Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

If my plate wasn't already overflowing with tasks that need to be performed, processing the birds for future soup pots would be a great idea. However, since I already have more work to do than any old man should I will be taking the carcasses to the local nature center where they will be used to feed the rehabilitating raptors.

That's a great use if you don't have time to prep them for eating!

 

[taprock]

I wish we had a place up here that would benefit from some young bantam roosters. They have to go but are not worth butchering. So yesterday I let a young fly-tying friend know to come and pick out which he wants. At least they will not go totally to waste.

Some of you who have been here a while may remember this and be able to help me out. At least a year ago likely two, there was a discussion and picture posted of a device from the UK that did the cervical separation for you. It was attached to the side of a building and you put the birds head in and then clamped it down and it was done. Does anyone remember this? If I can't buy one I want DH to make me one but it has been to far back to find. At least I think it was on here!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Thank you Leas mom! I will try to get a grasp on the numbers. Right now i am heavily supplementing, the current mash is equal parts birdseed, manna pro poultry conditioner,gape nuts cereal, and something from the pet store called quiko egg food. They seem to be holding out for the mash though they never run out of pellets. My roo is recovering from an upper respiratory infection that hung on. This isn't super econimical though!

 

[RTFchickens]

Thank you Leas mom! I will try to get a grasp on the numbers. Right now i am heavily supplementing, the current mash is equal parts birdseed, manna pro poultry conditioner,gape nuts cereal, and something from the pet store called quiko egg food. They seem to be holding out for the mash though they never run out of pellets. My roo is recovering from an upper respiratory infection that hung on. This isn't super econimical though!

There is a grain elevator in nunica that will mix feeds for you. I mix my own goat grain for my herd, and I get everything from them. There is also a local fertrell (not sure about spelling) dealer too. The guy works out of his house. He must not like people much? He leaves the desired feed in a designated location and you leave the check where the feed was... He always follows through on orders, and always polite on the phone, just never met the guy...
PM me if you want his contact info.

 

[tntchix]

oh crud the s*** word is in the forecast tomorrow. 80% chance of rain 74% s*** .

nooooo i'm not ready yet. Still have to plastic 2 sides of the run dang it! Attaching plastic sheeting with numb fingers, this will be fun.

Why did I wait so long?

 

[preciouskitty]

@tntchix
Don't worry. It's not gonna stick around.....yet
You still have time to finish!
We haven't even started "winterizing" the run...& won't until the week of 10 Nov..
I am gonna put the plexiglas in the coop windows since it's supposed to be REALLY cold & windy tomorrow, though...

Remember it's "powdered sugar"

 

[tntchix]

@tntchix
Don't worry. It's not gonna stick around.....yet

You still have time to finish!
We haven't even started "winterizing" the run...& won't until the week of 10 Nov..
I am gonna put the plexiglas in the coop windows since it's supposed to be REALLY cold & windy tomorrow, though...

Remember it's "powdered sugar"

I hope not.

Oh yeah, "powdered sugar" I forgot.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Sorry, this isn't chicken related but I need to vent. Some of you might remember I was coaching a robotics team last year. Well, we're at it again but things aren't going so well this year. Last year wasn't so hot either as we only had two team members besides my own boys but at least I could manage the team. The interest in our district is still almost non-existent and the school remains unenthusiastic about extra-curricular science/technology programs. But to make matters worse, the elementary science teacher was forced to retire this year and with him went an after school Lego-building workshop. The parents paid $50 for something like four-six sessions of having their kid build objects out of Legos from patterns after school. Lego babysitting is what I called it. Not that it was a bad thing but you can imagine what happened when all these displaced boys (with excess energy and a penchant for Legos) and their harried parents found out there was another Lego program in the building FOR FREE.

So I got a sudden flood of crazy kids who had one goal and that was to play with these super awesome, EXPENSIVE Lego Mindstorm kits. But that's not what Lego robotics is about. It's like OM if you've ever heard of that. It's a commitment and an intensive one. There's a research project, a presentation, interviews with professionals, teamwork exercise and yes, the robotic mission. Now, I'm not allowed to interview, try out or hand-pick students for the team (by order of the school) so I had no choice but to accept them. Myy meetings were plunged into utter chaos as I dealt with kids outright refusing to work on these projects and parents who were clueless and sending their kids to get them out of their hair after school. After a much-needed parent meeting, things improved slightly but only in the fact that I had a couple of parents in the room to keep the abhorrent behavior in check.

The kids are no more interested than they had been though, or not much anyway. I've got a book full of their antics - yes I'm writing it all down. The latest of which was a fifth grader who cast his vote one day, quite intentionally, with his middle finger. He would have been banned from the team if his mom hasn't been the best thing that happened to us (she's got a masters in grant writing and excels at research and has helped me immensely with the projects). She told me that she's forcing him to finish this year before he decides not to continue but I get the distinct impression that he's trying very hard to get himself kicked off the team. So yeah, I've had to do all kinds of unpleasant things that a volunteer should not have to do for an extra curricular activity, such as tolerating such behavior to get an ounce of help. It feels wrong, so wrong and my stress level is through the roof. It's supposed to be a fun activity but when no one is having fun... it's not working. The one bit of good news is that it will be over two weeks earlier than planned because we got shut out of our first and second choice for qualifying tournaments (Zeeland and Grandville). So we're registered for Flint but much sooner than expected. We're totally unprepared, but I'm not fussed. Indeed, I'm thrilled. I'll be able to get on with my life much sooner than thought.

Of course, there is the distinct possibility that they could send us to state tournament just for being a rookie team. They tend to do that. So the possibility exists that I may have to endure another month of it.

Wish me luck?

 

[aart]

Wish me luck?

Good Luck?

 

[tntchix]

Oh man, our kids love their Robotics class here. It's the teacher who doesn't give a crap at our school. I feel for you.

Maybe that mom would help you even if her son expelled himself from the program? *wishful thinking*