Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Ducks have an oil gland at the base of their tail. Preening applies oil to the feathers so they will not absorb water. Their dense oily feathers trap air which aids in their ability to float. While I'm not sure how long it takes for them to adequately preen I can't imagine it would take more than a day or two.

 

[SuttonsDaze]

I would imagine Mikado gets some lovely sunrises.

Yes, Mikado gets some wonderful sunrises. And we're a short 10 - 15 minutes from Lake Huron where the sunrises are magical.

​

 

[ladyrsanti]

Nice sunrise.

Just thought I'd introduce the roo that made the cut, who will be our resident rooster until he proves himself otherwise.

So this is Roswell. He's a wheaten marans roo that I hatched this spring. He's a little bedraggled looking because he gets picked at by the aforementioned Souffle and is missing some feathers because of her. Oh and sorry about the poop board in the background. If I raise it, the chicks will roost on it UNDER the hens fluffy bombing butts. Trying to break them of that habit.


And these are his ladies, Terra and Cotta (right to left), also WM. I'm told their coloration isn't the best but it's really the chocolate eggs that I'm after so I don't care so much. Terra has green feet and legs and Cotta is pretty dark for a WM but has pink legs. Whatever. Terra was trying to sleep and I kept waking her up to get the picture, poor baby.

 

[Amastacia]

very pretty birds.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Hi Ladyrsanti! I think they're lovely Thought I'd share with you a few pics of their possible brother and sister!
Here's Sylvester:

And his girls:

I know the second girl is not a wheaten, her egg was marked as a golden cuckoo...but I seriously have no idea what she really is - sport I guess. I'm also just glad for the dark eggs!

 

[Scifisarah]

Pretty birds, and I love that frog. He seems to like you or the camera.

Does anyone on here use electric fencing to protect their chickens? I am thinking of running an electric line across the top of my fence to make sure raccoons can't climb over. I just have the bird netting over the top right now, and they could easily rip through that. I just have no idea where to get the fencing supplies, what I need, and how to position the line so I raccoon can't shimmy over or under. Anyone?

 

[uchytil]

I signed up last year to take some pix as part of the 2013 CS planning ahead. No way I can post hundreds of shots. Anyone wants to see more I'll have to put them online at a photo sharing site. Anyone wants to see that PM me and I'll give you the link.

I

 

[uchytil]

I signed up last year to take some pix as part of the 2013 CS planning ahead. No way I can post hundreds of shots. Anyone wants to see more I'll have to put them online at a photo sharing site. Anyone wants to see that PM me and I'll give you the link.

I

 

[gladahmae]

Would any of you put eggs under a broody if you were finding 1 cracked/damaged egg per day under her? I don't know if it's her, or if it's from other hen's shoving their way into the box to lay.

 

[uchytil]

Pretty birds, and I love that frog. He seems to like you or the camera.

Does anyone on here use electric fencing to protect their chickens? I am thinking of running an electric line across the top of my fence to make sure raccoons can't climb over. I just have the bird netting over the top right now, and they could easily rip through that. I just have no idea where to get the fencing supplies, what I need, and how to position the line so I raccoon can't shimmy over or under. Anyone?

I think it would be more cost effective to enclose a run with fence and make sure the coop is secure at night. Coons mostly work at night unless they are sick. I've only had daytime coons invade my blueberries. They are very good at finding a way around any gap. I've never had a loss and I feel it's due to the birds being closed up at night in a coop with concrete flooring.