Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

This weather can quit already. -25 Tuesday morning, -13 this morning. I went from getting 5-8 eggs/day all winter to 12+/day in February, to getting ONE measly egg per day for a week now.

And our tractor supply still doesn't have pine shavings. If they don't have them by next weekend I'm going to have to make a small road trip to Cadillac (about an hour away) and fill the car up. I will, of course, CALL THEM before I drive all that way.

 

[Scifisarah]

@Scifisarah
How was Lansing?

Everybody else:
Just wanted to poll y'all. Who sells at Farmer's Markets?

It was really awesome. I could have sat there for hours longer. I've always taken a more scientific approach to chicken keeping, rather than "so-and-so says this works good" so I appreciated the chance to pick the brains of anyone that has a chicken-specific phd. I will be changing how I feed my chickens and I will start vaccinating to name a few changes. I also learned that diet (was told corn can yellow white in the past) can't possibly change feather color (only skin, feet and beaks since the color migrates only to those places), and that deeper orange yolks has absolutely nothing to do with the nutrition of the eggs, only the pigments. I will be ordering the antigen for pullorum testing in a few weeks when I receive my certificate to test. If anyone else wants their small flock NPIP Pullorum tested, I can do so in the spring. I already have all the supplies, except the testing antigen. I'm going to email one of the professors and get a list of good farm vets in the area, so I can have someone come out and issue a health certificate for my flock. I really don't know who would be a good vet to come to my property and have only gone to avian vets in the past - $$$$$!

No farmer markets for me, but I do usually sell at the Fulton Street Artisan market, at least on opening day.

 

[chickwhispers]

@Scifisarah That's awesome that you got to go. The info you get from something like that is invaluable! Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Our Roost]

Scifisarah, I have a question for you based on a statement you made. Did I read you correctly upon saying that feeding chickens corn would yellow their skin, beaks, and legs? I find this bizarre and really question it. I have chickens with white beaks, white skin and pale white legs. It is a natural trait of this breed. To have those features turn yellow would be disasterous! What data or proof do you have to back up this theory?

 

[Opa]

Winter continues to hold us in its icy grasp, the easing of the sub zero temperatures is welcomed, but it doesn't appear that the for-casted warmer weather will be anything more than a brief interlude. If this cold weather continues unabated I would not be surprised to hear of violence and even murder being perpetrated on our state's snowman population. While I neither advocate or condone violence, I can understand the animosity that their presence in our society has caused. While initially invited into our communities their cold demeanor has led to most people believing that they have overstayed their welcome.

 

[Nigellas]

Everybody else:
Just wanted to poll y'all. Who sells at Farmer's Markets?

I do - but not my own stuff. I sell fresh cheese for a small company at the Ann Arbor's Farmers Market. It's open air/year round - It's been cold. lol

 

[Farmerboy16]

Everybody else:

Just wanted to poll y'all. Who sells at Farmer's Markets?

I used to. I had sold eggs and veggies, and my mom's bake goods.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I only did it once, but it was a lot of fun.

My day is to be a stressful one. I am taking a turn with the chicken illness gamut. This time its hopie, my daughter of my dead pet hen. Crop impaction. Idk if she made the night, i looked in on her after work and she ws on the roost...not much water in her crop though i hate this winter very much. I'd not hesitate to bring her to the vet but i just paid rent and don't have nearly enough. Distressed, considering tube feeding liquid food. Never done it but i am terrified to cut into her crop myself.

 

[snowflake]

It was really awesome. I could have sat there for hours longer. I've always taken a more scientific approach to chicken keeping, rather than "so-and-so says this works good" so I appreciated the chance to pick the brains of anyone that has a chicken-specific phd. I will be changing how I feed my chickens and I will start vaccinating to name a few changes. I also learned that diet (was told corn can yellow white in the past) can't possibly change feather color (only skin, feet and beaks since the color migrates only to those places), and that deeper orange yolks has absolutely nothing to do with the nutrition of the eggs,

I have gone to the classes twice, enjoyed them both times, I did feel however that some of their info was geared more from big ag. prospective.

be prepared for high cost on the antigen. the next day,cold shipping is $$$$ and check the date when you get it, last yr I bought some from a BYC that was selling small amt.s of hers off because the co. sent her stuff that only had a couple mo. left on the exp. date. I would send it back and ask for a replacement if that happens. I don't know who she went through

Winter continues to hold us in its icy grasp, the easing of the sub zero temperatures is welcomed, but it doesn't appear that the for-casted warmer weather will be anything more than a brief interlude. If this cold weather continues unabated I would not be surprised to hear of violence and even murder being perpetrated on our state's snowman population. While I neither advocate or condone violence, I can understand the animosity that their presence in our society has caused. While initially invited into our communities their cold demeanor has led to most people believing that they have overstated their welcome.

agree 100% we should ship this snow to some one that needs it

have not done farmers market, may try it this yr

 

[Scifisarah]

I have gone to the classes twice, enjoyed them both times, I did feel however that some of their info was geared more from big ag. prospective.

be prepared for high cost on the antigen. the next day,cold shipping is $$$$ and check the date when you get it, last yr I bought some from a BYC that was selling small amt.s of hers off because the co. sent her stuff that only had a couple mo. left on the exp. date. I would send it back and ask for a replacement if that happens. I don't know who she went through
agree 100% we should ship this snow to some one that needs it

have not done farmers market, may try it this yr

It seemed like most of the people there were for 4H show testing, so I think it was geared mostly in that direction. I'm not sure of anyone else that was there to be able to test their own flock, or get pullorum free certification to ship across the country like I was there for.