Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Candy442]

Thanks, I've been hearing about this Chickenstock thing, I will have to search around and find the original links. Its is family friendly? Meaning are kids welcome or is it more adult and chicken social Sounds like you have a very colorful egg collection - love that! I want to do that eventually. Baby steps

We've been toying with converting something like you've done, so thank you for sharing pictures. I have not heard of the Delaware yet, another one to check out. Silkies don't like the cold? A lot of Michigan folks seem to have them. I like them due to their broodiness and their cuteness!
And I figured out how to shorten down the comments. Sorry about that.

Chickenstock event 2014 link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/797074/michigan-chickenstock-2014-planning-ahead


Its open to anyone and everyone! Lots of fun and we will have a guest speaker, Dr. Fulton from MSU about chicken issues. He will be there promptly at 1030am and the event closes at 3pm. It's held at Delta Mills park pavillion. There is a playground near for kids.

From what I hear, Silkies do not like cold weather. Another reason I will not have one is my other chickens would most certainly pick at the feathers. They already try to "groom" the EE's beards. I think they are just taking any food goodies off, but they do tend to pull the feathers of the fancy ones when they are already established. My mom lives in NC and wants me to get a silkie I told her she should get a couple since it's much warmer down there.

 

[Opa]

I'm not sure just how we are going to face the day. I just saw on the news that Justin Bieber has been arrested in Canada. That's major news that we definitely needed to know about.

I know I was hoping to get in touch with him to see if he would buy my excess eggs. Can you imagine what a wonderful customer he could be. Anyone that can cause $20,000 in damages by egging a house would certainly be a high volume customer.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I'm not sure just how we are going to face the day.  I just saw on the news that Justin Bieber has been arrested in Canada.  That's major news that we definitely needed to know about. 

I know I was hoping to get in touch with him to see if he would buy my excess eggs.  Can you imagine what a wonderful customer he could be.  Anyone that can cause $20,000 in damages by egging a house would certainly  be a high volume customer. 

LOL

 

[jlynnet]

Lol! We still have Miley Cyrus and Madonna twerking at a the Super Bowl festivities!

 

[Candy442]

Lol! We still have Miley Cyrus and Madonna twerking at a the Super Bowl festivities!

but the thought of those two twerking?

 

[Candy442]

Well lost a roo and a hen today. They have all faired pretty well considering. Just glad neither of them were my breeding stock. Well stay warm all. Its gotta melt some time right?

sorry about your loss....what happened to the roo and hen, do you think it was due to this extreme cold?

 

[gladahmae]

From what I hear, Silkies do not like cold weather. Another reason I will not have one is my other chickens would most certainly pick at the feathers.  They already try to "groom" the EE's beards. I think they are just taking any food goodies off, but they do tend to pull the feathers of the fancy ones when they are already established.  My mom lives in NC and wants me to get a silkie  I told her she should get a couple since it's much warmer down there. 

We've had no problems with out silkies this winter! Even with all the cold they've held up just fine. about the picking......we used to have just one silkie and she was in with all the layers and we had no issues. Our polish and Houdan hens on the other hand are perpetually partially bald. If you already have "pickers" they may pick at the silkies. Ours didn't put up with any bullying.

 

[1muttsfan]

Makes you wonder what kind of eggs they used - ostrich?

Sad news here, I saw fewer Monarchs last year than ever - I leave Milkweed unmowed and hardly saw any eggs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...a86415d0944d_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

 

[gladahmae]

Random gardening questions. My husband saw the thing where you build a potato garden "box" and add dirt to it as the plants grow, and then remove the sides at the bottom to harvest the potatoes. (Link here if you are a visual person.) My questions are: does it actually work? Did you find that the potato bug-load was lower? I've found that when I've grown my TOMATOES in either raised bed or pots that I didn't have any tomato worm issues, so I'm wondering if it would be similar with potato bugs. And what in the HECK do you do with that many potatoes if you don't have a root cellar??? I'm also curious as to why they are showing full-size potatoes for the "starter" since I remember from gardening with my neighbor as a child that SEED potatoes are quite small?

 

[Candy442]

We've had no problems with out silkies this winter! Even with all the cold they've held up just fine.

about the picking......we used to have just one silkie and she was in with all the layers and we had no issues. Our polish and Houdan hens on the other hand are perpetually partially bald. If you already have "pickers" they may pick at the silkies. Ours didn't put up with any bullying.

This is encouraging Gladahmae ! None of my group are "pickers" per se, but I do see them licking the beards of the EE's lol...I occasionally give yogurt and warm oatmeal bowls where the EE's get lots stuck in their beards. I think Silkies are adorable! Just a newb reading about the different breeds and what some people on BYC have encountered. We need more Michigan people to share and debunk the information

Sad news here, I saw fewer Monarchs last year than ever - I leave Milkweed unmowed and hardly saw any eggs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...a86415d0944d_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

I saw quite a few Monarchs in this area, but no cocoons at all on the Milkweed we leave out. There has been many over the years, but not last year