Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[snowflake]

. . . . .

time for a broody breaker cage. unless she is super stubborn they work well. I have one that has been in 4 times this yr. 3 and 4 days at a time. don't need more chicks but may have to let her win.

be taken. Such of the case with our resident woodchucks. For years they have resided under a brush pile at the rear of my property and I have rather enjoyed watching when they would bring their young out to graze on the clover patch 100 yards from my house.

I have tunnels all over my runs and can't find the tunnels. could be goffers but the raised areas seem rather large. wonder if chocolate down the hole would make them sick(die)

Last night a coon got one of our 2 pekin ducks. We (hubby,and two boys aged 5 and 2 and myself) were taking a female pekin out to the coop and hubby says hes not liking what he sees.. Meaning our ducks were always together

so sorry

 

[snowflake]

Mary sorry you can make CS we will miss you

 

[aart]

Hallelujah!!!!
No rain, sunshine and I can almost see the humidity lowering.
Ahhhhh....

Storms were crazy yesterday, lots of thunder, lightening and flooding.....thankfully not here, drain swale working great.
Should dry up enough by later this afternoon and tomorrow to mow the ridiculous growth of grass before the next wave of rain comes along Thursday and this weekend.

One of the 18 week pullets is reddening up and Woody is more actively 'pursuing' her...all 3 are spending a lot more time in run instead of hiding in coop, that's good to see too.

The 11 week olds had a big growth leap this last week or so.... and the cockerels are starting to get 'cocky' with the pullets.
Another month and those little boys will be dinner, along with some old hens, and the coop partition wall will come down for some integration 'fun'.

 

[Maah]

We lost three of our hens (including our two best layers) over Memorial Day weekend. The people whose pasture butts up to ours (where we had the issue with the tree stand) had some "relatives" living in a motorhome back there. Not only were they having some large bonfires (in a pasture

) they also shot three of our hens (on our property). Long, ugly story, called law enforcement but they just look at you like you are crazy. Officer was shocked when I gave him a commercial value of $210 for the 3 birds (5 eggs per week x 52 wks x $3 doz plus $5 per bird at auction when laying slows). I didn't even factor in replacement cost of chicks and feed.

On the bright side however, DH bought me two goats for our anniversary. Ricki and Roland.

It's one thing to have chickens killed off by predators. We expect the possibility & understand it when it happens, even if we don't like it. It's another thing to have them killed by ignorant humans & on your own property! I'd be livid.

I'd like to hear the long ugly story.

 

[bigmrg74]

It's one thing to have chickens killed off by predators. We expect the possibility & understand it when it happens, even if we don't like it. It's another thing to have them killed by ignorant humans & on your own property! I'd be livid.

I'd like to hear the long ugly story.

Tell us the story and we might just wrap up chicken stock early and go get rowdy on those miscreants. Go and flip their motor home or something.

I've always believed in hanging horse thieves, not sure what we would do to chicken killers, maybe strip them naked and stake them out under the roost in a coop perhaps?

 

[fuzzybutt love]

What??? Around here you can not camp on your own property for a length of time- i had the enforcement called on me to check one year when my birds still lived in a camper, saw me everyday and a light at night even! --- chick lamp lol! If they would stoop to killing your birds they will steal other things. You need a very annoying thing to do every day at that end of your property if the local pd won't put a stop to it.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Beehive for the pasture???

 

[thechickenflock]

100lbs of fender washers on my front porch, I guess it's time to get to work

 

[Opa]

Raised areas that are about 3" wide running helter skelter with occasional piles of dirt 6" high and 12" in diameter are indicative of mole infestation. Gophers (ground squirrels) create tunnels that are smaller than those made by moles.

Woodchucks burrow under fences to forage in gardens, and under buildings to create dens. Obviously, due to their larger size their tunnels often are 12" in diameter. They typically run about 3' under ground although I have found them as deep as 6' and often extending 30-40'. While the excess dirt a mole can't push though winds up being the lawn mangling mounds we all detest, the excavated dirt from the woodchucks efforts are deposited outside the burrow entrance in a long scree.

This morning I checked the trap I set last night, at the spot the woodchuck had gone under my chicken coop ,and found that it was empty. I then spent several hours with my old farmer friend so when I returned home I checked again. This time a large female woodchuck had met her fate. Evidently she had slept late and exiting directly into the waiting trap ended her morning.

Both Hope and Granny have retired for the night and they left the TV on. I'm glad that it Is still on. It can be an exceptionally informative and educational tool. For instance, I just learned that insurance ducks will nest on top of a woman's head. I saw it, so It must be true.

 

[SillyChicken]

We are thinning out the farm and I'm not happy about it at all. My goat herd has been sold and will be picked up Saturday, and the pigs will be sold or sent to the processor along with the rabbits. I will retain just a few chickens and the sheep herd since they don't cost as much, or take up as much of my time. The dogs are staying as well.


Since the goats are being picked up this weekend, I am not sure now if I'll be able to make it to CS15. I'm disappointed in how things are turning out but such is life I guess. Hope everyone has a good time.