Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[lbrykowski2011]

With all the sports, keep getting so far behind it feels like, only went back a few pages. Glad the fire situation wasn't to bad for sure. I have no heat in the coop, but my chickens and ducks are doin well, other than frostbite on the roo. @RaZ , if you have a few extra barrels, how much do u want for one? Don't know how far u r from me, but maybe if need be, i could buy 1 from you at CS?

Happy Birthday Opa, sorry I missed that. I know what u mean about trying to forget them though. Mine was last Monday and even i forgot till someone mustv'e tipped DH off and he texted me later in the day. Both my boys forgot also and daughter remembered at last minute and called that night. Hahahaha, didn't bother me at all, just another busy day.

Farmerboy-beautiful flower, even pics give you beautiful hope that this is coming to an end soon. Farmer's Almanac is calling for an early spring with more than normal rainfall, with all this snow, that kinda worries me on parts of the yard and pond really flooding.

Well time to wrap up and head out for the birds. Everyone be careful next few days again, this has to end soon!!!!

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Yeah I hear ya, Im def ready for summer. Tennessee at 50 degrees this weekend is gonna be bitter sweet. It will feel so nice to not shiver HOWEVER only gonna be there for a couple hrs on Saturday and then come right back

But out of 10 roo, with only 3 having frostbite, thats not bad.

Not bad at all, have a safe trip, even if it's short, enjoy the temps while you can and try and soak in a lil extra vitamin D while ur there. lol

 

[preciouskitty]

Yeah I hear ya, Im def ready for summer. Tennessee at 50 degrees this weekend is gonna be bitter sweet. It will feel so nice to not shiver HOWEVER only gonna be there for a couple hrs on Saturday and then come right back

But out of 10 roo, with only 3 having frostbite, thats not bad.

Hey, you're gonna be close to me! I'm in Huntsville, Alabama right now (actually, for the next 2 weeks). 55 felt wonderful when I got here last night. Of course, there is a windchill warning HERE thru Wednesday morning...but it will STILL seem like a warm up compared to up there. By end of week, back close to 60 for weekend (with rain, but I'll take it!).

A few of my birds have a tad bit if frostbite on combs/wattles, but just a little white; no black. I have not been providing any supplemental heat & do feel a bit bad for a few of the girls that are really molting. But when I check at night, everyone is all cuddled together on roost bar keeping each other warm

 

[snowflake]

@fuzzybutt love and @RaZ Both great links! Great comment Raz!

X2, enjoyed both articles and Raz's comments

may try the fermented feed again when the weather improves.

most of the articles on GAAMPS say Jan 22 is dead line for comments, this may discourage many from writing/sending E-mails

 

[taprock]

Here I have been advising everyone on the frostbite and I have had a girl with one of the worst cases without knowing it. For those of you with Guineas you know that holding them is never easy. So they don't always get a full check unless I know something is off. So yesterday I finally saw the feet on my oldest girl and am very horrified. She is my only remaining guinea and 3 1/2 years old. She is a Jumbo French Pearl. All of my girls have had trouble with their feet because they were so big. So earlier in the summer She had lost all of her claws and had bulbs on the end of her toes. I had noticed she was sleeping in a nest box the past week but because of the cold thought nothing of it. I believe she will lose all of one toe and some of 4 more. I am guessing that her bad feet made her more susceptible since she always is roosted in a draft free area where her feathers cover her feet. Hopefully she will still be able to walk after this.

And I'm sure you can imagine the excitement in my voice when I say it is 1 out and snowing again. Everyone up here is getting a bit stir crazy. I know of three parties planned for last weekend to get people out, and of course all were canceled because of the weather.

 

[snowflake]

know I have missed many new members as I see a lot of new names, WELCOME !!!

 

[aart]

Speckled Sussex rooster and a polish bantam pullet.
She started 16th, laying 12 eggs from the 16th up to now.

So she was bred 26 (now 27-28?) days ago and has layed 12 eggs....will be interesting to see how many fertile ones she lays.

 

[SillyChicken]

Happy Birthday Sam!!! Glad Hope took good care of you!

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

Mmmm. Hope never disappoints!  

I was looking for a recipe for an apple cabbage salad i made once in the nursing home. It was different than any of the recipes i have come across online. It had sliced apples, a little bit of coleslaw, and was in a mayonnaise/ sour cream base with both cider vinegar, and lemon juice, sugar, a very little salt?..... i remembered that i'd made it the day before and it had gotten light and bubbly, like a home made whip toppping with a touch of the sour cream.? 

Anyway, while wandering the internet in search of  my beloved recipe i looked up fermenting, since the concoction bubbled; and i found this fascinating  site with a ton of information fermenting (of all things) chicken feed! And she has grain feed recipes.? Hmm. So i had to share.

http://www.garden
betty.com/2013/05/why-a

i have been fermenting my feed for about two months now. I think it has done wonders for my birds. They seem healthier it has cut the amount of feed i am having to give and i am getting more eggs. There is a great forum on here about fermenting your feed. I mix my own feed and ferment it. Also started doing some sprouting. I will post some pictures tonight. I am sold on fermenting even started my new chicks on it as they went in the brooder.

 

[SillyChicken]

I tried fermenting once, first time worked great, second batch not so much PU! LOL! I'd love to keep doing it, because they really did eat up all the food, rather than dump it on the ground thinking there was something better in there somewhere. UGH!!

I will however be starting back on sprouting organic barley for my critters!

Now if only I could get DH to buy into getting that second Jacobs ewe I'm looking at (registered and bred *bonus!)! I divided our goat shed and part of the pasture yesterday, though we have another 2 months to go, before the goat kids, Penny the Jacobs is now enjoying that space. Once Star is ready to kid, she'll go in with Penny.