Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Several years ago while shopping at Cabela's I found a pair of polar fleece lined denim pants. As we were leaving the store my best friend started harassing me about buying "old man pants", claiming that they were something old guys would buy to stay warm. When I ask if they were for old guys why didn't he buy some he replied that he could find any that would fit an old fat guy.

Well tomorrow I will definitely be wearing my old man pants. The boat is hooked to my truck and David will be here at 6am tomorrow and we are heading for Lyons to fish a stretch of the Grand River we have never been on. Looking at an aerial map show miles of river with no houses that certainly looks promising. I'm hoping that we can find some steelhead. It may be a little early but the trip won't be wasted even if we don't find fish. At the very least we will know what to except if we decide to fish that stretch later in the year and more importantly any day I get to spent with one of my sons away from a work situation is a day to cherish.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Have a good time Opa.

 

[ladyrsanti]

I don't want to start a debate or argument on deep litter or how it is supposed to provide extra heat. The science behind composting just doesn't support that idea. For good composting action, you need a good mix of brown and green material along with moisture. "Optimum moisture content for compost is 40-60%, damp enough so that a handful feels moist to the touch, but dry enough that a hard squeeze produces no more than a drop or two of liquid." [source: Cornell University] That is too much moisture in a coop, especially in winter.

The other issue is that mix of brown and green material. Coop litter is nearly 100% brown with the only green being the chicken poop. The ratio is too far off.

The benefit of DLM is that the coop requires far less cleaning. A light fluffing once a week is usually enough. And if it is deep enough (10-12"), the chickens have something to scratch in if they are cooped up a lot during the winter.

The drawback of DLM is that when you actually do the deep clean, there is a ton of material to move. I removed all my coop DLM in the spring and composted it after running it through a 10:1 shredder. I still had a pile that was 5 feet by 5 feet and 4 feet tall. Because it is mostly pine shavings (brown) it is slow to compost. I think I could have left it in the coop for another year and been good.

It's been said here before, we ask and answer questions as best we can. We also have different experience levels and can always learn something new. What works for one may not work for another. Same goes for keeping chickens in the UP versus keeping them down south...different techniques. Keep your chickens safe and healthy to the best of your ability and comfort level.

Last year my deep litter was composting just fine in the coop. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand that's why I'm building a new coop! Heheh.

 

[tdhenson86]

Have a good time Opa.

X2!!! Don't overwork that shoulder, but have a great time!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well, woke up to snow this morning so even though it all melted during day still icy rain coming down most of the day. Had to call a neighbor/contractor to come look and work up an estimate to help get the monitor window across the top peak between the roof parts installed before weather gets any worse. It is only covered now by a tacked up piece of frost blanket hanging down.

I tried to lift up the screendoor with full window up to fit but there is no way I can do it. So he is coming tomorrow to assess and figure things out for me. Then I will have to work something to pay him in parts. Really can't afford to but something has to give. It has to be in so I can monitor the ventilation and keep wind and snow as well as rain from blowing in the top right toward the roost.

Already know what I will do different if and when I try to build another coop.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Thanks to those who posted about the deer. The people in front of us it him, I hadn't hit him. Called some one to come shoot him, he was suffering bad. Before the man could get there, I guess the deer was attacked by a predator. Hope the deer didn't suffer to much from what ever killed him

 

[shelby chick]

have 8 hens i am north of sterling hgts east of pontiac

 

[NovaAman]

Even though snow hit the ground here, stuck around, and caused power outages and tree damage, there was a bright spot.

 

[Amy PT]

Beautiful, Nova!

Does anyone here have experience with Lucky Pickens farm in Arkansas? She has a huge variety of bantam cochins, and ships fertile eggs. I think we'd like to try our silkie as a mama in the spring.

 

[SillyChicken]

Thanks to those who posted about the deer. The people in front of us it him, I hadn't hit him. Called some one to come shoot him, he was suffering bad. Before the man could get there, I guess the deer was attacked by a predator. Hope the deer didn't suffer to much from what ever killed him

Hope the someone called was a cop... it's illegal for anyone else to dispatch a deer along the roadside.. poor deer. so hard to watch them suffer.