Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Docile roosters are a bit of a crap shoot...not really one breed that can be guaranteed to be docile.
Like any male livestock, it's usually best not to cuddle and hug them, but let them have their space and don't allow them to crowd yours.

Also a crap shoot for them to 'protect' the flock...they may give warning, that may be listened to by the girls to take cover...or they may stand up to a predator and live for you to tell the tale. I've read alot of stories that go both ways.

Yes, rooster would live in coop with hens..... any rooster can fertilize any hen and produce viable and productive but 'mutt' offspring.
ALOT of Backyard chickens are mutts rather than pure breeds, nothing wrong with that, they can be very interesting to speculate their lineage.

Fertilized eggs can be eaten no problem, they don't develop into chicks until you keep them at 100 degrees for a couple days.

 

[preciouskitty]

Docile roosters are a bit of a crap shoot...not really one breed that can be guaranteed to be docile.
Like any male livestock, it's usually best not to cuddle and hug them, but let them have their space and don't allow them to crowd yours.

Also a crap shoot for them to 'protect' the flock...they may give warning, that may be listened to by the girls to take cover...or they may stand up to a predator and live for you to tell the tale.  I've read alot of stories that go both ways.

Yes, rooster would live in coop with hens..... any rooster can fertilize any hen and produce viable and productive but 'mutt' offspring.
ALOT of Backyard chickens are mutts rather than pure breeds, nothing wrong with that, they can be very interesting to speculate their lineage.

Fertilized eggs can be eaten no problem, they don't develop into chicks until you keep them at 100 degrees for a couple days.

Boy. I pretty think that sums up my thoughts after my first year of having birds.

I feel very fortunate as to how my Roos have treated the girls AND served as predator protectors/warners.

 

[SillyChicken]

It's saturday evening and I have to pull an all nighter for work. Disgusted that the people hired to come in to clean the carpet are an hour late....I have been ill all weekend with migraine and I still don't feel well. My patience for this company is about this [] thin!

Disgusted that the post office lost all my blood samples taken from my goats, and I have to do it all over again to them. I wanted the test results so I would know if I needed to pull the babies from the mom... guess it's my fault for waiting for the last minute.

Sometimes I wonder if my expectations are just too high ...


No goat babies for me yet.... but soon. Stacy your's are adorable! I like the buck skin one too! I'm hoping for blue eyes as well.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hope you feel better Silly.

Honestly, if I was going to get chicks, I'd buy sexed hens only in the next few weeks or so, then I'd wait for one of the really pretty, really nice Roos to pop up here or on Craigslist for free. Because they will be there shortly.

 

[Stacykins]

It's saturday evening and I have to pull an all nighter for work. Disgusted that the people hired to come in to clean the carpet are an hour late....I have been ill all weekend with migraine and I still don't feel well. My patience for this company is about this [] thin!

Disgusted that the post office lost all my blood samples taken from my goats, and I have to do it all over again to them. I wanted the test results so I would know if I needed to pull the babies from the mom... guess it's my fault for waiting for the last minute.

Sometimes I wonder if my expectations are just too high ...


No goat babies for me yet.... but soon. Stacy your's are adorable! I like the buck skin one too! I'm hoping for blue eyes as well.

What the crap, that sucks so badly that the post office lost your blood samples! Seriously, they lose the worst things possible. They too lost goat blood samples I sent. Thankfully, I send the CAE tests to a different lab than the johne's tests (even with shipping, it was cheaper to separate the two). So I got results on the CAE status of my herd, at least. Hopefully all is well with your herd that you won't need to pull kidlets.

I hope things start looking up. Maybe when your kid arrive, that'll help!

My little buckling is having some trouble, he isn't a star at nursing. Actually, he can barely nurse from his dam even though she is so quiet and patient. He jams his face up to where her leg meets her body, rather than kneeling down for the teat. So I've been giving him a bottle since he wasn't getting anything. She is the best first freshener ever to milk, stands perfectly quiet for me to milk her so he can eat!

 

[Brennigan]

COOP QUESTIONS:

We're building a tractor coop: 1) We're not [technically] allowed to chickens on our property, so something mobile will give us an excuse that the chickens might not be "here to stay" sort of thing. 2) We have 4 gals (maybe 3 depending on if Froozy is a roo or not). 3) We're on a 1/2 acre, so I'd like to let them scratch at the whole yard round Spring, Summer, Fall.

Anywho, our coop base (on top of a tractor bed made for 1,000lbs) is 4 1/2' x 3 1/3' with 4 foot walls. My questions are...

What can I do to the bottom to make it easy to clean?
I looked at sealants and paint and concrete last night at Lowe's, but I have no idea what is chicken safe. The bottom of the coup consists of OSB board, 2x4 filled with insulation, and a top OSB board. The board is pretty rough, and I'd like a floor that I can make for easy clean-up.

How many nesting boxes do I need?
I was thinking two would be nice, especially if we end up with the four hens.

What do hens need as far as roosting?
Do they simply need a series of ramps, or big dowel-like ladder areas? And how big for just the 4 ladies?

Thanks, everyone in advance! Happy Weekend!

 

[Brennigan]

Sorry, @SillyChicken

I use USPS for my business a lot, and its so upsetting (and expensive!) when shipments don't make it through and you have to do them over again...hope the overnight doesn't treat you too terribly!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Hope you feel better Silly.

Honestly, if I was going to get chicks, I'd buy sexed hens only in the next few weeks or so, then I'd wait for one of the really pretty, really nice Roos to pop up here or on Craigslist for free. Because they will be there shortly.

This is a great idea!!!

I love my roos. I got lucky with my first roo and he was a hugger. The next 6 or so not so much. Friendly, but not bonded. I finally got another roo friend. One definition i read recently said not to force affection, that can make them mean. I hugged this guy a couple times and now he's my papparazi!

Fertile eggs are easily bought later for roo less hatching.

He is part blue lacrd red wyendotte. Never heard of a bad bl
wyendottee roo?

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Those vinyl floors sold in a wrapped roll at menards make great floors! The big rolls in the carpet area are the soft sheet stuff. Youwant the old kichen floor harder stuff; scrapes clean and you can mop it! Other than that rolled rubber would be nice but idk where to find a small sheet. Might be insulating under the vinyl???

 

[JackieandChicks]

COOP QUESTIONS:

We're building a tractor coop: 1) We're not [technically] allowed to chickens on our property, so something mobile will give us an excuse that the chickens might not be "here to stay" sort of thing. 2) We have 4 gals (maybe 3 depending on if Froozy is a roo or not). 3) We're on a 1/2 acre, so I'd like to let them scratch at the whole yard round Spring, Summer, Fall.

Keep your fingers crossed on this, Brennigan.....

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/10/holland_leaders_consider_legal.html