Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[mindylee]

Poppy and Triscut are self-blue bantam cochin fellas who hatched on May 19. Self-blue is a tricky color to find, and would be great for any breeding project. I'm in Grand Rapids, and these guys are $15 each or both for $20. In other news, all is going well in the coop. Our du'ccle is broody for the first time, and is very ambitious. This teeny bird growls when I take 4 full size eggs out from under her. This summer has been nutso busy, and I missed Chickenstock. Looking forward to next year.

The pair i got are doing great and fit right in with the others here. They are maturing nicely and cant wait to use them in my porcelain project next spring. "Pick & Lacey" teamed up with the others here that is their age and run around like they was raised here with no hiccups. They love watermelon and free range time in the horse poo pile. Thanks agin for them!!!

 

[Folly's place]

Today I took my last two extra cockrels to Munsell's, so there will be less drama here for a while. Wynette, one of your BC Marans hens died this summer, but the other birds are doing great. I have three BC Marans chicks with a broody, of course two cockrels and one pullet. She stays for sure! Candy, I read your post, and the drool is running down my chin. Big incubator, wow!!! Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Those blue Cochins are too cute! Mary

 

[snowflake]

Does any one have a solarium attached to their coop?

I saw an article written by a guy in Alaska, he used a solarium filled with rocks so as to hold the heat through the night, he had a way to vent it in at night and close off so it would heat up during the day. might have been in an old backyard chicken magazine?

What does everyone's nesting boxes look like / made out of? Seen a lot of ideas on Pintrest but dont know how many are truly functional. I found these at Home Depot

Its 19x14x10 but is it tall enough for them to get in and out of?

DH built ours out of scrap lumber also, a set of 3 in one about 14,, by 14 as we have large hens. 16 in. high. work very well I cut feed bags for the bottom liner and use hay as bedding. stays clean. I also put a left over piece of roofing on the top / slanted so they can not roost above the nest box's

Remember last year when contaminated feed got into the commercial farm system? 50,000 turkeys died and some 2000 hogs were tainted but still sent to market? Remember how MDARD barely mentioned it several months after it investigated?
Well here is an update. Seems that a report has been sent to the SEC. The SEC? Really? What do they have to do with food safety?

http://sustainablefarmpolicy.org/not-about-chickens/2015/8/23/zoetisreportsec

thank you hope to come back in and read this, been trying to get the garden around the house weeded all week. have to get out and see if I can finish up an other section

I use a large plastic planter that trees come in , I just screw a board in the front and back to keep it stable. The holes provide some ventilation as well,

like that idea. I have some extras in the barn

I was looking at the buckets and thought the same thing. I dont want to waste time & money on something that doesn't work. Our nesting boxes will be inside the coop with no exterior access, so should I put some sort of tray in the boxes so I can clean them? And should they be on the same wall as the window or the opposite side?

I do like the roost above a board with sand in it to scoop the poop out.

I also use cut feed bags ( make sure there are no frayed ends) on my roost boards. they clean up real easy, just scrape poo off with an old dust pan, in winter they just pop off,

I use a mix of horse pellets and wood shavings in winter, some times through some hay in for something to scratch at. stays clean all season.

 

[snowflake]

Finally got the roof started on the coop! Going to the Habit for Humanity Restore to see if they have any windows. I was there a few days ago and they had a crank window and a lot of sliding windows. Still need to figure something for the floor so it doesn't rot. Thinking some linoleum but not sure yet.

LOOKS NICE I don't believe we have a store like that around here although I heard there is one in GR. not to far away I have just a wood floor no covering or paint. keep wood shavings and hay on yr round. I do keep all water and food outside though. keeps the inside dry

Question: how do we keep the chickens comfortable during the winter? I mean, I don't have to install a furnace in the coop, right? (dumb question, but go ahead and laugh WITH me) If Yoopers are keeping chickens, they must be pretty hardy to be able to handle the northern weather, I shouldn't be too worried about my little Troll chickies.

no heat needed as others have said, ventilation but no drafts. dry coop keeps them from getting frost bite...... chickens are tough little critters....will go out all winter if there is a snow free, wind free area

 

[1muttsfan]

Poppy and Triscut are self-blue bantam cochin fellas who hatched on May 19. Self-blue is a tricky color to find, and would be great for any breeding project. I'm in Grand Rapids, and these guys are $15 each or both for $20. In other news, all is going well in the coop. Our du'ccle is broody for the first time, and is very ambitious. This teeny bird growls when I take 4 full size eggs out from under her. This summer has been nutso busy, and I missed Chickenstock. Looking forward to next year.

Hi Amy

Those blue Cochins are too cute! Mary

Agreed

 

[wannahomestead]

picked up some slugs after work today for my 20 gauge just in case I get another visit from a coyote.

I got the ducks secured tonight before anything showed up.

 

[bigmrg74]

Had to rush home tonight after work as there was nobody else home to lock up the coop tonight. Brother beat me to it by about 10 minutes.

 

[wannahomestead]

Any ford tractor fans around here? There's an 8N for sale near my work and I kinda want to get it.

 

[aart]

Chicks started hatching on day 19.....temp must have been running a bit high...that was a bit of a surprise.
I'm like, what is that noise, bird in distress but not chickens, sounds really close....Oh, look at that, haha!!
6 out in first 12 hours, more pips showing, 27 more to go.