Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

Well, Maia is definitely broody.
I THINK I am gonna let her try & be a mama.
Plan. Collect Partridge's (EE) & Lela's (Marans) eggs for the next week, keep on counter & give them to her next Saturday (Rooster is a VERY active EE )
Gonna place her, her nest & food & water in a large dog carrier in covered, predator proof part of run; with door closed.
Having done some research, will switch her to chick starter feed since she doesn't need layer & will boost nutrients since she won't be eating much. Also read adding a little scratch a good idea to boost the carbs.
Why am I waiting til next Saturday ? Because I will be out of town for 2 weeks starting on 28 Apr & if I do it now, any hatching would be while I am gone. I figure if I wait til next Sat, hatch will occur right around the day I get home....

Anyone see any major issues with my "plan"?

 

[gladahmae]

Hey northern michigan friends... Two questions for you. 1. Have you ordered from cackle hatchery, and, 2., if so, how many days did it take for your package to arrive? For those of you that used other mail order chicks w/ usps services - where were your chicks shipped from, and on average how long did it take for shipping?

I'm trying to figure out what my best options are...

I don't want to order then have it take 4-5 days and lose all my babies....

I'd be shipping to TC / Cedar post office.... Any thoughts or insights? What is the main usps shipping center up here?

We've ordered from Ideal and Meyer (and gotten Tractor Supply/Townline chicks as well). Ideal took 4 days, Meyer took 2-3. I only ever had chicks die in the next 24hrs after receiving from Meyer, and even that was like.....3 our of about 80 (layers and meat birds). Basically, being where we are, and having to have our mail get sorted in GR, then TC, and THEN our to our rural PO takes an extra day. I think the "main" shipping hub in TC is out on South Airport/Hammond(?) area. I'm horrible with road names.

Tractor Supply will still have chicks for another week or so if you're ready for them. If you're wanting to wait a bit longer, our local feed mill (kind of by moomers on N Long Lake, cheaper than tractor supply and is non-GMO) is going to put an order into Townline in early May for their customers. He takes orders from his customers, puts the whole order in in the end of April/early May and calls when the chicks come in and you just have to go pick them up and pay for them....which is usually mid-May. If you're interested I can pm you the address......they're only open 2 days a week.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Well, Maia is definitely broody.
I THINK I am gonna let her try & be a mama.
Plan. Collect Partridge's (EE) & Lela's (Marans) eggs for the next week, keep on counter & give them to her next Saturday (Rooster is a VERY active EE )
Gonna place her, her nest & food & water in a large dog carrier in covered, predator proof part of run; with door closed.
Having done some research, will switch her to chick starter feed since she doesn't need layer & will boost nutrients since she won't be eating much. Also read adding a little scratch a good idea to boost the carbs.
Why am I waiting til next Saturday ? Because I will be out of town for 2 weeks starting on 28 Apr & if I do it now, any hatching would be while I am gone. I figure if I wait til next Sat, hatch will occur right around the day I get home....

Anyone see any major issues with my "plan"?

How is she getting out to poop and eat? Sometimes the flock will pick on a broody, sometimes not. Depends on her status rank. They will start as soon as she shows signs if so. Is she currently ok? If so the only thing you havr to do is mark thr eggs you give her since the others will keep laying in the box. Then at the last 3 days perhaps find a way to section off the box.
If not high on the order than yes you have to seperate and it will be a pain to re-intigrate her and her kids...

I have not seperated my broodies until chicks were due, only did it then to keep the little farts in place till she was done. Depends on the flock, roo. I only keep the roos that are human friendly and thus far those have proven to be the best with chicks as well. Happy hatching!!!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

If you can get to my threads i read/ post on one is devoted to broody hatching. I was an over anxious momma too the first time around! I lost my first one because she waited too long to potty and plugged up. I have made it a point to toss the broody out into the RUN to potty and stand at the door until she eats poops and drinks. Didn't be popular but have not lost one since and helps keep her place in the flock heirarchy. No matter coop /nest box size instinct is to not soil the nest.

 

[preciouskitty]

@fuzzybutt love
So far, she comes out of the nest box a few times/day & I see her out scratching around in the straw.
No one picks on her...both her & Lela (both of my BCMs) appear to be the highest in the pecking order.

Rooster, Bigboy, is a sweetie. Still trying to re-integrate the other Roo...who is also a sweetie, except to Bigboy!

As for taking "care" of business when in crate; suggestion I had seen was that she'll leave the nest in the crate, poop away from nest in crate. Then I/babysitter have to put on gloves & remove droppings 2x/day.

IF I wait til a week from Tuesday to place the eggs, then I could skip the crate thing; & should be able to move her to a "caged" setup on day 18, when I return...I do have a 4x8 section within the main pen for "integration" purposes.

All in all, I don't really need chicks..but wouldn't mind some OEs...my main concern is keeping Maia healthy & if I get some babies the "natural" way; cool

Thanks..& I will check out your "mama" threads!

 

[Stacykins]

Hey northern michigan friends... Two questions for you. 1. Have you ordered from cackle hatchery, and, 2., if so, how many days did it take for your package to arrive? For those of you that used other mail order chicks w/ usps services - where were your chicks shipped from, and on average how long did it take for shipping?

I'm trying to figure out what my best options are...

I don't want to order then have it take 4-5 days and lose all my babies....

I'd be shipping to TC / Cedar post office.... Any thoughts or insights? What is the main usps shipping center up here?

No idea with Cackle. But I did have a box of Meyer chicks take five days. All died, a few were hanging on by threads upon arrival but...yea. I didn't want a second box of chicks after that, so I asked for a refund. That was when I was a new chicken keeper, so I decided hatching eggs were the way to go. At least if a box of eggs gets delayed or roughed up, they don't suffer like fully grown chicks.

 

[chickflick]

I only have mobile access at this point(iPhone), so I can't see signatures

Chickenstock is a picnic we have every year. Bring a dish to share. It's in Lansing, June 21st, 10am-3pm at Delta Mills Park. A bathroom very close. There's a small park. Lots of food. People will be selling chicks and chicken, bunnies, crafts and whatever they have. Lots of good food and a chance to put faces to all the weird names on BYC. This year we have a speaker. Hope you can make it!!

 

[1muttsfan]

A friend got chicks from Welp hatchery and was very happy with them.

 

[Folly's place]

Good morning! Update on my "they followed me home!" chicks; one of the 'EE pullets" looks more like a Welsummer cockrel! Shouldn't be a big surprise, coming from a feed store. We'll see how he/she looks in a few more weeks. Leelanau, I always contact the local post office, and the regional center if it's close, and let them know to CALL ME immediately, any time of the day or night, when the chicks arrive. On my way to pick them up, I turn on the heat lamp, so the brooder is all ready. Preciouskitty, I feed Flock Raiser to my broodies and chicks. Haven't had a coccidiosis problem here, ever.

If I did have that parasite, it would be medicated feed for the chicks. Mary

 

[Peep-Chicken]

As I haven't posted or read threads much, just checking pms have no clue of any news.

Just being on the highway, saw a blue truck with what I think had the letters BYC on the back. Didn't get a good enough look to know for sure, lol. Would be interesting if or was one of you guys!