Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[HollyDuckFarmer]

The only issue with winter and "big" is that too big does = heat loss. Not saying don't go bigger than you think you'll need, absolutely do go big, but do also keep in mind the right ways to make your design efficient for the future. All this advice from a lady without chickens! LOL With ducks, I go 24 sq ft per duck outdoor pen area plus inside barn area that is ~6-8 sq ft per duck. Of course, all that's different with ducks. HTH anyway.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome to all the new folks! BUILD BIG!!! Sixteen sq. ft. might hold three big hens, but they will be crowded in winter. Nice turkey, OPA. I lost my ten year old Jersey Giant hen Saturday. She had a good life, but it was definitely time to say goodbye. New chicks in the dog crate next to my desk; getting too dusty in here! Time to move them to the coop, in the transition area. Less chilly tomorrow, so maybe then. Mary

 

[uchytil]

The only issue with winter and "big" is that too big does = heat loss. Not saying don't go bigger than you think you'll need, absolutely do go big, but do also keep in mind the right ways to make your design efficient for the future. All this advice from a lady without chickens! LOL With ducks, I go 24 sq ft per duck outdoor pen area plus inside barn area that is ~6-8 sq ft per duck. Of course, all that's different with ducks. HTH anyway.

Wowser, since my ducks refuse to go in at night (all winter also) they have relatively cramped quarters in which they only sleep once inside. The tight space allows them to keep warm once we herd them in at night. I've never had a problem (yet).

I find ducks to be the easiest fowl to raise given their high resistance to sickness, love of the snow/cold/blustery conditions, and so on. The eggs are huge and have are in demand. If you can stand the cleaning that is...

 

[ladyrsanti]

I was hoping to come home to better news

 

[1muttsfan]

1 square feet per bird is really a commercial standard, despite what you may have read. That is very cramped. You can get away with little less than 4 square feet if you have bantams, or if you have birds that are very docile and a tractor that you move regularly, as they will at least be on fresh ground. But for birds kept mostly confined to pen and coop they just need more space than 1 square foot (measure that out and see just how small that much space is).

 

[aart]

The only issue with winter and "big" is that too big does = heat loss. Not saying don't go bigger than you think you'll need, absolutely do go big, but do also keep in mind the right ways to make your design efficient for the future. All this advice from a lady without chickens! LOL With ducks, I go 24 sq ft per duck outdoor pen area plus inside barn area that is ~6-8 sq ft per duck. Of course, all that's different with ducks. HTH anyway.

I respectively disagree.....
......if you have proper ventilation (which is most important, especially during freezing weather) no matter what size your coop, it will not 'hold heat'.

 

[Farmer Pete]

I'm following the Michigan Small Farm Council's up dates on face book - they are posting play by play, live from Lansing. Regarding GAAMPS changes.

https://www.facebook.com/michigansmallfarmcouncil?fref=nf

I just checked out the link above, and I was wondering if I read this correctly. Does this state that any person with 13 houses within 250 ft. of a coop can not have chickens?

 

[mindylee]

Just had a successful birth of a silver bay filly here at the farm. Textbook delivery and a healthy foal. Only 13 inches tall, we welcome number 10 foal ever born on the farm and the only foal due this year. So im glad she arrived safe a sound and best part of all, not in the middle of the night like most foals are born.

No name sorry.

Breed: miniature horse. ..

 

[RaZ]

Hello. I am a new chicken mom! I have week old chicks, 2 buff orphingtons, 2 black sex links, 2 ameraucanas, and 1 golden sebright, ( an impulse pick because it was so cute, now just found out what is was). I am planning on keeping hens only, not sure what I will end up with. I am planning a coop that is 4 x4 and run 4 x 10. Will this be enough and will I need to insulate this coop for the winter? I plan on free ranging them for few hours in the evening when I am home and can be outside with them. I just want to make sure they will be comfortable when they cannot get out. I am also concerned with the sebright, do they winter well? Any other thoughts on this breed, so far it is very docile and will quickly fall asleep when it is held and doesn't protest when picked up.

I think you have the breeds listed in order of size. They will likely pair by breed and the Sebright, being the smallest will likely be the outcast and possibly bullied. Especially since the coop size and run are really too small. Remember that you will lose a square foot for the both the feeder and water fount. So you end up with 14 square feet rather than the dimensional 16. I think you should rethink the size of the coop and run.

I was told you need at least one square foot for each hen in the coop and two square feet in the run for each hen. Buffs can get pretty big (I think BSLs can too?), so I'd definitely make it bigger -- especially for the winter. I thought I was annoying asking so many questions when I first got here, but I was encouraged to speak up from everyone, and all my scary new-mama questions were answered and my flock just got moved out to the coop! ASK AWAY! I want to spread my newfound chicken knowledge!

That space is for battery (factory) egg-producing hens and has been researched since commercial production began using specific breeds. It is also conducive to automated systems in the factory.

There have been fewer studies done on backyard chickens as to space requirements but a general rule-of-thumb seems to be at least 4 sq. ft. per bird in the coop. This supposes that the chickens have access to outdoors most of the time. For the run, I've read that 24 to 32 square feet per bird is good. Think an area the size of a sheet of plywood. And they need some sheltered areas in the run.

Oregon State University is a good source for more information.

 

[RaZ]

The food freedom flag has been taken down. The Ag Commissions voted to proceed with the Site Selection GAAMP that effectively denies legal protection to anyone unfortunately living in an area zoned "residential".
Four commissioners voted for the change with one dissenting vote. The vote was approved despite many questions left unanswered or otherwise ambiguously described by the MDARD spokesman.
It was observed that the MDARD director was extremely pleased with the decision.

I posted the above on my FB page.
I'm am just too burned out to provide more of a recap right now. The bottom line is that anyone who desires to have any living creature described as "livestock" will be at the mercy of their local municipality and an arbitrary zoning decision.

The distances described by the MDARD spokesman were confusing to say the least, I think that was an intentional bit of subterfuge by the department.

One thing that seems to have been lost in the changes is that now CAFOs can be self-regulating as to compliance.