Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Totalcolour]

to totalcolor : i work at a pharmacy - maybe i can get the manager to get us one of them signs
:- )

I'll take a pic of it next time I'm there and post it. Wouldn't be hard to change the destination!

 

[RaZ]

You can already see some of the barring/cuckoo pattern coming in on the marans chick. Your friend will have a good time with that marans if mine is any kind of example of typical behavior. Mine gets out of the run every day and forages around in the tall grass. I ran out of netting to keep her in and left a spot about 2ft wide and she found it within 2 days and continues to escape.

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

Who has dark eye stripes and a pale face?
b) Araucana
Thanks for that info. My friend sometimes has difficulty in identifying young birds.

 

[Totalcolour]

You can already see some of the barring/cuckoo pattern coming in on the marans chick. Your friend will have a good time with that marans if mine is any kind of example of typical behavior. Mine gets out of the run every day and forages around in the tall grass. I ran out of netting to keep her in and left a spot about 2ft wide and she found it within 2 days and continues to escape.

I just got in from "herding" the Marans pullet (in this case, blue) back into the pasture. One tiny gap, and they find it! It's her first escape - usually it's the Ameraucanas that go, but then they just fly over the top (and they come back on their own).

 

[chickwhispers]

Speaking of losses, there is another potential to losing your chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats or other small livestock.

http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c9b2937d5c9adfe92dcf29812&id=df03573f7d&e=3df621088f

Amazing, what will they come up with next?!? I really hope that doesn't happen.

 

[chickwhispers]

Thanks for all the good wishes. I'm hoping like crazy to find my missing chickens when I get home from work.
On a related note, I've decided I need an electric component on my fence. The dogs across the way have a record of getting loose and attacking things (in fact they are only fenced now because they attacked a bike rider). However, that's just bad training and dogs being dogs. It's up to me to protect my pets, even if other people are not making theirs behave well. (Especially if others are not making theirs behave well.)
SO.
What do I need? Anyone written a guide on adding an electric fence? Currently I have them in a pen made of 2x4 posts with 5 ft welded wire attached. We don't have it buried as we close them all in the coop over night and it has a floor. Do I need to put in a second fence outside of the wire? Or can I somehow attach it to the current fence? (Or would that make the whole thing live?) Electricity is NOT my forte... (Now if you need help with Microsoft Office, I'm your gal...)
If anyone can recommend a decent how to, I'd really appreciate it.

I thought about you and your girls, wondered how things are? hope they are back by now. I am thinking my "Fort Knox" may need electrical reinforcement as well. I don't know how difficult it is to put on though.

 

[Trefoil]

I'm beginning to think neighbours should be electrified, not their pets.

That's why you don't mark your fence, its a twofer.

Thanks for all the good wishes. I'm hoping like crazy to find my missing chickens when I get home from work.
On a related note, I've decided I need an electric component on my fence. The dogs across the way have a record of getting loose and attacking things (in fact they are only fenced now because they attacked a bike rider). However, that's just bad training and dogs being dogs. It's up to me to protect my pets, even if other people are not making theirs behave well. (Especially if others are not making theirs behave well.)
SO.
What do I need? Anyone written a guide on adding an electric fence? Currently I have them in a pen made of 2x4 posts with 5 ft welded wire attached. We don't have it buried as we close them all in the coop over night and it has a floor. Do I need to put in a second fence outside of the wire? Or can I somehow attach it to the current fence? (Or would that make the whole thing live?) Electricity is NOT my forte... (Now if you need help with Microsoft Office, I'm your gal...)
If anyone can recommend a decent how to, I'd really appreciate it.

