Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...rood-over-cdc-advice-not-to-kiss-cuddle-birds

"Don't kiss your chickens! That's the message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is blaming a salmonella outbreak on backyard chicken owners being overly affectionate with their flocks."

I only kiss my chickens after they have been fried, baked, broasted or stewed.

 

[Brennigan]

Is it normal for a pullet to lay her first egg then nothing for a few days? One of our EE laid this egg 7/11 but nothing since. Is there anything I can do?

Good question. Mine that started laying on sunday laid again on monday, but so far nothing today. 

My EE had about 5 days between her first, second, and third egg. Normal behavior.

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Posted this on other boards, but didn't know if anyone here had ideas too?

**My Welsummer hen (we raised from a chick last February) won't let our new pullets lay. Our one new girl who wants to lay will go in the box, but if the Welsummer finds her, she attacks her pulling out feathers. Any ideas as to stop her?

Background: We only had two hens throughout the winter (Welsummer and Buff Orp) and added three new chicks this Spring (EE, Australorp, Brahna) : 5 total. They get hours of free range time on our 1/2 acre but spend the other time in their 100sq ft run. The Welsummer has been a bully to our new girls from the start, but really has it out for the EE that has started laying.

 

[wannahomestead]

Anyone near Lansing have chicks availble? FFH/TSC are long out, Townline is 15 minimum, and a buddy of mine wants to get started w/ chicks. Being in lansing he can only have 5, and if I come home with any more chicks, the mrs will disown me.

 

[snowflake]

My EE had about 5 days between her first, second, and third egg. Normal behavior.

--

Posted this on other boards, but didn't know if anyone here had ideas too?

**My Welsummer hen (we raised from a chick last February) won't let our new pullets lay. Our one new girl who wants to lay will go in the box, but if the Welsummer finds her, she attacks her pulling out feathers. Any ideas as to stop her?

do you have another box you could put in a different location?

Is it just me, or were things manufactured better 'back 'then'?! I picked up (basically stole at the price I got it for) a non reproduction Dazey butter churn today! This specific "bullseye" churn (because the embossing on the glass is in a circle) was made from 1912 to 1920. With hardly a speck of rust and gears that turn like they just came out of the factory, all I can say is, wow! It is the 30 size, or 3 quart.

nice find,!!

So I'm pretty sure i know the answer but I'm going to ask anyway!

Can i give my broody hens 2-week-old chicks? I am now up to FIVE broody hens, and egg production is bottoming out. I have 14 chicks in the basement I would be MORE than happy to evict to the main coops. I haven't handled them or socialized with them (and quite frankly they are terrified of me when i fill the feeders and waterers) Only one hen has raised chicks before for me before and she did an excellent job with 12 babies. Snarling mamas in all the coops Oy.

I did not have any luck with that but you could try, all hens are different

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...rood-over-cdc-advice-not-to-kiss-cuddle-birds

"Don't kiss your chickens! That's the message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is blaming a salmonella outbreak on backyard chicken owners being overly affectionate with their flocks."

They really don't like that so many people are getting chickens do they.
we had a similar article in our paper a month ago

I only kiss my chickens after they have been fried, baked, broasted or stewed.

My backyard this afternoon.

very handsome boy, what breed is he?

Got these pullets eggs yesterday (2 on the right)....makes me wonder what the other 3 were (on the left from 10 days ago) could have been small eggs from other birds.
I don't know who is laying what, but things are *much* calmer in the coop with the 3 amigas gone...thinks they might have been bullying the pullets from the nests.
Found a softshell on roost board this morning, the next few days will be interesting.



ETA: ooops, had wrong pic.

very nice eggs


congrats on all first eggs,
sorry for the loss of the hen. that is sad but it happens and some times you never know why.

I heard Listerine (gold) is really good for mosquito repellent. I bought some and will let you know if it works. plan to spray DH when he goes down to shoot. low area is damp and good mosquito area.

Aart, how many meat chicks did you lose last month? friends of ours have some and they have lost 9 so far. think they had 40. they are 4 weeks old and they are loosing almost 1 a day lately

they have them in a barn on horse bedding

 

[RaZ]

I'm excited. I went to check on the 3 littles that hatched a few days ago. They were outside with both moms all day and went in to bed in the coop.
Looked at the broody BA sitting on the duck eggs and saw a half shell just outside. Moved it and lifted up momma. Two wet ducklings are under mom. Two more eggs to go.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have to say that kissing my chickens is pretty low on my priority list.

Ducky pictures would be nice Raz

 

[wannahomestead]

my hen that just started laying seems to be laying fairly late in the day. I don't seem to get an egg until close to noon or so. Anyone think she'll start to eventually lay earlier?

 

[troyer]

very handsome boy, what breed is he?

He is a Cubalaya.

 

[bigmrg74]

Think I'm a little buzzed from smelling rubberized roofing sealant most of the afternoon. the roof on the addition on our barn where it meets the main barn has issues with it leaking along that line, so its time to seal it all up, all 130 feet of the roof. got about a quarter of it done, just going to have to find some time sooner or later to finish. that and some more sealant.

 

[Folly's place]

Your pullet will very likely start getting more organized, and lay her eggs earlier in the day. Sent you a PM. Mary