Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Hillbilly Hen]

That was great relish. And, whoever made the grape salad, that was to die for! Please post recipe!!

It was great talking to all of you again. Especially those that stayed behind and got to chat for quite awhile. It was so enjoyable.

Dr. Fulton was great! Thanks, Wynette! Had a chance to talk to him and just a super nice guy.

Great day, great food, great friends, old and new.

Long Day yesterday. Feeling a little sad leaving my friends for another year. Very big shout out to "you-know" for reserving the site, organizing, flipping food, getting the MSU speaker, organizing the raffle, calling it, bringing the "stuff" and food! Not the biggest turn out and missing some of the peeps I thought would be there. It was great staying after and talking a little more. Shot a few pix but not nearly as many as years past. So, friends that were there, and the ones that did not make it, and the ones that are not posting much anymore - Let's make 2015 CS the place to be! You won't be sorry! Best people I know. John

Yesterday was great!
Great food, great weather &, most importantly, great company! So glad to get some more faces to go with screen names

I was beyond stuffed when I got home, so the only thing I had for dinner...
@Hillbilly Hen
Yep, Mounds Bar brownies

Which I am about to have for breakfast, too....

@Wynette
Thank you for arranging to have Dr. Fulton speak. He was awesome. Very informative, brought the talk down to layman's terms & extremely engaging. Would love to have him for a prof...almost makes me want to take a class from him! Can't wait to get a copy of his presentation. And, thank Dave for doing all the grilling!

Also, thanks everyone for doing a quick cleanup...especially since there was an event in the pavilion following CS at 16:00. It was nice to be able to just sit down & chat for a bit since everything was pretty much all done by 2ish.

@uchytil Looking forward to seeing the pix. You did such a fabulous job last year

(& next year I promise to make my screen name bigger than my real name

)

Finally, know I didn't get to meet a lot of people that attended. Gonna have to work on doing a better job making the rounds next year!

Oh, AND, a HUGE thanks to everyone that did the planning for CS; thread setups & maintenance, getting the pavilion, etc

Chickflick, you beat me in asking for the recipe. That was a great salad. Thanks Granny Hoffman for sharing it. I will have to make it sometime soon.

I have to agree with everyone, It was a great time and thanks to @Wynette for having the guest speaker come and to "Mr Wynette" for grilling the dogs and "burning" a couple which is the only way I like my dogs cooked.
Thanks to @uchytil and wife Cindy for the ride. It was great visiting with y'all too. Sorry you didn't sell the rabbit but I tried to peddle him for you. Even my hubby didn't get the hint.

And yes, I still managed to have the surprise party for my MIL...at her house

Thanks to @preciouskitty for taking the rest of the mounds bars home.

It was great visiting with folks even after the clean up. Sorry that I didn't help much and thanks to those for understanding why.
Thanks @snowflake for the plants and egg cartons and for letting me hear how "my" chickens are doing.
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful time.

 

[tori8780]

Sounds like everyone had a great time at CS! Bummed I missed it but I will definitely try to make it next year. Right now we are dealing with ducklings. Not sure what I was thinking when we ordered TEN of them, LOL. They are so messy and at 2 weeks have nearly out grown the brooder I was able to keep 15 chickens in until 6 weeks! They're huge and smelly. They may have to go out into their coop next week but it's not rigged for a light and I'm pretty nervous about that. We have nowhere else to put them though

 

[yorkchick]

Well, maybe there's hope for me yet. I actually made it to Chickenstock this year, as Raz said, "Almost sort of on time." Two years ago I arrived after lunch and after the raffle, but in time to acquire a couple turkeys. Last year I showed up after almost everyone had already left, but glambka was kind enough to wait for the goose eggs I was bringing her. This year I made it there well before lunch! Whoo hoo. Almost like a normal person, if you don't look too closely.

I had a great time. Weather was great, food was delicious, wonderful to talk to familiar and new people from BYC (and thank you to the familiar people who even remember who I am, because I'm not on here all that often these days!) And I got the most adorable chicken necklace in the raffle. When I had first looked over all the goodies on the raffle table, I'd decided that is what I'd choose if it was still available when my number was called--and it was! (And I have to say, there were some mighty fine things in the raffle this year). Then when I sat back down with my choice, @MrsChickendad , who was sitting across from me at lunch, said, "Good choice." Turns out she made the necklace! So it was doubly a good choice!

