Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Candy442]

Ok, I'm going to sound dumb here... but,

What is criminal about butterfly gardening? Isn't that just a flower bed / flower garden?

Or was he breeding in enclosed butterfly houses in front yard, or what?

I'm trying to picture this and I just can't... criminal flower beds... I don't understand. You'd think the city would welcome the flowers & landscaping. Someone please explain this one to me.

I agree Maah,

I am new so I was not able to know the scenario as it occurred. RaZ, can you give a list of things that happened, from the beginning and what was the nuisance? Are there specific laws in GC that state you are not able to have any sort of birds on your property with a breakdown of the types of birds and amounts that are not allowed? If it's time consuming, that's ok I would really like to know what the timeline of events were and how it came to your ridiculous tickets and court appearances?

 

[Maah]

According to the judge, ALL ordinance violations are criminal in nature under the "police powers" of the city.

That kind of defies the legal definition of a criminal act which requires that "harm" be caused to another person. Also defies logic considering that the OO is not a police officer and Constitutional Rights are bypassed.

The sad thing is that this could happen to any one of us. I've drawn the attention (wrath) when I went public with the bully tactics of city employees.

Consider it as a cautionary tale. Or a very bad comedy.

But how are flowers in the front yard an ordinance violation? Or did you have butterfly houses?

Either way... they're trumped up charges and you need a lawyer. IMO. And I agree with trying to get it away from the current jurisdiction.

 

[Scifisarah]

Okay, we may have to resort to mypetchicken.com to get my MIL the start of her flock... Anyone see a problem with either of these two flocks? Would both be pretty good year round layers here in Michigan?

Flock scenario #1:
1 silver cuckoo maran
1 speckled Sussex
1 golden laced Wyandotte
1 light brahma OR 1 buff brahma
1 welsummer

Flock scenario #2:
1 buff orpington
1 blue laced red Wyandotte
1 blue splash maran
1 easter egger
1 black australorp

 

[Maah]

Okay, we may have to resort to mypetchicken.com to get my MIL the start of her flock... Anyone see a problem with either of these two flocks? Would both be pretty good year round layers here in Michigan?

Flock scenario #1:
1 silver cuckoo maran
1 speckled Sussex
1 golden laced Wyandotte
1 light brahma OR 1 buff brahma
1 welsummer

Flock scenario #2:
1 buff orpington
1 blue laced red Wyandotte
1 blue splash maran
1 easter egger
1 black australorp

 

[Scifisarah]

Oh, and what about adding 1 salmon favorelle to flock #2? She wants to keep 4-5 hens, but I told her it might be smart to start with 6 birds in case one dies or ends up being a girly rooster.

 

[RaZ]

I am new so I was not able to know the scenario as it occurred. RaZ, can you give a list of things that happened, from the beginning and what was the nuisance?

My story has been unfolding over a year and a half. It is described at the link in my siggy. There are links to other outlets that picked up the story.

Okay, we may have to resort to mypetchicken.com to get my MIL the start of her flock... Anyone see a problem with either of these two flocks? Would both be pretty good year round layers here in Michigan?

Flock scenario #1:
1 silver cuckoo maran
1 speckled Sussex
1 golden laced Wyandotte
1 light brahma OR 1 buff brahma
1 welsummer

Flock scenario #2:
1 buff orpington
1 blue laced red Wyandotte
1 blue splash maran
1 easter egger
1 black australorp

Since you asked, I'll throw in my 2 cents...
I would recommend a small flock of the same breed to start with. At least no more than 2 breeds. I've noticed that a lone bird or even a pair seem out-of-sorts without a similar friend.
Might I suggest 5-6 buff orpington or 5-6 black sex link (if a roo is forbidden). 5-6 welsummer would be nice as well.

I think that continuity of the flock is better for the chickens and the new owner. Rainbow flocks for rainbow eggs is better once one gains some experience caring for a small flock.

