Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[chickwhispers]

I'm thinking the same.

My plan is to use plexiglass w/Velcro for my 2 small windows that are roost level. The eave spaces are open & I am gonna leave them that way. Have plexiglass for front top window just for those evil cold days, but it faces south, so prob won't have to use it often. Then plan to wrap pen & uncovered pen in clear 8mil plastic. I think this should provide enough ventilation & light, yet keep them protected from drafts & keep the mega snow out of run.

Would love any other ideas, constructive criticism, etc!

My house blocks the west side of coop...(Spaz just LOVES getting on peak of roof

)

Today was a great day on the river even though we didn't get any fish. The water level was extremely low and would be nigh on impossible to navigate with anything other than a jet boat. Water flow was minimal so the lures didn't have much action. We did have a moment of excitement when we hook one large fish but it was off before we could get the rod out of the rod holder. Still I was a nice stretch of river with only a few small cottages to detract from the view. We had just about every type of weather imaginable, sun, clouds, rain, sleet, snow, wind, but still was an enjoyable day.

Snow load is something that definitely needs to be considered when building a run. A good friend lost his entire flock when the snow that accumulated on the plastic 1" mesh that that covered his run sagged enough to suffocate his birds. You wouldn't think that snow would accumulate on 1" mesh but it will. He was so disheartened that he gave me all of the very costly mesh.

When I constructed my run I didn't want a repeat of his tragedy to my 16'x16' run has 16 rafters terminating on a single center pole. I have had snow accumulations of over 2' without any problems.

Some really nice coops and runs! Great job on both!

 

[chickwhispers]

I'm still working on my Fort Knox like run. trying to finish in the next week. Coop is done. Luckily there was a shed on the property that was built in the 70's and the owner used it to keep chickens. He built it like a post and beam old barn. It's pretty cool. it's 13 x 9. I need to paint it and since chicken math set in I need to move back one of the inside dividers I put up. but maybe next spring. I just let them have the whole thing pretty much right now. I also need to paint, again next spring. I do however want to put a poop board in under their roosts, and I have a silly question, what is a rabbit tray?

 

[RTFchickens]

I know this is like trying to sell fish to a fisherman, but does anyone know of where to sell eggs in Ottawa county? My girls are laying almost 2 dozen a day right now! DH just came back from being up north and brought home 17 dozen eggs!!! At most I can sell a dozen a day to people at my job, but with my girls laying so many I'm not sure what to do with them all. I will be making eggs for breakfast for sure ;-)

 

[Totalcolour]

I do however want to put a poop board in under their roosts, and I have a silly question, what is a rabbit tray?

It's the slideout pan that goes under a rabbit cage - just slides out for easy cleaning. We use them for the chicken "quarantine" cages too - pull em out and hose them down. Fast, easy, and easy to sterilize.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Freeze the extras, Deannag

 

[RTFchickens]

I have done that before, and it worked out well. We are just trying to sell them first because for RTF protection, we have to be a "business" and sell eggs... Otherwise I would just give them away

 

[RaZ]

I know this is like trying to sell fish to a fisherman, but does anyone know of where to sell eggs in Ottawa county? My girls are laying almost 2 dozen a day right now! DH just came back from being up north and brought home 17 dozen eggs!!! At most I can sell a dozen a day to people at my job, but with my girls laying so many I'm not sure what to do with them all. I will be making eggs for breakfast for sure ;-)

I've been craving fresh eggs for months. But you are too far away.
When I hatched eggs for a friend I was tempted to eat them instead.

You can crack them and freeze for baking later, at least I've read that. Never tried it myself.

 

[RaZ]

I have done that before, and it worked out well. We are just trying to sell them first because for RTF protection, we have to be a "business" and sell eggs... Otherwise I would just give them away

RTF does not put constraints or definitions of when to sell, for how much or any other limiting factor. In spite of some local judge's "opinion" your profit level does not define the commercial aspect of RTFA.

You can always donate the extras to food banks or even animal rescue shelters for that matter. That still falls within the definition of a commercial operation.

 

[Trefoil]

The first time I put a predator proof top on a run, I used pvc to support it- really bad idea. The first heavy snow we got, the chicken wire held it and the pvc just bent down. I was lucky that it didn't just collapse, I had to do what Opa was smart enough to do to start with, only I used wire cable.
I'm not sure what the deal with my peach trees was this year, I just picked what are probably the last ones I'll get, everybody around me had peaches a month or 2 ago.

 

[EverMystique1]

little light snow here at about 1:  my son and I were driving to town, he got all excited, I told him calm down it is just a bad dream

TC hope your bird is OK,  maybe vetRX?

What a terrible bad dream. Lol.