Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

Thanks for your replies, I am not looking to get rich off of selling eggs not sure how that came across, but just want a varied flock for our own enjoyment, It is just always something I have wanted to do. Now actually doing it is so exciting!

I am not sure I can make it to Chickenstock, bummer it looks like that would be a great place to start.

So does anyone have any chicks, or young hens they would like to sell to me??


Another question, why do people want to buy fertilized eggs instead of day old chicks, sometimes the eggs are more expensive? Is it just a fun hobby?

Thanks for putting up with all my questions.

Sorry I don't have anything but roos that need homes.

Some people really enjoy hatching eggs for themselves. It also may be easier/cheaper to ship eggs vs live animals.

Have you checked out My pet chicken? http://www.mypetchicken.com/?gclid=CMibgr67irICFWVgTAodHSAAgA

You can order smaller quantities of chicks - and they have them listed by the color of eggs the hens produce.

Don't stop asking questions!

 

[swampducks]

I really hate 'coons.

At 9pm I went down to the hutch coop to close it up and found a neckless guinea and a dead dark cornish roo. Apparently Ziggy and I surprised them, he always follows me down there. He went tearing off into the swamp and I could hear him yipping as he chased. It wasn't until this morning when I went out to feed and do a head count that I saw 2 other dark cornish were missing as well. Then I saw one of the dead DCs in the front yard. A coon must have dropped it and Ziggy picked it up and brought it home and left it there. He never touched it after he brought it home and I left the front door open all night so he could run in and out and keep watch. DH skinned that one for me this morning and I've got the breast simmering to feed my brave little pup and his big sister. I'm glad he didn't actually catch the coon, I don't want him in a fight with one of those critters.

I'm now in discussions with DH about moving the hutch coop/run into the yard and placed next to my big coop. It will be a beast to move but I think it needs to be done.

Incidentally, the Duke traps, though set were unbaited as the rain had melted all the marshmallows. They're baited as of 10 pm last night but nothing came back.

 

[Mish]

From the same place, same breed same quality I've always seen a doz. hatching eggs are about 1/2 the price of a doz. chicks and each egg is about 1/5 to 1/10th the price of a young laying hen.

Here are my thoughts:
EGGS: pro - cheapest, get pick of the "litter", least chance of disease since some diseases aren't transferred through the egg, joy of seeing hatch and grow, con - don't count your chickens before they hatch (some won't hatch), need an incubator and must provide chicks heat for awhile (unless you have a broody hen), extra roos

CHICKS: pro - cheaper than adults, know how many you're getting, colors to some extent, joy of seeing grow Con - must provide chicks heat for awhile (unless you have a broody hen), extra roos (even if sexed there's still a chance of roos)

ADULTS: pro: know exactly what you're getting,

Always have to be careful any are from healthy flocks and that they are the breed, quality and age the seller claims, otherwise may be other negatives

 

[ladyrsanti]

Thanks for your replies, I am not looking to get rich off of selling eggs not sure how that came across, but just want a varied flock for our own enjoyment, It is just always something I have wanted to do. Now actually doing it is so exciting!

I am not sure I can make it to Chickenstock, bummer it looks like that would be a great place to start.

So does anyone have any chicks, or young hens they would like to sell to me??


Another question, why do people want to buy fertilized eggs instead of day old chicks, sometimes the eggs are more expensive? Is it just a fun hobby?

Thanks for putting up with all my questions.

I didn't mean to imply. It was my non-answer answer. I just wanted to make sure your question was seen. They get lost so easily. Plus, I am interested as well. My flock of 12 was from a hatchery and I want the same as you, a lovely assortment of egg color. So far one of my three hatchery Easter Eggers is laying brown eggs and it's VERY disappointing. The other two have yet to lay so the jury is out on them. I really would like some Black Copper Marans next year but I've heard conflicting things. On one side, I hear that the hatchery version often times lays a normal light brown egg and on the other I've been warned that local breeders' birds are often infected with disease. Not sure how to proceed.

 

[Brethren49619]

The flyer for Family Farm and Home was advertising for fall chicks too. I think they were just Isa Browns and meat birds though.