I wasn't going to bring any birds home with me. Nope. Nope. I mean, I got eight chicks in late February/early March that were (cross your fingers) supposed/hoped to be pullets. Except the two Marans have developed a bad crowing habit. But still, six pullets at point of lay. And a nice mix of breeds and colors and varieties. Still, there is a little room in the coop for more... but no need to fill it now, right? Right?

Oh, come on, people, you know how this ends.

There was some enabling from an unusual source, though.

The DH, who really has as little to do with my birds as humanly possible, says to me before I leave for CS, "Are you going to get some banties?" I looked at him closely to see if there were any other signs of an alien takeover of his body, said, "NO," then reconsidered and said, "Welllll, maybe, I'll see what they have."

Before our Great Predator Wipeout last October, I had three Sebrights, who (contrary to the breed reputation) were sweet little things. One in particular, Edna, was the friendliest and calmest and most human-centric chicken I ever had. Also my Sebrights all laid very consistently except when they were broody. Edna hatched three clutches of eggs for me and was a marvelous mother. I don't think any of that is what the DH misses particularly, though. His main chicken duty is giving away eggs to his friends and coworkers, and I think he enjoyed the novelty of having some tiny eggs in the mix. (He also likes to have the blue-green eggs in there, and when the Easter Eggers weren't laying he'd ask me about that.)

So the very first birds I look at when I get to CS are from Mary, @Folly's place . She had some very sweet Mille Fleur d'Uccles, four weeks old. Now, I actually wanted d'Uccles way back before I placed my very first chicken order with My Pet Chicken, but the order date that had the best mix of breeds I was interested in had Sebrights but not d'Uccles available, which is how I ended up with the perfect Miss Edna. But that was back in 2009. Now, it's 2014, there are no bantams in my coop, clearly my DH had all but begged me to buy some (trust me, it counts)... yes, before CS ended I had two cute little Milles. fingers crossed they are pullets, and thank you Mary, they are lovely birds!

The mix of birds I got this year I got through Sandi of Nicksfield Farm. I used to work with her, at the vet clinic I still work at, in the late '90's, back before either of us had chickens. Well, she was there at CS with some birds. She has some spectacular Tolbunt Polish, also Marans and handles several other varieties. She happened to have a Blue Copper Marans, 2 week old pullet. I told her my last two Marans "pullets" from her were now having crowing contests. (Hey, it happens, c'est la vie and all that, luckily I can have roosters and I'll keep them if they behave reasonably well). Anyway, since I'm already going to be raising two babies, why not three? Because for sure those two roosters will not be producing the dark brown eggs I was hoping for. Sooooo... I went home with 2 d'Uccles and a Marans.

Plus, I unloaded got rid of found a good home for just over 100 goose eggs (and three peahen eggs) with @glambka . Penelope and Libby the geese are still laying, which in the three springs I've had them is the latest they've gone. (I think PJ, Penelope's daughter, is done for the season... although she's the one who gets stuck guarding the nest at night).

Anyway, thank you to everyone who worked to organize this Chickenstock. Great job, much appreciated!

 

[chickflick]

I always thought it weird that right after lunch, so many people pack up and leave the event. Why? I propose that next year, that everyone brings a lawn chair and we can all sit in a circle and just talk and get to know one another. Had a great time with the people that stayed behind to talk. We have the park till 3. Let's get our money's worth!!

 

[chickflick]

I am never hatching again!

Didn't we hear those words from your mouth once before??

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

I always thought it weird that right after lunch, so many people pack up and leave the event. Why? I propose that next year, that everyone brings a lawn chair and we can all sit in a circle and just talk and get to know one another. Had a great time with the people that stayed behind to talk. We have the park till 3. Let's get our money's worth!!

I'm sorry! We had to leave because my son is dog/house sitting and we are 1.5 hours away. Otherwise we definitely would have stayed until 3pm!

I hope we have lots more people and lots more poultry/animals in the future.

 

[preciouskitty]

Didn't we hear those words from your mouth once before??

I may have been a bit of an enabler since I gave him a few EE x EE & EE x Marans hatching eggs for his broody (aka "Mama Marans") a few weeks ago....

I must say my broody experience was zero stress. Maia (one of my Marans) did all the work; got up Mother's Day & 4 had hatched; next day 1 more...they are 6 weeks old today. Totally prefer that method to brooding babies in the house (except that they aren't people friendly).
They have been with her in the coop / pen with all the other birds the whole time...even sleep in the coop now with everyone (were in a large dog crate in the covered prt of the pen up until a few days ago when I noticed they weren't using it anymore & everyone else seemed to think it was a new, large nest box!).
They have free ranged with her since they were 3 days old. Maia really is a good mama. And Bigboy a good daddy; he watches over them, too!

