Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

Blueberry jam.... mmmmm.... Wanna take my boys to the one here in Holland on James Street. They've got blueberry donuts... Not sure I can handle them though. Had another blasted gall bladded attack last night. Ugh. I think I scared the crap out of John. LOL SO, there was a silver lining to that. HEHE

Anyway...I have a new broody duo... Hawkarella and Ekta... Hawk is new to the brooding thing. LOL Ekta hasn't quit, but she sure does eat, so her weight is staying good.

Yes, that is a full size hen on top of a serema hen. The last time, it was a bantam cochin (Skeeter) with Ekta under her.

And my pin cushion... AKA raccoon attack victim. It's been 4 weeks today. The places where it is just pink skin is where all new skin grew. It is starting to look less like tissue paper and more like chicken skin. Her muffs and beard are still messed up... She's come along really well. She's now also picked on too, those birds out in the back think her pins are for there personal amusement and try and peck her. She's hangs out in the garage. Here damaged wing sits lower now too, but she's able to use it quite well to get up on the roost and shelves the chickens like in the garage.

Toss an apron on her or use some blue kote to cover her exposed skin and (pin) blood feathers.. they'll just keep picking her bald and causeing stress.

 

[NovaAman]

She's a smart cookie. She's staying in the garage, hides under the self behind the broodies there. AND if any of the birds get to close to the broody nest, they've got two very pithed off egg setters making the sounds of death at them. Smart cookie. Using evil broodies as body guards. The garage chickens don't mess with her at all. BUT, I do have blue cote, and I think she'll look nice purple. I thought about the apron too, but the skin under her wing is still very tender and new.

 

[iamfivewire]

Hawkarella - what a cool name

 

[NovaAman]

My then 6 yr old named her. Said she looked like a hawk as a chick.

 

[Candy442]

Blueberry jam.... mmmmm.... Wanna take my boys to the one here in Holland on James Street. They've got blueberry donuts... Not sure I can handle them though. Had another blasted gall bladded attack last night. Ugh. I think I scared the crap out of John. LOL SO, there was a silver lining to that. HEHE

Not fun with the gall bladder attacks...hope they stop before you get one of those blasted stones stuck like happened to me a few years ago. Have to say, the best thing to ever happen to me was getting that gall bladder taken out. Had to or it would have gotten infected. I let one of those "attacks" go for over 24 hours before turning yellow from jaundice.
I will never forget that pain and never will have to feel it again.

 

[Lisa and girls]

I don't know what made me recall this, maybe because she tripped over her oatmeal bowl today. But one of my blrw when she was a month old or so when I got her, I couldn't figure out why she was always crusty. Then I caught her one time when I brought them oatmeal, she was rolling in it! Silly girl was trying to take oatmeal baths. Still makes me laugh.

 

[paintwife]

I'm loving all your "how I got into chicken" stories! What's funny to me is, that all of you, are the reason I'm getting chickens. I had a half a dozen Golden Comets about 30 years ago. Kept them in a very plain old functional coop and was rewarded with an abundance of eggs.
Recently my husband (whom I didn't have 30 years ago) was commenting on the amazing differences between farm fresh and store bought eggs. I told him we could get a few hens but for the amount of eggs we eat, we should just keep buying them from the local farmer as it's much cheaper. He said we should think about keeping our own. I began looking for coop plans. Ended up on BYC and discovered the CUTEST coops! OK so now that I can have an adorable coop and get all kinds of pretty birds I'm in ~ only this time with a flourish.
Originally planned on getting 3 pullets but with a new to me term, chicken math I might as well start with 6. So far my coop is turning out so sweet.

I'm learning about DLM, PDZ and poop boards, all new to me, and loving it! Looking forward to learning and sharing and gathering my (probably averaging $67.50 a dozen eggs lol)

 

[Trefoil]

While we are sharing pictures of the "boys", here is our one cockerel named TwoTone. I thought he was a she until last couple of weeks. He was in the Easter Egger pullet bin!

As a baby, he was two sides of different, one dark, the other light which made him interesting to me. Our only boy, he "peeps" still at 17 weeks, but yesterday he was off by himself practicing his "strut". I wish I had a video of it, so funny. AND he did his first "rooster" thing and chased off a baby rabbit near his "girls". He has a very sweet disposition. The Reds still throw him a warning peck ever so often and he runs to the two EE pullets for buddy protection! The pictures were taken last week at 16 weeks old.



TwoTone's left side

and below his right side

His beard has black and white in it too, so far he is wonderful and glad to have him. His tail has dark green shine in the black feathers. It would be nice if he continues to "peep" but we are out in the country and no problem having a noisy rooster...heck, my "reds" are pretty noisy!

He's beautiful, I hope you get at least a couple of chicks that look like him.

