Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Chickin Fairy]

I reached out to a rooster sanctuary near me and they will take my roo. Thank you guys for all your input, as always

 

[1muttsfan]

There is an article in the New York Times about how big corporations manage lower wage employees. Specifically how while their wage may be good, the company will never allow workers to work enough hours to qualify for benefits or to earn a living wage. They deliberately hire many, many more employees than they need, so they can keep them on part-time work. The irregular and unplanned nature of their schedules often precludes them from finding additional work.

Sound familiar? This is what Raz's life was like - too few hours to earn a decent living, called in suddenly on short order to fill shifts, no rewards for a job well done.

 

[saysfaa]

Companies were/are forced to do limit hours by requirements to provide benefits at a certain number of hours. Requiring all wages to be so-called living wages prevents companies from offering jobs that don't benefit the companies much but do allow people who are either riskier to hire (like with no experience or want lots of flexibility in when they work) a chance to work.

As far as that goes, tying heath insurance to employment became a common thing because it was one of the few ways around wage restrictions back when the powers that be wanted to keep wages low.

 

[chickflick]

Most companies are like that. When I worked, my hours were kept at 24 hrs to keep my part time. Doing holidays, we got 40 hrs, but it was limited to how many weeks you can work the 40. If company went over, than that person had to be given benefits. Also, new hires got more hours than the ones that were there for years. I always called my boss out on that. I wasn't his favorite, to say the least, but I was a hard worker. m
Randy had it so hard. Educated, experienced, willing to work. Never could find a decent job. Sad. Live in America. Trying to live the American dream. Didn't want to take hand outs. Wanted to work. Sorry, Randy. You deserved better.

 

[Folly's place]

And all that stress didn't improve his health...
Mary

 

[1muttsfan]

Companies were/are forced to do limit hours by requirements to provide benefits at a certain number of hours.

Read the article. Hourly wage alone is not enough. Hours worked should be part of the equation. These companies hire many more workers than they need, so that they can keep hours low. They care nothing for the people who produce their profits. Health insurance should be part of any company offering to employees, if they offer it to management. Multimillionaire owners likely can pay their own health costs - many employees can not. And these companies are passing on to employees what should be a cost of doing business - paying enough for their employees to survive.

I have been an employer for many years, and consider my employees one of my most valuable assets. Large corporations consider them throwaway pieces of a mechanism to generate profits.

 

[troyer]

Read the article. Hourly wage alone is not enough. Hours worked should be part of the equation. These companies hire many more workers than they need, so that they can keep hours low. They care nothing for the people who produce their profits. Health insurance should be part of any company offering to employees, if they offer it to management. Multimillionaire owners likely can pay their own health costs - many employees can not. And these companies are passing on to employees what should be a cost of doing business - paying enough for their employees to survive.

I have been an employer for many years, and consider my employees one of my most valuable assets. Large corporations consider them throwaway pieces of a mechanism to generate profits.

Your employees are fortunate to have you.

 

[saysfaa]

I'm glad you care. Some employers do, in big companies and in small companies. Some don't, in big companies and in small companies.

I read it. It is the same things that were widely predicted when the various legislations were enacted, although not necessarily the forms of each thing (computer-aided customer flows, for example).

 

[saysfaa]

I need to think about chicks instead of nonchicken life.

If I add a pop door and standard run - there is space for 10 to 15 but I want 4 or 5 hens long term.

Preferences (I know I won't get all of them):

• plain feathering
• cold climate
• higher tolerance of confinement,
• compatible with my other breeds,
• tell individuals apart quickly,
• tell who laid which eggs
• medium eggs - size and rate,
• dark eye color,
• dark feather colors,
• plain colors
• pick up at a hatchery not too far away from somewhere I'm going anyway
• within my price range

Short list of options if getting chicks from only one hatchery:

Cackle:
RIR (Cherry egger), $5 p or $3.60 st run
Exhibition RIR, $20 p
Black sex link, $5 p or $3.60 st run
Dark Cornish, $3.10 p or $2.65 st run
Black Ameraucana, $8.95 st run
Australorp, $5 p or $3.60 st

$5 1 australorp p
$20 1 Exh. RIR, p OR 3 RIR, st run
$20 3 Black Ameraucana, st run
$5 1 Black sexlink, p

That gives
90% chance of Australorp pullet
93% chance of RIR pullet
93% chance of Black Ameraucana pullet
~100% chance of Black Sexlink pullet
plus 4 to harvest or find homes for
For $50 plus travel expenses

However, some are not available at my timing. They may be available for pickup but it is riskier than if they were still available.

Or

Sunnyside
Min 3 per breed
Pick up, 1 - 15 chicks, add $10
Pick up, 16 - 99 chicks, add $5

Special Black $3.10 p, $2.15 s, $1.40 c
Cuckoo Marans $3.60 p, $2.40 s, $1.40 c
Rainbow $3.60 p, $2.40 s, $1.40 c

3 p each of the above + $10 fee = $40 plus travel
Or
6 st run each:
12.90 + 28.80 + $5 fee = $46.70 for 18 chicks
Or
5 st run Special Black (97% chance of at least 1 pullet)
4 st run Cuckoo Marans (93% chance of at least 1 pullet)
7 st run Rainbows (94% chance of at least 2 pullets)
$10.75 + $26.90 = $42.65 for 16 chicks

Then keep
1 Special Black
1 Cuckoo Marans
2 or 3 Rainbow (pullets with the darkest feathers that are distinct colors)
12 to harvest or find homes for

Mt Healthy (no small order fee if pick up)
Ayan cemani, $60 too pricey, too active
Black Australorp, $7 p
Black Sexlink or Noir Marans, $7 p
Buckeye, $7 p

1 of each gives 73% probability of getting 3 pullets. That's too low.

2 of each gives 97% probability of getting at least one pullet of each breed
$41 Plus travel expenses

Three hens is too few
the black sexlinks/Noir Marans may have red leakage that is different enough to tell them apart easily enough. I don't know how variable it is - that is, how many chicks I would need to get 90% chance of two pullets that look distinct.

 

[Folly's place]

Complicated list!
Cuckoo Marans are clean legged, not French Marans, and here the cuckoo birds produced eggs barely a shade darker than all the other brown egglayers. If you like the cuckoo color, consider a French Marans that color from Cackle, who will have chocolate colored eggs.
How about Easter Eggers instead of a black Ameraucana? Or a blue Ameraucana?
Three straight run birds won't give you a great chance of many pullets...
How about Speckled Sussex? The speckles will vary, so not hard to tell them apart. Favorite birds of mine, always!
I do like to order straight run, but in larger numbers, so pullets are more likely.
Mary