Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[mrshaggie810]

I have 8 chicks in a brooder in my barn, I just went out to clean the brooder and had 1 fly up and perch on the side of the brooder. I'm kinda freaking out because if they get out I have no idea how I would catch them. They were "pullets" when I got them 2 weeks ago. They are starting to get pretty skiddish. Any advice?

"Pullets" means all girls...i.e. you would most likely buy them for egg laying.

You need a lid on your brooder, as suggested...even with a lid my little turkey poult I had a couple years ago would always get out.

Chickens are skittish...in my experience at least. I personally don't mind if I don't have lap chickens, so I just train them to the shake of the feed container, and they always came a runnin and went in the coop on their own...I could catch them if need be, but they didn't want me holding them all the time. What breed are they? Certain breeds are more "flighty" than others...your typical layers that you'll get at TSC will be pretty flighty...but should lay well...if you want "pet" chickens I would suggest investing in a breed known for being more friendly, like Cochins, Brahma's, Australorps, or Buff Orpingtons...albeit a tiny bit more pricey to do so.

Good luck!

 

[dportfamfarm]

A few houses down from us was getting rid of one of those heavy black plastic pond forms yesterday. Had it sitting at the curb so I sweet talked the Mr to go and swipe it. Looks in great shape, a few very small hairline cracks but perfect, after all it was FREE!!! Thinking that I will rig a drain attached to a garden hose so it can be drained away from the coop and garden.

What type of sand is used in the coop? And what's the ratio of sand to the stable salt (can't think of the name).

 

[mrshaggie810]

So our little farm officially has it's FIRST chicken!!!! Our first Isa Brown egg hatched on Day 19...pic once I get it uploaded. Chicky is doing well...but none of the other 7 have even pipped yet

...5:00am today is day 21...so

that at least a few more hatch. I'd be thrilled to even end up with 4.

This is me this morning...

Been having a rough couple days emotionally/stress wise...I'm hoping the weather is decent today so I can get out and get some work done on the coops, and the rabbit housing. If all goes as planned (and I can get the cage done today) we will have a new bun here tomorrow that will be the other part of my breeding program!

I'm getting nervous about the Avian flu as well...this might sound silly, but can you dispatch a wild bird if you feel it is a threat to your livestock if it is not in-season??? The craziest thing happened...my ducks were out on the pond, as usual, and one of the local wild mallard drakes was hanging out...as usual...well he chased down and mated with my female (I don't even know anymore...I thought she was a Rouen, but she's tiny, so I'm thinking call duck now...I need to do more ducky research I guess.) At any rate...I ran outside and chased him off, but a little bit later he was right back again. :/
The stupid ducks still aren't laying right now....going to supplement their calcium and see if that helps.

I fear I'm screwed if Avian flu makes it here...I wish the farmer would get the field across the way planted so the geese would get out...there are literally probably 15 of them nesting over there give or take...thankfully the two that were in our pond took off after my stare down with one the day my ducks were on our pond...the wild ducks have not been deterred though...we have two wild drakes that will hang out with my flock, and then the duck couple that was in the front pond moved to a large puddle system at the back of our property, and I think they have a nest back there. It was pretty funny hearing them get startled bya wild turkey the other day though! lol!



Do any of you feed fodder and/or fermented food? I am growing wheat fodder, and soon barley....I did boss but the ducks and buns didn't love it...might try it for the chickens though...can you give me a good place to start for how to get started fermenting feed? Also...anyone know if I can feed chia, millet, or oat fodder? (will millet even sprout?)

Sorry this got so long! Thanks for the help!

 

[OldMissionChick]

Hi OldMissionChick, I have had chickens for the past year in a half in Northern Michigan. As soon as we get thru the raining spring weather I put contractors sand down in my coop with some PDZ mixed in. Then as soon as we come into the constant rainy fall weather I switch back to wood shavings with PDZ for the winter. I personally found the sand to get rather stinky during the wet weather seasons and my birds love hunkering down in the wood shavings in the winter after being outside. I do love the ease of cleaning the sand in the dry season. I have sand on my poop board year around, so much easier to clean.

