Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[taprock]

I have succumbed to the chick disease and came home with 4 Wellie (girls, I hope) and DS picked out 3 d'Uccles, two porcelain and one Mille. I don't really need any, but they will help me resist filling my incubator. I told DH I as replacing girls I might lose this year.

It has been a beautiful sunny day here, a bit cold at 8 degrees but at least no snow.

 

[Brennigan]

For all those with more snow... I'M SO SORRY!

My father-in-law blames me because I still have Christmas decor up outside (and a few pieces inside too). It's just been too cold to go out and take it all down!

Mid-20s today on the West Side and icy roads this morning, but no more snow. Sunshine too, so I had to update the album with pictures of my two latest girls (buff orpington, silver-laced) who didn't make it to the album when we got them a week ago.




Also, the cats are learning what "no" and "tolerance" means!...but it doesn't mean they aren't having some fun (and a few attempted swipes at the girls!)!

 

[Brennigan]

@RaZ // LOVE your Wellies!

Mine was our first chick and the one I've bonded with the most.

 

[RaZ]

Give that stuff as a treat separate from their food. another way to make birds friendly, hand feed mealy worms..... mine go nuts for them.... and if chickens have short memories you could have fooled me. I have hens still coming up looking for mealies and it's been a few months since I've given them any. (*note to self- pick up some mealies)

Our birds like the mealworms, but they love sunflower seeds . . . but their favourite is plain yogurt

I've been reading a few articles that suggest chickens can "remember" up to 100 faces and even "learn" certain words, like their names. Purely anecdotal stories not supported with scientific research but interesting just the same.

Meal worms make for great treats and training aids. I've been buying the freeze-dried mealies at Lowes because they are so much cheaper than TSC or on-line. Even Meijer has lower cost meal worms. You can also raise live meal worms. There are several threads on BYC on how to do it.

Yogurt is a fine treat as well. I let the birds clean up the cups that I treat myself with. It's a good source of pro-biotics. But you can get the powder pro-biotics for a lot less. Sav-a-chick has it in packets that you simply mix in their water.

 

[aart]

Oh, that looks risky, that cat looks ready!

 

[RaZ]

@RaZ // LOVE your Wellies!

Mine was our first chick and the one I've bonded with the most.

I never said that they were mine. I just took the photograph.

 

[chickwhispers]

Whoa...just saw the first snow plow drive by. Main road no less!

Raz, do they have Welsummer canaries?

 

[RaZ]

Whether you are new to keeping chickens or have years of experience, I urge you to take the time to read the essays regarding the Michigan Right to Farm law and the recent attacks against small farmers.

Click on this link http://sustainablefarmpolicy.org/ then click on the heading "THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHICKENS".

Your farm, your backyard, your homestead, your rights are affected by what takes place in Lansing.

And like the title says, it is not just chickens. Anyone who has rabbits, pigs, cows, or grows crops is affected. If you value food freedom, please read.

 

[Trefoil]

Another snow day!

I may try to drive to work later__or not__ 55 miles one way! Thinking about it, maybe a really bad idea. More ranting__ last night THREE raccoons and a possum under my front window, fighting over the fallen birdseed. Live traps frozen to the ground at the chicken house. No safe line of fire to take the poor little guys out. Won't use poison. UGH!!! Baby chicks not coming until mid-April, so trying to not look at TSC bins. Spring is coming, right? Mary

I have to agree with Urchytil, security is the way to go, then you can enjoy the antics of the wildlife without worrying about your chickens.

Some happy spring thoughts to get your mind of the white stuff outside. Pictures of emerging hostas.
These are the Dragon Tails

hostas that I ordered and received a couple of weeks ago.

OOOH I am so ready for warm,green, I think they used to call it spring. Has anyone tried growing morels using the kits?

Whoa...just saw the first snow plow drive by. Main road no less!

Raz, do they have Welsummer canaries?

Of course they do, where did you think welsummer chickens came from?

.
I had to go to Saginaw this morning,baaad idea. This morning the roads were slick and visibility was very bad, this afternoon coming home m15 was closed between Richville and Vassar. I got stuck twice in the road after turning off m15, the E W roads are filling in here and visibility was nil. A half hour after I got home the wind stopped and the sun came out.

 

[RIRJen]

I PM'd RIRJen to see if she'd drop by and help me ID this Lop. Anyone know (no guessing)?

I rescued her with bad feet (caged for a year) and nursed back to form over the winter. I have a neighbor's grand-daughter that wants to show a rabbit this summer and I may lend her this one IF I can get an exact breed and coloring . Pic may be a tad fuzzy but it's a orange/fawnish and white which is not any coloring I'm aware of).

Thanks in advance.

Looks like a Broken Chestnut Agouti (color) and the breed is Mini Lop. Is she about 7lbs? Being on a cage for a year won't cause sore hocks. Mine live on wire floors their entire lives...it would be crappy wire (chicken/ungalvinized) or poor flesh condition on the rabbit. They're pretty easy to clear up if you catch them.

I really need to stop in more often! I've been busy...going back to school again, working and family/livestock keeps me pretty busy. We're expecting our first kids (goats) this year and I just got done bathing silkies for a show we're going to this weekend in Ohio. We're also heading to Kansas next month to visit friends and to go to an ARBA (american rabbit breeders assoc) and APA (american poutry assoc) shows. It is the APA semi-annual national show so we're really excited to see how our birds do there!
This is Hannah (my daughter) with our spring show team so far. It was hard to scrape together a few to show that didn't look like they just spent a long winter in Michigan LOL