Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[tdhenson86]

My magpie ducklings are growing up big time! They're rather shy, and not quite as friendly as I would have hoped, despite daily, gentle handling and treats. Oh well, hopefully they come around. I have two females and one drake. The drake was sexed when was a day old (and I dabbed some blue kote on his down to tell him apart), and the other two I couldn't tell for certain if they were shy males or females. Well, two are quacking, so it is official!

They've been moved to a cage outside. It is so they can learn where 'home' is. I have two pekins who can also teach the little buggers the way of the barnyard, where food and whatnot is.

The drakeling is in front





The Nigora kids are also growing fast!

Bailey, looking silky as usual!


If his ears were any bigger, Ron would be able to fly with them.


Luna too


Luna sharing a goatling secret with her brother!

Oh my goodness! Those are some gorgeous animals you have!

 

[preciouskitty]

Stacy -- thanks for the Ron & Luna pix! They are so sweet ...

You know how much I love seeing them. Can't wait to show friend at work tomorrow (get to enjoy a beautiful Michigan day off from work while serving my second Furlough Monday..not sure I am gonna like my next paycheck; but I sure am digging these 3 day weekends!!! . )

 

[gladahmae]

I have a little Wheaten Ameraucana chick.....3 or 4 weeks old that is getting pecked on by the other chicks. It's missing all of the feathers off of the back of it's neck. I put blu-kote on it on Friday since there was a spot about the size of a nickel that was red (bruised maybe?) and now they've pulled off feathers surrounding the area I sprayed. I hate to separate just one chick though. Any other suggestions?




Oh, and one of the SLW pullets we picked up on Friday is missing most of her tail feathers, and has a bit of a 'rooster wear' spot right above her tail. That probably won't grow back until they molt.....right?

 

[RaZ]

Ag Commissioner meeting is tomorrow...
MICHIGAN COMMISSION OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Geagley Laboratory, Gordon Guyer Room
1615 S. Harrison Road
East Lansing, MI 48823

9:00 am.

The next meeting is August is in Escanaba.

 

[Stacykins]

Ag Commissioner meeting is tomorrow...
MICHIGAN COMMISSION OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development 
Geagley Laboratory, Gordon Guyer Room 
1615 S. Harrison Road 
East Lansing, MI 48823
 
9:00 am.
 
The next meeting is August is in Escanaba.

If I am not scheduled to work, I will definitely be going if the public is welcome to attend!

 

[Amy PT]

Oh dear, during the weekly body checks, I found that both of our hens have bumblefoot. We'll be treating tonight. I'm trying to figure out what happened. Their roost isn't high (maybe 15 inches), their bedding is kept clean and dry and the run is in good shape.

 

[Scifisarah]

Oh dear, during the weekly body checks, I found that both of our hens have bumblefoot. We'll be treating tonight. I'm trying to figure out what happened. Their roost isn't high (maybe 15 inches), their bedding is kept clean and dry and the run is in good shape.

I noticed that one of ours had the start of it, but it looks like I caught it in time. I had good success with soaking her feet and the little scab and plug can right off, instead of having to take extreme measures and cut into the foot. I think in the summers I will start doing a double bucket washing session with my three adult cochins once a month. It goes pretty quick to put warm Dawn soapy water in the first and then rinse them off in a second bucket. MUCH better than trying to bring them inside and in the kitchen sinks... I also started giving them a drop of Frontline once a month at the same time I do our collie. Our dog is at the bottom of the weight limit for her dosage, so I figure she can spare a bit to the chickens before I give the rest to her.

Amy - what kinds of birds do you have? I meant to talk to you more at CS but the rest of the fam were already in the car waiting and I was about to die from heat stroke so I ran off.

 

[RaZ]

If I am not scheduled to work, I will definitely be going if the public is welcome to attend!

The public is welcome to speak. You actually have 2 opportunities to speak, 1 regarding the agenda items and later for any any topic you think is applicable to MDARD scope, ie backyard chickens for small farm rights!

I'm starting to plan for the 8 hour drive up to the UP. I will probably have to make it a 2 day trip and come up the night before the meeting.

 

[Juise]

Hi all.

Hope everyone is doing okay. Things are crazy here as per usual. Does such a thing as "caught up" actually exist!?

I've got a chickenwire fence to get up with a quickness, had an angry call from the neighbors to the south yesterday. She was... super nice about it. Wait, no, she was really rude and I was really irritated because I went out of my way to get ahold of her last year when I noticed the chickens starting to wander into the woods that separate our houses. No, the rooster didn't bother her, no, she didn't even know we had chickens. I asked her to please let me know if there were ever any issues. Well, apparently she waited until she was good and ****** off about them "constantly" (totally not true) in their yard, messing things up, and the rooster never stopping crowing.

Wish she'd called me when it started to be an issue.


I also had either the rooster or something else get ahold of one of my hens yesterday. I'm going to head out to pick something up relatively soon, but if anyone has any thoughts on it, I would appreciate your input. Hen's Head / Neck Torn Up

 

[Amy PT]

I noticed that one of ours had the start of it, but it looks like I caught it in time. I had good success with soaking her feet and the little scab and plug can right off, instead of having to take extreme measures and cut into the foot. I think in the summers I will start doing a double bucket washing session with my three adult cochins once a month. It goes pretty quick to put warm Dawn soapy water in the first and then rinse them off in a second bucket. MUCH better than trying to bring them inside and in the kitchen sinks... I also started giving them a drop of Frontline once a month at the same time I do our collie. Our dog is at the bottom of the weight limit for her dosage, so I figure she can spare a bit to the chickens before I give the rest to her.

Amy - what kinds of birds do you have? I meant to talk to you more at CS but the rest of the fam were already in the car waiting and I was about to die from heat stroke so I ran off.

We have a silver laced wyandotte and a black australorp. We also have bantam pullets: a d'uccle and a silkie. The big girls have the scabs. Are you using the Dawn soak as prevention or as treatment? I'm going to do an Epsom salts soak this afternoon, and hope that we won't have to do any cutting. CS was nice, but overwhelming for a bunch of introverts. So, right back at you on the meaning to talk more.

So... bumblefoot. Do you all eat the eggs from the birds? What precautions do you take in the coop/run to help curb environmental factors? Should I completely clean out the coop with disinfectant?

We had an easy first year of chicken keeping. With this and our cross beak (who died not too long ago), this stuff is getting real. Still, we're not hipsters who will be turning our birds over to local shelters...