Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[bigmrg74]

Where is everybody? The last post was almost 3 days ago. Surely something must be worth talking about.

How about this? My trial is supposed to start tomorrow. The court appointed attorney sent me a letter last week and said that he quit the case. Not sure what that is all about but he is pretty tight with the judge and the prosecutor.
And I received another court summons yesterday. Another charge, another court appearance. This one on February 7.

On the bright side, I'm getting 8 - 10 eggs a day.

Garden City officials suck blanks!!!

At least you're getting eggs, my girls have gone on strike here. They've been laying a little less lately and today I got skunked. Worst of all I'm down to 3 eggs right now. They're on lights from about 3:15 am to 8 am. About the only thing I could think is that I did just switch layer feed on them, had something from FFH in the feeder from back before Halloween that they finally worked their way through to some Kalmbach Layer feed. other than that, maybe the weather has just been too gloomy lately?

 

[ToniTalley]

My girls have been on strike since near Xmas. They had an extra hard molt this year and the eggs tapered off to nothing. Bunch of freeloaders. I'm still hoping that as the days grow longer, they will produce. The rooster has been getting more aggressive recently, so maybe spring fever will create the need to lay eggs.

 

[rachelsflock]

X2 on Garbage City sucking. Sorry. Sounds like they deserve a fate worse than Detroit for all their shameful corruption SPECIFICALLY against you alone. Kind of makes me wonder what else is going on over there. I hope someday the powers that be get a nice, abandoned, broke city, and everyone knows they are the ones responsible for it, at least because they made it unpleasant to live their for their own agendas. Or maybe they'll just mess up and get punished by some level of law enforcement for something that got exposed. And then they will be forced to allow chickens to boost their population. Honestly, birds aside, I'd kind of rather live in Detroit than garden city at this point if I had to pick between the two-even if I were stuck in a highrise beside the hubby's office building. It sounds like all the socially inbred dynamics of a small town but without the benefits because they're totally suburban with no rural. Sheesh.

Here are some pictures I took today as I tried to get a picture of my cockerel to show his breeder to dump on the thread as my contribution to liven things up. I managed not to take too many pictures with is rear towards me (his favorite thing to do). Don't die on me Michigan Thread! I'm starting to get the feeling it's almost time to start my incubator. Mid-season extra cockerels don't make themselves (just kidding, yes they do, but usually at the worst time possible)

 

[dyorto]

My chickens are loving this weather. I'm back up to 4 eggs a day with 5 hens. I'm getting antsy now though about getting more chicks this spring.

 

[rachelsflock]

Mine are too. We were at ZERO eggs per day for a few months. Now we're operating at 50% some days. If I had more guts I'd cull my bad-tempered three year old hens that aren't laying in the winter anymore. Bad attitude and doesn't play well with others=no retirement plan for these birds around my place. Especially if they aren't kid safe, which most of the nasty ones have become as they age. No more production hens. Too assertive. There are a few EE that have a retirement plan because they just love people and I couldn't bear to do them, but they just started up laying again so I don't have to even think about it.

 

[SunshineMary]

I had heard that ducks quit laying during wintertime. But we are getting one egg a day from our ducks (4 girls & 1 drake) - that has been the same rate since sept. Maybe it's the breed that lays thru winter or they just don't know any better .
I don't know if it's the same one laying, or if they take turns ???

I was wondering the same thing. We don't provide artificial light for our ducks or chickens, but we are still getting lots of eggs from both. Someone told me it might be related to age, as our birds are in their first season of lay (they started laying this fall).

 

[chickflick]

I'm getting one egg a day. Don't know if it's one hen laying every day, or two taking turns. Have 11 hens, but don't think the two 9yr old bantams will be laying for me anymore. Chickens are loving this weather, but also notice a couple of huge hawks flying over at times. Keeping a close eye on the hens when I do let them out. They have a huge deck to duck under for protection.

 

[mindylee]

 

[aart]

Got 8 eggs today, best in almost a month, out of 10 hens and 10 pullets.
Didn't use lights this year......not sure I'll do that again.

 

[bigmrg74]

Mine are too. We were at ZERO eggs per day for a few months. Now we're operating at 50% some days. If I had more guts I'd cull my bad-tempered three year old hens that aren't laying in the winter anymore. Bad attitude and doesn't play well with others=no retirement plan for these birds around my place. Especially if they aren't kid safe, which most of the nasty ones have become as they age. No more production hens. Too assertive. There are a few EE that have a retirement plan because they just love people and I couldn't bear to do them, but they just started up laying again so I don't have to even think about it.

Got 3 today. Figure if I keep talking about having the Colonel visit they might get a little more productive.