Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[chickflick]

Finn
Yay no more snow. RaZ put the blade on. lol
Last winter we lost power, a lot. Once for 5 days. Stayed at my son's house. Luckily he left for vacation. Once for 3 days. Days with a hour here or there. Had a Generac installed. A full house generator. Comes on automatically when power goes out. We have not lost power this winter at all. Well, that's good. lol But wanted to see how this thing worked.
Hasn't stopped raining all day. Snow is all gone. Lots of mud.

 

[Folly's place]

Mud, and big puddles (small ponds?) everywhere. Fortunately, no flooding in the garage or basement.
We are getting a few more eggs every day, so the longer days are helping.
Spring can show up anytime!
Mary

 

[snowflake]

well said Aart, prayers for you and yours silly

 

[snowflake]

looks great!! Raz.
and Mi forum, finn. lots of nice people here

 

[SillyChicken]

Does anyone in Michigan sell and ship to Michigan painted silkie fertile eggs???
I’m looking and searching everywhere

Not that I am aware of Nicky

 

[gladahmae]

So I have 2 skunks living under my big coop. Awesome. Went down to the (locked) room we keep all the hunting stuff in with the plan to shoot the one that was not behind 3 layers of fence, and by the time I got in, got everything together, and got back outside they were gone. If anyone has any really good tips for getting rid of these things please let me know. I'd like them gone asap so I don't have to deal with 2 big adult skunks AND a bunch of babies. We are going to be doing an overhaul on the coop and run this summer because we have lost WAY too many birds the last year and a half.

 

[aart]

Does anyone in Michigan sell and ship to Michigan painted silkie fertile eggs???
I’m looking and searching everywhere

Try facebook poultry groups. There's a ton of them and I've seen many silkies there in the past.

So I have 2 skunks living under my big coop. Awesome. Went down to the (locked) room we keep all the hunting stuff in with the plan to shoot the one that was not behind 3 layers of fence, and by the time I got in, got everything together, and got back outside they were gone. If anyone has any really good tips for getting rid of these things please let me know. I'd like them gone asap so I don't have to deal with 2 big adult skunks AND a bunch of babies. We are going to be doing an overhaul on the coop and run this summer because we have lost WAY too many birds the last year and a half.

Ewww, bummer!
Trap and shoot. Now keep gun ready to go.

Bar the way with aproned mesh around bottom of coop.
Good examples of apron installation, tho I'd not recommend 1/2" HC...go with 14ga 1x2 or 1x1, will hold up much longer and is easier to lay flat.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[gladahmae]

Yeah an apron, a better fence, and a "lid" on the run are all part of the renovation plans. At least now I know what was digging into my grow-out coop last year and killing chicks. and I have a pretty good guess of where 2 of the chicks i got last month just disappeared to. (bought 10 week olds so i wouldn't have to basement brood and the one remaining chick is now in the basement brooder. UGH!)

 

[aart]

Yeah an apron, a better fence, and a "lid" on the run are all part of the renovation plans.

Meanwhile, put some traps out.
Harassing animals can drive them out of nesting spot,
but probably not a good idea with skunks

 

[wcbpolish]

If anyone has any really good tips for getting rid of these things (skunks) please let me know.

I use live traps... getting them out of the trap is a trick. Small enough trap that they cannot raise their tail and aim. Sometimes the barn ends up reeking afterward.

I've been smelling skunk daily and in various locations... so i have one around my barns right now too...