Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Cedar714]

Good luck at the meeting tonight Ron, I hope it goes well!

 

[chicken grandma]

Too many dogs around my 1.5 acre lot.

Hi Ron, no chicken, not even a rooster can fight a dog and win. And when the dogs see your birds they will be returning to your property every day until they get one or all of them. The dogs don't eat them they just hunt and kill them and then go for the next bird. It sounds like you need a good run which the hens will turn into dirt within days or you need a chicken tractor that you can put them in in the day time and move around the yard so that they always have fresh grass and bugs - that is a good option for daytime. At night, you have to have them in something with a floor on it or dogs/coon/other animals will dig under and eat your birds at night.

Ron it is expensive to feed these chicks all winter and buy shavings for them and keep the area they are in clean. If I were you I would take that same money that you are going to spend on wood chips and feed this winter and build or buy a nice chicken tractor or a nice run. Then in the Spring get chickens and keep them outside and let them eat grass/bugs and grains and be on ground instead of in a cage in a basement. They are outdoor farm animals.

If you get your chicks in the Spring you will - 1. Save money on feed and bedding and a heat lamp and electricity over the Winter. 2. You will save your marriage because your wife is not going to like the money you are going to spend this winter and the mess these chicks are going to make in your basement and in your coop. This is NOT the way to introduce someone who is unsure about chickens to chickens! 3. You chicks will do better growing up outdoors in sunlight and on grass and worms and bugs and grain than they will growing up in your basement on dry feed.

 

[chicken grandma]

I was really surprised by how much down has grown in under the feathers of my Spring chicks. Now I understand why they'll be okay out in a coop in the winter. That alone confirmed that - for us - waiting until Spring to add to our flock of 2 is best.

Nature knows best and most baby animals are born in the Spring and have the very favorable conditions of Summertime to grow before having to face a Winter! Best to work with nature!
This Winter Amy, you won't have to heat your coop and your feed bill will be much less then if you have younger birds. Next Spring, let nature help you start some birds! If you have energy to put into Chickens this Fall - build a chicken tractor that will allow you to move them around the yard and take advantage of the fresh grass and bugs!

Good luck tonight Ron!

 

[SillyChicken]

Anyone remember the YakLady? We're getting together in a few months to process about 40 or so birds at her farm. I hate to think I'm actually looking forward to it, but I am! It's nice to be able to spend the day with someone that has similar interests. ........ and she has such a beautiful farm too!

 

[Cedar714]

I just had my 5 roo's processed this morning, cant wait to have some fresh roasted bird this weekend

 

[Wynette]

Anyone remember the YakLady? We're getting together in a few months to process about 40 or so birds at her farm. I hate to think I'm actually looking forward to it, but I am! It's nice to be able to spend the day with someone that has similar interests. ........ and she has such a beautiful farm too!

YES! Please tell her I said hello. She and I talked at length about raising Yak for meat a few years back. I spoke with DH about it, and he said he didn't think he'd be able to take one to the butcher after watching it grow up and having it around a couple years (they grow slowly, and it's best to keep them on an all grass/hay diet). Sigh. She even donated some Yak meat to the 2nd annual MI Chickenstock! Nice woman - enjoy your visit!

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad, tell your husband the kids will only touch the fence once (if they are smart). And it won't hurt them in any significant way - just give them a good unfcomfortable jolt. Kids grow up on farms with electric fences all the time, and it does not damage them.

 

[caz426]

Jackpot! I knew they were laying somewhere...

 

[Amy PT]

Does anyone have a suggestion for something to use to keep the birds from flying out of the run that's inexpensize and lightweight? I was thinking of getting some of the 'wildlife netting' at menards since it's $9 for a 7x100 roll, but I looked at it and it's REALLY light and definately wouldn't hold up to ANY snow getting caught in it. I don't want something that I'll have to take down in a month and a half, but I don't want something that I'll have to put in a bunch of supports for either (like metal fence).

I know I'm totally a chicken rookie, but can you clip their wings to prevent them from fying? I can' think of anything that is cheap and lightweight that will hold snow.

 

[Fancy Favie]

Ron, people are selling off pullets due to feed prices going up. You may get lucky enough to find 6 birds at POL. Yes, you are going to pay more, but you are also missing the expense of chick feed, electricity for constant heat for 6 weeks. You will also miss the absolute cuteness of chicks. Watching them suddenly drop where they stand, which will freak you out if you aren't forwarned, which now you are, and sleep. Then jump up after a short time and take off again. The chicks chest bumping each other, running over top of each other, zipping across the brooder like theres a bug up the keisters.. Teaching them that you are friend, food man... BUT If you get chicks, which I personally see no reason not to, since I have chicks right now, but you will be raising them in your basement for 2 months... If you plan to start taking them out of doors before the move to the coop, for play time in the yard, you will need to bring a heat lamp out with you, so they have a place to run to warm up then go again. This wouldn't be a hassle if you had a mama raising them, but since you'd be raising them, wow... what a pain in the butt. You could do it, but you'd also have to take into consideration, that in December, they will not have the nice temps of your basement, even if you have a typical MI basement that is cold as heck. Actually, if you have a basement that does get cold as heck, then that would make the transfer easier. My old house would get so cold in the basement... OK... in the 50s... Well anyway, it'll be more work for you. Less work for a hen to do. You could always put a heat lamp in the coop in December when you move them to it, but be prepared for power outages and have a back up power source on the ready. A sudden drop in temps when the birds are not feathered for 15 degree weather... well you get the picture. So, all in all, it really depends on how much work you want to start out with.

Personally though, since your coop is planned to be complete in December, then that is when I'd get chicks. If there is a hatchery near you that you could drive and pick them up from, which would be better for the chicks, that'd be the best option, or even from a private party who is hatching what you want. You'll have 6-8 weeks of raising them in your basement. By the end of January/February (I'd shoot for getting them at the beginning of the new year so they'd go out in February) you can move them to the coop, minimal heat lamp will be needed, and by May you should have eggs.

Sorry if this post seemed to be rambling. Some days its hard to be coherent when my brain goes faster than my fingers... and my fingers try to keep up... LOL

I couldn't of said it better than that, I totally agree