Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Peep-Chicken]

Hi all I am less than a month old to BYC and chicken farming. Are any of you local to me in SW Michigan? I have 3 hens. 2 Isa Browns and 1 White Leghorn. I am looking for a couple of Rhode Island Red chicks 2 girls and 1 gentleman. I have settled on this breed as the one I think will be best for us after researching many of them. Do any of you raise them? Know personal pros and cons to this breed? What is your favorite breed and why?

Welcome. I am in the SE .

 

[Lonetengu]

Hi all I am less than a month old to BYC and chicken farming. Are any of you local to me in SW Michigan? I have 3 hens. 2 Isa Browns and 1 White Leghorn. I am looking for a couple of Rhode Island Red chicks 2 girls and 1 gentleman. I have settled on this breed as the one I think will be best for us after researching many of them. Do any of you raise them? Know personal pros and cons to this breed? What is your favorite breed and why?

yea like @preciouskitty said i have a RIR rooster looking for a home if youre interested let me know

 

[tntchix]

I've raised chickens on and off for 65 years and as this threads resident curmudgeon I often give advice that some view as harsh or callus. For instance, I don't believe in trying to find a vet that will charge you over $100 to try and save a $5 bird. Nor do I believe that chickens can be affectionate. Any interest they show in you is based on food. Plain and simple.

When introducing new birds to a flock, I always add them in the dark. Come morning they don't have the sense to realize there are new birds. I see no reason to spend days with them in close proximity in the belief that there will be fewer problems. There will be absolutely no difference. However, you may have some difficulties that you need to monitor. There will be some re-establishing of the pecking order. Often birds of a different color will receive quite a few problems with the more dominant members of the flock. Also birds of a much smaller size should never be added as they often are killed.

I know many people talk about how gentle and loving their birds are, but as a friend once told me, if you fall in a chicken coop they will eat you.

Thank you. I knew you would shoot straight, @Opa. I better not fall then huh?

I don't see your advice as harsh or callus. It makes sense. I just didn't want to do anything extra to wreck the "harmony in the flock" We've been so lucky so far, except that dang bantam roo.

I waited far too ling to cull him.

 

[snowflake]

Hi all I am less than a month old to BYC and chicken farming. Are any of you local to me in SW Michigan? I have 3 hens. 2 Isa Browns and 1 White Leghorn. I am looking for a couple of Rhode Island Red chicks 2 girls and 1 gentleman. I have settled on this breed as the one I think will be best for us after researching many of them. Do any of you raise them? Know personal pros and cons to this breed? What is your favorite breed and why?

Welcome, this is a good spot to visit I have Chanteclers and Americaunas both have very small combs and are winter hardy

lol good name we hadn't really named him. oh i had a question for everyone else too. what does everyone do for the winters up here? i keep reading a bunch of contrary info on heating or not heating

welcome to you also lone, good luck re-homing your roo, I do not heat, I have heated waterers and keep both water and food outside under a covered area, it gets them outside even during bad weather


love the old tree, looks like a good climber

 

[RaZ]

Nor do I believe that chickens can be affectionate. Any interest they show in you is based on food. Plain and simple.

You have just described my ex-wives.

 

[snowflake]

Daran and Grace, CONGRATULATIONS,,,,,beautiful picture.... Hope things are going well for you, and you can drop in once and a while,

you booth look so HAPPY

Been busy here, just trying to catch up, almost missed this

 

[Trefoil]

I've raised chickens on and off for 65 years and as this threads resident curmudgeon I often give advice that some view as harsh or callus. For instance, I don't believe in trying to find a vet that will charge you over $100 to try and save a $5 bird.

LOL- I was at the vets the other day and the woman in front of me had brought a chicken in, and from what she said was also getting wormer for the 11 still at home. Her bill? $375 and change.now, given I don't know what she had done, but when she questioned the amount the receptionist reminded her that she had a fecal done and was also worming the chickens at home. I almost felt lucky that it only cost me $75. to find out there was nothing the vet could do for my poor pea. I totally understand that education is expensive, but the vet charges more for office call than my back specialist does and spends less time. Okay, rant over

 

[chickwhispers]

Quarantine is over today for the new roosters I got from @preciouskitty . They are doing great in their pen in the pole barn, but they really don't like the auto body work going on in there.

I want to get them together with their hens before the "powdered sugar" hits later this week.

Now I'm nervous about the procedure. There is no room to intro inside coop for a few days cuz of the giant dog crate they are in now. I do have the chicken gazebo next to the run except they will be exposed at night. Should I just put them in coop with girls tonight?

Thoughts?

Nothing to add except Yay! I hate the quartine time. It is very important but it makes more work. Maybe because this year I integrated 3 new sets of pullets with the the 5 older hens I had. Much quarantine time! Good Luck tntchix!

Good info Opa! Thanks!

 

[Opa]

A few years ago I had my JRT at the vets office for a checkup and rabies shot. I was informed that she had two teeth the needed to come out, and maybe four. The cost was going to be from $475 -$650. After calling around to several other vets and found the same price I remarked to my oldest son, living in SE Missouri that the poor dog would have to suffer until I could afford it.

He checked several vets in his area and the cost was $62 for 2 extractions and $90 for removing 4 teeth. Big difference. Joe had lots of frequent flyer miles, so he got me a ticket and Daisy and I flew to Missouri.

Now it's time for me to crawl up on my soap box. I feel that some of our holidays no longer have any significance to far to many people. The original intent of Memorial Day was to honor our fallen heroes not a 3 day weekend holiday to play.

And tomorrow has become almost a forgotten holiday. This is still the greatest country in the world and we are fortunate to live here. The reason we enjoy our freedoms and many benefits has been in no small part due to the willingness our Veterans to sacrifice for our country.

Memorial Day honors our fallen heroes and tomorrow is to honor all veterans, both living and dead. The six years I gave our country seems little to have paid for all we have. Thank a veteran for his or her service.

 

[SillyChicken]

I agree with Opa.....He always says it with more tact..... I know many people become emotionally attached to their birds and that is great to each his own right! ...... but I see them as producers that will either produce eggs or food for me and my family. I do have one roo that is ugly and sweet, and lost his feet (he heh... rhymes!) Every once in a while a bird may get a reprieve from freezer camp.... but this is not the case for most of my flock. They are still animals that IMHO..... function on basic survival levels (eat, poop, sleep, reproduce, die) and we assign human traits to them to make us feel better so we can associate with them.... I will spend money to maintain a flock... but if a bird gets too sick, they get removed. I have lost too many trying to be overly "compassionate". Does the birds life have value? Certainly.... but with live stock comes dead stock and I have to be realistic about how much it costs me and I would be an emotional wreck if I allowed myself to become overly attached to all of my stock. I also feel that allowing the stronger to survive makes better stock for the future.
Now my dogs on the other hand............

Got my shot and the Poison ivy has not spread further!
Welcome to the new folks!