Michigan

[Shamrock4]

This is Swifer Duster (wierd name i know) she was one of my first chicks and the best so far. Self blue is a solid light blue and the chicken should be as evenly colored as possible. I have 3 of these (lost my cock this winter to a hawk)

 

[swampducks]

Thanks for the info and thanks everyone for your sympathy. Checked on the chicks a little bit ago and they're still looking good.

When Snowflake and I were at Michigan State University for the poultry workshop, they said the one vaccine we should be sure to request from the hatchery is Mareks.
I am sorry you lost some chicks. I hope you have a more peaceful weekend!

And I know someone said he/she was back in Harrisville? Welcome back. I'm only 22 miles west in Barton City.

 

[NovaAman]

OOO! Swifter is pretty!

 

[Shamrock4]

Thanks

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Had to read up on the mereks again, it was Ideal, not meyers who didn't recommend it. Knew i read that somewhere. Again, they didn't say why.

It is a turkey strain, and some of the vaccines are live, some are not. If the vaccine don't take it could shed, but otherwise not to chickens in a harmful way. Turkeys are the ones who could pick it up, though they are often carriers anyway.... good for 2 years, then you can vaccinate again. Some old timers ran a turkey with their chickens before vaccines were available, but then the turkey can pick up some kind of disease from the chickens, so a lot of people don't run them together

I wonder why ideal don't recommend it? sounds like a good idea, and cheap, too. Though they can still get the chicken mereks, they will at least live!

 

[NovaAman]

OK. I have a duck adventure for ya'll... Bear with me... Don't visualize to much, as I am a big girl, and this really would win me $100,000 grand on AFV if there were some one video taping this....


This morning, I let everyone out, filled feed for the duck, busted up sub loafs for the chickens, and worms for the ducks. Went in the house, got the kid up, hopped in the shower. In my shower, about head height, there is a window. Out this window I can see the duck coop and pen and the chicken coops. I see a few of my hens, the mischievious dotte trio jump up on the duck coop and the fence I go through to get in the duck area. I see the fence sag and then pop back up and fall open. Thanks a lot Vanna. I am now hurrying with the shower, hoping the ducks do not get to far. I get out, dry up and dress, run out the door and the ducks are GONE. Yup. I go across the street and they are in the stream. Now, I could just leave them there, but if they decided to go up stream, I will not be able to get them. SO, here I am fresh out of the shower, no muck boots, chasing down ducks in a stream. I swear they were laughing at me while I am trying to catch them. AND in case you were wondering, yes, a wet duck really is like a greased pig. They are greasy and slippery when wet. I did finally catch them all after about 30 minutes. Got them back in there run, stuck my tongue out at them, went back in the house, and had another shower. All I can really say is I am glad it has not been raining other wise I would not have been able to get them, probably would have gotten a mild case of hypothermia to add to all my other fun ailments.

Ducks are grand.

 

[sarah92480]

I second that. It's making me hungry.

OMG what the hell is that thing???? it freaks me out!

I am bringing my bantam modern games, gray runner ducks, standard dominiques and one self blue d'uccle there so ill check it out! thanks. These are my runners being curious

Aww look at the baby kitty!!!

OK. I have a duck adventure for ya'll... Bear with me... Don't visualize to much, as I am a big girl, and this really would win me $100,000 grand on AFV if there were some one video taping this....


This morning, I let everyone out, filled feed for the duck, busted up sub loafs for the chickens, and worms for the ducks. Went in the house, got the kid up, hopped in the shower. In my shower, about head height, there is a window. Out this window I can see the duck coop and pen and the chicken coops. I see a few of my hens, the mischievious dotte trio jump up on the duck coop and the fence I go through to get in the duck area. I see the fence sag and then pop back up and fall open. Thanks a lot Vanna. I am now hurrying with the shower, hoping the ducks do not get to far. I get out, dry up and dress, run out the door and the ducks are GONE. Yup. I go across the street and they are in the stream. Now, I could just leave them there, but if they decided to go up stream, I will not be able to get them. SO, here I am fresh out of the shower, no muck boots, chasing down ducks in a stream. I swear they were laughing at me while I am trying to catch them. AND in case you were wondering, yes, a wet duck really is like a greased pig. They are greasy and slippery when wet. I did finally catch them all after about 30 minutes. Got them back in there run, stuck my tongue out at them, went back in the house, and had another shower. All I can really say is I am glad it has not been raining other wise I would not have been able to get them, probably would have gotten a mild case of hypothermia to add to all my other fun ailments.

Ducks are grand.

You have just confirmed to that I in fact do not want to get ducks, even though they are super cute.That fetch playing duck almost had me sold... until this story. hehe

 

[Chickmate]

This is Swifer Duster (wierd name i know) she was one of my first chicks and the best so far. Self blue is a solid light blue and the chicken should be as evenly colored as possible. I have 3 of these (lost my cock this winter to a hawk)

Welcome Shamrock! Oh, she is VERY pretty and she looks like she knows it! Good luck finding the Malays, can't help you with that.

 

[sweetpea409]

So, how is everyone doing with their chickens and these terribly cold nights we've been having in MI? Where I am it is going to get below freezing tonight again. Luckily, my six chicks are only about a week old. I am about to move them into a bigger brooder, and hopefully in a few weeks it will finally be warm enough to take them outside to explore. What night temperatures do you look for when you decide to move chicks to the outdoors permanently, and do you bring them back in if it randomly gets super cold at night, like it tends to do in Michigan?

On another note, I gave my little peepers a roosting stick for the first time yesterday. Within literally thirty seconds of it being in there, they were fighting for perching rights. Pearl, one of my barred rocks, won yesterday, and it looks like she won the roosting stick again today. I'm not surprised - she seems to be the boldest out of them all, and one of the biggest as well. She will march up and peck me every time I go to pick up one of the other chicks, so she's got quite the personality so far.

 

[sarah92480]

Hi sweetpea409

I am in no way an expert (Im on my first batch of chicks, they are 6 wks this weekend) and I moved them out last week, but they were pretty much totally feathered. They have been doing fine, but I'm also the Lansing area, I dont know where you are. I took a chance and turned their brooder light off at 2 wks since they were in my house, and they did well. I dont know if that helped condition them or what, but that's what I did. You'll probably get responses from a bunch of us here, most of who know know WAY more than I do.