Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

Snow is still knee deep here. Looks like a bumper crop of dog doo as the melting progresses - so much snow fell this winter that it was buried before cleanup.

 

[vintagegem]

Snow is still knee deep here. Looks like a bumper crop of dog doo as the melting progresses - so much snow fell this winter that it was buried before cleanup.

All our snow is finally gone now, and we have done our spring cleanup....took a few days, we have 3 miniature dachshunds.. a lot of dog doody!!

 

[Farmerboy16]

Has anyone ordered chicks/ducks/whatever from a farm store like TSC or FFH (espeically in the GR area)? I'd like to get some freedom rangers and no one seems to have any. Is there a minimum when you do this usually? I dont really want 15, I dont have the freezer space, lol. Do any other stores in GR sell chicks? Maybe some other place that I dont know about has them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I found someone that will come teach us to butcher properly (we are apprehensive about our skills) and want to make the most of the lesson! 

I would be happy to split the order with you and show you how to butcher them when they are old enough. I have butchered chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and a pig.

Oh, I am only about 30 minutes from Grand Rapids in Sparta.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Wow, your Northerners still have that much snow???? Its just about gone here.

 

[chickwhispers]

Quote: I saw it on the second picture! Cool! And I was up in GC yesterday. There was a pile of white stuff at the Westland Mall, covered in black, but still under all that black is some white stuff if you miss it bad enough.

Rough night. My puppy prolapsed his rectum and had to be rushed to the vet. Poor little guy. On lots of meds now and needs to be watched closely

So sorry tori, I hope he's better soon!

My Wheaten Marans/EE crosses are going to keep me guessing as to their gender. All 8 have pea combs, chipmunk coloration, feathered legs and muffs except for one that had all those but the chipmunk coloration. A couple have green legs. They're all feathering out uniform gray or brown. It'll be interesting!

Sounds like a cool OE mix going on there. Post some pics when you can.

Raked the yard, planted some fruit trees. Let the chickens out. Cleaned the house. Now I am ready for bed. Two more days until lock down. We never incubated eggs before, I hope all goes well. Our Silkie is setting on 4 eggs.

Welcome! Is your ground thawed far enough t set the trees? Wow! Ours might be in some spots, but down 2 feet it's got to be pretty hard yet.

PLANTED trees???? Ground is still frozen here!!! And mostly under snow!

I hope you northern Wolverines thaw out real soon!

Hey Folly, sounds like you have chick fever

X2!

Snow is still knee deep here. Looks like a bumper crop of dog doo as the melting progresses - so much snow fell this winter that it was buried before cleanup.

Don't have a dog yet. I want a LGD, but then I read about the cleanup. So I just don't know yet.

Got my 6 week old silkies out in the big coop today. Now the 2 week old chicks can go into the new bigger brooder. So far the Silkies are liking their little spot. They checked it out a little and proceeded to eat and drink. I was afraid they might not like it being a little more open than a brooder. At nght when i go to feed them one is starting to crow already! Too funny. We shall see. Her name is Lady Gaga. May have to change it to Boy George! I love the little Silkies, so laid back. One almosts jumps into my hand to be cuddled. Very cute. One of my two week old Blue Ameracuanas has a cross beak pretty bad but she's eating OK and drinking. So far gaining just about the same size as the others but her days are spent eating longer than the rest. I will get a dremel to trim her beak and will see if that helps her. She's the better color of the two that I got. Since i want the colored eggs it doesn't really matter about the coloring, but I love the Blue birds. I have one Easter Egger that is all brown and black very symetrical and sectioned. I think she will be very pretty too. The first week of May, my last group of chicks will be coming. I can hardly wait!

 

[Emilieb]

The Silkie rooster is crowing early this morning. Waiting for the neighbors to complain. Suppose to be another nice day before the rains come. I think I will get my clothes line up today and hang some laundry.

 

[tori8780]

Raked the yard, planted some fruit trees. Let the chickens out. Cleaned the house. Now I am ready for bed. Two more days until lock down. We never incubated eggs before, I hope all goes well. Our Silkie is setting on 4 eggs.

What kind of fruit trees did you plant? We did 3 apples, 3 pears and a peach last year Though it has been a constant battle with the deer to keep them form being stripped.

How old is your puppy, tori? Poor thing. Hope he heals quickly!

He is 10 weeks. We were up throughout the night with him for one reason or another but it already looks better (to my untrained eye) today! Hopefully he'll have a speedy recovery.

I would be happy to split the order with you and show you how to butcher them when they are old enough.

I have butchered chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and a pig.

Oh, I am only about 30 minutes from Grand Rapids in Sparta.

I'm actually in Rockford so that'd be great! I was gonna go order from the Sparta Elevator this weekend, but if you wanted to do a group order that'd be even better so we could pick the date they arrive. Do you have any date in mind? I'd like to do late spring/early summer since I have a batch in the brooder now and dont have the space to do a second brooder. Once they go into the coop then I'm ready for the next. What birds are you looking for?

 

[Stacykins]

So the joyous nature of birth turned to great sadness last night. My goat doe Yoko, who gave me two fantastic kids last year, went into labor. But labor procession stopped, so I had to check what was going on. I immediately knew the kid trying to come was dead, it was very swollen and not twitching. I try and tried and I could not dislodge this kid. Yoko was getting more exhausted and pained, so I called the vet.

In the end, we got the kid out. It was...very underdeveloped. And sadly, the beautiful, normal doeling behind it had died from the stress of the birth. The underdeveloped kid had gotten wedged so badly, even the vet had a hard time getting it out.

Yoko is alive and doped up on pain killers and antibiotics. I guess the only silver living is that I milked her a little last night (because she was so full and I thought it would make her feel better to have that pressure off) so the colostrum has been frozen for future use. She was trying so badly to lick her deceased kids even though she was exhausted and in terrible pain from using a chain to pull the kid.

I'm just glad I still have Yoko. She is my herd queen, smart as a whip, sassy, and always first to the treats. But she was such a great mother and milker, I really looking forward to her kids, too.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Aww I'm so sorry, Stacykins. At least your doe is okay and you didn't loose her. That is so sad though.

 

[Elyssia001]

I'm sorry for your loss Stacykins. I'm glad Yoko is doing well though =)