Michigan

[fuzzybutt love]

vjwilmoth My husband and I(mostly me, haha) decided we would delve into this crazy world of chickens.

hello! i see you have aruacanas and de'uccles ! those are my favorite kinds, since they are sooo friendly. The one i'm holding in my avatar is my EE, who is convinced she is a cat. I was able to score one porcelain myself, so that is my excitement this spring. You will like chickens immensly, and "homemade" eggs really are so much better!

 

[Juise]

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Ok, DH is bugging me to ask something. We have a blue kiddie pool near our pole barn that is filled with water and decaying leaves and has duckweed and watercress floating in it. Every morning when the chickens are let out, they all flock to this pool and drink from it before doing anything else. They have water in the coop with them so they are not suffering from lack of water, but this is what they do first thing. They drink from it all day long so we refill it if it gets low, but DH wants to know if anyone knows why they are so attracted to the pool and its water. A simple 'because they want to' from me isn't cutting it with him. So, is there some possible nutrient from the stuff in it they need? Are they possibly just having some mosquito larvae soup to start their day?

I have no idea, but I can tell you that our kids have a "mud pie kitchen" under their play structure, which contains an assortment of pots, buckets, wash basin, etc. and our chickens always run straight to these to get a drink in the morning. They don't have any moaquito larvae in them, so I don't know. They prefer it over a freshly scrubbed and refilled waterer, though.

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Just wanted to give you a little advice. I'd suggest not letting your chickens near that pool.

Oh, wow! Thank you for sharing this, I had no idea. I've heard of a lot of people putting out a kiddie pool for the chickens to cool their feet in, is it just that those pools only have a couple inches of water in them, and these are deeper? We were given a little kiddie pool last year, and it was filled much of the Summer. The chickens were very interested in it, and drank out of it, but never tried to go in it. I usually left if filled for a few days before dumping and refilling it when next the kids were interested again. The water is so cold when you first fill it that they used it mostly on the second and third day, when the water had warmed. I will have to reconsider this.
Congrats on your Grandson!

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I hope the frost that is predicted doesn't occur. My apple trees just erupted into full bloom and freezing temperatures can't be good for them. Heavy frost has stunted their output for several years running and it would be nice if this year if doesn't happen.

My peaches already bloomed, and the pears and cherries are all in bloom now. I still have yet to see a bee, so I took a paintbrush to them. We'll see if we get anything.

So sorry about your dog, Opa, that is always hard. We eventually had to put our old dog down that we had had since kids, and it was a terrible hard decision to have to make. He was no longer able to walk, though, and my mum had been carrying him in and out for days so he could relieve himself, and he was a lab. (My older brother and I were no longer living at home.) In the end, he was obviously in a lot of pain, and we brought him to be put to sleep. My mum insisted on having a picture taken of us all beforehand, which none of us kids wanted, but I'm glad she did because I am happy to have it now even though it makes me sad. I hope your friend leaves you in the gentlest way possible when the time comes.

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This pic is so cute!

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He may have felt threatened, but unless the dog was rushing at him looking for a leg to get a hold of, it was a bad judgment call for sure.

I feel threatened by practically everyone, and I don't shoot them.

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Juise, care to share your magic vegan lasagna recipe with me? I'm curious!

Juise, I checked out the vid of your kids trying eggs, man they're adorable! Sounds like you've got a little Goldilocks going with the older one. "These eggs are too cold, these eggs are too hot, these eggs are juuuuuuuust right!" What a sweet girl though. I couldn't help but read some of the comments, geez people can be nasty. But I have to say that you handled the replies with grace!

Uh oh, it has been some time since I have made it, and I tend to wing these things! I was planning on making one soon, though, DH started asking for lasagna after he mistook his lunch of enchilladas last week for lasagna.

I had layered some for him in a glass container, and when he opened the fridge he was stoked, lol. So I will try to pay attention when I make it, and then also try to remember to tell you about it.

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if the law is too vague, this kind of stuff will happen.

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My hubby brought flowers home for me last night, apple pie, and asked me what kind of coop I want him to build... He was such a jerk last week, I think this is his man way of an apology. I think I will except it when the coop is done

Holy crap, can your husband give my husband some lessons?

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Do people sleep with their canaries???

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I like cake recipes! Never know when you may run out of eggs in the winter or something, i really don't like buying those grocery store eggs. I still don't understand why vegan's aren't supposed to eat eggs or dairy, though? If it's from a farm you know, the animals aren't being hurt by it...? Not bashing at all, just really curious.

