Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[vintagegem]

Quote:
HaHa.....one of my girls is called Dollar Bill!!

 

[OldMissionChick]

Anybody here raise peacocks? If so are they do you eat their eggs or are they just for looks?

 

[bigmrg74]

Chicka our Isa Brown laid her first egg today! I AM SOOOO HAPPY

Yay for your first egg!!!


So one of my younger Iowa chicks is now laying eggs now. I didn't think she would be laying until maybe the end of July here. Going to be wondering when the other iowa will have her comb redden up and she'll start laying as well.


Went to the Tigers game this afternoon. Still think we need to send the Tigers some spare cockerals so they can give them to Jobu. Then maybe he'll warm up bats.

 

[feedthewilling]

I want the whole world to know that we live in the greatest state of all! MICHIGAN,water wonder land! Water so clean you drink it from the stream. I am a Michigan man! In this beautiful state we have it all. So tell how you feel about this great state???? Have a great Michigan day! Nice pictures

 

[PaisyQ]

I'm wondering if anyone has some advice for me? I have a hen that went broody about 6 weeks ago. A little less than 2 weeks ago I gave up on attempts to break her of it, and gave her 3 eggs to hatch. Not an ideal situation for any of us, because the coop she shares with the rest of the main flock didn't have any good place for her to brood in. She was hogging one of the two nest boxes. I built a (very) small pen for her under the existing nest boxes, and she's happy enough to stay in there now, but it's too small to keep her and the chicks in when they hatch.

My father has been helping me build a new coop, which would have been done this weekend, if life hadn't thrown a wrench into our plans. I was planning on moving mom and chicks into this coop once they hatched, but now that plan is squashed. I have very little in the way of building skills, and very little in the way of extra money right now. The main flock has a nice secure run attached to the main coop, with a divider I built in, that I can open or close as needed. I was thinking of setting up a dog kennel I have in the divided section of the run, covering it for weather protection, and keeping mom and chicks in there. Or, I could move them all inside into the brooder for a couple of weeks. Mom is a mixed breed EE, bantamish sized hen. Chicks are from her standard size flock mates, so the brooder option would be tight, but doable in the short term.

 

[gladahmae]

I had 0 problems leaving one of my hens and all 10 of her chicks in with everyone. That mama didn't let ANYONE mess with her babies. This is usually the case (though not always). Makes things a lot easier when you have a good broody.

 

[aart]

I'm wondering if anyone has some advice for me? I have a hen that went broody about 6 weeks ago. A little less than 2 weeks ago I gave up on attempts to break her of it, and gave her 3 eggs to hatch. Not an ideal situation for any of us, because the coop she shares with the rest of the main flock didn't have any good place for her to brood in. She was hogging one of the two nest boxes. I built a (very) small pen for her under the existing nest boxes, and she's happy enough to stay in there now, but it's too small to keep her and the chicks in when they hatch.

My father has been helping me build a new coop, which would have been done this weekend, if life hadn't thrown a wrench into our plans. I was planning on moving mom and chicks into this coop once they hatched, but now that plan is squashed. I have very little in the way of building skills, and very little in the way of extra money right now. The main flock has a nice secure run attached to the main coop, with a divider I built in, that I can open or close as needed. I was thinking of setting up a dog kennel I have in the divided section of the run, covering it for weather protection, and keeping mom and chicks in there. Or, I could move them all inside into the brooder for a couple of weeks. Mom is a mixed breed EE, bantamish sized hen. Chicks are from her standard size flock mates, so the brooder option would be tight, but doable in the short term.

I would just make an opening big enough for mama in that pen under the nests a couple days after all the chicks hatch (let them get their feet under them and learn to eat and drink). Hopefully you can put a feed/water station in the pen.

Mama will protect them from the others and they will probably still sleep and hang out in the pen.

That should make integrating the new chicks into the flock much easier than separating them and integrating later.

 

[BigHope888]

Went to the Tigers game this afternoon. Still think we need to send the Tigers some spare cockerals so they can give them to Jobu. Then maybe he'll warm up bats.

Has anyone been drinking Jobu's rum? Is very bad.

I want the whole world to know that we live in the greatest state of all! MICHIGAN,water wonder land! Water so clean you drink it from the stream. I am a Michigan man! In this beautiful state we have it all. So tell how you feel about this great state???? Have a great Michigan day! Nice pictures

I do love this state. I've been known to spontaneously start cleaning garbage from parks. I want to stay here for the rest of my life. I love the cities, the country, and God's country (The UP.)

Otherwise, bathroom renovation continues. Work is trying to kill me with hours. And in the coop, golf balls have been deployed.

 

[PaisyQ]

I had 0 problems leaving one of my hens and all 10 of her chicks in with everyone. That mama didn't let ANYONE mess with her babies. This is usually the case (though not always). Makes things a lot easier when you have a good broody.

I would just make an opening big enough for mama in that pen under the nests a couple days after all the chicks hatch (let them get their feet under them and learn to eat and drink). Hopefully you can put a feed/water station in the pen.

Mama will protect them from the others and they will probably still sleep and hang out in the pen.

That should make integrating the new chicks into the flock much easier than separating them and integrating later.

I'd love to leave her and the chicks in with the other birds. It would make things so much easier. But as far as I can figure, she's sort of low in the pecking order, and she's a small bird in with a bunch of standards. I could try making an opening in the pen just for her. That might work. I'm also concerned because the coop entrance is about 12 inches above the ground. If the chicks got out, I don't think they could get back in? The older birds have a ladder, but they never use it. They usually just fly up in and out. I could probably make a new one for the chicks though. Would they use it?

 

[aart]

Broody will probably keep then in the coop until they can navigate back inside.

Mine took hers out but didn't make sure they could get back up the ramp...so she had 3 in their nest and another 3 outside.
I had to move her nest outside until they all got in there, then cover the opening and carry it back into the coop.<rollseyes>

She kept them inside after that for another few days....meanwhile I set up a small ramp near their nest sprinkled with crumbles to practice on...
...then all was well, they figured it out.