Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

Opening day for bow season tomorrow

DH put up my new hunting "condo" yesterday. Now I just have to finish decorating the inside; put my thick blanket on the ground that my Cabela's lounge chair sits on, etc.



So far really only seeing a doe & her little one showing up; she's off limits even though I think her youngster is old enough to take care of itself. Just can't take mommy, plenty of time yet to fill the freezer! Past 2 years I've been successful on 1 or 2 Oct. Sometimes alls that really matters to me is the peace & quiet of sitting in the blind & reading a good book...
Last year, got one on 1 Oct; sat the next day & could have easily gotten another...but just wasn't "feeling" it..so the only shots I took were with my camera!

I'm planning on going... though that may change.

The Michigan Small Farm Council (MSFC) is hosting a fund-raiser this Saturday in Ann Arbor at Bill's Beer Garden from 6-11 pm.
Speakers, music and local food are on the agenda.
Come meet some of the people who are on the front lines of the food fight here in Michigan.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact...442b5&ch=feec9fc0-cc7f-11e3-ba4e-d4ae528442b5

 

[SillyChicken]

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/zip/4654264184.html

 

[Stacykins]

Hey there! Pretty new to byc, learning how to navigate the site. You all are from michigan? This is my first year with chickens. Question for you all... Do you heat your coop in the winter. Our coop is fully insulated but I am sure you.all know how harsh our winters can be.

I live near Escanaba. My coop is not heated. Only frostbite was a hen who decided to stand in freezing water. She has stumpy toes now.

 

[boersmamrs]

I live near Escanaba. My coop is not heated. Only frostbite was a hen who decided to stand in freezing water. She has stumpy toes now.

lol

 

[boersmamrs]

...

It is that time of year when people start thinking about the upcoming evil side of nature. Winter.
 With it comes the questions of heating, lighting, watering and frostbite.

1) HEATING:  Even in the cold of the Michigan UP there is no real reason to heat your coop. Most who do choose to heat do so for their own piece of mind more so than for the benefit of the flock. The cons of supplemental heat outweigh the pros. Hopefully the chickens you have are a winter hardy breed. 

The coop should be as draft-free as possible but still allowing for air flow. Fresh air in and stale air out. Vents at or near the peak of the coop help to eliminate ammonia build up. Ammonia from feces can cause respiratory issues and it stinks. If you smell ammonia you need a good coop cleaning. 
The coop should be as water-tight as possible also. No roof leaks, no bad walls that allow wind-driven rain or snow into the coop. Moisture in the coop is bad. Moist coop and cooler temperatures can result in frostbite. Combs can become frostbitten at moderate temperature (~40' F) if there is a lot of moisture. Don't use a water fount that allows the combs to get wet when the bird drinks.

2) WATERERS:  To heat or not is mostly a matter of convenience. If you can, change the water 2 or 3 times a day. Having a few extra founts makes the chore easier. If you have a long haul to the coop or work then consider using a heated fount, there are several available commercially. If you opt to make one yourself such as a cookie tin heater, please make sure that you know what you are doing. Consider a Thermocube or submersible heater that only comes on at a certain temperature or below.

3) LIGHTING:  Some people believe that hens need 14 hours of light to continue to lay eggs. So supplemental lighting is added. Keep two (2) things in mind. Science determined that light need for hens raised in battery conditions where the birds never see the outdoors in their short lives. Our backyard birds get outside every day so they have a natural rhythm and are going to lay less during the winter. Part of that is less daylight and part is fewer natural foods available, ie. no worms, seeds, bugs and the like. Let your hens have a rest during the winter.
If you do need to add lighting, put in a timer that has the light come on in the early morning before natural daybreak. If the light is on after dusk some birds may not find their spot on the roost when the light suddenly turns off.

4) FROSTBITE:  Moisture, high humidity and cool conditions are the big factors. Combs and wattles are susceptible if they get wet from drinking or rain or snow and the air temperature is below 40 degrees or so. Keep your coop and birds dry. Petroleum jelly can be slathered on as a preventative. 

ELECTRICITY: If you need to plug anything into an electrical outlet, make certain that the cords are secured so that the chickens cannot get to them. If you have a heat lamp hanging make certain that it is triple secured and cannot be knocked down. Don't use cheapo clamp fixtures, get properly rated fixtures, use sturdy chain or wire to secure the fixture. If it produces heat it has the potential to start a fire. Be aware!

It is a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy just in case. Two or three is even better.

However you decide to care for your flock in winter is ultimately up to you. Chickens have survived just fine for 8000 years on their own but remember that the health and safety of a kept flock is your responsibility.

I hope this helps people who are new to chicken keeping and is a reminder to the more experienced folks. Please ask questions and/or refute what I have mentioned.
[/quot you have answered about every question i have had. Thanks for all of your knowledge and experience and thank you for taking the time to impart that wisdom!

 

[thechickenflock]

There are 36 Vultures in my yard/trees!!! The girls aren't too thrilled

. Most of them fled to under the front porch where the 2 month old chicks were hanging out.

 

[preciouskitty]

There are 36 Vultures in my yard/trees!!! The girls aren't too thrilled  . Most of them fled to under the front porch where the 2 month old chicks were hanging out.

LOL!
Yeah, mine rush under the deck/into bushes when the vultures come around...36!!?? Sounds like a bad Stephen King novel!
Better the vultures than hawks!

@SillyChicken
Your hunting "house" sounds like it's gonna be pretty cozy! Too bad you can't get out for bow
I'm with you, getting out there & hanging with nature is probably my fav part! Ok, yeah, I dig filling the freezer, too.
I love going out there on a cool October afternoon with the sun warming the inside of the blind & just chillin'....

 

[Opa]

For some stupid reason, yesterday my cell phone kept giving me messages that the battery was draining quickly. Everything was set as normal yet the phone kept draining. This morning David told me he had experienced the same thing. Even though my phone was fully charged at 11pm it was totally drained at 8am. I recharged it and today it has functioned perfectly. Several phone calls, use of the calculator function, and saving a couple of messages and I still am at 93%.

Since my phone was inoperable at 8am I didn't received my old friend's calls. Since I was heading to the farm I thought I wouldn't bother to call, I'd just leave the phone on the charger. As I approached his house I saw the ominous sight of a couple dozen vultures circling his house.

As it turned out they were drawn by several carcasses that were in the traps around the barns. It seems my efforts to eradicate the problem critters has created a restaurant for buzzards.

The traps I have been using are 160 & 220 conibears. None are baited, I just placed them at the tunnels the woodchucks have burrowed under the blind. Any critter entering of exiting those spots goes no further. A possum, 4 coons, a rabbit, 5 woodchucks, and a cat have all been added to the free lunch counter.

The strangest catch ever came this morning at a trap that has never sprung. It had no bait, was leaning against the barn over the mouth of a tunnel, and I can't determine any reason a vulture would stick its head into the opening. Conibears operate so quickly once the trigger has been tripped nothing is fast enough to escape.

With regard to chickens and heat, in my 60+ years of chicken tending I have found 375 degrees to be the ideal temperature. It allows the meat to fully cook and the skin to be perfectly crisp.

 

[RaZ]

So I was injected with a radio-active isotope this morning. When do my super powers kick in?

 

[mindylee]

Had a huge rooster ringneck in molt slam into the back of my shed yesterday and die.

I just tossed him in the oven and can't wait to eat him tonight with green beans, stuffing, mashed taters, and rolls.

He is a rare treat for me to enjoy.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!