Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

The first egg from any hen is always a happy event.

Yes it is!

My EE's always took their time to start laying. Congrats.

The NHRs & Red Pullets just started last Saturday at 16 weeks! I wasn't expecting anything for at least a few more weeks.

The FBCMs are ~20 & 23 wks; have had the stress of 3 week quarantine & just being integrated to flock 2 days ago. So was pretty happy to get egg today!

Funny thing was, she laid it right by the water under the deck...it's been so hot, I actually let them out of coop/run so they could hunker down under deck &'in the bushes/dirt. I have never let them free-range unless one of us is home. But even tho run is covered, it simply doesn't give them the airflow that their favorite weeping cherry tree & bushes do.
One of the others did use coop to lay hers today, though....

 

[RaZ]

Once again I have stirred the pot.
http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/...ger-the-criminal-chicken-farmer-episode-166/#

This half-hour show was broadcast today. It is raw and un-edited.

 

[ladyrsanti]

It's good. They started loosing me around the 20 min. mark but you reeled it back in.

 

[RaZ]

It's good. They started loosing me around the 20 min. mark but you reeled it back in.

The first interview was nearly an hour and a half. It was edited down quite a bit for the broadcast (still spot on for content). This follow up interview was raw tape and aired almost immediately.

 

[gigiok]

I wonder how that will work for an 8 hour +/- duration? Don't kids toys with batteries usually turn off after x minutes, so how will it close the door after it opens? Plus the weight of the door has got to pull on the batteries if they are what is going to hold it open all day.

I'd hook up something to 110 house current, or at least a fully charged tractor/car battery.

You don't want them getting locked in the coop all day in this weather, or locked out all night if you fear they will be eaten.

The junkyard antenna and Goodwill powerpacks don't take much time to get and install. If you have power in your coop, or can run an extension cord from the house I would think that would be your safest bet.

I used an "add-a-motor" found on amazon (79.99) to lift a 2 lb, 10X14 piece of white pine that was installed between 2, 2X2 runners. I have the motor plugged into a common light timer that is plugged into an extension cord. It's great. Opens at 7 and closes at 9. Very reliable and the best thing is that I don't have to make sure I'm out opening the coop door at 7 in the morning. Or if DH and I want to go out with friends, I don't have to worry about the chickens roosting in an open coop.

I also used the same motor to lift a hook that holds a door closed in our goat barn. I put a counterweight on the door so when the hook is pulled up, the door swings open. The goats can now go out in the pasture at 7 without waiting for me. Basically, I'm lazy and like to sleep in - lol!

 

[preciouskitty]

Interesting incident about an hour ago.

Birds are out doing their thing. Usually right around 7:30p, about 5 of the 14 decide its time to make a quick trip to the neighbor's raspberry bushes. Tonight 9 of them felt game.

As part of the ritual, I go out & slowly walk across yard to go reel them back into our yard to finish their nightly grazing before heading back to run/coop for the night. DH joined me tonight.
We get over there, Blackie (1 of the EE Roos) is deep into the bushes, rest are fluttering about. We get there attention & not only do THEY exit the bushes but so do TWO RACCOONS!!!!!!!

Both DH & I were like "holy crap". That could have been a disaster.
Anyhoo, I ran to the house to grab the .22 just in case they decided to show their faces again (they were younger ones)...they didn't. But I am sure they will be back, & with friends & family.

Needless to say, the birds are back in the run ..which is fully enclosed with hardware wire along with hardware wire buried 12" down, 12" out, then 12" up again!

They aren't happy to be in an hour early, but until the eradication process is completed, they'll just have to deal with it.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Ugg started looking at my chickens pics when they were babies. Makes me want more chicks. Can someone come over and slap me?

 

[RaZ]

Ugg started looking at my chickens pics when they were babies. Makes me want more chicks. Can someone come over and slap me?

Can do. Will you cover the gas cost?

 

[NovaAman]

LOL

 

[Scifisarah]

Well that is the last time I try to eat yogurt around the chickens. I will often give our chickens some treats on the ground and then sit in a chair in the run and eat my own food. Apparently my greek yogurt was irresistible, resulting in a full on chicken attack, and ultimately Mocha, our serama with the still large crop, flying at me and landing in the yogurt. They enjoyed their greek yogurt with almond crumbles immensely.