Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[dportfamfarm]

Got some fuzz balls today!

Its blurry but i have 6. Barred rock i guess, the woman didnt know the turkeys from chicks, and said she had chicken, pullets and ducks (were turkey)

 

[OldMissionChick]

Is anyone in Northern Michigan parting with any female ducks?

 

[dportfamfarm]

Is anyone in Northern Michigan parting with any female ducks?

By luck of the draw, i got 2 male pekin ducks. May be getting my hands on a pair of KC ducks and indian runners, but dont know the sex. There is a hatchery/feed store that sells them in columbiaville, duck n coop its called. Hope this helps. If you have any luck, let me know, saginaw/zikwaukee bridge area.
-Allie

 

[OldMissionChick]

By luck of the draw, i got 2 male pekin ducks. May be getting my hands on a pair of KC ducks and indian runners, but dont know the sex. There is a hatchery/feed store that sells them in columbiaville, duck n coop its called. Hope this helps. If you have any luck, let me know, saginaw/zikwaukee bridge area.
-Allie

Thanks I will give them a call tomorrow. I dont want to buy more straight run ducklings and end up with more drakes. Plus the age gap of new verse my existing flock. I really like the Welsh Harlequin, Appleyard & Anconas. Maybe next year I will buy sexed ducklings from a hatchery.

 

[dportfamfarm]

Thanks I will give them a call tomorrow. I dont want to buy more straight run ducklings and end up with more drakes. Plus the age gap of new verse my existing flock. I really like the Welsh Harlequin, Appleyard & Anconas. Maybe next year I will buy sexed ducklings from a hatchery.

His are straight run unfortunately... I think i might head out there next week and pick up a pair, mine are roughly 7 weeks old. I would love the idea of hatching some ducklings!!!!! Plus i am hearing how duck eggs are great tasting ro bake with! Where abouts are you located? Columbaville is about 35 mins from me. If i get a hold of my friend about her ducklings i could let you know when some would be ready.
-Allie

 

[Opa]

One effective method of removing spurs is by pulling it off with a pair of pliers. However, there are a few steps necessary before removal.

You'll need pliers, a section of the leg from an old pair of pants or panty hose (this will be used to restrain the bird) , a hot pad., and two small potatoes. Microwave potatoes till fully cooked and super hot. Using the hot pad or oven mitt transfer the potatoes from the microwave to the rooster's spur. Leave on spur for 3 or4 minutes. This will loosen the spur and cauterize at the same so bleeding won't be an issue. Immediately upon removing potato crasp spur with pliers and a back and forth twisting motion as you pull away from leg will remove the spur.

The core will remain but it is substantially small and isn't sharp. The spur will eventually grow back but not for a long time.

 

[OldMissionChick]

His are straight run unfortunately... I think i might head out there next week and pick up a pair, mine are roughly 7 weeks old. I would love the idea of hatching some ducklings!!!!! Plus i am hearing how duck eggs are great tasting ro bake with! Where abouts are you located? Columbaville is about 35 mins from me. If i get a hold of my friend about her ducklings i could let you know when some would be ready.
-Allie

We love duck eggs. Personally I think they are slightly sweeter and definitely fluffier when making scrambled eggs.

 

[bigmrg74]

Well a busy day here got the big coop all Cleaned out. Roosts and nest box washed down with bleach, dried in the sun and put back together. DH is helping with figuring out how to stop the leak looks like it is coming from the down spou hens ha e had a very rough day with their routine messed up. Nest box substations are not acceptable. Love having removable Roost's

Nice. I was working on putting together a small coop for a hen that I picked up tonight so I can keep her quarantined from the flock. Figure having a small coop like that could come in handy in the future so I'm trying to make it somewhat sturdy so that it can be reused in the future. Nothing really special, just out of a lot of scraps and other odds and ends I have around here. I was hoping that I could have it done tonight, but I kinda got bogged down with engineering the door to it and getting that to work. Hopefully I'll be able to get it finished up tomorrow.

 

[preciouskitty]

@wannahomestead
My peppers & tomatoes have some white spots too. Last week I noted teeny black bugs..that jump. They are flea beetles. Treating with neem oil; first app last Friday. Already doing better, but that one cold day/night right after Labor Day definitely affected the plants. I always wait til Labor Day week to put the garden. This year it was pretty much a week early (fell about as early as it can). I'm just gonna keep an eye on things & worst case, if I have to replace a few plants, so be it. Of course I have 32 pepper plants (8 kinds ranging from banana sweet to ghost!).

Thanks for the spur advice. @HollyDuckFarmer saddles were my first thought, but I don't have the time or materials to make them; ordering takes 2 weeks. The scabbed over cut on Kali is bad & one of the EE year olds had a little cut yesterday...Bigboy is so amorous I simply had to do something NOW. I'm very lucky Kali didn't get pecked to death from bleeding; or develop an infection . I never noticed it until she jumped in my lap as its hidden with some of her wing feathers.

I have watched a ton of YouTube videos based on @Opa's advice (got the same method from a few others, too), have a plan, just can't execute it quite yet. So, he is currently in a bachelor pad (4x8' section of the run Opa designed that can be closed off to separate new birds during the intro to flock period).

I am less than pleased with my 3 indoor cats. I had a slight headache last night which turned into a full blown migraine at about 5pm, it's been a few years since I had one; as in couldn't get off the couch, deal with light, sound, etc. Woke up around 0130, it was slightly better & decided to try some caffeine (headache is MUCH better, but, @bigmrg74), I'd give anything for a head & neck massage; even if you're still hacking & coughing!). Go out side door, there's one cat, he comes in. Go back out a while later. There's Little Girl; she has never gone outside since she came in 2 years ago. I still haven't seen Precious. One of the BRATS pushed out the screen on one of the windows...so I also have a to of moths in the house.

So glad today is my day off...

 

[dportfamfarm]

When should I introduce my chicks to scratch, grit and dust baths? And are these things i can make at home easily or are they best to be bought? Im getting supplies for my nesting boxes today. Also what should I sprinkle on my outside run for house flies (the run is just grass and dirt and 2 ducks)