Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

Speaking of molting, my EE and my GLW BOTH decided last week that it would be a good time to start. They both look AWFUL. And of course they decided to be partially naked during this lovely cold snap.

 

[SillyChicken]

keeping fingers crossed that she has more than one in there... or there is a cow... She isn't due till end of March.. so it's probably too early to tell, but she sure is thick! Of course with the cold, her hair is all puffed out too.

 

[Stacykins]

keeping fingers crossed that she has more than one in there... or there is a cow... She isn't due till end of March.. so it's probably too early to tell, but she sure is thick! Of course with the cold, her hair is all puffed out too.



Exciting! I have an ND doe due in March too, and she is starting to look like a wide load already! She is normally on the lean side (prefers hay over grain, so it was a bugger getting her to breeding weight) but her sides are starting to look preggers! I hope you have a smooth and easy kidding!

 

[SillyChicken]

Stacy.. do you do anything for your does prior to kidding? I thought about a month before kidding you're suppose to give a supplement. What do you do?

 

[Stacykins]

Stacy.. do you do anything for your does prior to kidding? I thought about a month before kidding you're suppose to give a supplement. What do you do?

Aye, I give them multimin 90 (used to give selenium gel and a copper rod bolus, but an injection means the entire dose gets in the goat), which is a SubQ supplement with selenium, copper, etc. I also give them a CDT booster. A hoof trim too. All done about a month before they are due. I also prep my kidding kit. Fresh lube, gloves (nitrile in mine), cord clamps or floss, towels (grubby/worn but clean), etc. important to get one of those bulb nasal mucous sucker things. You can find them in the human baby section of most stores.

This March I am going to see if I can get a kidding cam up. I will have to get one with a range of 1000M, because even though the barn is less than 200 feet away from the house, a 100 meter camera couldn't cut it last year. So I have back and forth back and forth back and forth to check for kidding all night/day when the due date rolls around. I'd love to be able to check a camera feed (with audio) rather than tromp out there.

I did have a doe who had kidding problems last year, first kid was turned sideways. After she strained hard for 30 minutes with no results, I had to go in and see what was wrong. Once the kid was positioned right, both kids came out within a couple of minutes.

The black n white goat, SuzQ, is my girl due in March




Yoko is due in April, so I think she is just a bit overconditioned and fluffy, she wouldn't be showing yet!

 

[RaZ]

I think that it is time to mention Chicken Stock 2014 (CS14).

We have reserved the pavilion right after the new year. I think that HH had done that in the past. Can we confirm who is willing to reserve the park?
Also volunteers for the things that help the picnic run smoothly. I'll run the pot luck food thread again.

 

[ladyrsanti]

I have not gotten an egg from my chickens in two months.

My mom finally broke down and brought store eggs. I have been trying to avoid that stuff.

Wish I would have known! I could have swapped ya a dozen for a half gallon. Coal, one of the sussexes (sp?) you sold me, lays a jumbo egg almost every day.

 

[Maah]

Hiya... it's been a bit, I know.

So I have a legal question. I know we have legal rights to protect our livestock, but does that only apply to raccoon & coyote, or what?

We had a critter kill 8 of our birds in the last week (all 3 of our ducks & 5 chickens) The ducks were killed last Monday/Tuesday. They were running freely in with the goats. The varmint went right in the barn stall & attacked the ducks in the night. Got the drake the first night, & the 2 lady ducks the next night. We set out a live trap but caught nothing... though there were no more ducks to be got, we only had 3.

Our chickens are housed in a fully enclosed coop/run. Apparently the ice storm we had added too much weight to the top of the run & broke the fencing at the top corner. It had been nearly a week since the ducks, but I reckon it was only a matter of time, the critter knows we have yummy poultry here. My 12 year old daughter went out to give the chickens some kitchen scraps yesterday & found the massacre. 5 of our chickens were killed --- 3 of this springs hens (including my daughter's prized leghorn she took to the fair in September), 1 older hen, & 1 silkie... ugh.

We found the hole in the very top of the run. Whatever critter getting to our livestock can climb wood polls. We put the live trap right inside the coop with the opening in the chicken doorway, expecting a raccoon, but caught a mink.

So my question... who's familiar with the Michigan varmint law? Can we show this mink the wrong end of a shotgun, or are we supposed to let it go? We're in Allegan county.

 

[1muttsfan]

You can kill wildlife that is threatening your livestock. I think that it is much more efficient and less likely to end in disaster to spend your time making sure your facility is predator proof, as no matter how many you kill there will ALWAYS be another one along sooner or later.

 

[SillyChicken]

kill it...

I believe it'sillegal to transport and release wildlife.