Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

Definitely in the next few months. The thing is though that you might not get many eggs until spring because seramas are very sporatic layers especially in the winter. I get about 10 eggs a day from my 40+ serama hens.
Well, not worried about getting many, I just don't have a nest box in her coop, I just put one in it, and I would hate if she were laying in the yard already. She is so quiet when she talks, that I am afraid I'd never hear her egg song! Spring is good enough for me. I'd be too tempted to put them under a broody if I started getting to many! Is it true that they may not be viable for a few months once she starts laying? I read something along the lines of that on the other thread, and was curious about it.
...a little white stuff on the car...
That is not just white stuff... The angels were putting down carpet powder... it just happened to fall through the clouds...
You should put this in your signature box..
 
RaZ,
th


Also, thank you to every one else who is able to go to these meeting and voice yourselves. They are always when I have to work, and the job I have, I have to do, or PAY some one to do it for me. All I can do if forward emails to the links your provide. BUT, I do appreciate every word you guys and gals express on behalf of the lowly backyard chicken owner.
 
Nova: I Love your chickens! Especially fritz! They kinda look like my little bantam girls! I just love them!

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Welcome Lisa and girls!!!

GreenInMiMama: I have an Isa and I can tell her eggs from the others rather easily because they are kind of a carmely brown and on the small side...I don't know what other chickens you have but they are totally different from my EE's, New Hampshire's and ducks eggs...if you look at my profile page or go back through the pictures in this thread you can find a pic of brown eggs from my Isa. :)
 
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Evicted the chicks to the small coop today. No more stinky basement!
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The 2 older chicks seem to be tolerating the small ones pretty well (they are outnumbered 5 to 1, so I think the littles will be OK) and settling in to everything. We put a heat lamp out there that I got DH to screw into the ceiling so that it CAN'T fall into the shavings and start a fire. I would have skipped the lamp, but the smallest chick is only 2.5wks old, and doesn't have that many feathers yet. They're all puppy-piling up to sleep. It's cute.
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Sorry, this is the worrier in me:
Be sure to Pick them up in the evening when it's cold, make sure their feet are warm....puppy piling can be because they are too cold; if they are brooded at too cool a temp they can be prone to respiratory issues! If their feet feel ok then it's probably ok. I didn't put mine out until one month, when they had a good bit of feathers; they still have the lamp of course! To avoid the fire hazard i am also brooding with sand. I change it every day, i am lucky because the whole yard here is sand! Don't gotta be fancy;
if you have it it will work and help hold in the body heat better than the woodchips :)
I also am using a big dog kennel to house them, keeps the big birds from pushing them away from their lamp, and to be sure they are not getting picked on and kept away from the food and water.
I'd be too tempted to put them under a broody if I started getting to many! Is it true that they may not be viable for a few months once she starts laying? I read something along the lines of that on the other thread, and was curious about it.
It may have been me talking about it, i don't know about viability per say but the better breeders i have "followed" and tried to learn from don't hatch pullet eggs usually. There are two camps on this issue, some say pullet's eggs are stronger, some say no.

I am in the "no" camp because they are still getting the mechanics right, so the eggs can vary in size, shape, a bit. How can you be sure that the egg is getting the proper nutrients from the hen even? It takes time for the body to make changes, i would not take the chance of breeding weak or deformed chicks. You may breed from pullets for years without issues, but i.m.o. it is a risk and easily prevented by letting them go for a few months. :)

i.m.o that is why the hatcheries have issues with their chicks not being as sturdy, prone to cross beak and possibly the internal laying. That and i think they feed only a laying ration. To get optimal results both the hen and the rooster you are planning to breed should get a boosted diet, gail damerow recommended a game bird ration in her book. Same as for us, healthy mom and dad make a healthy baby :)
 
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Nope, not from you fuzzy... from the american serema thread... and so far, nearly all the chicks I have had hatched came from pullets eggs. The exception being the lovely silkie I got from Mom2 and then the GLW wyandottes.
 
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Yesterday I got my flu shot so today I felt sore and tired so.... I cleaned the basement. I figured if I sat down I wouldn't get back up and it is pretty mindless work. The basement looks pretty good now. It hasn't been cleaned since spring so it has everything piled in there plus we got some new shelves and storage so I could put more away.

My latch on my little coop broke a couple days ago. I have never had a handle on the door so the latch got use that way. The rain and wind last week finally took it out so I had been propping a block against the door. I asked DH to pick up a new latch yesterday. Today he made me one that he said I couldn't break along with a handle.


When I down loaded the picture I found my son had taken a bunch that I didn't know about. There were 195 of them. So here are some he took.


Missy Quail and Sprout - on top of their hut to escape the youngsters


Fred, BB and Sherman eyeing each other



Moppit who finally has feathers coming in on her head


I'm thinking BB is the trouble maker. I took this one when I spotted BB go after Sherman.


Igor and Yuri


Orloffs


Natasha

 

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