Michigan

[Opa]

Thunder and lightning, another night of severe weather. Though still raining, hopefully the storms are through our area and planes are able to fly without problems. Yesterday Granny was supposed to return from sw Missouri after spending 3 weeks with 2 of my sons. At first her flight was delayed from 6 am until 10 but by 9am they announced the flight wouldn't leave Springfield until after 3pm which would mean Granny wouldn't arrive in Detroit until after 8pm. Given the weather forecast and how difficult making the connecting flight in Chicago can be, Joe said he was taking her back home and would try again today.

Just watched a large raccoon stroll across the back of the property. Seven coons removed and yet there are still coons around. While I haven't had a problem with them and my birds I don't intend to. I think I am going to add additional electric fencing to be doubly sure.

 

[fifelakelooper]

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Wow Opa...I think you may have more coons than us!! We still haven't got our perimeter fence up....it will go up in about 3 wks. I hope. I also have not installed my "peepers"....those huge blinking lights...on my fenced run. I have them....just busy working on other stuff. Opa...have your checked your eggs since the one post you posted about maybe the turner not working?? Did I miss the result?

Huston...I pm'd you about my interest in a auto coop door. I see I need dimensions...I'll get those to you.

We have 3 coops now....the largest and oldest is secure....fencing on top of run...fencing going below the run...I've had it for 7 years and nothing has got in (knock on wood ). I will be putting my older chicks and keepers for breeding in this coop. Note the tv dish on the upper left of coop? Husbands sense of humor! The two new coops are secure as long as I don't let them out int the run...the run is a dog kennel and I have red comets recently purchased in the area now. One of the small coops has 6 wk. old Orpingtons in it....they will be moved into larger coop when the 13 3 wk. olds are big enough to go out into the coop with them. I will divide it inside so the smaller can still have the heat they need and also so the older chicks adjust to them. As soon as I can tell males from females I will sort out these and keep 5 pullets and 1 roo. The rest I will sell. The 13 Orpingtons are English mixed. My Jersey Giants will go into a small coop until they are larger...and until I can sell some of my Orpingtons....then they will join the Orpingtons in the large coop. I plan on keeping 1 roo and 5 pullets from the jerseys. i know I should keep more than one roo from each breed but am keeping my flocks small. I will separate when breeding. It would help if I could figure out how to secure the run in the small coop. Any plan I have involves asking my hubby to build and he has a million projects of his own and is starting to dislike chickens so the plan has to be doable by me. I'll keep thinking on it if any of you have ideas let me know. I can run fencing under the kennel put how to secure the top of the kennel to the two coops is the problem. Anyway...here is how it looks right now.

 

[A2SciTeach]

OPA! Chicks are pipping. So far 5 of 7. Right on time - day 21. I'm very excited, this is the first time I've had anything even come close to hatching. They're all chirping away in there.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[Opa]

Even though it's cloudy and cool it still is a beautiful day. My small orchard of eight apple trees are all in blossom and as I looked out just now a Baltimore Oriole lit in the top of one. They sure are a beautiful bird. I just talked with Joe and Granny's flight is still on time and scheduled to leave in twenty five minutes. If all goes well she should land at Detroit Metro at 205pm.

The eggs are still in the incubator and on Tuesday evening I will take the turner out and candle the eggs. I'm curious as to how many are alive. If they are going to hatch it should happen on Friday. I've been saving bantam eggs since the 11th and on the 21st I will start another batch. Hopefully it will go better then this last one. Before another hatching season arrives I am going to build myself a wood incubator and a separate hatcher.

 

[Opa]

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What a wonderful way to start your day. When the finally hatch and have dried, call me and maybe we can figure out your pullet/rooster ratio.

 

[lindah2226]

isn't that the best sound when chirps are coming from the incubator
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[lindah2226]

In down North Carolina but just wanted to stop in to see what was going on up in Mich. sounds like lots of rain. I had started watering my plants with the hose so I am glad for the rain. I just talked to DH and he was saying chicken s#it on my tractor blah blah chicken s#it blahblah. I was really missing the chickens and babies. He got my incubator started up again for me while I am down here. Looks like lots more chicken s#it for us.

 

[yorkchick]

Hi, I've been almost exclusively a lurker here, but can't tell you how much I have learned from this site. I am going to try to make it to Chickenstock this year. Anyway, I live a little west of Ann Arbor, have 10 acres (but it's mostly swamp LOL) and currently six hens (Black Star, NHR, BO, EE, GLW, and a Silver Sebright). They are all almost 2 years old now, I got them as day-old chicks (through My Pet Chicken...) Anyway, only one of them goes broody (so far, anyway) and I've always broken her in a anti-broody coop. Next time she goes broody I am planning to get her some hatching eggs to sit on. I have arranged to get a few EE eggs from a local source. (I'd wait for Chickenstock but I'd like to get started sooner, assuming Edna will cooperate before then!)

Anyway, my question to this particular thread is: anyone within a few hours of Ann Arbor have Sebright hatching eggs? I know I could get them shipped from somewhere else, but I only want a few and if I could drive to pick them up, that seems better.

Thanks for any suggestions, and maybe I'll meet some of you at Chickenstock!

--Susan

 

[Chickmate]

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Hello yorkchick (Susan)!

and the MI Thread! We're so happy to have another chicken addict among us. I'll be looking forward to meeting you at Chickenstock this year! Now that we know you're here you'll have to join in the discussions instead of just lurking!

 

[Henny Penny04]

Great news: a nice family came and bought my Cubalaya pair! Whoo Hoo! That was the first time I was ever "paid" for a rooster. I usually can't gives them away. I guess it pays to have an unusual breed. Speaking of unusual breeds, I am going up to see a man about yokohamas. Has anyone ever had one? They are supposed to be very docile, and fairly quiet, as far as roosters go. I love those tails.

Flock integration went surprisingly well. I slipped the (grown) babies in during the middle of the night. They had seen each other a few times through the fence, so weren't total strangers. It's not a love fest, but everyone seems ok. I was so worried about the littlest ones in the morning. There wasn't even any pecking!

With all this rain, we have mustard garlic invading everywhere. I picked three garbage bags in only 15 minutes this morning! Does anyone else have this annoying weed taking over their property?