Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[wannahomestead]

Its a sad sad morning here. Cocoa, our dog, killed our favorite chicken as she was trying to lay an egg. She was the sweetest one of the flock and come running when called to sit on your lap and be petted. RIP RIR "MY CHICKEN " you will be missed

So sorry to hear, condolences <3

 

[gaitngirl]

Does anyone need any empty feed bags for crafting? I have dozens and dozens. Mostly 40 lb. bags (couple of 50 pounders in there, too, but I have a hard time moving bags that heavy any more so I have to buy the 40 pounders) - duck feed, layer crumbles, chick starter. Plus a few Purina, Nutrena, etc., I think. All are moderately clean (just dusty mostly). Would love to trade for a few finished products . . .

 

[troyer]

This probably isn't the best place to ask, but I thought I would anyway because responses are usually quicker

I have a beautiful mottled Ameraucana rooster who, as I was told, came from great lines. I have him with two pretty frizzled females, hoping that I'd get some colorful babies from them. So far, I have hatched 10 eggs from them and all of them are black with varying degrees of white leakage (one is a fully feathered juvenile, the rest are only a few days to a week old but look nearly identical).
Now, I don't understand the mottled gene, but it obviously seems dominant since one of the two hens is white with black markings on her wings and tail and the other one is red with silver markings on her wings and tail. Will the chicks remain black with white leakage when they are adults or will they gain mottled coloration as they mature and age? I can post pictures if they would help.

Pictures would help.

 

[Folly's place]

Dr. Tim England, near I94, Battle Creek area, is the nearest that I'm aware of for exotics. He was treating chickens many years ago; very good. Mary

 

[RaZ]

 

[gaitngirl]

If you wanted ducklings Raz, I could have set you up with them. I have ducklings like crazy here! Muscovies, Rouens, Runners, and Runner/Rouen crosses . . . . Anybody need young ducks? I have 20 in varying ages up to 2 months old. And 2 mamas that I found sitting on hidden nests . . .

 

[wannahomestead]

I got 95% of my run framed in yesterday. I just need to figure out how to connect the run to the coop. I'm keeping the coop and run modular and stand alone units since I planto eventually replace my coop.

 

[RaZ]

If you wanted ducklings Raz, I could have set you up with them. I have ducklings like crazy here! Muscovies, Rouens, Runners, and Runner/Rouen crosses . . . . Anybody need young ducks? I 20 in varying ages up to 2 months old. And 2 mamas that I found sitting on hidden nests . . .

It wasn't that I wanted ducks per se. I just wanted to give the broody hens something to hatch. So the co-mothers sat on 5 chicken eggs and the BA sat on 4 duck eggs. Net result is 3 chicks and 3 ducklings. The duckies are out roaming with the other birds. And they discovered the crack-like addiction of frozen peas.

 

[gaitngirl]

Well if you need more hatching eggs, just let me know. I usually have a few (chicken or duck) available. Hopefully turkeys next spring, too - if I survive them. The little velociraptors are fearless and, now that they have figured out I sometimes have treats, they are vicious!

 

[aart]

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

It was a friends I was asking about, lost some thing like 15+ out of 25.
Thought they had a bad batch from TL(~ first week of May), now she thinks it was bad feed...but she really doesn't know.

Anyone else want to weigh in on NPIP certification?

Is there any use for NPIP if you are not shipping birds or eggs over the state line (other than knowing your chickens that are testing are clean? There are a couple people in our area that have advertised "Eggs for Sale", usually with a sign in their front lawn, and they have been told they can not even sell eggs locally unless their facilities are inspected. Not sure if the inspection was NPIP-based, health department or something else. Has anyone else heard of this?

NPIP only tests for pullorium....IMO, a lot of false confidence in those 2 letters.


My internet has been out for a week plus.......no way I'll get caught up on this forum and the others.
Might be time to stop my compulsive forum reading, a distraction habit since son died 3 years ago.....it was enlightening to go without access at home for that time.

I may have culled too many older hens too soon.....not enough eggs for customers, more learning curve for me.
Took remaining birds a week to settle in to new regime, will not merge the younger pullets for a few weeks, when they start laying.
But my 3 older 'OE' pullets are all laying an 'olivey' green. Not a great pic, and eggs not as dark as I'd hoped.