What is PDZ? The learning tab said coarse sand & DE. It's our first time with chickens & ducks so a whole new learning experience

 

[JackieandChicks]

I'm getting more nervous about the avian influenza issue; today there was a backyard flock in northern Indiana found infected! It's coming ever closer, not a good thing to see. None of us wants to loose their entire flock, and we've been lucky here so far. If it does arrive, we need to reconsider bringing birds to Chickenstock this year. Mary

That is not good! Where in Northern Indiana? I am hoping most of our flocks have healthy immune systems, unlike commercial flocks who are only expected to live maybe 6 months. I'm also hoping the migrations have stopped and all the wild birds are nesting. The barn swallows arrived last week, the last of the birds that migrate in here.

I wonder if that was a flock someone got from the infected areas or brought in a bird? Lots of transport going on right now.

Found this map....https://batchgeo.com/map/2015-avian-influenza-outbreaks

 

[1muttsfan]

What type of sand is used in the coop? And what's the ratio of sand to the stable salt (can't think of the name).

Stable salt? Sweet PDZ maybe?

. There is a saw mill near by that gives away truck loads of chips, but not as easy to clean up. This coop will be for both chickens and ducks. Thanks for any advice

Sand makes poor cold-weather bedding. Wood chips from a sawmill are also not ideal. Shavings sold for bedding are kiln-dried and have relatively less dust, while sawmill waste is from green wood and higher in moisture.

Ducks and chickens do not always make the best companions, ducks can make a wet mess.

 

[Stacykins]

That is not good! Where in Northern Indiana? I am hoping most of our flocks have healthy immune systems, unlike commercial flocks who are only expected to live maybe 6 months. I'm also hoping the migrations have stopped and all the wild birds are nesting. The barn swallows arrived last week, the last of the birds that migrate in here.

I wonder if that was a flock someone got from the infected areas or brought in a bird? Lots of transport going on right now.

Found this map....https://batchgeo.com/map/2015-avian-influenza-outbreaks

The recent Indiana case was a backyard flock. The current influenza bring brought in by wild birds to an area (waterfowl mostly) is quite lethal to domestic fowl. Not to mention, where there is a case, all poultry in a five or six mile radius are destroyed.

 

[SillyChicken]

There really isn't much you can do to stop it if it's coming from wild birds. You can't possibly kill every bird that flies over or near your coop, not to mention I am not sure of the legality of doing that. You can't be getting yourself all worked up with worry on the "what ifs". life is too short, and chickens are going to die one way or another.

Try to set up your coop to frighten them away.

 

[snowflake]

Stable salt? Sweet PDZ maybe?
Sand makes poor cold-weather bedding. Wood chips from a sawmill are also not ideal. Shavings sold for bedding are kiln-dried and have relatively less dust, while sawmill waste is from green wood and higher in moisture.

Ducks and chickens do not always make the best companions, ducks can make a wet mess.

I have 8 chicks in a brooder in my barn, I just went out to clean the brooder and had 1 fly up and perch on the side of the brooder. I'm kinda freaking out because if they get out I have no idea how I would catch them. They were "pullets" when I got them 2 weeks ago. They are starting to get pretty skiddish. Any advice?

feed them treats, a little scratch seed of corn,peas,ect. that should help them calm down a little or at least be glad to see you, also need to cover an old house screen or chicken wire. don't forget if you start with treats you need to make sure they are getting some grit

We are also thinking linoleum for the floor. And including the bottom portion of a stand up shower with a drain for where the water dish will be (since ducks LOVE playing in the water & making a mess). Has anyone else tried this? Other options?

interesting idea, don't have ducks but as most have said it seams they don't go together to well as they age.

I have not tried sand, some love it others hate it. I use a mix of wood shavings and hay. if you have poop boards, I cover mine with feed bags cut open. just pull out and dump the poo off into another feed bag to take out to compost. when they get too dirty I just throw them away and put down new ones, I only have a wood floor but because I keep my feed and water outside and the floor has at least 4 inchs of bedding it stays pretty clean. roosts with poop boards under also keep the floor fairly clean cause they seem to poop most at night.

love all the pics. been pretty busy outside so I'm a little behind on reading posts. Aart, love your coop,......also the duck house and pond(even if it isn't yours John)

 

[JackieandChicks]

The recent Indiana case was a backyard flock. The current influenza bring brought in by wild birds to an area (waterfowl mostly) is quite lethal to domestic fowl. Not to mention, where there is a case, all poultry in a five or six mile radius are destroyed.

I hear you but I wonder if they know what the vector is for that backyard flock. Maybe they will never know.