Michigan

[Opa]

At least one good thing about the new snow. It has once again hidden all the trash and debris that need to be cleaned from my yard.

 

[bjengel]

Hi everyone.............. Greetings from Bay City!!

I would just like to announce that as of yesterday afternoon, we have finally dived in and are the proud owners of 8 little day old chicks out of the "assorted pullet" bin at TSC.

I've been lurking on this thread and site for about a year now since my boys and I started talking last spring about getting chickens. Everything has been going good in the brooder and they all made it through the nite, - temp is pretty good (about 95 degrees) and they have all been eating and drinking fine. One had a bit of poo stuck to his butt this morning (not a full-blown case of pasty-butt by any means, but I figured better take care of it now before it does get worse).

This is my very first time ever owning chickens, so we're learning as we go, but after continuously lurking on this site for the last year, I feel pretty comfortable............... now it's just time to try and figure out and settle on what type of coop to build - there are just so many different styles and choices.

The absolute worst part though is being stuck here at work all day and wondering about the chicks.............. are they all ok, is the temperature ok, etc. etc................. maybe I'll run home at lunch!!

I'll try and take some pictures tonight when I get home and post them and maybe try and determine what breeds I have, as I mentioned, all the bin said at TSC was "assorted pullets". Four of the chicks are a yellow/buff color (oh please, please, please let them be Buff Orpingtons) and the other four are mainly black with yellow underbellies. I was hoping for Barred Rocks, but they don't have the white mark on the top of their heads, so I don't think they are Barred Rocks.

Anyways, I guess that's it - I just wanted to pop in and say "hi"

- Brian

 

[SillyChicken]

Quote:

 

[mama3chix]

Bjengel,

,, This site has so much info with helpful and caring people.

to you and your boys!!

 

[bjengel]

Thanks for the kind welcome!!


- good news to report................... after a trip home at lunch to check on the chickies, all are doing just fine - I've been worrying all morning for nothing.

 

[SillyChicken]

ok, so at the risk of sounding insane....

did anyone else feel anything odd lastnight 10:30-11:00? I was laying in bed, and felt this odd vibration, it lasted about 5-6 seconds... Then I heard what sounded like faint ice cracking (if you've ever heard the eery sound of lake ice cracking you'll know what I mean). And ALL the dogs started barking right when it stopped. I said to my DH, I wonder if I felt a small earth quake. So when I got up this morning, I looked to see if there were any quakes and sure enough. So is it possible that I really felt something. I'm not making it up, I felt something odd lastnight and the ice and dogs barking for no reason and this was all before I knew of the quakes.. weird!

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
Silly...maybe it was ice sliding off your roof?? Maybe it WAS feeling the quake OR maybe you are a very sensitive type person in tune with things like that?
Welcome Brian...glad your chickies are ok.

 

[Farmer Andy]

A big ol Michigander welcome to BJengel. I too have recently been to and purchased some chicks from TSC. The yellow/buff colored chicks are probably buffs, hopefully for your sake. The others you are describing sound to me exactly like the Black Australorp I just got. I also got a Barred Rock and it did have the trademark spot on the head, so I'm guessing BA.
I have only had chickens for a little over a year and have loved every minute of it. BYC is a great place for info and having recently found the Michigan thread there are a lot of great people on here. I am hoping to tweak my schedule to attend my first Chickenstock this year. If you look back a few or more pages there is info on it. Looks like a lot of good people working hard to make it a success.

SillyChicken, I think I'm starting to see how you got your name (Just Kidding). I did not feel anything overnight. However once I go to sleep I don't usually feel or hear anything. My DW tells me that our two month old daughter wakes up every night crying to be fed, but to this day I've never heard her.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

SillyChicken, I think I'm starting to see how you got your name (Just Kidding). I did not feel anything overnight. However once I go to sleep I don't usually feel or hear anything. My DW tells me that our two month old daughter wakes up every night crying to be fed, but to this day I've never heard her.

It always has been, and always will be a man thing. Selective hearing!!​

 

[bjengel]

Quote:
Farmer Andy, thanks for the insight - I just did a search for Black Australorp and yep, that is definitely my chick.


So I've got 4 Black Australorp chicks and 4 "yellow" chicks that I'm hoping are Buff Orpingtons, but at this age, I'm not sure how you can tell one yellow breed chick apart from a different yellow breed chick.

I'll post some pictures hopefully tonight and maybe I'll get some input.