Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[uchytil]

Wow, okay. No more opinions of mine, lol...

Anyway, I talked to Sam and he said the Backyard Chicken Banner was brought by a moderator who got it from the the BYC site. Maybe Wynette knows? So, if the banner was returned that would make sense. Next year, depending on the level of interest (since it was low this year) I will check with the managers about getting one, and some bumper stickers for giveaways. We've always had such a good time there even with the few hour drive. So, that said it's off to clean the pig pens

 

[WalnutHill]

Anyone looking to raise turkeys? I have two lines, heritage and meat, and have been developing them for seven years. The birds below are this year's one year old breeders.

For anyone interested in raising turkeys for meat, I have a pair of broad breasted bronze hens carrying recessive white and recessive black winged bronze. These two girls lay very large eggs and hatch out poults with heavy bone structure when mated either to a heritage or cross tom. The hens are 35 pounds each and were raised on feed restricted diets to be breeders. They get around fine but can't roost or climb well so need a nice, flat place to live.

I also have a Standard Bronze hen. She has great conformation, is in great health, and produces excellent poults that will grow to hens about 14 pounds and toms about 22 in 26 weeks. She roosts and flies and is around 15 pounds.

And finally, my lovely Oregon Gray tom. It took three years of selective breeding to bring him about, and he's sired many birds for my next generation. He is a true gentleman, about 30 pounds with the long legs and agility of a heritage and the meaty build of a broad breasted. He is half broad breasted and half heritage, and inherited the best of both, in addition to the unbelievably beautiful Oregon Gray pattern. He does fly to roost every night. With this tom you can selectively breed to hens to produce either 75% broad breasted, or breed with heritage to produce sustainable backyard meat turkeys.

I'm in Macomb County. No shipping is available. Transporting the broad breasted is best done in recycling tubs with straw, the others need a large cage.

 

[PaisyQ]

Could anyone give me some help identifying a predator? I don't have a lot of info to go on. My birds free-range, so they were all out in the yard. About an hour ago some of them started making a lot of noise, so I went out to check. I just got a glimpse of something bounding off through the trees, but not enough of a look to identify what it was. I think it was bigger than a raccoon would have been. My birds were scattered everywhere, I found a couple of them had made it into the trees, so they were properly scared. At the moment I'm missing 1 rooster, 2 hens, and the 4 three week-olds my broody was raising. No sign of any of them, no sign any of them were hurt, or attacked in anyway. I've had chickens for 3 years now, never had a problem until this year. I've seen fox on my property a couple of times a few years before the chicks came, and my father and I both saw what we thought was a coyote a couple years back. People let there dogs run free around here, but I haven't had trouble with any of those that normally come by; besides, I don't think a dog would leave things quite so spotless, or run away from me quite as quickly either. What would attack during the day, and possibly take out 3 grown birds, and 4 chicks without leaving a trace?

 

[WalnutHill]

If you have shrubs nearby, or patio furniture, or just about anything that could provide shelter, you will probably find most of your birds hunkered down under in deep cover, too frightened to come out. I found some of mine up to 1/8 mile away after a dog ripped through the kennel panels and decimated the flock.

Since the predator ran off, fox or dog or cat would be my guess based on the size. Any predator will take advantage of an easy meal, even during the day.

 

[PaisyQ]

If you have shrubs nearby, or patio furniture, or just about anything that could provide shelter, you will probably find most of your birds hunkered down under in deep cover, too frightened to come out. I found some of mine up to 1/8 mile away after a dog ripped through the kennel panels and decimated the flock.

Since the predator ran off, fox or dog or cat would be my guess based on the size. Any predator will take advantage of an easy meal, even during the day.

Thanks. Plenty of cover around here. The 4 chicks have reappeared. And while I was taking a walk through the woods looking for birds, one of the missing hens started squawking near the house, so she's back with the flock now too. Hopefully the rooster and the other hen will reappear too.

Other than birds of prey, I haven't had trouble with predators, up to this point. The boys have always done such a good job at warning the girls, I haven't really had to worry about the hawks. So, this is new for me. Other than dogs, I'd thought they would be mostly safe during the day. Guess not. Ah, well, I've been thinking about extending the run anyway.

 

[trailrider330]

Could anyone give me some help identifying a predator? I don't have a lot of info to go on. My birds free-range, so they were all out in the yard. About an hour ago some of them started making a lot of noise, so I went out to check. I just got a glimpse of something bounding off through the trees, but not enough of a look to identify what it was. I think it was bigger than a raccoon would have been. My birds were scattered everywhere, I found a couple of them had made it into the trees, so they were properly scared. At the moment I'm missing 1 rooster, 2 hens, and the 4 three week-olds my broody was raising. No sign of any of them, no sign any of them were hurt, or attacked in anyway. I've had chickens for 3 years now, never had a problem until this year. I've seen fox on my property a couple of times a few years before the chicks came, and my father and I both saw what we thought was a coyote a couple years back. People let there dogs run free around here, but I haven't had trouble with any of those that normally come by; besides, I don't think a dog would leave things quite so spotless, or run away from me quite as quickly either. What would attack during the day, and possibly take out 3 grown birds, and 4 chicks without leaving a trace?

Fox, coyote or dog were the first things that came to my mind.

Last May we lost 6 of our hens in broad day light. Our neighbor heard the ruckus and came over just in time to see a very sickly-looking fox hightailing it for the woods.

What ever it was, it will likely be back if it thinks it can get a free tasty meal. Everybody, and everything, loves chicken it seems. So, you might want to come up with a plan about keeping the rest of your flock safe. In the meantime, I hope your missing birds reappear soon.

 

[uchytil]

Man it's hot out there. I just can't wait to load hundreds of bails of hay in the barn, lol.

I still have the one spring buckling to sell.

He's a tri-color Nigerian Dwarf that can be registered with ADGA. Both parents on site. Born 17 April 2016. On FB, CL, and other sites he's listed at $250 but I really want to move this last one so we can make a deal. He's intact but could be wethered and used as a companion animal for a horse, or...These animals wethered make excellent, and very friendly, pets! They are small and don't eat much either.

 

[aart]

Quote: Many preds will hunt during the day, especially in spring when they have offspring to feed.....could be the offspring are learning to hunt too.

 

[PaisyQ]

Thanks. Plenty of cover around here. The 4 chicks have reappeared. And while I was taking a walk through the woods looking for birds, one of the missing hens started squawking near the house, so she's back with the flock now too. Hopefully the rooster and the other hen will reappear too.

Other than birds of prey, I haven't had trouble with predators, up to this point. The boys have always done such a good job at warning the girls, I haven't really had to worry about the hawks. So, this is new for me. Other than dogs, I'd thought they would be mostly safe during the day. Guess not. Ah, well, I've been thinking about extending the run anyway.

Last two birds now accounted for. They did some travelling. Remaining rooster was crowing his heart out, when the missing roo started answering. Tracked him through the woods by the sound of his crows across the neighbors property, I'm guessing they were in the 1/8 mile range from where their coops sit. Hen was with the rooster. They were not interested in coming home, so I left them to make their own way in their own time. Interesting, as they seemed quite content in each others company. She is normally the other rooster's property. Also interesting, I never realized before that I can tell my roosters' crows apart. There are plenty of other people around here with chickens, and I'm used to hearing roosters crow throughout the day. But the minute the missing boy started making noise, I knew right away it was him. That was a good feeling.

 

[Folly's place]

It would be best to lock your birds in their safe coop and run for a while, and try to ID and eliminate your predator, because it will return! Mary