Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

Raz, if you get the verification what rights does is afford you? Are you going to be able to get your girls back and the butterfly garden? Also, did you know that Keeni Feiger's parents the Pidowski's are from Garden City....just a thought....maybe Jeffery woul do some pro bono work for you? I used to do her parents hair and met them both they are really nice...and he loves publicity.

RAZ congrats to you and Mike, on your certifications

First off, the MAEAP verification carries no legal weight. Although a lot of the process has GAAMP compliance within, the actual verification does not afford an automatic MRTFA protection. That aspect lies with MDARD and they have been reluctant to support any operation of less than 50 animal units. (Please keep up your phone calls and e-mails to them)

Publicity can be both good and bad. My case was publicized (good) and I'm seeing the fall-out from it (bad). The fight here is for everyone who lives in Michigan who isn't a CAFO or lives in a specified agriculture zone. Remember the lady on 59 acres who can't have chickens? Or Theron who was targeted because of his address? Anyone can be cited unless we stand together.

Next, the MAEAP certification is not a done deal yet. Mike and I won't know until Monday if we pass muster. The outlook is favourable and I'm confident that we (I) have met all of the criteria. I could be denied on the simple fact that the soil test results have not come back from MSU yet. Worst case scenario is that I would need a re-inspection after the results are back...or maybe verification would be "pending" the report.

The main focus is that we can all do a little better in our animal care and environmental stewardship with very little dollar cost.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for listening.

 

[gaitngirl]

Rent? I counter-offer with live-in care taker. Just a room big enough for me and the dogs and cats. Of course, I'd need a separate pole barn for my stuff.

Lol, actually, I could use one of those . . .

Pole building is currently housing a horse, a mule, and their hay. But I might be able to clean out a corner. Of course, it's the corner I was thinking about converting to a chicken coop . . . and I did lose my barn cat to something nefarious (and most likely two legged) last winter. They would dine well on wild rabbit and mice

.

 

[gladahmae]

So, I'm thinking I might have an egg-eater. My egg-count has been down by anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 and when I collected eggs today some of them had something yellow (mostly dried, so a bit gummy/sticky) on the shells. So I'm thinking maybe it's yolk? Thinking of getting them some higher protein food, and some extra oyster shell on the side and see if that helps. I have no idea who might be doing it. I just know that 6 eggs from 14 hens is not right when I was getting 11 or 12 two weeks ago and no one is molting that I can see.....

Any other suggestions?

 

[gaitngirl]

So, I'm thinking I might have an egg-eater. My egg-count has been down by anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 and when I collected eggs today some of them had something yellow (mostly dried, so a bit gummy/sticky) on the shells. So I'm thinking maybe it's yolk? Thinking of getting them some higher protein food, and some extra oyster shell on the side and see if that helps. I have no idea who might be doing it. I just know that 6 eggs from 14 hens is not right when I was getting 11 or 12 two weeks ago and no one is molting that I can see.....

Any other suggestions?

My egg count is also down. I went from 15 - 18 eggs per day from 20 hens down to 4 - 8 eggs per day. No one is molting. 2 1/2 are broody (one hen can't really decide if she's really broody or not). No real predators. I did lose one hen the day before everyone quit laying - one of my foster dogs got her when she got into their kennel area. I don't know if the trauma of seeing that could throw them off. The one he got was the Isa Brown that was always the first girl to lay every morning.
The only big changes have been the ducks. Every one seems to get along okay except for a few minor skirmishes. I read that sometimes they will quit laying if they get too fat - none of them look fat to me. They like the duck's pellets at least as much as their own food plus they free range all day long. The weather has been great - lots of sunshine. I did have at least one egg eater for a short time but that seems to have stopped (I had found messes like you in a couple of the nesting boxes but I haven't seen that in a couple months now). A couple of the eggs did have rather thin shells, though they have access to oyster shell freely.
I just don't get it . . .

 

[naglady]

coops are extra secure tonight, traps are set, come on skunk i am ready for you..
will give a update tomorrow. see if i catch anything.
hope this isnt going to be a ongoing thing all summer

 

[SuttonsDaze]

coops are extra secure tonight, traps are set, come on skunk i am ready for you..
will give a update tomorrow. see if i catch anything.
hope this isnt going to be a ongoing thing all summer

I'm seeing an unusual amount of road kill on my way through town. I don't know if it's the cool weather, abundant rain or combination, but I hope you don't have to deal with it all summer either :-(

 

[gaitngirl]

One of my FBC Marans cockerels is starting to show some nice coppering around his hackles . . . too bad he doesn't have much feathering on his legs and feet. I haven't decided if he's going to be accompanying me to CS or not.

 

[SillyChicken]

 

[RaZ]

Doctor, is this a tumor on my back?

 

[Amy PT]

Cute and pretty flowers, Silly. What is the blue flower's name? I had a clump of those that my grandpa gave me from his garden years ago. They did really well. A little too well. They took over the whole bed! I did a little research a few years ago and found what I thought was the flower's name, and also that they're so invasive that they're not legal to keep in MI. I know some of y'all here are better versed in flower names than I. Can someone confirm this?