Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Dreamzchaser]

Hello Friends. It seems like I've been away a year but it's only been a few days. Nice to see so much activity on this thread.

The gypsy moths have devastated my property. I don't have a single green leaf on any tree. Even the pines and spruces have been defoliated. Now those damn moths are eating anything, even weeds like chicory and other broad-leaf weeds. I have never seen such an insect feeding frenzy. And this drought is causing further stress.

My chickens and ducks don't seem to be too bothered. They go about their daily routine as normal. They just can't find worms or other soil bugs like they should. It's just too darn dry for soil dwellers to be anywhere near the surface. Mostly they are eating bagged food. You know it's bad when the feed bill hasn't dropped at all since winter (like it should).

I have a friend coming up tomorrow to help me get ready for a garage sale over the holiday weekend. I hope I can get rid of this stuff from my mom's estate. It is either sell the stuff or rent a dumpster. The dumpster would be easier.

Love estate sales and antique items

 

[troyer]

He was about 100 yards from the house this evening.

 

[aart]

I know that I am to dig and put 2ft down but can I make it outwards and place stones over them?

Tack down the outer edges, and any other place, so mesh flat on the ground.
The grass will grow up thru it and mesh will soon be invisible.

Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wire-around-coop.1110498/#post-17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[chickflick]

Same thing I was going to say.. I just laid the hardware cloth on the ground, tacked it down. Can't see it at all.
Dream, I have shade cloth that I'm not using. But, I'm in the Lansing area. Don't know exactly where you are located, but we camp often on the west side of the state. Maybe we can work something out.....
RaZ, we don't have the moths here. Would Hate to see the tress stripped. Hopefully the trees can recover. How long are those nasty things suppose to be around?

 

[snowflake]

Good evening everyone!
I checked this morning to make sure these ladies are not sick in their crop and they were all empty, YAY!
I organized a little inside their coop, all cleaned, very misty outside and it may rain but they are outside. Hub just came to tell me that Phoebe had flown outside the orange thing and was by the kitchen door looking for me. She is so darn smart is not even funny. I am hoping to finish caulking the inside of the coop and was thinking of maybe try to figure out a better poop board. I love the ones you have but my woodworking Hub did it differently and poop on the ends fall outside and behind the walls which makes it difficult for me to clean. He is back at my house since quit his job and yesterday found one at Brunette foods in New Era. So with that now, I guess he will be around more often until he finds a place to live next. Adulthood is so difficult!!!

I am also thinking of at least put the hardware cloth that I have and begin putting it around until it is finished. I know that I am to dig and put 2ft down but can I make it outwards and place stones over them? I am afraid of digging and break a gas line or water line. I for sure know that if I get inspected by the county, all needs to come out because after the coop was finished and ladies were moved, the head of the water well is right there by the coop. Not that I use that water for much but laundry, shower, toilets and cleaning. I cook and drink bottled water still.

Anyways, I keep forward with the plans and pray for the best. I love you all so much. I am not much around but I honestly feel loved here. Might not be the real truth but you all make me feel like you do.

Day before yesterday, after all the strong winds, the black thing that goes on the roof, ripped out. So had to take mortgage money and get the corrugated aluminum and up it went.
View attachment 2732389
Why they just want to hang out by the stairs? It is always fool of poop.

View attachment 2732390
Hopefully, I learn how to use those blue barrels to collect rain and connect for water. I know I will need a heat pump as well for winter months.

View attachment 2732391
Hub said he was not going to cut that extra on either side. I guess it will stay then because I am not doing it either.

View attachment 2732392
They are not by the stairs because they follow me everywhere I go. So they are right next to me here, lol

View attachment 2732393

They are waiting right across from me for treats, so selfish ladies!


Then I began this and finished today. Tomorrow need to get more hardware to cover with what I have left of hardware cloth. On the very top, I used chicken wire to keep the girls in and once I buy hardware cloth, I will go over this. Maybe I will put that horrible orange crap on top to deter flying predators during the day. I also need to make shades in the run. It has nothing, lol Dummy me was not thinking clearly, well, not that I ever do, lol
View attachment 2732395View attachment 2732397View attachment 2732401View attachment 2732403
ok, I hope I did not drive you crazy with all of this. Love ya all!

