoil]

Question regarding the coops, I am searching through all these amazing coops people have put together on the site here, and Most look like they would be best for the Southern people. Now come winter, do you keep the ventilation spots open still or do you cover them with something, and does everyone here add insulation as they built their coops? I am trying to pre plan my next coop and maybe start (slowly this time) building it in the next month so it's not such a mess like our "first" attempt.

Put some of the ventilation up high, where any breeze coming in won't blow on the chickens when they roost. My coops aren't insulated, but they are windproof. I'm also in lower MI. The best place for coop ideas is the coop thread here and the coop site accessed at the top of the page. There are many different coop designs and the posts discuss most aspects of coop building. Most of the are small but there is a section of different sizes.

Two of my hens found a new home tonight. Crispy and Gravy are on their way to Traverse City. They were my 2 favourite hens.
The good news is that the lady who took them said I can have them back when I am vindicated. So for now, they are on vacation up North.

That's great Raz. I emailed as per requested. Hope it helps. Most of the emails I sent to Garden City management came back as undeliverable?

 

[RaZ]

That's great Raz. I emailed as per requested. Hope it helps. Most of the emails I sent to Garden City management came back as undeliverable?

Maybe their system is being overloaded?

The fellow I talked to earlier today said that they had over 40,000 hits on the website. If even half of them commented then it could overload the system.

I can't believe the support from so many people. I'm amazed and humbled.

 

[mylobell]

"Quote"
Originally Posted by Wrightsx4

Hi everyone. I've been reading along but seems I rarely post unless I have a question -sorry about that. So here it is...
I have a hen that sounds raspy - like something's stuck in her windpipe. She sounds funny, breathes with a rattle -all the time. Occasionally a cough or a head shake. It started three days ago. My son had been pulling long grass to feed them - no longer doing that. She's eating/drinking/laying fine, crop isn't full or hard. No eye or nasal discharge. Any suggestions?

I think the hen has a cut in her throat from the type of long grass that is a coarse type. It is not recommended to use as feed because it is coarse and can cut the throat of most animals.

The cut irritates the hen causing her to shake her head or cough trying to dislodge the grass from her throat.

As kids we used to select the long grass and blow across the grass causing noises. I think we called it cut grass as we got enough cuts on our fingers from pulling the grass out to use for our instruments.

LOL!

 

[mrshaggie810]

Raz, not sure who you rehomed, but i could hold your uggos and your BO for you...im not aure how far you are, so I know it might not be that best option for you.

And Lady...I'd love to meet you! Do you have showgirls? I'm interested in a coupke of them.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Mylobell- I had not considered that - entirely possible I guess. That grass grows around the pond where they like to dig (can't mow it there). That's the stuff my son was picking for them too. It would be a big relief if it isn't an illness. I will keep her in the pen for a few days so she can't get out to where the that grass grows and see if it "heals".

Raz, I'm so sorry you're going through this. It makes no sense at all, and your neighbor...lots of bad words for him. Can not imagine being told I had to give up my chickens. I hope you win in the end. Very glad you'll be able to get back at least some of your hens when you do win!