Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

Apparently we are not going to be allowed to raise our own food, maybe so that we can support the international farming industrial machine

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/09-3

Egads...
Yep. All the more reason that I will continue to hunt for my red meat (haven't purchased beef in 5 years) & more incentive to get back shed in shape for my own meat birds next season....

 

[Farmerboy16]

To actually test for whether they are pregnant or not, you can send off a blood sample to Biotracking. They can also test for CAE, btw, so it is a good way to tell if your herd is clear or not. I draw my own blood, personally, so I don't need a vet for that.

To tell how far along they are, well, that is a lot trickier. The only way to know for sure is a vet doing an ultrasound.

The larger tummies might not be a sign of them being pregnant at all. You own cows, so you know how rumens work. Sometimes when a goat fills up on a lot of browse and hay, their rumens are nice and round. Not bloated, since everything is normal.

If it were me, I'd actually be drying up the Saanan now. Her body condition is rather poor, she's on the thinner side. Heavy milkers like her put all they eat into the milk bucket. Giving her time to be dry and put some weight back on for a healthy pregnancy and new lactaction cycle. Drying up 2-3 months into their pregnancy isn't enough to really help them put that weight back on, when they start out thin.

I plan to draw blood myself, and have them be tested for CAE too. Where on them do I draw blood from? At the base of their tail underneath? I know that their rumens are on their left side, and the babies tend to be on the right side, and the right side is what I am watching out for, same with cows. Right?

The Saanan actually looks better than when I first got her. I have been giving her barley fodder everyday and apples too. Even with that, I think that she has been giving less milk each day, so she might be drying herself off slowly.

 

[RaZ]

Let's play "Name That Bird".
Who has white ringed eyes and a white "Mohawk"?
a) Cuckoo Marans
b) Araucana

Who has dark eye stripes and a pale face?
a) Cuckoo Marans
b) Araucana

Perhaps some photos will help with this quiz...

 

[Candy442]

Couldn't have said it better myself!

I never would've imagined that I would treat my chickens as pets ... People tease me at work on how I spoil them, worry about them etc. I am sooooo happy that they now have triple the space in the run, where they are stuck all day while I am at work....

I love & spoil ALL my pets...which the 4, er, I mean 14, chickens!!
(& REALLY love my fresh eggs....which I have converted quite a few people at work to! Hard to keep up with demand).

Ok. So. For the second time I got the silliest TINY egg...it was 25g! Smaller than any pullet egg. Had one a month or so ago that was even smaller..like a 1/2" diameter orb! Silly girls....

Precious, we are getting those cute little tiny eggs from the girls we got from Jake. I cant believe how little they are! In my avatar, the egg in the middle is between what I would call two ALMOST large size eggs

We don't have a scale to weigh it, but they are so cute I am not sure I want to cook them!

This could cause a debate. But the "worry' should be the same for any size flock. The key to minimizing your worries is good animal husbandry practices.

Give your birds ample room, fresh water, good food, shelter and reduce predation possibilities as much as feasible.
Some people will vaccinate and use medicated chick feed. Others do not. Some will treat wounds or illness or even take the bird to a vet. Others will cull injured, sick or "defective" birds. Find your comfort level.

The best thing is to keep your flock as stress free as you can manage. Stress in any animal is a bad thing. I think that many people here treat their flocks as much as pets as anything else. Heck, some chickens are eating better than I do.

Don't let the term "backyard" sound like a negative. You can have a city lot or several acres, a backyard can be any place your chickens call home.

Very good advice as usual RaZ....I love my birds so much I make myself worry with the things that can happen to them! Like I just read about Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) which is said to be more of a "backyard" flock problem, but can wreak havoc in any poultry population. There is a vaccine to prevent, but once they get it, they either die or get better. Other types of illness is described as not usually affecting the backyard flock...

We give them fresh water every day, clean their food/water buckets often, they get at least 5 hours of outside free range time, their daily "snack" of scratch and once a week plain organic yogurt. We also put ACV in the water about twice a week. They look fantastic and the eggs are great! I just don't want to worry needlessly. I also have started my fodder planning for winter greens each day to give them extra goodies *with kelp* so they stay fit for the coming year.
I am new to chickens and really take to heart all of the good talk on this thread! I never knew how much I would fall in love with chickens, but I have. They are the best!

 

[Trefoil]

Apparently we are not going to be allowed to raise our own food, maybe so that we can support the international farming industrial machine

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/09-3

I signed the petition, although I think I've signed one like it a couple of weeks ago. Hope it helps

Egads...
Yep. All the more reason that I will continue to hunt for my red meat (haven't purchased beef in 5 years) & more incentive to get back shed in shape for my own meat birds next season....

Thanks to monsanto your deer ect. probably are getting fat on gmo corn & soybeans. I'm surprised that monsanto hasn't yet gone after hunters for unlicensed use of "their" seeds.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hmmm Raz, are you beeing a naughty boy again? Thats a lot of canaries...

 

[RaZ]

Hmmm Raz, are you beeing a naughty boy again? Thats a lot of canaries...

Not me. I'm asking for a friend...

 

[RaZ]

Very good advice as usual RaZ....I love my birds so much I make myself worry with the things that can happen to them! Like I just read about Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) which is said to be more of a "backyard" flock problem, but can wreak havoc in any poultry population. There is a vaccine to prevent, but once they get it, they either die or get better. Other types of illness is described as not usually affecting the backyard flock...

We give them fresh water every day, clean their food/water buckets often, they get at least 5 hours of outside free range time, their daily "snack" of scratch and once a week plain organic yogurt. We also put ACV in the water about twice a week. They look fantastic and the eggs are great! I just don't want to worry needlessly. I also have started my fodder planning for winter greens each day to give them extra goodies *with kelp* so they stay fit for the coming year.
I am new to chickens and really take to heart all of the good talk on this thread! I never knew how much I would fall in love with chickens, but I have. They are the best!

I think that many new chicken keepers can become overwhelmed with all of the "potential" problems that might occur. Especially with the internet research that can be done.
Keep in mind that people have been raising chickens for thousands of years and mostly we have done pretty well with them. And they have done pretty well with our ministrations.

Do your best. Realize that "oops" happens. And know that there are a bunch of people here with lots of experience who will offer help when you need it. Don't worry.

 

[Folly's place]

Hi Candy, did you say three new chickens??? Mary

 

[iamfivewire]

3 new - we will pick them up sun or mon . . . . . . . stay tuned for pictures soon