Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[snowflake]

I do not heat, I have a cookie tin heater and a 3 gal bought chicken water heater, both work well, I also keep my water and food outside to keep the smell, dampness ect. outside. They have a covered and protected area outside the coop, inside the run.....my chickens do not like snow and with out the covered area they stay in the coop to poo, all winter, smells much nicer if it is all outside

congratulations baby girl,,,, hope you are able to get some help for the 1st month or so so you can get some sleep
DD had twins 6yrs ago, tried to do it all, sleep deprived people are not so sweet. and although you will be sleep deprived with one. 2 is complete deprivation! when one is done eating the other is ready. She found the sib site for moms with twins helpful., They are a joy and beautiful girls but the first few months was very hard on mom, So if possible get some help so you can get some sleep

they are saying next week we may get some of the white stuff sticking to the ground, Hope you are all ready

 

[chickenwalker]

This made me laugh so hard I could hardly repeat it to my husband with a straight face.

 

[snowflake]

books that you may find interesting
The small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery
The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow ( this one is on my wish list) I believe she has a book on chicken ailments also?
also love the Backyard Poultry magazine

 

[Elyssia001]

Thanks snowflake! Those do look great.

 

[1muttsfan]

The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens - Verhoff-Verhallen and Rijs

This is a European book, but really interesting with lots of pictures of different colors and breeds. Fun to browse through. You can find it on Amazon.

 

[1muttsfan]

Snowflake I had not seen that Gail's book was out - went straight to amazon and ordered it

 

[SillyChicken]

they are saying next week we may get some of the white stuff sticking to the ground, Hope you are all ready

I'm ready!!!
I'm ready!!!
I'm ready!!!
But only for the opener of deer season. I love hunting in the snow.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

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.

perhaps a high place that they can easily fly up to? Might be just as important as low cover for hiding from hawks.........?

Whle I like my birds to be happy, I also like them to live. .......................
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.

x2 this is what i do as well, i think it's called "pasturing"? Mine have not only adapted to it, they accept me as the "shepherdess" to such an extent that if i turn them loose and go back inside to clean their coop, i will come back out to find them milling around in the run! lol. Silly birds. They like me to be near when they wander

The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow ( this one is on my wish list) I believe she has a book on chicken ailments also?

Yes, it's called "The chicken health handbook" and it's where i have learned the most about health and treatments.
It goes from chick to adulthood, and has many handy charts in there, as well as an encyclopedia style section on each ailment. It also discusses nutrition and flock care in an easy to understand way, to help prevent the illnesses in the first place!
If you only owned one book about chickens i would say this is the one to own!
Here is a site that sells it, i am not promoting to buy at this site at all because i don't know anything about it, but it does cater exclusively to bird related books, so you may see others on the list that are interesting as well ?
http://www.avianpublications.com/items/fowl/itemD05.htm

 

[SillyChicken]

Carmel apples! yummy!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Oh my! those look divine!