Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

Anyone is SE Michigan have experience with Uncle Luke's Feed Store? Trying to find somewhere fairly local and they are within half an hour for me.

I have no direct experience with them. However, I have heard good reviews of them. One place I did use was in Livonia. I can't remember the name of them but they are located on the NE corner of 5 Mile road and Middlebelt road, if that helps.

 

[Folly's place]

Randy, Bay City is about an hour north of Perry, but we could meet somewhere in between maybe?
I have cute bantam EE cockerels, and both cockerel and pullet white Chanteclers, all hatched April 15th. Also some Buckeye pullets, hatched May 6th.
Let me know and we'll reach a meeting of the minds!
Mary

 

[RaZ]

Randy, Bay City is about an hour north of Perry, but we could meet somewhere in between maybe?
I have cute bantam EE cockerels, and both cockerel and pullet white Chanteclers, all hatched April 15th. Also some Buckeye pullets, hatched May 6th.
Let me know and we'll reach a meeting of the minds!
Mary

How far would it be for you to meet me at the Birch Run Menard store? I have to get stuff there so it wouldn't be a big deal on my side. How many pullets do you have? I have enough room for 13 more birds to be comfortable in the coop. With a ration of 1 roo to 10 hens I could take 2 roos. Not sure how 1 bantam roo would do with 1 Chantecler. Maybe 2 Chantlers roos? PM me for my phone number and we can talk about it.

Thank you.

 

[1muttsfan]

Happy birthday Raz!

I took another look for caterpillars today. Never realized how beautiful the milkweed flowers are.

 

[Folly's place]

Love their fragrance too!
Mary

 

[ChickenMathLady]

@1muttsfan hopefully you get some caterpillars soon! Do you have nectar flowers for the adults nearby as well? Usually the combination of nectar flowers + host plants works well. I'm a bit of a butterfly nerd and raise them for my class every year. I've currently got swallowtails that I'm feeding my extra dill to and it's always so fun to see their progress!

 

[aart]

Seeing pair(s) of what might be Monarchs flying around the last few days, will have to check the milk weed for eggs/cats.

 

[1muttsfan]

KC, the milkweed plants are growing along an outside fenced storage area attached to a building, I convinced them not to weed wack them down even though they look messy. There are several other flowering plants growing along there, and a big wodge of Deadly Nightshade (which the bees LOVE). I have as well a big stand of Milkweed in a field at home that is full of wildflowers, which I don't mow until fall, to provide insect habitat.

Since moving to the woods I have completely quit spraying any chemicals, and no longer cut down dead trees unless they are a hazard. It's amazing how different it is to have a lawn that is basically a mix of grass and many different "weeds" - which stay green even during drought, and often have pretty flowers. I have come to enjoy even dandelions as harbingers of spring, and early food for insects

My only exception to not spraying is poison ivy, but I spot-treat that. I am super allergic and it is awful stuff to get rid of.

 

[Folly's place]

Poison ivy! I have so very much of it, because it's been neglected, and needs to come out. Somehow!
Mary

 

[ChickenMathLady]

Good luck with the poison ivy, that can be crazy stuff.

The reason I mention nectaring flowers are because that will help attract the butterflies so that they'll lay on your milkweed. The plants they feed off of are typically different than the ones they lay eggs on.