Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[PrairieFairy]

Hi Prairiefairy, welcome to BYC and the Michigan thread

One advantage to bantam roosters is that their crow is much less obnoxious.

idk - we had a Bantam Auracana Rooster who was also hand-me-down from the SO's daughter. Originally the story was he was getting his butt kicked by the other roosters so needed to be moved to our house - but IMO it probably had more to do with his deciding to crow anytime 24/7 that made sense to him. They heard him down river all the way at the in-laws house. He was a jerk and a failure at protecting his hens.

I would go out and threaten to make him soup - but as you can imagine - those threats to the rooster are pretty much just venting as the last time I checked - he didn't understand complex sentences.

 

[rachelsflock]

Hey guys, so it looks like we won't be going to Chickenstock his year, but maybe someone here has experience here that will help me. So I'm taking the kids to their first fair this year. We're either going to the Wood County Ohio one where we used to live with all the tractor pulls, the Fulton county Ohio one with my parents, or we could choose Monroe, Wayne, or Washtenaw county fairs in Michigan. Anyone have any experience with the Wayne, Monroe, or Washtenaw ones? Are they good?
I'm not convinced the Wayne County fair will be worth going to-it's so suburban. Anyone care to shoot me down and say otherwise? It certainly would be more convenient to go nearby.

We may just head back to Wood County for a pilgrimage with the boys. It's a fun little place. It's a walkable college town surrounded by rural semi rural ohio.

 

[PrairieFairy]

WELCOME 

Are you looking for a nice flock protector young boy or one that is same breed as your full sized girls?  We have a variety of small young boys hatched on Saturday before Easter. Not sure how old your babies are, but we breed Chantecler, Iowa Blues, and have some Bielefelder/Legbar mixed boys who will be very gentle guys.

We started over from scratch this years so all babies are between 4/5 weeks to 2 weeks in two different Brooders based on size and flight ability.

I *think* one of the two Australorps will be a Roo since his feather pattern is more fuzzy, wings coming on much slower than the other and his legs look bigger but I waiting to be sure.

The bantam Roos are going to be barely bigger than Robins so I am thinking that's not going to do much for the girls.

I have ISA Browns, Black Australorps, Ameracauna / Easter Eggers, Gold Lace Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, a white leghorn and a Barred Rock. I have no objection to barnyard mixes - but in retrospect I wish I had found out about Bienfelders and Rhodebars earlier because OMG - I love the looks of both.

I am going to have more eggs than I know what to do with. I am not trying to get anymore production layers because seriously with this many - I don't need that kind of volume.

At this point I am more focused on cold tolerant and friendly. I am out handling them at least 4 times a day and have discovered I love having chicken buddies who want to perch on me and get petted.

I would be delighted to have one or two big friendly Roos. I have to see what the Austrlorp is but I would be open to adding one more if he is a Roo, and two if he isn't.

 

[wannahomestead]

SO GLAD we just bought duck eggs to hatch in early May...I have a nice trough in the bolebarn with a raised heater for them. SO GLAD for these stink warnings

lol oh yea, they get to stinking pretty quickly. They also grow FAST. We'll not discuss how MESSY they are either

They're cute though, and that makes it worth the hassle. I find myself enjoying ducks quite a bit, probably more so than chickens in some ways.

 

[bigmrg74]

Hey guys, so it looks like we won't be going to Chickenstock his year, but maybe someone here has experience here that will help me. So I'm taking the kids to their first fair this year. We're either going to the Wood County Ohio one where we used to live with all the tractor pulls, the Fulton county Ohio one with my parents, or we could choose Monroe, Wayne, or Washtenaw county fairs in Michigan. Anyone have any experience with the Wayne, Monroe, or Washtenaw ones? Are they good?
I'm not convinced the Wayne County fair will be worth going to-it's so suburban. Anyone care to shoot me down and say otherwise? It certainly would be more convenient to go nearby.

We may just head back to Wood County for a pilgrimage with the boys. It's a fun little place. It's a walkable college town surrounded by rural semi rural ohio.

You might run into more problems with trying to go to the Ohio fairs, being that you would be coming from out of state. Which county are you in right now? that one would be the one that should give you the least issue with going to it.

 

[1muttsfan]

Maybe I should have said that MOST bantams are quieter than their larger sized counterparts. Does not have anything to do with quantity - just volume.

 

[rachelsflock]

You might run into more problems with trying to go to the Ohio fairs, being that you would be coming from out of state. Which county are you in right now? that one would be the one that should give you the least issue with going to it.

We live in Wayne county, but the showing events don't look very promising for our fair. Last year we didn't go because the kids were so little, but we drove by and it seemed kind of small with mostly rides. Maybe I was spoiled before, but it didn't look like there's much going on animal-wise.

 

[gladahmae]

If you're just going to VISIT the fairs, check and see if they have a Facebook page (our area does) to give you an idea of what is usually there. I can't comment on participating/showing.

 

[1muttsfan]

I wish I could personally thank the rooster dumper who let 3 out at my house

. Went out to let the girls run around now that the snow is melting, and there they were - 2 gold and one silver duckwing, likely OEG's. What on earth do people think when they do such a stupid, thoughtless thing

. Now I will have to catch and dispose of them, if they are not just killed before I can get them. My roosters are beside themselves.

 

[1muttsfan]

Oops just still ughing