Er, well, what kind of cake recipe would you like? Or do you just want to ask me when you're wanting to bake one?

There are probably as many different reasons as there are vegans. Some people simply feel that it is not our right to take anything from animals, no matter how nicely they are treated. Some people are in it for health, or because they think it is the correct diet for them. Sometimes it is that by buying milk / eggs you are still supporting the same places that are producing meat just as much as if you had bought the meat. I imagine that there are a number of people that were, or otherwise are, vegan that do feel comfortable buying things like eggs from a local farm that they agree with the practices of, but at that point they are no longer considered vegan. For us, the easiest way to know that the animals were loved, well cared for, and treated in a way we agree with was to have our own, and plus I love them simply as pets and have always wanted chickens. We also know that the eggs are unfertilized. Many of my close relatives are farmers, and my brothers and I were forever trying to sneak the adolecent chickens home with us!

I am trying to just give an overview of why vegans in general don't buy animal products of any kind without telling you, for the most part, which statements I agree with or not, I really don't want to start anything, I really don't like confrontation, to be honest, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, and I don't want to make anyone mad at me. Although I think I may be too late on that score, which already makes me sad and I don't want to make it worse. I don't, however, know how to explain milk without doing so. So I will just say that the following statement is what I understand and if anyone feels I am wrong in it, I would welcome comment. We looked into getting our own dairy animal when we decided to get chickens, and this is where we came out. When it comes to milk, you don't get milk without killing animals, and if you are not okay with killing animals, you can't be okay with buying milk. Many vegans for this reason feel it is rather hypocritical for people to be vegetarian for moral reasons, especially on the subject of milk. At least, you do not continue getting any milk without animals dying, because you the producer needs to be impregnated on a regular basis to keep producing milk of any quantity. In theory, it could be possible to make sure that each of the new animals produced by this process that could not be kept was sold to a good home that didn't want to kill them, and wanted to take care of them in a fasion that you agree with. In practice, though, as far as I know, this does not really happen. It made it impossible for us to feel that we could keep a dairy cow or goat. People can't really keep infinitely growing flocks of animals, and you can't really control where each of those animals that needs to be sold will end up. My friend, whose farm includes dairy cow, slaughters the young bulls for meat when they grow big enough, which I believe to be the usual practice.

Okay, I hope I didn't step on too many toes, I did my best.

Welcome, vjwilmoth!

 

[RBahmer]

vjwilmoth

 

[Juise]

Oh, also meant to say thank you, EeyoreD, for your kind comments about my video, and those from others. And, since several posts were made in the time it took me to pull that one off, lol, Nova, it looks great!

 

[jphillips]

Hello Everyone,

I just received a notice of violation from the city of Sterling Heights. No raising of fowl on a lot smaller than 8 acres. Of course I do not want to remove my birds from the premises. They are contained in a coop and enclosed pen. We also have a privacy fence.
Does anyone have any advise on how to proceed with the city?

 

[sarah92480]

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OMG this pictures is adorable!!

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Sarah...oh, no, no, no, I don't think YOU are being stereotypical at all. I'm not pointing a finger at you. If that's how it came off I'm sorry, that was not how I intended my post to sound. I think you're a sweetheart. This cop in particular makes me angry too. He's the one giving the rest if the cops out there a bad name. Sometimes the media doesn't get all their facts either though. Makes me wonder what happened that the cop thought he had to shoot the dog. Was the dog attacking him? Not that I'm defending the cops actions, not at all. I just wonder if there is more to the story.

Stop apologizing to me!!

I was just making a statement. It made me mad from the get-go when I heard about it, but then I found a news article or something that actually had the cop car dash cam rolling. It didn't have the video because the car was facing the wrong way, but you could hear it. The cop didn't even finish his sentence "sir get your dog" before he pulled the trigger. I mean, not many people would dare to move when they are at gunpoint usually; the guy was pleading for him not to hurt his dog. I'ts really sad and pathetic and ok I'm done ranting now.

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They go through phases... unfortunately right now the pit has the bad rap. They went through rotts, dobes, dalmations... I am a groomer... you wanna know who bites the most? Small breeds!! Shih tzus, terriers, chi's...

