Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

So Randy, can you tell me what they help with other than plant plugs? and whats this about hoops houses?

There are grants, subsidies and other financial help available from the Feds. I'm still going through the paperwork for the bee initiative and hoop house grant. I'll let you know more as I get to understand the paperwork.

NOTE: Deadline for applying for any of this is March 21, 2014.

 

[ivebeenegged]

Hello all , I'm a newbie to raising chickens and ducks. I started last april with chicks and now have 19 chickens[2-roosters] , 10-muscovy ducks. Our little flock lives in romeo mi. I have seen many coups at my customers houses , but I thought they were crazy. Now I'm the crazy one and love it. Being a sprinkler contractor and not knowing anything about fowl , Ive needed help along the way , so this site is awesome . My girls say HI!

 

[chickwhispers]

@ivebeenegged

Welcome to the wonderful craziness of Backyard Chicken Keeping!

 

[snowflake]

Hello all , I'm a newbie to raising chickens and ducks. I started last april with chicks and now have 19 chickens[2-roosters] , 10-muscovy ducks. Our little flock lives in romeo mi. I have seen many coups at my customers houses , but I thought they were crazy. Now I'm the crazy one and love it. Being a sprinkler contractor and not knowing anything about fowl , Ive needed help along the way , so this site is awesome . My girls say HI!

WELCOME TO BYC,Mi.
hope you can come to Lansing chicken stock in June, fun pic-nic every one welcome

 

[snowflake]

Here's how to keep a coop warm in Michigan - in the daytime anyway. This is our newest tractor, 5x3. It has a galvanized metal roof, slanted down towards the south, in full sun. Outside temp: 16 degrees Coop temp: 70 degrees. In the summer I try to make sure it is oriented differently, and under shade to keep from getting too hot. I have shoveled around it a few times to keep the snow down. It is very convenient to check on them, having it right at the edge of our deck that is shoveled throughout the winter.

nice cop very sunny

I could swing buy TSC on Jackson rd in AA for you to see what they have Raz, I go by there to get the DH after work.


Still has this month to go and already huge! My guess is 2, Can't wait!!

Lost one of my guineas a few days ago, I think he was the bird the fox injured last weekend. I knew someone had been bitten because there was blood in the run. Little guy bit off more than he could chew.

WOW, she looks BIG


nice info Raz, Thank you

 

[Amy PT]

@ivebeenegged , glad you're here. You have almost a year under your belt, so you're hardly a newbie! Nice looking chickens.

I'm making myself a little nuts trying to decide what kind of fertile eggs to try to get once we have a hen showing signs of broodiness. Gurus, I'm turning to you. In order of importance:

I need friendly bantams that deal with being confined all right.
I would like a blue and a buff.
I want a cochin and a something else.
I might like an egg that isn't the light brown and white that we already have.
I would like to get eggs from MI folks (via here or other sites).

We currently have a silkie, a d'uclle, an australorp, and a Wyandotte. Suggestions?

 

[mattsinger]

OK chicken experts... I have a gender question. I have some Marans chicks...they are about two weeks old. I am seeing quite a difference in the color of their combs already. Could this already be an indication of a roo?
Here are a couple that are not colored bright.





and heres a couple that seems brightly colored already

 

[Folly's place]

Amy, I've had cochin bantams, really cute! I've got a sweet Ameracauna pullet, very friendly and lays nice aqua eggs. Consider buff Brahmas, also adorable, and Belgian d'Uccles come in several pretty colors, my first choice. The Cochins and Belgian d'Uccles should be broody, so no incubator needed. I've got milliefleur d'Uccle eggs all the time, and young adults too. Mary

 

[mindylee]

Haha
Looks like a roo to me too!
A bunch of my chicks and of course the really colorful lookin ones are startin to look like roos here in my cochin bantams.

 

[Folly's place]

Matt, what cute chicks! Generally red combs are cockrels, although some will develop much later, and fool you for a while. Mary