Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Lisa and girls]

you might want to check with Lisa, she has some very pretty hens she needs to rehome,  and I know they will be friendly, may be close to you and already to lay
Check out chicken stock 2014, it is a fun picnic in June at a park in Lansing, lots of baby chicks there, different breeds and colors

Lisa, so sorry you have to rehome you girls, very hard to part with pets

Thank you. You have no idea. I love my little girls.

 

[Amy PT]

I'm just starting out this year in West Michigan, and I'm wondering where everyone buys small amount of chicks? I'm only looking to get three (Orpington, Speckled Sussex), but I want to buy them local and be able to pick them out. Is that out of the question?

Welcome! When we started out, we purchased 3 from the Family Farm and Home. They didn't have the 6 rule.

Lisa, I'm so sorry! Can you post photos of your girls here? That might help the cause. Are all but the d'uccle large fowl birds?

 

[aart]

HollyDuck, sorry I missed your post and pictures - been out with health issues and not reading up. Looks good. I just made myself a pair of these a month or so ago with some hand spun wool from Zeilingers leftover from that sweater, to wear out in the barn while doing chores. I knit the cap/flap separately and sew it on. These aren't lined but I went through a phase a couple of years ago, thrumming mittens and boy are those warm! I've also knit liners out of scrap sockweight yarn for the insides of thin mittens. I just make it up as I go sometimes. The pattern for these I found in an old issue of Vogue Knitting, though I altered it a bit.

Had to google thrumming...pretty cool!
Wish my hands/fingers could still hold up to knitting, I miss it.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Welcome!  When we started out, we purchased 3 from the Family Farm and Home.  They didn't have the 6 rule. 


Lisa, I'm so sorry!  Can you post photos of your girls here?  That might help the cause.  Are all but the d'uccle large fowl birds?

Yes they are. I'll try to post some pics soon.

 

[naglady]

lisa sorry you have to get rid of your birds..

love the mittens

 

[uchytil]

Just watched the video. RaZ and wingless did a great job. Good luck at the meeting in Lansing.

 

[uchytil]

Lisa, sent you a PM.

 

[Brennigan]

I have 1 isa brown 1 barred rock 1 barred rock mix 2 jerseys 2 blue laced 2 black laced 2 ees and 1 fleur d'uccle (slightly crossed beaked but manages just fine). Great egg layers super sweet birds. For personal reasons I can't keep them any more

looking for a good home that will love them as much as I do. They love their treats so spoiling is appreciated. Please pm me if you can help. I'll give the food mix I have with the girls.

I wish I could take all your girls together! We are looking for only a couple and young enough to bond since we're on a small lot with no fencing. But I would definitely post pictures wherever you're letting people know they're available! There is power in cute chicken pictures!

Townline hatchery is in Zealand and they have a minimum order of 25 when they ship chicks. However, I have contacted them and asked about local pickup of smaller orders. They were willing to work with me, so if they aren't too far from you give them a call and ask.

Thank you, @MiChickMagnet ! We're actually quite close to Townline and stopped in a few weeks ago, but I hadn't heard many reviews. They're definitely a large hatchery and we're not allowed to hand-pick (which seems to be the protocol everywhere). I'm glad to read such great things about them! I'll definitely be stopping in! I know they start selling chicks beginning of February -- much earlier than our TSC.

 

[greyhatch]

Townline are good people my mom gets her isa browns from there they are egg laying machines.

 

[mindylee]

Quote:

ALL TSC stores in Michigan get their chicks from Townline. I know Townline is super busy gettin all the stores orders ready as every store will be getting 5,000+ birds from them. Yes that's each store!

And plus all the back yard hatcheries that sell large amount of birds.

Our TSC gets chicks the 3rd week of Feb through end of Apr. Were getting 5,500 birds. Last yr it was 8,900 birds!

(cant tell I work at TSC yet? LOL)


I know all TSC stores can not allow customers to handle chicks because of selmo and diease's to both humans and chicks. Also a lot of folks just turn their kids loose of the baby birds as they shop and then the death rate goes WAY up plus if a kid pulls a st run roo and puts it in a pullet tank... you bet we hear from complaining customers about getting roo(s). Its also so our company can sell chicks in a safe enviroment without other folks complaining about the health/safety of the birds. Have any of you noticed Y there's no bunnies anymore...
So pretty much to be able to sell live chicks, we now have policies to follow to make both our boss's happy, the birds happy, and the customers happy.