That is how I would do it if I were starting over from scratch. Oh wait, I am starting over again...once I win my appeals.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Just makes me mad, the whole thing. Totally sue 'em. Or what might be better is getting even more publicity out of it. Let the world know how ridiculous these gov't officials are. Shame them. I do, whenever possible but my audience is small.

Raz, please update your story so we can spread it around!

 

[yorkchick]

Okay, we may have to resort to mypetchicken.com to get my MIL the start of her flock... Anyone see a problem with either of these two flocks? Would both be pretty good year round layers here in Michigan?

Flock scenario #1:
1 silver cuckoo maran

1 speckled Sussex

1 golden laced Wyandotte

1 light brahma OR 1 buff brahma

1 welsummer 

Flock scenario #2:
1 buff orpington

1 blue laced red Wyandotte

1 blue splash maran

1 easter egger

1 black australorp

My first chicks were from My Pet Chicken, in 2009, and I was very happy with them. I too got a mix of breeds to start out with. I'm going to put in a plug for something that's not even on your lists, Consider throwing in a Black Sex Link/"Black Star.". I know, I know, hybrid layer, non-heritage breed, how boring. That's what I thought. I thought it would be my least favorite chicken, but a reliable layer.

So I named her Maude, which I felt was a reliable, solid name (also my grandmother's name, as all the chickens were given names of relatives....) Not only did she lay first, lay all winter without extra lighting her first two years with no break at all, but she was sweet and personable and curious and brave. In her second winter, I used to plead with her to take a break. "Maude, it's okay, I don't need an egg every day, please give your body a rest.". And she would look at me with her bright brown eyes and go lay another egg. In the middle of the winter she would actually get down from the roost and into the nest box before the sun came up in the morning and lay an egg in the pitch dark. I have two young nieces who live in Marquette who loooove chickens, and who visited when Maude and the other original chicks were babies. The next time they visited was two years later, and Maude was the only one of the original chickens who would consistently let these very excited girls pick her up and carry her around as much as they wanted--which was a lot! Anyway, I've only had the one, your mileage may vary, yadda yadda. But have to say, when I saw her letting my little nieces haul her around, I told her it didn't matter if she never laid another egg... And truthfully, her egg production was not as good after the first two or three years. Her third winter she finally took a break in laying. And she passed away recently, whereas several of my original heritage-breed birds from 2009 are still laying.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have found my Speckled Sussex to be the friendliest birds I have owned, followed by the Basques.

Raz, have you contacted the ACLU? Seems like all this bullying and misuse of public powers qualifies for some assistance - we do have RIGHTS in this country, and having non-criminal acts charged as criminal is - well - a CRIME.

 

[Scifisarah]

My story has been unfolding over a year and a half. It is described at the link in my siggy. There are links to other outlets that picked up the story.
Since you asked, I'll throw in my 2 cents...
I would recommend a small flock of the same breed to start with. At least no more than 2 breeds. I've noticed that a lone bird or even a pair seem out-of-sorts without a similar friend.
Might I suggest 5-6 buff orpington or 5-6 black sex link (if a roo is forbidden). 5-6 welsummer would be nice as well.

I think that continuity of the flock is better for the chickens and the new owner. Rainbow flocks for rainbow eggs is better once one gains some experience caring for a small flock.

That is how I would do it if I were starting over from scratch. Oh wait, I am starting over again...once I win my appeals.

You win, they want 5 Buff Orpingtons, so they are ordering 10 (can get either 5 or 10) from Cackle Hatchery and well be selling the extra pullets and giving away any that turn out to be roosters. Think she'll have any trouble selling the pullets in a month or two? I didn't think so since I see lots of people looking for pullets. I like having a mixture, but I guess the way to go with that would be all different colors of the same breed then. I've really only ever kept bantam cochins, silkies, Amercaunas, and seramas, so I certainly don't know a lot about how layer temperments differ. I'm thinking about ordering her a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens so she has all the basic info on her hands and then calls me when she can't figure something out from that.