Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RTFchickens]

As I mentioned before on this thread that my son was attacked by a dog 10 months ago. Since the dog's owner is admitting fault their liability portion can pay for expenses relating to bite beyond just medical which was only $1,000 guest medical. (Clothes that had to be cut off of him, therapy, etc)
I knew nothing about HOI prior to our experience, but had to learn quickly...
It might at least be worth asking.

 

[chickflick]

Chickens LOVE hostas! I use to have a beautiful border of hostas BEFORE I got chickens. Now... I have sedum which they don't seem to like, thank god. When my chickens were young, I use to have to go to the two houses next to me and rake the mulch back into the flower beds. Seems when they get older, they stick more closely to home

 

[preciouskitty]

Chickens LOVE hostas!   I use to have a beautiful border of hostas  BEFORE I got chickens.   Now... I have sedum which they don't seem to like, thank god.  When my chickens were young, I use to have to go to the two houses next to me and rake the  mulch back into the flower beds.  Seems when they get older, they stick more closely to home

Yep. Spending a lot of time with my rake next door!! Both fixing the garden AND chasing the chickens home.
I knew they loved hostas, cuz they trashed mine..but, I didn't really care.

Brats...I have the best neighbor...so much so, that since she can't have a huge veggie garden due to the wedding next year, I will expand mine so we can share (kinda a mini community garden), & she'll handle herbs, garlic, smaller stuff.
so don't really think she'll turn the girls to soup (she does love them) ...& I do give them free eggs,,,

 

[RTFchickens]

Good neighbors are priceless!!!

 

[preciouskitty]

Good neighbors are priceless!!!

Without a doubt! The other morning (um, Fed gvt shutdown day!) I was leaving at 4:40 am, their garage was open, girls (labs) out on lead...I freaked. None is EVER up at that time...so, I go up, kinda check things out, dogs tangle me in their lead, get back to my car & text them. Drive slowly. About to turn around & go wake up DH (former LE), then got an answer that all was "ok".

We share about 11 acres & are surrounded by woods, corn & pastures...so have to look out for each other!

 

[snowflake]

Is your door full (human) size? I am building a run and included only a human size door, maybe I should put in a chicken door to the yard as well?
That is totally disgusting! Here I eat more chicken thinking its's better for me. Only to find it probably worse.........

So sorry

I had one for my cats on the (indoor) back porch, sadly it did not last 1 season even.

yes it is people size but I have seen birds fly in the poop door when we kept the food inside, spose a hawk could do the same??



sorry about the kitty, hope your little guy isn't taking it to bad

were is the Halloween party? we are going to one at Gun Lake

 

[gaitngirl]

I was looking on Amazon at the heated dog water bowls for the winter for my chickens and ducks, this is my 1st winter and love all the advice on here. They only run between $15 and $25. Does anyone use them and recommend them? Don't look like they would use much energy. Thinking of going to Birch run this weekend for the Fall fowl festival I read about. Has anyone gone to that one? Do they have alot that are for sale? Thanks

I used one for my ducks last year and it worked quite well. Of course, I only had 3 Pekins back then, lol. Now I have 26!!! I will have to pick up a bigger one this year. I used the smaller one (can't remember how many quarts) which will go in the chicken tractor this winter. I will (hopefully) be down to 15 ducks soon so the 5 gallon size should work combined with a rubber bowl and the heated hose for refilling in the mornings. It's hard to say if it made much difference on my electric bill, as I also had the heater for the horses water going part-time (mostly at night), the heated base for the chickens' water, and a new infrared heater for the living room going on, too, so my bill was higher than normal anyway.
With the electric bill, it's odd . . . I've replaced all of the lights with ICFs, started unplugging appliances not in use, made more effort to make sure lights/whatnot not in use are turned off . . . yet my monthly bill is nearly double what it was 2 yrs ago. My summer electric bill is generally around $60 (and that was before I switched all of the lights to ICFs - I did it gradually). Now a 'good' month is $100. I have propane, not natural gas, so that doesn't factor in to the Consumer's bill.

 

[RaZ]

Thinking of going to Birch run this weekend for the Fall fowl festival I read about. Has anyone gone to that one? Do they have alot that are for sale? Thanks

I'm thinking about going. I went last year (I think on Sunday) and most of the birds that I was interested in were already sold.

I might go on Saturday, if my truck is repaired by then and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Trefoil]

Any idea if this would be a homeowners insurance thing? I'm out of my league here, but just curious...

Unless the insurance company was told they had chickens, they will zap her good for it. Evidently chickens are considered livestock. At least on my homeowners. But if their homeowners is charging them for having the chickens I certainly would claim them.

I used one for my ducks last year and it worked quite well. Of course, I only had 3 Pekins back then, lol. Now I have 26!!! I will have to pick up a bigger one this year. I used the smaller one (can't remember how many quarts) which will go in the chicken tractor this winter. I will (hopefully) be down to 15 ducks soon so the 5 gallon size should work combined with a rubber bowl and the heated hose for refilling in the mornings. It's hard to say if it made much difference on my electric bill, as I also had the heater for the horses water going part-time (mostly at night), the heated base for the chickens' water, and a new infrared heater for the living room going on, too, so my bill was higher than normal anyway.
With the electric bill, it's odd . . . I've replaced all of the lights with ICFs, started unplugging appliances not in use, made more effort to make sure lights/whatnot not in use are turned off . . . yet my monthly bill is nearly double what it was 2 yrs ago. My summer electric bill is generally around $60 (and that was before I switched all of the lights to ICFs - I did it gradually). Now a 'good' month is $100. I have propane, not natural gas, so that doesn't factor in to the Consumer's bill.

I also use propane and and found the same thing with my electric bill. I run almost nothing in the summer and the bill is still almost $100. I just can't wait until winter.

 

[Amy PT]

Our 2 bantams are going to school tomorrow to meet our kids' 2nd grade and preschool classes. My 2nd grader is so excited, she wrote out a speech tonight. We brought them to school last year, too. Most of the kids there have never seen a live chicken. It should be a fun day.