My morning harvest

New roo from Jake Levi, thank you so much, he has been laying on my dd lap for about 20 minute. he looked so comfy.. loves his chest rubbed.. he is pretty friendly..

picture of my back garden, i harvest kale,cabbage,broccoli,chard, leaves every day for my babies..

another view, notice the woods all around me.. last fall in that far corner there was 3 does bedding back there behind the pine tree


Click on the pictures for better view

Your garden,, and rooster are great.

I don't know what made me recall this, maybe because she tripped over her oatmeal bowl today. But one of my blrw when she was a month old or so when I got her, I couldn't figure out why she was always crusty. Then I caught her one time when I brought them oatmeal, she was rolling in it! Silly girl was trying to take oatmeal baths. Still makes me laugh.

Thanks everybody for the pictures, I love seeing everyone's beautiful babies.

 

[Scifisarah]

I've been busy since my husband pulled BOTH hamstrings trying to waterski two weekends ago, so haven't been at the thread and can't possibly catch up. He is finally able to get up more the past day so I am hopeful he is getting a bit better.

My mother in law has finally decided to take the plunge into chickens and is looking to me heavily for advice. She is hoping to get 4-5 laying hens that are calm, kid-friendly, fairly quiet and handle our cold Michigan winter weather. I was wondering if any of you could suggest some different breeds that would accomplish that, and give her a variety of colors of large sized eggs - blue, brown, dark brown, pink, white etc. Do yours still lay in the winter? Since I only have kept cochins, seramas and silkies I don't know a lot about the more "productive" breeds.

I may end up putting together another tractor, if our current one works well, and get some "real" chickens next year. My husband would be ecstatic if we had eggs for eating instead of incubating.

 

[Maah]

I've been busy since my husband pulled BOTH hamstrings trying to waterski two weekends ago, so haven't been at the thread and can't possibly catch up. He is finally able to get up more the past day so I am hopeful he is getting a bit better.

My mother in law has finally decided to take the plunge into chickens and is looking to me heavily for advice. She is hoping to get 4-5 laying hens that are calm, kid-friendly, fairly quiet and handle our cold Michigan winter weather. I was wondering if any of you could suggest some different breeds that would accomplish that, and give her a variety of colors of large sized eggs - blue, brown, dark brown, pink, white etc. Do yours still lay in the winter? Since I only have kept cochins, seramas and silkies I don't know a lot about the more "productive" breeds.

I may end up putting together another tractor, if our current one works well, and get some "real" chickens next year. My husband would be ecstatic if we had eggs for eating instead of incubating.

Anybody feel free to correct me or add opinions.

I'm going to just list some off Townline Hatchery's page, though for a very dark egg layer, you can't beat the Marans (not offered by Townline). Townline's selections tend to handle cold weather just fine. My girls lay through the winter... the newbies always laid better than the year olds or two year olds.

The Brahma hens are about the calmest I have. They're quiet, but like to chat and tell me stories when I come out to the coop. I think it's funny.

My Australorps (though I think 1 is actually a Jersey Giant) lay an almost pinkish colored egg (another shade of brown really), and have been good broody's.

For the blue/green eggs, get your basic Easter Egger (Townline calls them the Ameraucana Strain).

I've had both the Silver laced & Golden Laced Wyandottes... They seem to have a lighter brown, almost peach/tan colored egg that looks nice in a multiple color egg basket.

My Barred Rock hens, during their first year, seem to have a relatively dark brown egg, though they do lighten with age. Our current Barred Rock seems to take "the egg song" to the extreme. She's very proud of the eggs. She serenades each lady on the nest box & must announce when EVERYBODY lays an egg, and for herself... she likes to give a prelude as well. She's an "egg song" instigator and tends to raise the egg excitement with the other chickens. LOL. It's quite funny actually.

For production, it's hard to beat the California Grey Leghorn. They lay often, the white eggs look just as beautiful in a carton next to multiple other colors (especially in contrast to the Marans dark browns), and their feed to egg ratio is the best.
Also good for production are the Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, ISA Browns, and Amber Link. They'll all lay consistently with relatively similar brown shades.

I've never had the Orpingtons (I'm not sure why, I've always wanted to), or the black sex links. I think they were on my list to try this year, but the "chicken math" had the coop full before I could. LOL. Maybe next year.

If your MIL wants a colorful egg basket with only 4-5 cold hardy hens, and easy/cheap to get by going to Townline... She should pick the California Grey (White) Leghorn, Easter Egger, Australorp, Wyandotte, Any 1 of the regular brown egg layer (RIR, NH, ISA, AL, BSL), and if you can convince her of 6... find her a Marans. This would make a good starter flock. Although this is just my 2 cents & probably not even worth that much. There are a TON of correct answers here.