Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[lauranickerson]

Well, another day at home for me. Hubby said his drive home from work (works afternoons) was bad and roads were still horrible then. I decided not to risk it.

Actually, it's probably a good thing. I am going to get ready and go outside and see how my babies all fared last night. Even though it's still so cold I've been up all night worrying about the ventilation issue. I think I will be popping open the door halfway if not all the way. I guess it depends on how horrible it is. AND I need to check on my Polish! This is the part that scares me the most. They are more fragile and are in a more ventilated coop. I am going to move them to the new coop without a window yet that my hubby had built for my daughter. I've got to get the heated bucket and nightlight hooked back up on that one. Going to be a popsiclce by the time I'm done.

Has anyone else been up and out to check on their feathered friends yet? I'm praying everyones babies are doing ok...

I checked on mine. I usually put all the scratch and grain in the run so they move around, but one of my Golden Comets stayed laying in the coop. I tried to touch her and she scattered away like normal, but she lays right back down. She acts completely normal but like she's trying to keep her feet warm.

I didn't have time to see if she actually went outside to eat, but she made it halfway down the ladder before sitting on her feet again. Hmm.

 

[lauranickerson]

I also put 3 heat lamps in the coop the night we got the first below freezing weather ( I think 2 nights ago?). When I went to put them in last night, I saw that I had a duck egg and 5 chicken eggs! I usually get like 2 chickens eggs and that's it. The lamps run 24/7. I don't mind them having their rest from egg laying in the winter and don't want to tucker them out. Is it okay that they are starting to lay again? It was -5 here this morning and about -25 with windchill.

 

[SillyChicken]

When the snow first started it was kinda pretty.. In the end we got probably 18", and drifting. Everything we shoveled Sunday was filled in by Monday. We both stayed home, re dug out, dug out a friend as well. I'm whipped.

I am also having some health issues with my birds. Upper respiratory issue I'm guessing.. which is where the problem is.. I'm guessing. I hear couging/sneezing in a few of the birds, and lethargy. Plus, some of the roos I processed this weekend (not showing signs of illness) .. had no fat on them at all. They have plenty of food. I am not sure if I need to worm them or give antibiotics or both. I did put poultry drench in the water for everyone.. but no one wants to go out and drink because of the cold. I think I'm going to worm this week and then add antibiotics to the water. But I am concerned that what they have is something I'm always going to have to deal with now. If this is the case, then I may have to cull all my birds and start over next year (I do have 4 that are separated from the others that I'll keep). but.. DH won't spend money on a vet so I wonder if my option is sending a culled ill one in for a necropsy.

I'm very open to any suggestions.

 

[preciouskitty]

Well, the plow guys finally were able to dig us out after 4 hours.

As you know, I'm working from home. As you also know, I brought Spaz in last week cuz she was sick with "something".

So, I open the dog crate for her around 0900, she hangs in the back bedroom for a bit, then ventures out. Which I don't realize til she flies up & lands on my shoulder while I'm working. She is now roosting on my chair & I guess will "help" me for today.

 

[RaZ]

Does anyone have one of those thermometers that transmit over distances? How far is the range on them? I'm needing one and wonder if it would be possible to find one to read from inside the house? TIA on that.

I was going to post that if people had thermometers in their coops then perhaps they wouldn't worry and obsess so much.

I have thermometers with remote sensors. The range is 300 feet or so. You can get a whole range of weather gizmos from any of the big box stores or on-line. Prices are pretty low to pretty high depending on the features you want. Some can handle up to three (3) remote sensors.

I have two (2) that give me outside temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind chill. I have a different unit that monitors the coop temperature and humidity. I can read all of the information from my desk. So at midnight, it was -11 with wind-chill of -17 and inside the coop was 24. This morning is -6, -6 and 14.

I suggest that people invest in one of the affordable temperature/humidity units with a remote sensor. It just might give some peace of mind.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I was going to post that if people had thermometers in their coops then perhaps they wouldn't worry and obsess so much. 

I have thermometers with remote sensors. The range is 300 feet or so. You can get a whole range of weather gizmos from any of the big box stores or on-line. Prices are pretty low to pretty high depending on the features you want. Some can handle up to three (3) remote sensors.

I have two (2) that give me outside temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind chill. I have a different unit that monitors the coop temperature and humidity. I can read all of the information from my desk. So at midnight, it was -11 with wind-chill of -17 and inside the coop was 24. This morning is -6, -6 and 14. 

I suggest that people invest in one of the affordable temperature/humidity units with a remote sensor. It just might give some peace of mind.

Funny how well it seems you know me! LOL Ok, please post some brands and model #s, ok?

Opening the door to the outside was a fail.

 

[gladahmae]

Well it appears that my very stern warning that they were NOT to come out of their warm box except to eat/drink and then go right back in worked on the chicks. I just got back in from 'chores' and everyone looks fine. There are no little footprints in the chick area, so they definitely stayed in since I caught and stuffed all of them in the box last night. 5 eggs so far today, which is kind of surprising given the nastiness out there, but I will take it! I'm hoping for 1 or 2 more later today.... one EE and one of the BOs tend to lay after lunchtime.

I can say that with this weather, I am DEFINITELY getting my coops/runs in order for winter this coming summer. I want to make an easy-to-tarp run for the big layers and the silkies, and I'll have to figure out another run for the coop we're getting from BIL. I've also decided that we have to do something different for water next winter. As much as I love the idea of buckets/nipples and a drop-in de-icer, the nipples have been frozen all winter.....the WATER is not frozen, but the nipples are, which completely defeats the purpose; I'm hauling water out on a daily basis now, which I was trying to avoid.

Chickens are going to be expensive this summer! New runs, hopefully some breeding pens, new water set-up, plus we still need to put siding on the coop and something for soffit/fascia on the south side and in the gable ends. And an out-door brooder. Seriously. I'm over having chicks in the basement.

 

[jlynnet]

My birds are doing great! Even the Polish. A few eggs were frozen when I got to them. They appear warmer than I was. I will still leave them locked up for a day or two.

 

[gladahmae]

Anyone want to help me puzzle through this? Someone not terribly far from us is selling apple crates and I'm trying to think of an easy-to-implement way to use them as brooders or grow-out coops. The biggest problem I see with them is that there appears to be gaps in the sides which apples would need, but I definitely would not want to have for chicks. Add to this that DH does NOT like to have a bunch of "junk" out in the yard, so they would need to be fashioned into some sort of "attractive" end product. Paint would go a long way in that department, but I could use some ideas. I'm a planner.....I like to plan things out, make contingencies, and then get it all done with in one fell swoop. http://nmi.craigslist.org/grd/4249422706.html

 

[aart]

I bought a temp/humidity station with 2 remote sensors. Signal worked for about a week. The sensors still work, but I think the cold kills the alkaline batteries.
Just replaced the station batteries and it seems to be working again, so put one of the sensors out in the coop...we'll see if it lasts.
This is the one I have http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNI6KZA/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1
I do have a regular thermometer in the coop tho, and it does help to know just what is the temperature.