Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

For generations the robin has been considered a harbinger of spring and for most of my life it has been our official state bird. Given the weather we have been experiencing, and the fact the continuing cold is being forecasted for the immediate future, perhaps we should consider petitioning our state legislature to change the state bird to one who stoically abides our arctic weather.

 

[RaZ]

PS...Your dogs are very pretty. Look pretty laid back.

Not at all.
These are trained attack dogs with a killer instinct.
Just look at the evil eye they possess.
One word from me an you will be licked to death.

 

[annagarret]

Are they golden retrievers?

 

[RaZ]

Are they golden retrievers?

Just the bottom one.
The first photo is a catahula/blue heeler mix.

 

[iamfivewire]

Is anyone in the Lansing area planning on incubating eggs in the near future & might have room to add a few of ours? Got 4~5 that we'd like to try hatching, but no broody hen & dont have an incubator or experience hatching eggs.

 

[JackieandChicks]

Just posting because you all will appreciate this...my laundry room turned tack room turned brooder room. Can't squeeze too much more in..

..

 

[chickwhispers]

I'm not afraid.

I'll be ready for them.

 

[Opa]

It is often said that memory loss becomes a real problem as one ages, and I'm afraid that it has started to affect me. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to remember what I used to love about winter. While Hope's oldest son only lives 12 miles away it took me over a hour to drive there and back.

Hope babysits each day and must be at her son's no later than 6:15. She hates driving when the roads are snow covered so I volunteer to get out of bed and take her. Maybe volunteer isn't the right word but it sounds better. Anyway this morning's commute was one fraught with trepidation and concern as many drivers refused to believe that I was in my lane. Many stayed much closer to center than I would have liked. There were several times I was forced to take the shoulder rather than dispute that the center of the road wasn't their lane.

As I went to my old friend's house yesterday I drove past Munsell's chicken camp and abattior. They are only open a few days each month and you must schedule accordingly. Evidently there must have been a lot of birds in the area with behavior issues as their parking lot was absolutely filled. You can take an unruly bird to them and with the application of the correction procedures that bird will never give you problems again.

 

[Maah]

I'd like to start with "I'm Sorry". Though I will not take all the blame, I feel partially responsible that our 3-6 inches ended up being more like 8-10 over here on the West side. It's because I spent all Sunday shoveling a path through the 4 feet packed drifts out to the coop! Which is all drifted over & filled in with snow again. **sigh** Like I said, I won't take all the blame... I'm sure there are others that did a bit of shoveling too. LOL. I've learned my lesson though... I'll never shovel again. HE HE.

So we ended up putting down our brahma rooster on Sunday. He just wasn't getting better. After a week inside from the frostbite to his feet we were pretty sure the one whole foot was dead. Plus, the infection in his foot wasn't helping things. No need to prolong his pain so we did what needed to be done. We're not looking to replace him yet though. I think the hens might actually like a summer with lush beautiful back feathers. All though that means no incubating our own eggs...

OH! Guess what? I think my silkies heard me complaining the other day about them being freeloaders & not getting any eggs from them. We got our first silkie egg from my 10 mth old pullets on Sunday! Finally.

Last but not least... I will remember to check my calendar better in the future. Yesterday, I threw on my 4 wheel drive and slowly made my way through this Michigan standard issue. Only to make it all the way into town & find out the post office was closed. Stinking Presidents Day... Hmph!

 

[gladahmae]

I'll admit it! I too shoveled yesterday. My deepest apologies. I figured I should get some if the foot of snow off the sides of the pullet coop lest the warm weather that predicted make the weight too much and the run collapse. I'll probably have to go out today and do it again, as well as remove the snow load from the north side of the roof. The south side was 2in of ice covered by 8in of snow yesterday.