~Hugs~and~Kisses~

Things are looking real nice. You might want to see about adding some kind of drainage between house and coop, the rain will come off the coop roof and right into the foundation of your house, that could cause problems

 

[SillyChicken]

Good evening everyone!
I checked this morning to make sure these ladies are not sick in their crop and they were all empty, YAY!
I organized a little inside their coop, all cleaned, very misty outside and it may rain but they are outside. Hub just came to tell me that Phoebe had flown outside the orange thing and was by the kitchen door looking for me. She is so darn smart is not even funny. I am hoping to finish caulking the inside of the coop and was thinking of maybe try to figure out a better poop board. I love the ones you have but my woodworking Hub did it differently and poop on the ends fall outside and behind the walls which makes it difficult for me to clean. He is back at my house since quit his job and yesterday found one at Brunette foods in New Era. So with that now, I guess he will be around more often until he finds a place to live next. Adulthood is so difficult!!!

I am also thinking of at least put the hardware cloth that I have and begin putting it around until it is finished. I know that I am to dig and put 2ft down but can I make it outwards and place stones over them? I am afraid of digging and break a gas line or water line. I for sure know that if I get inspected by the county, all needs to come out because after the coop was finished and ladies were moved, the head of the water well is right there by the coop. Not that I use that water for much but laundry, shower, toilets and cleaning. I cook and drink bottled water still.

Anyways, I keep forward with the plans and pray for the best. I love you all so much. I am not much around but I honestly feel loved here. Might not be the real truth but you all make me feel like you do.

Day before yesterday, after all the strong winds, the black thing that goes on the roof, ripped out. So had to take mortgage money and get the corrugated aluminum and up it went.
View attachment 2732389
Why they just want to hang out by the stairs? It is always fool of poop.

View attachment 2732390
Hopefully, I learn how to use those blue barrels to collect rain and connect for water. I know I will need a heat pump as well for winter months.

View attachment 2732391
Hub said he was not going to cut that extra on either side. I guess it will stay then because I am not doing it either.

View attachment 2732392
They are not by the stairs because they follow me everywhere I go. So they are right next to me here, lol

View attachment 2732393

They are waiting right across from me for treats, so selfish ladies!


Then I began this and finished today. Tomorrow need to get more hardware to cover with what I have left of hardware cloth. On the very top, I used chicken wire to keep the girls in and once I buy hardware cloth, I will go over this. Maybe I will put that horrible orange crap on top to deter flying predators during the day. I also need to make shades in the run. It has nothing, lol Dummy me was not thinking clearly, well, not that I ever do, lol
View attachment 2732395View attachment 2732397View attachment 2732401View attachment 2732403
ok, I hope I did not drive you crazy with all of this. Love ya all!

~Hugs~and~Kisses~

Actually a good rain is going to shoot all that water against your house, and windows and yes, will wreck havoc on your foundation. If you get a good strong wind, they are likely to get ripped up. So, I highly recommend you string a chalk line about and 2 inches or so past the edge of your roof underneath, to leave a lip. ( with your low roof pitch it could easily syphon water back up underneath the metal roofing) and cut that extra metal off. You may also be able to add gutters at least on the house side (and to direct into a barrel to save rain water). An angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel will do the trick. You'll need several wheels as they wear quickly.

 

[1muttsfan]

Silly said just what I was thinking about when I saw the way your roof comes under your existing roof line. You will not only get all the water from the coop roof going under there, but all the water from your house roof that washes down onto the coop as well. Cutting it shorter would help, and putting up some kind of a diverter or eaves trough would certainly help.

You can tack that hardware cloth down to the ground with landscape staples, as Aart says the grass will just grow up through it and you can go right over it with a mower.

 

[aart]

but all the water from your house roof that washes down onto the coop as well.

There's a gutter on the house......but yeah, I agree with the others coop roof may make a real mess with its run off.

 

[RaZ]

RaZ, we don't have the moths here. Would Hate to see the tress stripped. Hopefully the trees can recover. How long are those nasty things suppose to be around?

The caterpillars on still feeding on ANY green leaf they find. Not just their preferred trees but evergreen needles and even weeds like chicory and dandelion. The damn things have moved into my garden as well. Strawberry and squash are being eaten now. My house and garage are crawling with the nasty buggers but they haven't moved into the cocoon stage yet. Once that occurs, I can work to eradicate them. I hope that happens soon. Leafed trees are supposed to recover but trees with needles may not recover. According to reports from the MiDNR. It's going to be a crap shoot.

 

[Sally PB]

@MysteryChicken I didn't want to hijack the thread where I saw the picture you posted of a Buff Orpington, Black Australorp cross.

But do you have have many of these? I have a BO roo and BA hens. If one of the girls goes broody, I would love to hatch a cross! What do you think of them? Good layers, decent sized eggs? Pretty.....?