 

[RaZ]

Didn't we hear those words from your mouth once before??

That was incubating. This time it was with a broody Marans.
There is one healthy chick, one premature fighting chicklet and 2 pipped eggs that may have quit.
Too much stress!

 

[Trefoil]

I am looking into fermented feed, and I was wondering wether this is a good idea or not, if so, what kind of grains or extras do you put in, and if anyone has a good "recipe" that they may be willing to share, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I ferment scratch for chickens, ducks,turkey and peas. The geese and everybody else when they are free roaming get wheat as is, the peas and young birds get free choice 22% kent feed as well. I add fermented sunflower seeds (with hulls) and sometimes boiled egg and any other goodies I have to the fermented feed, vitamins once a week. Even my week old chicks with their momma prefer the fermented to their medicated starter. You can ferment just about anything that a chicken would normally eat. If you are just starting, I would try fermenting what you are now feeding. The feed will absorb a LOT of water, so put in a container, fill about 1/2 full of feed and fill the rest with water. stir it every time you walk by it. It will take a couple of days the first time but the water will get a whitish/gray scim over the top and especially when you stir it, it will bubble. That's when you know its fermented and you can start to feed. Strain it and keep the liquid, adding more feed to it to ferment. Try not to feed more than they will eat in a 1/2 hour or so, you can take the uneaten up and add it back to the ferment pail. Every couple of weeks I restart with fresh liquid, but you wouldn't really have to. The longer it ferments the more "digested" it gets so they will get different nutrients from the "older" ferment, so its all right if you don't use it all at once. I have almost a hundred birds, so I ferment in plastic garbage pails with lids. 2 of them so I have ferment going all the time. Its kind of messy, so do it outside if you are doing it in large quantities, it (I) made a mess in the winter in the house. As you gain experience you will be able to guage how much they will eat and also how much water you need to add, its worry free as long as the water covers the feed completely. If when you check it the water has all been absorbed, just add more water. Sunflower seeds are a pain because they float. To give you an idea. I have a pair of peas and 6 guineas in a pen, I only have to fill their 6lb feeder with the 22%, mixed with dried fruit,nuts, dog food, and calf manna about once a week or less, they prefer the fermented. Hope this hasn't been too much information. Try it, they'll like it.

Came home from CS to take care of critter chores. Took the broody Marans off of the nest for bit and found 2 eggs with pips. Another egg was partially crushed and the chick was shrink-wrapped. So I did the warm wet paper towel thing to help rehydrate the membrane. I did that a few more times of the next few hours. The chick was peeping and another egg was answering. Momma Marans was completely dis-interested.

After checking several times, around 11:30 I brought the egg/chick because MM was pecking at the little foot and some blood veins. I suspect that the egg got broken prior to the chick being ready to hatch on its own. Two other eggs were killed last weak either by momma or the BO who was getting too nosy.

I expected the worse this morning but the little fighter is hanging in there. Checking MM this morning, there was clean empty shell in the box. A perfect exit by the hatchling. That makes me think the fighter was prematurely broken somehow. Mother seems OK with the overnight delivery so I put the premie back with the sibling. I figure that is better than having it all alone in a brooder box. And 2 more eggs have pipped.

I am never hatching again!

I am almost sure I've heard that from you before, however I completely understand because I've said and feel the same, and have pea and guinea eggs in the incubator right now. Wish I had a broody.

Didn't we hear those words from your mouth once before??

Oops, you beat me to it.

 

[snowflake]

Sounds like everyone had a great time at CS! Bummed I missed it but I will definitely try to make it next year. Right now we are dealing with ducklings. Not sure what I was thinking when we ordered TEN of them, LOL. They are so messy and at 2 weeks have nearly out grown the brooder I was able to keep 15 chickens in until 6 weeks! They're huge and smelly. They may have to go out into their coop next week but it's not rigged for a light and I'm pretty nervous about that. We have nowhere else to put them though

I would think it is warm enough for them to go out, don't know much about ducks, but, if they are dry, and draft free, I would think it is OK

That was incubating. This time it was with a broody Marans.
There is one healthy chick, one premature fighting chicklet and 2 pipped eggs that may have quit.
Too much stress!

Maybe you check to often? less stress if you don't look till they start peeking out from under mom, always some don't make it

just lost a couple posts, but the kefir are milk grains, pm me your address and I will get them in the mail