Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[wannahomestead]

I have two roosters at the moment, but they're still juvenile (11 weeks). I've been watching them closely in case they start fighting.

 

[TreeTree411]

Depends on your chicken goals.....and the amount/types of space you have and the temperament of the birds in question.

I'm guessing it's a craigslist thing ....rather than a farm store thing.

We'll I only wanted ten chickens at first.. 9 hens and one Rooster.. I chose light brahma's, because I heard they were very cold hardy and docile in temperament. I've been reading the Baby chick section, and saw how it was common for baby chicks to die being shipped, and get sick and die in the first couple of days. So keeping that in mind, and the fact I've never owned chickens before, my chicken math persuaded me to ordered 18 hens and two roosters..

I found a surprise when I went to pick up my chicks at the post office. I got four extra's which I heard were most likely roosters, given for warmth when shipping plus one mystery chick. So I was hoping to keep maybe three roosters, and re-home or freeze the extras. Maybe I will get lucky and some will turn out to be Hens.

I have a little farm here in the U.P. and just wanted a few chickens for eggs and something fun for my girls to raise.

The extras are maybe RIR's and one Barred Rock? My goal was to keep two Brahma Roo's, but my daughter is in love with the Barred Rock chick.. So..... I wanted to keep those three Roosters, but it seems that would be too much. I wish I could keep them all.

 

[OldMissionChick]

We got 9 pullets, now almost 10 weeks old. What are the chances we have a rooster? Are chicks sexed before being shipped to the feed stores?

 

[Trefoil]

The chances are pretty good that you got at least one rooster, you probably can tell now by their combs ( do any have more visible combs than the others?)
My daughter is looking for 2 or 3 brown muscovy ducklings, anybody have some? The closer to S. Lyon the better but its not a deal breaker.

 

[wannahomestead]

We got 9 pullets, now almost 10 weeks old. What are the chances we have a rooster? Are chicks sexed before being shipped to the feed stores?

Did you buy sexed pullets? If you went straight run you're likely to have at least 1 rooster, if not more. I bought my 3 RIRs straight run and 2 are roosters. They're pretty obvious when the combs and wattles come in a lot sooner than the hens. I'll snap some pics tonight when I get home if you'd like to show mine.

sexed birds (pullets) are said to be 95% accurate.

If I'm wrong, someone will surely correct me. This is just info I've gathered in my minimal experience and reading

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

We settled at $325. This one was a home built unit, not farm store pre build. It's pretty solid, relatively clean, hasn't had birds in a couple years now. I will pick it up tomorrow, bring it home and clean it very thoroughly. It needs a coat of paint and it'll look pretty much new.

I don't honestly know if I could build it cheaper, and it's about 85% what we're looking for. with some slight tweaking (moving the chicken door, a little trim work) I think it'll do what we need. Time is also fleeting right now, and my next 2 weekends are booked full, so I don't have really any time to build .

I am glad to hear that!! And you're probly right-- lumber is not cheap. Altho I did find some fairly ok 2x4s on the cull cart last year at Orange Box. I think I paid $0.26 for 10-footers. I mentioned Opa bcz if I'm recalling correctly, I think he built @preciouskitty's... Very nice. You might want to consider a lime wash inside before you move them in, just in case.

I am relocating mine to a different area soon. Will be a 55' x ~85' pasture, a puddle, and my tractor coop inside that. Right now the girls have got sand over landscape fabric, and I do believe they get bored without worms.

 

[OldMissionChick]

The workers at the store said straight run were a mix of hens & roos and pullets were hens, so we picked only from pullet bins. We got 1 Isa Brown, 1 Black Australorp, 2 Black Jersey Giants, 2 Araucanas & 3 RIR. The Araucanas have almost no comb & all the others have a comb that is maybe an 1/8th inch.

the gray one in the back & the one more in the middle are the Araucanas

Here's the Isa Brown

And my cuddly RIR

 

[gladahmae]

How many Roos? 1. Because otherwise they have crowing contests. Lol

 

[wannahomestead]

The workers at the store said straight run were a mix of hens & roos and pullets were hens, so we picked only from pullet bins. We got 1 Isa Brown, 1 Black Australorp, 2 Black Jersey Giants, 2 Araucanas & 3 RIR. The Araucanas have almost no comb & all the others have a comb that is maybe an 1/8th inch.
the gray one in the back & the one more in the middle are the Araucanas


Here's the Isa Brown

And my cuddly RIR

Those all look pretty pullet-y to my untrained eye

 

[aart]

Butchered a couple old hens today...went pretty well considering I've only done a couple cockerels prior.
But WOW those girls pack some fat on them!! I was astounded, too bad I don't cook much.

Anyone here cook much with rendered chicken fat?