Michigan

[Olive Hill]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome! I've been lurking around for a while and in the meantime had a chick of my own. She delayed our chicken hopes for a while and now we're back on track. I can't wait to see her playing with the chickens when shes older. We still keep going back and forth on what size building to go with, but it will be big enough for at least 150 birds total. Our layers will be mostly Isa Browns and California grey leghorns, and I'll toss a few others in for variety. I would still love input from you all on where to get cheap feed. And an explaination of chicken laws in layman's terms would be great too. I haven't checked in for a while and now theres more than 30 pages to read! I guess this will be a new part of my daily routine!

A chick of my own! Our Hayley! 13 weeks already!

Welcome and congrats on the new addition to your family. Am I right to assume these chickens are your first foray into livestock farming?

With the scale you're looking at you will want to contact your local mill(s) about custom bulk feed for prices. This will be less expensive than pre-bagged, commercial feed, but ensure you're getting a balanced diet. Cheap feed only produces cheap product and your bottom line will not be helped by either.

Also, because of the scale you're considering, you really need to acquaint yourself with the laws on poultry rearing from chick to fridge/freezer in their entirety. The laymans terms aren't going to do it for you. I strongly recommend you go directly to the source of the laws (MDA, USDA, etc.) print them out and study them from beginning to end.

And, I know you didn't ask, but that never stops me so I'll also add that if you don't have a business plan, that's the very best place for you to start.

 

[Olive Hill]

He is resting now.

 

[RBahmer]

And, I know you didn't ask, but that never stops me so I'll also add that if you don't have a business plan, that's the very best place for you to start.

LOL Olive.

 

[Mom 2em All]

For the heck of it, I tried following YOU, but it said I had to verify my email or something like that. Oh well. Not sure how to do that and don't want to anyway.
So what do you see when you follow
Chickmate & Yorkchick?

Well following Chickmate,

Ive seen some things that have almost made me blind...

she's not a modest one by any means..

Yorkchick is much sneakier...hard to follow her she darts around so much..



Seriously, though...Ive not even noticed that I am following someone..it just tells me I am following them. It doesnt show me where they have been or what they are doing...nada. If it is supposed to, I havent figured that out. I dont even know how I came to be following them..

 

[Mom 2em All]

Congrats on the baby human and the baby lamb..

Both of them are very adorable. I think the lamb may be less work than the human variety...but both appear to be quite cuddly.

 

[taprock]

It was a beautiful day here, sun sun sun. It was also a frustrating day.... so I'll rant a little. I'm on the phone with my sis-in-law when my son yells the neighbors dogs are back and Al is out. So out into the snow I go stocking footed, yelling at the dogs. Luckily Al was not out but the dogs were running around the chicken run trying to get the birds. I scared them off. Then back inside I had to deal with a grumpy teen. Our niece is 17.... will be 18 in a month and we are her guardians. She wants the privileges of being an adult without the responsibility.... and the boyfriend isn't helping things. Then I start my sewing only to get the DH comment of "is it really worth the time your putting into it?"

Then I managed to sew the bottom of the bag wrong. So I put my therapy birds to work and went and cleaned the coop for an hour+. So coming back into the house I see the neighbor's dogs behind the house. So I loaded my .38 and unloaded it at the dogs. No I didn't shoot the dogs, just scared them off, but I felt much better afterward. Then my son had a 4-H field trip. It was a fun and much needed break. We went to The Mishiilhen Studio to learn about natural dyes. We dyed with indigo and did handkerchiefs and silk scarves. I have a feeling I will be going back more!




Just counted eggs. 22!!

I have 28 girls, 1 is too young to lay, 1 is getting over a molt so that means only 3 were lazy today!

 

[1muttsfan]

Farmgirl and rbahmer, love your new chooklets

I think Raz definitely needs a stalker

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:

Here is my first live baby. Born an hour ago.

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome! I've been lurking around for a while and in the meantime had a chick of my own. She delayed our chicken hopes for a while and now we're back on track. I can't wait to see her playing with the chickens when shes older. We still keep going back and forth on what size building to go with, but it will be big enough for at least 150 birds total. Our layers will be mostly Isa Browns and California grey leghorns, and I'll toss a few others in for variety. I would still love input from you all on where to get cheap feed. And an explaination of chicken laws in layman's terms would be great too. I haven't checked in for a while and now theres more than 30 pages to read! I guess this will be a new part of my daily routine!

A chick of my own! Our Hayley! 13 weeks already!

Hello and welcome farmgirl! Hayley is adorable and I love the name. I have loved it since the first time I saw Hayley Mills in Pollyanna when I was a kid. I always said I was going to name my first daughter Hayley but didn't because her father didn't like it. It's just as well I guess, Amy suits her just fine, but I still love the name. Wow, you are planning big right off the bat! That many birds will sure keep you busy. Love my ISA Browns! I only have two, but they are egg laying machines. Neither one of them have skipped a single day since they started laying. I get an egg a day from both of them and they are nice round large brown eggs. So glad to have you with us! We want to see pictures when you get your coop done!


Quote:

For the heck of it, I tried following YOU, but it said I had to verify my email or something like that. Oh well. Not sure how to do that and don't want to anyway.
So what do you see when you follow
Chickmate & Yorkchick?

I don't know what Mom sees when she follows Yorkchick, but she must be bored to death following me!

Beautiful day today, lots of sunshine here. I let the chickens out this morning at 10:00 and they didn't go in to roost until about an hour ago. I let Mama and babies out all day as well. I'm so happy that the rest of the flock and especially the roosters don't bother the chicks at all. Everyone just ignores them. Mama sticks pretty close to the coop but did spend some time out in the grass and sunshine with them. I love to watch them discover good little tidbits to eat and play keep away with each other. At one point my big tom cat walked over while they were out and seemed a bit interested but he's afraid of the chickens and when Mama gave him the stink eye he turned around and left. Sachi, my Crestie who was so infatuated with the FBCM's when they were babies is also in love with these little ones. He gets upset if they don't stay close enough together, so he kind of herds them. Jimmy Choo is only interested in food so he could care less about them and Vera hasn't shown much interest in them either. All is well in chickenland. The weather is supposed to stay spring-like for the next week or so! Woo Hoo!

 

[Chickmate]

Well following Chickmate,

Ive seen some things that have almost made me blind...

she's not a modest one by any means..

Yorkchick is much sneakier...hard to follow her she darts around so much..



Seriously, though...Ive not even noticed that I am following someone..it just tells me I am following them. It doesnt show me where they have been or what they are doing...nada. If it is supposed to, I havent figured that out. I dont even know how I came to be following them..

Big mouth !!!

 

[theron]

I have a situation. My very first chicken, Dawn, is panting heavy and can't seem to use her legs well. She is eating and drinking and seems alert. At first I thought she was eggbound, but I can't feel any egg and we have gone through our share of eggbound hens so I know what feels natural or not. Here is a link for more info. Thanks
Here is a link for more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/626237/hen-breathing-heavy-cant-use-legs-well-seems-alert-help


This is a picture of her.