Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[mrshaggie810]

I would LOVE to re-home the old coot but no one would answer an ad that looks like this:

Looking to re-home a 17 year-old long-hair male cat that vomits daily, pees (preferably on carpet) if not confined. Friendly, kneads in the water dish. Howls frequently night and day. Licks plastic, chews plastic, drools on your neck, sleeps on your head and leaves tumble fur in every corner.

I don't heat my coop, but I will use a cootie tin style heater for my water when it get's really cold here. I let my chickens (not my ducks yet though, they are so flighty that I worry!) free range some, but we have stray dogs in our neighborhood...err, well, free-ranging dogs that have homes but aren't at them, and I worry about one attacking my birds so they don't get much time out of the run.

 

[chicken grandma]

I think I remember that last year someone told me that the safest way to heat a coop was with a ceramic heater and a thermo cube. I don't know how to attach those links but if anyone can post links to those?


Me and Bella (Daron's cow) cancelled each other's vote out for President!

 

[Trefoil]

My CL eggs are due to hatch tomorrow. I picked one up tonight and tapped it lightly while holding it to my ear - and heard a little scratch-scratch inside!

. I had an ebay pea egg explode this summer when I removed it to candle. It made one H of a mess, not to mention that I had to clean the rest of the eggs and the incubator and ended up with a really poor hatch. Congratulations on your baby to be.

 

[RaZ]

Brr, quite the chilly morning here. The fire had died down so it was cool in the house.
The coffee is brewed, the fire stoked and it is supposed to be a decent day once the sun comes up.

Hope it's nice at your place.

 

[Stacykins]

Hoping it is a nice day. My day isn't starting out so well, but I will be attempting to make the best of it.

Soon I have to go tend to my grandmother, as she has a chiropractor's appointment. But yesterday she was in an absolutely foul mood. If today is the same, I think I will be needing a stiff drink after I am done. I think the bartender at the place I have in mind will think it odd that I am getting some booze at noon, but it'll be worth the odd look. No, I won't be driving! I am leaving my car at my sister's house in town.

 

[Wrightsx4]

I think I remember that last year someone told me that the safest way to heat a coop was with a ceramic heater and a thermo cube. I don't know how to attach those links but if anyone can post links to those?

Hi! I found a thermocube at home depot for 12 or $13. It is a double outlet plug the turns on at 32° and off at 40ish°(can't remember exact #). So you would plug it into your outlet then plug your heater into it. Easy. I don't heat my coop but I use it for my water heaters. I use a 25 watt bulb inside a half cinderblock with an 8x8 cake pan as a drip-guard. It only turns on when needed.

 

[taprock]

Nice day yesterday. Hopefully the same today. Looking at how warm it will be on Saturday I think it will be bath day for a few birds that need it.

My CL eggs are due to hatch tomorrow. I picked one up tonight and tapped it lightly while holding it to my ear - and heard a little scratch-scratch inside!

chicks!

Anyway, my Dad was worried about how I let my birds free range. He asked, what would happen if we weren't home and a dog came about for a massacre? I guess I didn't really have an answer. We have a run for the birds, and they're closed up at night. But at first light, I let them out to do their thing. I told him free ranging is a risk I take, and I think that there is always a risk in that. But I feel that them being able to roam and forage is great for their physical and mental health. I mean, you can give them enrichment in a run...but they sure get a lot of enrichment from chasing down butterflies, and also taking care of the tick population.

I free range and think about this. They are out if I am home and if I am going to be gone a short time. However I'm thinking of working part time - not flexible hours like in the past and wondering what to do about my chickens. We have had dog and hawk attacks so it is a reality. They were locked up for 2 weeks this summer when the hawk was targeting my birds and the difference in the bug population was incredible.

 

[Lisa and girls]

Thank you all for your input. I think I am going to go with the heated waterer and forgo the heated coop. A thought on free ranging. We have coyotes, hawks, racoons, etc. on our property and I let my 1 + year olds free range. The 3 month old babies are still in their run. This is just my opinion, but they are so dang happy doing their thing free ranging I think it is well worth the risk and I think if they could talk they would tell me they would rather take the risk of being eaten up by something then not free range. Again, just me. They sure are happy to get out every morning and chase squirrels (yes they chase squirrels. they think they are part dog ) and tromp through the leaves in search of goodies.

 

[1muttsfan]

Whle I like my birds to be happy, I also like them to live. My neighbor, who in the past has free-ranged his chickens, has had almost every chicken killed by the end of the summer the last 2 years. I have a considerable investment in the birds by the time they get to lay - I buy a lot of hatching eggs of top-quality pure bred breeds, and by the time you feed them, water them, house them and care for them for 5 months before they even start laying it it too hard to watch them and my investment disappear one at a time

.

I compromise by letting them out during times when I am home and can watch them with my dogs on hand. I think overall they are happy with their lives, and they always come running when I call them back into the pen - with treats of course.

 

[Lisa and girls]

We all do what we can and can only do what we feel comfortable doing. I used to live in the city and could only let them out for about an hour before sunset every night. I feel very fortunate to live somewhere that I can let them out all day now. Its not that I don't worry about them because I do. They are like my kids. And I always am apprehensive to leave them when I leave the house. So far everything has been fine. All I can do is pray that I will have 14 perfectly happy safe birds when I get home. Not to mention the UP is far wilder then where I am. I would be having different feelings on the matter I am sure if I lived up there!