Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[bigmrg74]

Sorry.
If I saw this before now. I could have told ya they dont sell vaccinations for birds.

No worries, I needed the excuse to get out of the house, and Mom did want me to pick up some T-post insulators.

 

[justplainbatty]

imlay city...
http://www.mbgba.com/upcoming_events

Yes, the Imlay one,not the auction in Clare, TY. So it says day break to noon- ok. Too bad u won't be there but we'll see you in Lansing!?!

 

[justplainbatty]

Yes, the Imlay one,not the auction in Clare, TY. So it says day break to noon- ok. Too bad u won't be there but we'll see you in Lansing!?!

Sorry! I got you mixed up with Peep- Chicken I think

I'm tired, goin' ta bed!

 

[mrshaggie810]

Got the brooder almost done, May 4th is right around the corner. Yikes.
I am so... excited. 20 Light Brahma's and a mystery chick from Murray McMurray ..

Yay! So close! I want some buff brahma's eventually...but we're working with limited funds, and a mile long to-do list right now since we just moved in...so $2.50 a dozen Isa Brown hatching eggs it is! lol

Sorry about your chick @bigmrg74

 

[dportfamfarm]

Dport - are you looking for a specific breed (s)? I may have some. I have several teachers in the area hatching eggs in the classrooms that will be returning chicks to me after the hatch and some social time before the end of the school year. I may also have a few ducks. I have an Indian Runner on eggs now (a few may be pure Runner or pure Rouen, most will be crosses) and a Muscovy that just went broody 2 days ago . . .

Im looking for (please bear with me, i am sooo new to this somy spellibgs and names of breeds may be wayy off):
chicks... Dominiques, silver or brown laced wyandottes, buff orpington,or barred plymouth rock and americuanas (Looking for a easy going group of good egg layers, no roosters and am open to more breeds as long as dual purpose if need be and will interact well with a 2 and 5 year old)

Ducks: muscovy and peking is what im looking for but just like above,open to other breeds that will be great egg producers and that would fit im well with my chicks as i hope to have them im the same large coop.

Any input is welcome!!!

 

[mrshaggie810]

Family Farm had some from Townline too

Which FFaH? Almont?

imlay city...
http://www.mbgba.com/upcoming_events

Yay! Thanks for the link! Now I need to convince hubby it will be fun to go...I was hoping it was on a weekday and he wouldn't be able to influence my chicken or rabbit math as much. lol

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Trying to decide just what to tackle today...if it's nice out I need to stay home and work on some projects, but if its raining again I think I'll run errands.

 

[mrshaggie810]

Im looking for (please bear with me, i am sooo new to this somy spellibgs and names of breeds may be wayy off):
chicks... Dominiques, silver or brown laced wyandottes, buff orpington,or barred plymouth rock. (Looking for a easy going group of good egg layers, no roosters and am open to more breeds as long as dual purpose if need be and will interact well with a 2 and 5 year old)

Ducks: muscovy is what im looking for but just like above,open to other breeds that will be great egg producers and that would fit im well with my chicks as i hope to have them im the same large coop.

Any input is welcome!!!

I might have some buffs (ducks) if they ever start laying! I could have ancona silver appleyard crosses also...my advice from someone who has kept chickens and ducks together...I would only do so if you have adequate coop space (we had 3 layers, and 2 ducks and a drake in a 6x8 coop...the ducks would nest on the floor, and the chickens would roost) and they were fine...BUT I would recommend mid-size chickens, or chickens known for being docile, like buff orps, or brahma's...(I don't know anything about Dom's, but my SLW had some tude) and then I would keep large breed ducks...muscovies could work though since they have 'tude too...that way one GROUP isn't bullying the other. I had people say to be careful keeping a drake with chickens, because if he tries to mate them he can kill them...which I'm sure is true...in my coop I had a new hampshire, an isa brown, and a EE...the NH was at the top of the pecking order and the ducks new it...but if she ever got too much attitude about the food dish, or what not with the duck hens, the drake would step in and just let her know that wasn't ok. He was happy with his ladies, and never interested in doing anything with the chickens. None of them were every mean or agressive to each other to the point of picking feathers, or harming in any way...just had to work out the pecking order and then they were good. However with the AI concerns, you MAY want to consider keeping them separate just so that if, the ducks do pick it up, they don't spread it to your chickens...but if you don't plan on free-ranging them, then that won't be a problem.

As for me...when we got the keys from the owner she told me that every year they got two ducks, two geese, and a blue heron on the pond...we've seen the ducks, and geese, but no blue heron thus far...they don't hang around much since I have my ducks on the pond, and since the day I stared down the goose who was staring down my ducks, he hasn't been back...however, I am hoping...since the instance of wild birds using my pond is rather low, that I can hope for the best and they won't bring anything in.

 

[dportfamfarm]

Mrshaggie810-
I have a 10x10 barn with barn trusses and will have an outdoor enclosed run along with a chicken tractor. I hope to have maybe 6 to 8 chickens and 2 to 4 ducks. Would like to try to get all girls, im sure a rooster is out of the question and well a male duck would be great but didnt think hed try to mate with my lady ducks...

 

[JackieandChicks]

FF in Holland but I'm sure they all have them.

Remember to quarantine!!!! This is not good....

http://www.wilx.com/topstories/head...-Lock-Down-to-Prevent-Bird-Flu-300876661.html

The Michigan Department of Agriculture is preparing for the worst.
"Should it come we are prepared to respond quickly, effectively and as efficiently as possible to protect the public health to protect the health of Michigan's agriculture industry," said spokeswoman Jennifer Holton.
Flocks in 12 states have bird flu, and Holton is asking the poultry industry to help stop the bird flu before it gets here.
"Taking a couple of those proactive steps goes a long way in protecting the health of their flock," Holton said.
Almost every commercial poultry farm in the state is on lock down trying to make sure their birds don't get this flu. And the state veterinarian says local farmers can do the same thing.
The massive poultry farms are following bio-security protocol.
That means closing their facilities to anyone who doesn't work there, not sharing any equipment and isolating new birds that haven't been on their property very long.
Dr. James Averill is the state veterinarian.
He says if every bird owner doesn't try to protect their flock, there's a better chance the flu will end up in Michigan.
"When it gets into our domestic birds, the chickens and the turkeys, it will kill them," Dr. Averill said. "And so having it and not recognizing it in your own back yard is perpetuating the disease, and then putting other birds at risk for it."
He also said the flu spreads from ducks and geese migrating, so there will probably be another bout of it when they fly south in the fall.
There's no risk of humans getting this if there's no bird cases in Michigan, but if it gets here people can catch it if they come in close contact with an infected bird or its droppings.
You're less likely to get it from eating an infected bird.
The department told me what's more likely is that it will catch any infected birds before they're sold.
Then egg and chicken prices will go up because of the shortage.

 

[JackieandChicks]

Map of outbreaks ...

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kB0Jt6F7NlIM

http://www.poultrymed.com/Poultryme...D=1&LNGID=1&TMID=178&FID=1825&PID=0&IID=22673