Michigan

[vicki2x2]

So glad your ducks came back Cricket, well most of them, what a relief!! Congrats on the going back to school, I am taking some classes next semester too, first time since high school and that was a looooonnnnnngggggg time ago!!

 

[RIRJen]

Morning everyone!

Well...looks like one of my Speckleds is going to pass away

I took out water and feed this morning and I knew she was acting kinda weird but she looked pretty bad today. I think she's egg-bound. (go figure...not a single frickin' egg yet cause it's stuck in the chicken!) She's looked a bit pale lately and was standing in a squating position. I checked her vent and it was clean (or at least as clean as a chicken's pooper can be!)
I've got some hens if anyone wants them. One is a buff something (it's buff colored) and one Austorlorp (those two are right at laying age) and then 2 barred rocks and a something-that-looks-like-a-BR. I don't know how old the other three are. I'm getting not a single egg from anyone so I'm going to be investigating into my feed and installing lights. I figured why have the extra birds this winter so if anyone wants the 5 hens I just want $10 for all 5. Nice big healthy hens, I guess if the BR's don't lay they can always be sent to freezer camp. Email me if you want them! [email protected]
We also had our last rabbit show of the year this past weekend and my daughter did fantastic with her English Spots! She won Best of Breed in all three shows and Best opposite of Breed in 2 of the shows! I also found out that a doe she sent to a youth in Ohio won a Best in Show over the same weekend. It's always nice to hear rabbits you sent off are doing really well for people! Here's a couple pictures from the show!
Hannah with Lollup (left) and Rocky Road(Right)

G.C. LLR's Jimmy, one of my Belgians

Aaron is now 4 months old! I forgot how quickly time flys with a baby!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Beautiful happy looking kids Jen!

The rabbits aren't too bad either,

congrats!

My chickens were afraid of the snow too, they looked at me like it was my fault that cold white stuff was on their ground. How dare I!

 

[justcelia]

My girls will walk on the snow, but when it's comming down? Forget it!
They hide in the covered run!

Celia

 

[wyliefarms]

Good Morning!

I am ready for spring

I hope you all have a great weekend! Keep warm!

Sarah

 

[SillyChicken]

All my chickens are locked in their yard, they're not happy with me. I've lost a couple of the freezer camp boys to something. It's not carrying the birds away. One was found just outside the run, the other inside the run (door was open). All that was eaten was some of the meat and guts. Any suspects? a yote would knab n run. Coon or neighbors dogs that come over are what I'm suspecting. (they told me their dogs like killing the turkeys.....so they are high on my list!). IF I can prove it's their dogs, they're gonna owe me some $! But I'm not saying anything until I see what it is. But until then, the birds have to be content with their yard.

Wylie, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I've been wishing for about a foot of snow....... my bad! I love hunting in snow so I put my order in for some white stuff, I guess we have to have the cold weather to get it!

Does anyone sell meat rabbits or pet rabbits on here? I was wondering what the going rate in MI is for rabbit meat. I'm going to call some area meat shops to see what they charge. I would charge for a pet about the same as meat. None of my buns are registered.
Do you know if there are restrictions on selling just meat. My thought was to charge for a live rabbit, and then process as a "favor" or "learning opportunity" to the buyer.

 

[wyliefarms]

Quote:
Snow is something that I like. Just not the cold temperatures

 

[Opa]

I too prefer hunting in the snow. If anyone knows of a place where they have 60-70 degree temps and snow please let me know. I want to move there.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
And I would like to be your neighbor there.

 

[Olive Hill]

Well, you can tell it's winter. Lots of animals listed on craigslist. Especially those that consume grass/hay.

Keyt - I noticed your ad (assuming it was yours anyway wanting female calls) and noticed this one on the Central MI craigslist afterwards while browsing. Thought I'd pass along the link: http://centralmich.craigslist.org/grd/2091272782.html

Silly - Was the attack during the day? While not nocturnal, the coons would have to be hard up to come up to your place for a meal with dog traffic, etc in the light of day.

Still weird for a dog though. Usually domestic dogs don't even bother to break the skin, unless the bird is a fair match for them size wise -- e.g. small dog and a goose. Usually with domestic dogs it's sport so once they grab and shake and the chicken stops running/flapping they quickly lose interest. Are the neighbors bothering to feed their canines?

Anyway, californian kits go for $5 each here. Well, more accurately they go for $10 each but are *always* buy one get one free at the amish farm.

I don't know about meat prices. I'd put together a price projection that includes your costs -- feed, bedding, electricity, supplies, the cost per kit for keeping does and bucks year round, etc -- and your desired profit margin, do some market research for similarly raised rabbit meat and adjust accordingly from there. Michigan does not have meat processing laws/regulations of their own. USDA regulations apply. I've never looked into what category rabbits fall under so can't help you with exact guidelines. All are available online via USDA however and are pretty straight forward, not too much legalese to cut through. You may even find fact sheets that water down/put it in layman's terms if you do some digging.

Opa & Silly - There have been reports from both sides of the coin here this year. Some seeing lots of deer, others seeing far less than usual. Gunshots were fewer than normal this season in our immediate area but I think that may be a function of the economy more so than the deer population and their traffic habits. Our property backs up to state land and I think there were fewer hunters out from the city this year. We saw a normal number, ourselves. Which actually surprised me. They normally are in our backyard a lot during the summer, but weren't anywhere to be seen this year. I expected them to stay hidden throughout hunting season, but they didn't. They were bedding down at dusk and waking in the morning and moving throughout the day; didn't go nocturnal too much here. My personal theory has more to do with the growing season than the hunting seasons. The early youth hunt isn't new and it hasn't affected herd numbers during the regular season in this way in the past; I see no reason its affect on this years traffic should have been any different. I think it was a good growing season and nice, quick, early harvest. 1) The deer were able to glean a lot off the land early and didn't need to be moving as much for sustenance, they had the luxury of being able to bed down and stay down when the activity in the woods increased and 2) harvest gets them moving, normally it ends closer to or during hunting season. This year we were done weeks before opening day. Things had time to settle down, including the deer.