I hope your chickens came home. If you do a search, there are several complete "manuals". I get most of my fence supplies from TSC. They have the short poles with a stake at the end and insulators already installed. I was there today and they are guaranteed for 10 years, I didn't look at the price but they are usually around $2@. With them you don't have to buy insulators separately. You want (usually)3 grounding rods 8' copper ( I got the last one at menards cause they were $3. cheaper than tsc).
The electric fence can't touch anything that conducts electricity ( your other fence) or that would otherwise ground it. It would short out your fence.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/search/electric-fence-step-in-posts
above should be a link to the posts I use

 

[EverMystique1]

My son went to feed the birds today, comes back in and says Mom, where are they? As we were lwavinf, I pointed to the sky, where about 20 hawks were circlibg. They are in hiding, dude.

 

[snowflake]

Went out this morning and saw something big swimming in the pond, thought it was my muskovy(he gets out of the pen at nite all the time), but it was a deer,1st I've ever seen 1 swimming. It stood maybe a ft into the water for about half hr, so I thought maybe it got stuck in the mud and I went out there and as i got about 30yds away, it finally took off tryin to run but limping very badly, looked like back rite leg was giving way real bad. Haven't seen her since, but sad when I can't help out a hurt animal.

On another note, I was talking to a lady today that vaccinates her chicks. Being still new with chickens, is this something your suppose to do? And if it is, where's the best place to learn how and what? Thank you

you can vaccinate for Mareks,cocci and several respiratory ailments. it usually needs to be done before they are exposed to other chickens or even the ground, Once you have something like Mareks in your flock you will wish you had vac. as it can wipe out 50 to 70% of your flock. That said many people do not vaccinate, and are fine, most chicken diseases are presentt every ware and can be carried by wild birds and other animals, many chickens develop an immunity and are OK, it is a personal choice. I had Mareks and now buy only vaccinated chicks. you can vaccinate your own, meds are not to costly but post and handling are a lot as they send ice paced and next day.

Thanks for all the good wishes. I'm hoping like crazy to find my missing chickens when I get home from work.
On a related note, I've decided I need an electric component on my fence. The dogs across the way have a record of getting loose and attacking things (in fact they are only fenced now because they attacked a bike rider). However, that's just bad training and dogs being dogs. It's up to me to protect my pets, even if other people are not making theirs behave well. (Especially if others are not making theirs behave well.)
SO.
What do I need? Anyone written a guide on adding an electric fence? Currently I have them in a pen made of 2x4 posts with 5 ft welded wire attached. We don't have it buried as we close them all in the coop over night and it has a floor. Do I need to put in a second fence outside of the wire? Or can I somehow attach it to the current fence? (Or would that make the whole thing live?) Electricity is NOT my forte... (Now if you need help with Microsoft Office, I'm your gal...)
If anyone can recommend a decent how to, I'd really appreciate it.

we just put up an electric wire, not as hard as I thought, kind of scary if like me you know nothing about electricity except it is dangerous, we put up 1 strand about 12" off the ground, as most animals lead with their nose, ...Find some one at TSC that has done one himself, they are the most helpful, got wrong info from 1 that hadn't done it before,

My son went to feed the birds today, comes back in and says Mom, where are they? As we were lwavinf, I pointed to the sky, where about 20 hawks were circlibg. They are in hiding, dude.

....could have been vultures if there were that many...,hens don't know the difference, good thing to always hide if you are a chicken

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well I heard good news this morning! Just went out and opened the door between the breeding coop (they are still roosting and laying in that) to the floor of the large coop surrounding it.

Came back in to sit here and I hear Buddy Boy crow twice!!!!!! This is his first crow since the hawk took his Purby Hen from us. Well took her life.... the carcus I rescued and it is in the crock pot right now! But am so glad he is crowing again!

Worked on coop yest and will try and upload the photos later as Photo bucket won't load right now for me.

They are finally coming out of the little coop and exploring changes I made to the coop around the coop LOL. Store bought coop is 1/6 size of larger coop. Plenty big for the two birds!

 

[Stacykins]

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

Who has dark eye stripes and a pale face?
b) Araucana
Thanks for that info. My friend sometimes has difficulty in identifying young birds.

Is it a purebred Araucana or a hatchery Easter Egger?