Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Sally PB]

@RaZ, the stock tanks are $$$. An XL dog crate is only $$. I line mine with cardboard so the littles can't escape through the bars.

Anyway, who wouldn't take sponge baths for 4-5 weeks for the sake of the chicks, huh?

 

[picklestheduck]

What chicks are you wanting Raz? Update on the chicks- all are doing great. Yesterday at the store I noticed the one seemed a bit more lethargic, and I actually wanted to get it to see if it would perk up for me, especially since it’s the only light Americana/Easter egger anyways, and a lot of people I know who have gotten chicks don’t know what to do with the weaker ones. Well after I let them settle in I pulled her out and gave her some nutridrench in a syringe and showed her how to get food and water by pushing her beak in both and she instantly caught on and drank a TON of water. She then started running around like crazy and hopping around her siblings. Didn’t take much to make her perk up. One of the other chicks seems to keep getting a bit of poop stuck on her bum so I’ve had to keep holding s warm wet rag on there but it doesn’t seem super terrible. They are all so fluffy and cute I just could sit and watch them for hours

Oh also, played a game with the family today where each person gets blindfolded and someone else brings an animal the person has to feel and guess which one it is. They brought me five different birds from a flock of 36 and I told each one apart separately, some without even touching them. they brought one hen in and I heard her cluck and I instantly knew it was my older Rhode Island Red girl, she’s got a deeper voice

 

[Swiss]

After almost 3 years on this website learning about chickens and talking about MI, gardening, and baking, this seems to be the year we will FINALLY be getting chickens!

I bought hardware cloth for the run, and we have some money earmarked for a coop built by some Amish nearby. Compared to building one ourselves, it won't be much more expensive (especially considering that it will be made out of MUCH better materials and made by people who know how to build stuff). I'm very excited, and putting all of my learning into action. Especially focusing on the coop and run and brooder before thinking about getting chicks.

 

[Sally PB]

YAY!!!

You do know you are 3 YEARS behind in chicken pictures, DON'T YOU!?!?

 

[1muttsfan]

Even less expensive, get a free cardboard large appliance box from a store that sells fridges and dryers. Set it on its side, cut a large hole in the top, and line the bottom with a plastic contractor bag. You can hang a heater from above. I make a little window in one end with clear plastic tape so that the chicks can see out. Costs about a dollar, and is recyclable &/ or burnable.

 

[1muttsfan]

Congratulations Swiss!

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Just pecking in to say hi. Have not gone anywhere. Alone and loving it but cannot enjoy it for being yuck. New appointment is on the 28th. Will see. Pickles, one thing in life that is really valuable at least to yourself is honesty. And that my dear, nobody can take that away from you. You are the only one that can give it away. Great job at keeping it. It is a moral value that is scarce these days. Glad many are getting chicks. I am having duck eggs,lol plenty of them. Well, back to put leg up and more likely back to sleep.

 

[RaZ]

@RaZ, the stock tanks are $$$. An XL dog crate is only $$. I line mine with cardboard so the littles can't escape through the bars.

Anyway, who wouldn't take sponge baths for 4-5 weeks for the sake of the chicks, huh?

I like the big plastic stock tanks for use as a brooder. Sadly the 2 I have are pretty well beat up from other uses since I moved up here. I have XL dog crates but I won't use them as brooders. That's just me.
If I can get off my lazy butt I can build a nice dedicated brooder with materials I have on hand. With my shoulder and elbow so messed up, I can hardly use my left arm. That is getting me down. The infection in my elbow has to be cleared up before we can schedule surgery. It has been a week and doesn't seem any better to me. I go back to the ortho doc in a couple of weeks. I have to see a couple of other specialists in the upcoming weeks. I seem to be falling apart at the seams. At least I can still hoist a beer with my right arm so I'm doing well.

I've been getting 3 - 6 eggs per day from these old hens here. But I still think that I'll get some chicks. Orps are what I want to get. They are my favourite. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some lavenders. If not, buffs are find by me.

 

[picklestheduck]

We are getting hit with a nasty storm today. I put the horses inside the barn and put food and water in the coop for my flock so they wouldn’t have to go out if they didn’t want to. The ducks love the rain and enjoy going out here and there but the chickens have been inside all day. I moved a few hens in a crate in the barn after they tried to stay outside too long and got completely soaked. They will stay there till they dry. Our whole property is slowly getting flooded. We moved to get out of the water and mud but I guess it’s trying to come with us. This place is still so much better than it was but any water is just not fun.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

No electricity no internet. Had to go out to get BK to have something warm.