Michigan

[Chickmate]

Since I've never been to Chickenstock before I have a question. Do you just keep the chickens you bring to sell/trade in a dog crate or some kind of enclosure and set them up under the trees to keep them cool while we eat and visit? I have a large dog crate that will be holding 8 roosters (yikes!!) and I'm hoping they won't try to kill each other. That's going to be a long day for them in such confined quarters, unless I get really lucky and find homes for all of them! Can someone please explain to me how this usually works? Thanks!

Also, is this incredible smoked chicken I'm hearing about your contribution to the food Opa, or for us to purchase?

 

[jgervais]

Looking for 2 Dorking hens and 1 Rooster in Michigan, or even just a few straight run chicks/hatching eggs - I'd be eager to attend ChickenStock to make the exchange! Let me know!!!

Any color will do.

 

[Opa]

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All the birds are normally kept in cages and the buyers need to brings something to put their purchased birds into. In the case of roosters fighting when in the same cage, you could take the offending rooster out and use a tieout. A tieout is a strap that go around the roosters leg. It it then attached to a cord that is staked in the ground.

It you are uncertain on how to make one based on the picture let me know and I can make a few and bring with me.

 

[keyt1969]

I've talked about the OEGB pullet I picked up at FFH a few months ago being a really good mama. Here's how she is every day!!

All the chicks fight to curl underneath her and she lets as many as she can get under her. The gray one in front and another one not shown are the first two she played mama with. Now she has 13 more 4 day olds lol

These guys all hatched Thursday. Notice the one on the left standing up...she's HUGE! I'm thinking her daddy must be one of the BLRW boys!

 

[saddina]

Opa is wonderfully vintage. Alas i'll still be 3000 miles away so not chicken for me this year. Mr saddi has informed me that most women spend time fussing over the kitchen layout and floorplans, not where to put a barn when selecting a house. Way I see it, we'll have to tear out and redo the kitchen anyways, but a poorply placed barn is years of waisted minutes in chores. I did arrange to pick up 2 angora rabbits that will make the move with us, and swore no more animals till we move.

 

[saddina]

keyt, how's that working for yu, I have an incubator mr saddi made for me, and have hatched out quail (city only allows 4 hens, but quail are no where in the regs.

, so we've raised maybe 200 for dinners) since quail don't go broody, i've never let the hen do her job. It looks like you used a banty to hatch/brood LF chicks? Am i right or do i need another cup?

Ohh that's it, next year i'll bring bacon wrapped gouda stuffed quail for chickenstock.

 

[keyt1969]

She didn't hatch them.

In April I had one chick hatch out of 20-some because there was a problem with the temps in the bator. The one that hatched didn't do so well but I put it in with this OEGB that at the time was a few weeks old. She took care of that baby then cried for a couple of days after it died. Then when I hatched out more chicks I didn't have anywhere to put them at the time because Aric hadn't finished building the brooder yet. So I put 12 chicks in with this banty and she took care of them too! So, she's basically the one to keep them warm. She's a few months older but from a few weeks old she's been the caretaker.

Definitely when she gets bigger I will use her as a broodie hen. All of my other bantams (silkies, cochins, frizzles) are excellent broodies!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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& welcome to the Michigan thread!

 

[saddina]

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Makes sense.

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
All the birds are normally kept in cages and the buyers need to brings something to put their purchased birds into. In the case of roosters fighting when in the same cage, you could take the offending rooster out and use a tieout. A tieout is a strap that go around the roosters leg. It it then attached to a cord that is staked in the ground. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/10233_tie_outs.jpg It you are uncertain on how to make one based on the picture let me know and I can make a few and bring with me.

Opa, I would appreciate it SO much if you could bring a couple of those with you. I will have 5 FBCM roos and 1 EE roo in the crate. The FBCMs should be OK together, but the EE might get beat up on. I could tie him out if I need to. Another question for you Opa. I had said I would bring you an ISA to replace the one you lost, then I said I would bring you two since I needed to downsize a bit and I felt bad sending one chicken off by herself to a new home. I know, I'm just a bleeding heart. Well, since the Great Fox Attack I'm back to bringing you one ISA. My question is, would you be interested in one EE to go with her, or not so much? Some people only like to keep specific breeds and I completely understand that. Just asking. At any rate, you're getting one ISA. I'm getting so excited about Chickenstock!