My guess - this might not apply to all stores. You probably have to go in to your local store and check it out.

 

[Mish]

I didn't mean to imply.  It was my non-answer answer. I just wanted to make sure your question was seen.   They get lost so easily.  Plus, I am interested as well.  My flock of 12 was from a hatchery and I want the same as you, a lovely assortment of egg color.  So far one of my three hatchery Easter Eggers is laying brown eggs and it's VERY disappointing.  The other two have yet to lay so the jury is out on them.  I really would like some Black Copper Marans next year but I've heard conflicting things.  On one side, I hear that the hatchery version often times lays a normal light brown egg and on the other I've been warned that local breeders' birds are often infected with disease.  Not sure how to proceed. 

I dont believe there are that many infected flocks out there. My opinion is there's a couple diseases that are very worrisome such as marrecks (sp?) and MG. others like cocci i've heard some study said a huge % of flocks have it wether u know it or not? and its easily treatable. I was lucky to never have a single sick bird, although I also only brought in hatching eggs except a couple of my first birds were from TSC and ducklings from Holderread. When someone says someone said they got birds from so an so and they were sick and died there are many unknowns. Maybe the buyer bought healthy birds that then caught something their own birds actually had. Maybe they didn't properly take care of the chicks - too hot, too cold, improper nutrition and caused the death of healthy chicks. ??? I half believe about half the things I hear and rarely believe secondhand info. If possible talk to as many people as you can about a breeder. Ask the question in public then ask for answers from personal experience to be PM'd to you to avoid conflict on the public forum. JMO I only had chickens a couple years

 

[SillyChicken]

I really hate 'coons.

At 9pm I went down to the hutch coop to close it up and found a neckless guinea and a dead dark cornish roo. Apparently Ziggy and I surprised them, he always follows me down there. He went tearing off into the swamp and I could hear him yipping as he chased. It wasn't until this morning when I went out to feed and do a head count that I saw 2 other dark cornish were missing as well. Then I saw one of the dead DCs in the front yard. A coon must have dropped it and Ziggy picked it up and brought it home and left it there. He never touched it after he brought it home and I left the front door open all night so he could run in and out and keep watch. DH skinned that one for me this morning and I've got the breast simmering to feed my brave little pup and his big sister. I'm glad he didn't actually catch the coon, I don't want him in a fight with one of those critters.

I'm now in discussions with DH about moving the hutch coop/run into the yard and placed next to my big coop. It will be a beast to move but I think it needs to be done.

Incidentally, the Duke traps, though set were unbaited as the rain had melted all the marshmallows. They're baited as of 10 pm last night but nothing came back.

Thats terrible!! Do you know how they got in?

 

[1muttsfan]

I really hate 'coons.

At 9pm I went down to the hutch coop to close it up and found a neckless guinea and a dead dark cornish roo. I saw 2 other dark cornish were missing as well. Then I saw one of the dead DCs in the front yard.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Just wanting some good advice on how to inexpensively grow my flock, I would like egg colors to be a pretty rainbow for lack of a better term.

There is more people owning more kinds of chickens on here than you would think! Some rare ones even. They gotta know what you want, either bird-wise or egg-wise, and a general area that you are at, so the folks in that area can speak up, and the distance you are willing to drive perhaps also. There is another chickenstock late spring/early summer in Lansing as well. The breeder flocks will look a lot more like the ones in the books than the hatchery ones, and i personally think the roosters are less likely to be aggressive, since a home flock likely won't keep a mean one to breed.

As far as the cocci and MG, that's a toughie, from what i've read anytime you free range that will be a risk unless you vaccinate, and the vaccinations are not cheap. $150 is the cheapest i've found for the MG.

One success was farmerboy, he found a method for dipping hatching eggs that gave him clean chicks from an MG infected flock!. Dipping does reduce the hatching rate, but his method he used was vet-tested, and so far the new flock is testing clean for MG, though i don't think they can range due to the risk. If you can hatch your own eggs in an incubator this is probably the safest method for buying from home flocks, though not the cheapest.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Sorry swampducks