Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Lisa and girls]

These are the things that prevent me from completing chores... I spotted this baby praying mantis while doing chores. Of course I ran to get the camera and spent the next half hour trying to get a decent photo. After dozens of shots, only these 3 are decent. It is about 1/2 inch long.

Great pics! My favorite insect. They are so alien and weird looking. Just love them.

 

[Nigellas]

Happy June everyone!

I stumbled upon backyardchickens a couple weeks ago when I was (and still am) asking newbie questions. Every time I googled something I ended up on this site.

Welcome! I like your blog, cute chickens.

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Congratulations and your new niece, Daren! She is beautiful.
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[Nigellas]

Anyone have any ideas what might be up with this (mix) chick and the weird way it's feathering in? They look like twigs. None of the others it's brooding with look like this, so I don't think it's a food issue...

 

[RaZ]

Great pics! My favorite insect. They are so alien and weird looking. Just love them.

I got lucky with these pictures.
That bug is just shy of 1/2 inch long. I tried to get some more photos but I can't get the focus right.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Anyone have any ideas what might be up with this (mix) chick and the weird way it's feathering in? They look like twigs. None of the others it's brooding with look like this, so I don't think it's a food issue...

Silkie mix?

 

[RIRJen]

Rirjen- the silkie chicks I got from you in april are turning out absolutely gorgeous. I ll post pics as soon as I take some new ones tomorrow. Thanks so much for them. Margie

Fantastic! I wondered how they were doing! We had a great trip and it was wonderful meeting you! Wouldn't you know it that I send you almost all the splash and I've only gotten a few more LOL Darn birds are playing games with me

RIRJen does have a very nice silkie flock which she spends a good amount of time producing good quality birds. I know at the Spring Fowl Fest, that most or all of her birds placed.

I pay him to say things like that

I just received some silkie chicks from RIRJen today. I cannot wait until they get a little older. They look like very nice chicks! Thank you RIRJen!

It was great meeting you! So glad you like them!

Anyone have any ideas what might be up with this (mix) chick and the weird way it's feathering in? They look like twigs. None of the others it's brooding with look like this, so I don't think it's a food issue...

I was going to say the same thing. Almost looks like the shredding you would see on a silkie...plus I think I see some darker pigment on its feet and that could also indicate silkie. I wouldn't worry too much about it, looks like a healthy chick

 

[SuttonsDaze]

Poor little snake! I catch them for fun. And relocate them when necessary. The only snake that has ever creeped me out was a blue racer I was stalking. And it turned around and chased me lol. Didn't expect that!

Yeah, I'm trying to feel bad for it, but I just can't seem to get there. My world has a basic rule. You are encouraged to live a long and productive life..... as long as you stay out of my house and my coop

Besides, it was fine. Relocated for the moment because i'm certain that it made its way back to the coop with this cold weather.

Leisa

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Nigellas-- my ducks feather in just like that. So while I don't know a darn thing about chickens, I'm going to say your chick looks healthy and I wouldn't worry.

Otherwise I'm checking in for some "normal" feelings. My human family are being very negative about my ducks. I need a fence for them. I am in love with this one and I've got trees! Anybody up for building it? LOL
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/beautiful-rustic-dog-fence.aspx#axzz2V6KIvkt3

 

[gladahmae]

Ugh! This weather can just be done already! I had to scrounge around for milk jugs, buckets, and even resorted to putting empty feed bags over the tomato cages to try to prevent frost damage tonight! Heck! I even put the kids sleds upside down over my peppers because they're so tiny! Tarped over the strawberries, the raised bed, and threw a sheet over my just-planted pallet planter. Brought all the hanging baskets in, along with the wave petunias that I still need to get put IN the remaining 4 hanging baskets. The use of the word "frost" in June is NOT ok with me! And looking at the forecast, it's not looking like it's going to get over 70 until next week. I hope they're wrong. This weather may be great for my lawn, but it's wreaking havoc on my flowers and veggies!

We evicted the chicks from the basement and put them out into the small coop this afternoon. Turned the heat lamp on so they have something to huddle under tonight. They looked so big in the brooder in the basement and now seem so tiny in the coop!


Now that we've had chickens out of the run for the small coop for a few days, and it's rained a TON, we're noticing that there are some kind of sprouts coming up like crazy in there. I have a few theories of what it could be: sunflowers or oats from the scratch grains, or cucumber or squash from tossing them the "rejects" from the garden last year. They are EVERYWHERE! I'm actually rather tempted to plant the run with some goodies since the chicks are way too small to navigate the ramp without a mama to show them how (and I'm not in the mood to try to catch them every night) and we'll probably just keep them cooped up for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking kale and maybe some spinach.......

 

[tmkuroda]

Ugh! This weather can just be done already! I had to scrounge around for milk jugs, buckets, and even resorted to putting empty feed bags over the tomato cages to try to prevent frost damage tonight! Heck! I even put the kids sleds upside down over my peppers because they're so tiny! Tarped over the strawberries, the raised bed, and threw a sheet over my just-planted pallet planter. Brought all the hanging baskets in, along with the wave petunias that I still need to get put IN the remaining 4 hanging baskets. The use of the word "frost" in June is NOT ok with me! And looking at the forecast, it's not looking like it's going to get over 70 until next week. I hope they're wrong. This weather may be great for my lawn, but it's wreaking havoc on my flowers and veggies!

We evicted the chicks from the basement and put them out into the small coop this afternoon. Turned the heat lamp on so they have something to huddle under tonight. They looked so big in the brooder in the basement and now seem so tiny in the coop!


Now that we've had chickens out of the run for the small coop for a few days, and it's rained a TON, we're noticing that there are some kind of sprouts coming up like crazy in there. I have a few theories of what it could be: sunflowers or oats from the scratch grains, or cucumber or squash from tossing them the "rejects" from the garden last year. They are EVERYWHERE! I'm actually rather tempted to plant the run with some goodies since the chicks are way too small to navigate the ramp without a mama to show them how (and I'm not in the mood to try to catch them every night) and we'll probably just keep them cooped up for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking kale and maybe some spinach.......

I planted a veggie garden in Grayling yesterday and then went downstate. Did it frost last night?!?! OMG So my tomato and pepper plants are toast since there was no one around to cover them up right? I want to cry!