Michigan

[sevenchickens]

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They have a lot of chickens at Imlay city bird swap. You can go to both.

Ohhh, I think that sounds really dangerous...although I am getting a new 8X12 coop!!!! Let's see at 4 square feet per bird that would be...

 

[briana1975]

We all passed our Hunter Saftey course. Brody who is seven actually got an 94%. He needed a little help reading but got all his answers on his own. Collin is 10 so now this year he can bow hunt with us. He is very excited. And now I am thinking I need my own gun for firearm season. I have only bow hunted before.

 

[Opa]

Briana, I bought both of my daughter- in -laws a Remington Model 870 Youth Model in 20 guage and will be buying one for my granddaughter. With the new shells available today a 20 guage is an excellent round for deer hunting and they aren't as punishing as a 12 guage. The youth model will allow most women to properly seat the stock to your shoulder and get the proper sight picture. Being able to properly hold the gun will lead to better shots and more importantly it will keep you from getting beat up by the recoil.

 

[Olive Hill]

Briana, congrats on the class! As a woman hunter I would second Opa's recommendation of a youth/ladies model 20ga. I don't consider myself petite. I'm a pretty average sized woman, I would say. I stand a solid 5'6''. Even so a youth model fits me infinitely better than a standard adult shotgun, packs the same punch for my purposes (deer in moderately dense woods for the most part) and is easier to carry in/out of the woods to boot (I hunt on the side of a very steep hill, so I climb up to get in and slide/shimmy/climb down to get out). I used to hunt with a regular adult shotgun but I won't go back now that I've hunted with a youth. The difference is significant and much to my advantage in every way.

 

[Opa]

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When I'm tired I don't worry about what the kids need or want. I take a nap and they can fend for themselves. Of course when the baby is thirty eight years old it does take a little of the responsibility away. I guess maybe there are a few benefits to being old.

 

[Mark's Menagerie]

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indeed! finally got the windows in the coop that we've put off forever and got most of the rest of inside framing done so we can start putting in insulation, wallboard, & ceiling. making a trip to menards tomorrow to get some odds n ends for the ceiling, vents, roosts, etc.

note to self... never buy a kit building and expect the framing to be complete enough to put up wall/ceiling board.... I knew I should have just built it myself from scratch... and I'm a lousy carpenter!

 

[Mark's Menagerie]

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Gee I hope so, it's bad enough being 'not so old', I need something to look forward to as I age... besides a yardfull of chickens that is.

 

[Opa]

Mark, I've built a few yard storage barns and alot of those that I have quoted and didn't get, the customer couldn't understand why my cost was so high. I just couldn't get them to understand the principal that when you use twice as much lumber it will cost more. I know the few kits I have built barely had enough lumber to make them stand.

 

[Mark's Menagerie]

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I hear that, we had "fun" (not) putting it together, had to go back and have roofing replaced from water damage where it had sat in outside storage (the plastic wrapping was full of precut holes??), the nails and screws included must have been made of lead they bent/stripped so easy... had to go buy a bunch of good ones. The instructions were less than clear & the measurements/precuts must have been made by people using us & metric at the same time... was kinda lucky to get it up at all, but with a little modification at least it's safe and not too shabby looking.

 

[briana1975]

Thanks for the recomendations on the shot guns. We had to run to the store for groceries and looked to see what Walmart had. I only saw a youth gun in a .410/.22 combo. The 20 ga. I shot today was not a youth or ladies and was an older gun, break action. My shoulder is a little sore. My husband said his Rem. 1100 12 ga. He says the kick is not bad at all. His other 12 ga. is a Moss. 1200 pump and it kicks the heck out of his shoulder. I am hoping one of the local sportsman clubs has a shoot where you can try different guns and get the feel for what will work for you.

Now that the older chicks are outside in the in between shed, the cochins have calmed down and the pullets are really sweet. They jump up on the leg and snuggle into my arm.

So sweet. The black silkie is the sweetest silkie I have now.

Nice birds Michelle. I don't know anything about showing, but anyone can tell a nice gentle bird from a mean crazy one. Any you must have some sweet birds to have chicks with good personalities. Maybe it is just because they are cochins? I still have more cochin males than I need. Anyone interested let me know.