Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[The Dixie Chick]

All my lovely ladies have an updated album found in my signature (which you might not be able to see if you're using a mobile device, though)! I'm hoping she's a girl -- I'm so attached to her!    If not, I hope to find a home for him at Chicken Stock. We've already given her a bath and blow-dry and she loved it! 

Our sweetie Buttermint is actually a guy, and that's my daughter's favorite chicken! City ordinances say no roosters allowed. How am I going to break the news to her?! She'll be so sad!

I didn't know you can bathe chickens! Sounds adorable.

Your chickens are adorable and beautiful!

-Jeym

 

[ladyrsanti]

Something that is working for me with the dust...I find it is caused by the feed, so I wet it down and the dust has dropped a good 95%. Just an FYI - I had up to 30 chick in the house and was amazed! Also I know they are getting all the feed and not just what they pick out. A bit of work but I think it worth it in the end...less cleaning, too!

I had planned on fermenting some feed for them and actually meant to have it ready when I got them and let it slip. So I haven't gotten around to it yet. That would certainly help. Thanks for the reminder.

For the gardeners in the group....when do you all usually plant potatoes? I'm reading that you can do it a few weeks before your last frost date?

I planted mine already. The biggest worry is having the greens above ground if we get a hard freeze. It takes them a while to get going though so they should be okay pretty much anytime. If it happens that we get a late frost, they could be covered.

That is a beautiful coop! How long have you been raising chickens? We only have our chickens for eggs and pets, not slaughter. Have you named you chickens?

Thanks. I've had chickens for two years, not long. I name some of the hens, the keepers. Anything going to slaughter (usually extra roosters) are called Dinner, but have also been called Patty, Nugget, Curry, Roast, Stew, Soup, Kung Pao... you get the picture.

 

[vintagegem]

Hiya everybody! Just going to introduce myself into the community, since I haven't properly done that yet. I was just hoping to chat with some fellow Michiganders! I've got my 12 chickens and my children have found names for all of them already! We have Wyandottes, buff Orpingtons, welsummers, an ISA Red, and some Ameraucanas. We love our chickens, as do the kids! They're only about a month old and the coop still isn't finished!

but other than that they seem quite happy and are very kind towards each other and the children.

PM me if you're feeling lonely or just need a cheering up!
-Jeym

Welcome !

 

[The Dixie Chick]

I finally got pictures of my coop!

It's a chilly day here! Hope they're going to be alright. They're all cooped up in their bins because its nice and warm surrounded by every other chicken.

-Jeym

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

For the gardeners in the group....when do you all usually plant potatoes? I'm reading that you can do it a few weeks before your last frost date?




To me, both of those SLW look pullet-y, but if one ends up being a boy I'd say it would be the 1st one. My 'dotte boys all pinked up WAY before the girls did.




My injured hen is perking up a little bit.  She's using the injured leg a bit more, and her toes aren't just dangling loosely.  Definitely not normal by any stretch, but not quite as bad as it was.

I was planning to plant mine next w/e.

 

[RTFchickens]

I planted my potatoes indoors over a month ago.

5 gallon buckets and just planted round two. We have flowers on them right now

 

[aart]

I planted my potatoes indoors over a month ago.

5 gallon buckets and just planted round two. We have flowers on them right now

Are you going to transplant these into the ground.......or add soil as they grow in the bucket?

 

[RTFchickens]

The first batch we started with about 4 inches of soil, and filled along the way. It's now filled to the top, and green higher then my waist. The new ones have only about 4 inches of soil now, but we add soil once green appears.

 

[Elyssia001]

My taters are already in the ground. They're yellow finns. I was concerned about them because of the cool weather we've had, so I dug one up. It had fine roots coming out of it all over and was doing great, just didn't have any stems peaking up through the ground yet.

Even if we get a frost from here out, the taters have a heavy mulching over the top so I think they're safe until their stems appear, which should be well into May by then.

 

[SillyChicken]

keeping fingers crossed for todays outcome with the GAAMP changes.