Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Lisa and girls]

It's fun to figure things out like that.

 
We had 3 d'uccles this spring.  We had Ruby, and 2 porcelains. When I bought the porcelains, I thought they were bantam cochins.  Then I noticed how they held their wings and tails.  Hmmm... those cochins aren't cochins...  One was a roo, and the other had a cross beak.  Hers was pretty severe, and she didn't make it.  She had the biggest personality!  Your little lady seems to be managing well.

She is. It's more like she hit a brick wall and it sent her beak sideways a bit. She's the sweetest little chicken you would ever meet though.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

My Rouen hatched a Khaki Campbell for me sometime last night!!! I awoke to 2 d'lings, and I think I just saw a 3rd. Mom is very irritated with me, so I will have to check back with real numbers later . So excited, had to share.

I must brag here. The hugel beds I made with all my duck pen messes? The most awesome pumpkins I've ever grown:

Now I need to ask for help. What's on my Oak Tree and how do I help it?

 

[NovaAman]

Something decided that getting in to the phoenix coop would be for a nice snack last night. I am surprised I didn't notice this when I let them out after the rains quit this after noon. Then again, I would have had to look up, and I was too busy looking down at the birds. Anyway, I am SOOOOO freaking glad that I built this the way I did. That fencing works great. LOL. Anyway, Yeah. Guess it figured since it couldn't get in from the bottom, it'd try from the top. SYKE! LOL

Yes, that totally made my night after having to cull one of the sisters. I hate culling birds. I am going to try hypericum for them. I will let you know how it goes. I had to cull the one sister because Blueberry decided to attack her... I couldn't put her in the garage, I have new hatchlings in there and a momma on eggs in the rabbit cage... Anyway, it was for the best. She was starting to have the splits.

On another note. Took the boys to the processor for Friday. Froze one last night after resting and put two in the slow cooker. These guys were little! I cooked them for 6 hours, only because I am an idiot, and totally forgot about dr. appt today. Oh well. The meat totally fell off the bones, and I had a devil of a time getting the fat to skim off the stock. Wanted the stock to make soup. SO... ended up with chicken that was falling apart, the meat I mean... got like I had shredded it, and it was so tender, yum. BUT those boys were the greasiest boys I have ever had. I couldn't believe how much fat there was, trying to skim the stock. I finally gave up. The soup by the way, was super yummy. There is something to be said for butchering dp cockerels at 16 weeks. The meat was so much more tasty that the 20 week boys I did last year, even if they were smaller.

 

[NovaAman]

That blue bird is AMAZING!
Growing old is definitely not for the feint of heart. Nor is taking naps on on hard plastic airport seats. My hips are KILLING me, protesting that I coukd do such a thing. Listen, hips, mama was tired, and my flight doesnt leave for home until 8:30.

On a separate note, it looks like my flock may quickly grow from 56 to 76. The same family who couldn't afford and brought iver 11 birds, went and got 20 RIRs. Now, it appears they are being evicted and moving a good distance away, so we may have another batch living at our place, at least for a while. Told my hubby, though, if it isnt tempirary, we are processing them. I will likely keep1 roo and a couole hens just for true breeds, but we just dont have the room for that many birds.

Ever, how old are they? Got a friend up here who is seriously considering a few laying hens. I'd like RIRs, but I am thinking that unless they were already vac, I best not bring any here. I am going to have to see about starter pullets next year that are vaccinated. Most of my girls right now are going on 2. There are only 9 pullets added this year from what I my girls hatch. That's not bad odds that. 9 pullets and 6 cockerels. Just glad that the 3 silkie mutts all turned out to be girls. LOL. Roger Jr was rather active prior to going to a new home to continue his silkie line. LOL.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

. ... put two in the slow cooker. ...

I always toss my carcasses in the crockpot overnight for stock. It is so much better than any store bought, plus it's practically free. I usually strain mine 2x, (once thru plain strainer, once thru a coffee filter or doubled up Bounty) so its basically clarified by the time I freeze it. I guess it could be pressure canned if one was so inclined. (I was given an antique conical shaped sieve with a stand, looks sort of contraption ish, but I figured I'll use that next time.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I lost my little one this morning. I even had bought some tylan last evening and treated her, i thought she was doing better because she was breathing quieter. I still don't know but i strongly think it was a heart murmur. I searched and there were 4 possibilities but her poops were normal and no one else has gotten anything.
I think she must've been the one i helped out of the egg. I don't regret it though i gave her 6 weeks of happiness and loves. She even stole banana from her brother the night before so i know she was happy.


The symptoms were I had to hatch her out of the shell; then she was slower than the other to everything. The last couple weeks she had a crinkle sound that turned into a clicking. I looked up the possibilities and one that popped up was heart issues, written by dawg to someone with a situation the same way. I looked into pneumonia and a few others but no one else has issues and her poops were normal up to the end.

 

[EverMystique1]

I believe they are about 20 weeks old. I have not heard anything definitive yet in regards to if we will be homing, or temp homing, for them. PM me so that I don't firget who was looking, and I will pass word when I know more.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I'm sorry Fuzzy.

 

[Opa]

Sitting here drinking coffee and considering how early I should wake Hope and Granny. We're going to an area lake to wash some worms and hopefully our efforts will be rewarded with enough bluegills to provide a meal. Doesn't really matter as long as we get out of the house for a few hours.

Removing fat from chicken stock is really quite easy if you aren't in a hurry. Place in the the refrigerator overnight. The fat will congeal on the top and can be easily removed. Sometimes if the stock is thick I will add a little more water so that there is more liquid for the solids to separate in.

 

[uchytil]

I am up to my ears in firewood. Actually more than that...85 feet along the fence is stacked 6 feet high. Not to mention the 100 feet at the back fence that is 4 foot high.

Then there is the silver maple and white ash still in the driveway that I am cutting and splitting. Plus I have a ton of fruit woods for my smoker; cherry, apple and mulberry. Plus some very nice hickory.

If that's 4 wide you have about 26 cord? Out here everyone has outdoor furnaces but they want it delivered split? I calculated what they pay and they are not saving much over burning propane. The people that own a saw, a splitter, and some back muscles can make burning wood work cost wise. Right now there's a glut of wood available beacuse the power company is on a rampage clearing power lines and leaving behind wood. People stop and take it even when it's on someones property (right of way you know). I don't want the stuff I cut because I only burn wood for maple syrup in the spring and smoke meat with cherry, apple, oak, and sassafrass. All the other stuff needs to get gone. I get creative and line trails with logs and make play toys for the goats but there is a point where too much is too much. I did just take a maple log about 16' dia. and 8 feet long and make a bench because my wife thought it'd be purty, lol!