Don't forget German shepherds in that list of previously "banned" breeds. And I totally know what you mean, those little ankle biters are the worst offenders, but people think they're just so cute and innocent they tolerate a-hole behavior from them. If you dont believe me, watch one of those stupid "funny home video" shows, they always have a video of a little fru-fru dog growling and snarling at someone, and the people this it is HILARIOUS. If only they knew that the dog was really thinking "I dont like you, you are scaring me and I will bite you if you dont go away". It's unfortunate that people don't listen to their dogs' signals. Ok I'm off my soapbox now, otherwise I could go on and on haha!

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Well I think the kicker here is going to be the bolded part. You keep your chickens inside your house? Do you let them sleep on the bed with you?

Haha that was too funny! I got a visual there. And Raz probably doesn't sleep with his chickens...it probably makes the neibor jealous!! hehe

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Ha ha ha! I like your "office ma"! very cute.

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So the crazy thing first of all is getting such young chicks in the mix but even crazier is that I decided to put Waffles(the D'Uccle) in with the new babies since she is SO sweet. The new babies are in a separate corral. I expected mayhem really but Waffles has taken the babies in as HERS! I'm not kidding. She fluffs out and let's them sleep in her wings, on her back, etc. they all snuggle up to her and sit all over her. She calls to them when she isn't with them(we let her hang with her original age chicks still too) and is very upset when she's not with them. When we put her back she checks on each one. Isn't that a little odd for a one month old chick to act this way? I have no experience so I don't know. Waffles loves cuddling up in your sweatshirt and hitching rides on our shoulders. She just a lover.
I'll post pics later when I'm in the house. I'm painting the coop now while all the babies are outside.

Anyway. Thanks for being here!

This was a funny story!! Too cute! And

Ok so I got the phone call today!! I didn't get to speak to her though. The Dr. called & said she was sorry that she didn't call sooner and hopes I am still interested. Heck yea!! She wanted a ph# to call me this evening to discuss things, so I left her my work ph#, and when and where she could call me there or on my cell, lol. However, I know the clinic closes at 6 and I haven't heard from her...I think I'll call right now and see if they answer.

 

[sarah92480]

No luck, no answer. Probably because they would think it's probably a client or something calling. Oh well; I'm calling at 7:45 am tomorrow (they open at 730)!! I SO hate this current job and I'm looking forward to telling them I'm gone!

 

[Totalcolour]

I'm so sorry about your dog OPA; it's hard to see them decline.

Ours suddenly went into decline about a week ago. I'm not sure she will last the week; I had to carry her outside this noon to pee.

On a brighter note, my two new babies, at 12 hours old!


Hope all you guys have a wonderful evening

 

[chicken grandma]

Congratulations Sarah!

Welcome VJ! Glad you are enjoying your new chicks!

Total Colour and Opa - So sorry about your dogs.
Those little goats are precious!

Nova - Great coop as usual! I wonder if you could sell those!

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Waffles sounds like a sweetie!!!

I hope I have not missed welcoming someone... I feel I have though... So

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Holy crap, can your husband give my husband some lessons?

I am not sure he would be much help! He is such a stinker!!!

I call him my hubby but truely he has yet to propose. We have a house together and a son. I will be shocked to get a ring. Sometimes when I am really angry with him... I think about him proposing and me saying no... just cause he is so stinkery!!!!

There are probably as many different reasons as there are vegans.

I was always wondering about eggs. If they are not fertile, they will just rot anyway. Might as well eat them. Thanks for the post.

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Don't forget German shepherds in that list of previously "banned" breeds. And I totally know what you mean, those little ankle biters are the worst offenders, but people think they're just so cute and innocent they tolerate a-hole behavior from them. If you dont believe me, watch one of those stupid "funny home video" shows, they always have a video of a little fru-fru dog growling and snarling at someone, and the people this it is HILARIOUS. If only they knew that the dog was really thinking "I dont like you, you are scaring me and I will bite you if you dont go away". It's unfortunate that people don't listen to their dogs' signals. Ok I'm off my soapbox now, otherwise I could go on and on haha!

There are just too many to list.

Even with the ankle biters... Every dog has it's own personality. Some sweet; some not so sweet. And some of it can be blamed on the owner. I have a stinker of a dog... he is not good at meeting dogs of his own size. I sociallized him as a puppy... Then his hips went bad. He is afraid of being mounted and being hurt. So I know well enough not to put him in situations like that. He does really well with females, smaller dogs, and humans.
I have a neighbor with a pit and he is the sweetest boy! He loves all dogs! How could they ban a boy like that?!!!