Michigan

[RaZ]

Opa, what is the name and location of that feed store? I might make a run out that way sometime this weekend.

 

[saddina]

Coffee's always on.

 

[Ferrret]

For those concerned about the homestead tax credit, this was posted in April.

Here's a story from May 25th.
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/gov_rick_snyder_signs_michigan.html

An opinion article from the 31st.
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-ann-arbor/fire-governor-rick-snyder-campaign-underway

And a list of bills in legislature, passed or still under debate.
http://www.houghtoncountydems.org/documents/AFLCIOBillUpdate2011March31.htm

 

[Opa]

RaZ, I just checked with Livingston Feed and Seed, 361 Marion St, Howell and they do have DE in stock. They are open until 3pm today and closed Sunday. Coming west on I96 you would take the 2nd Howell exit and go north into town on D19 Michigan Ave. The 2nd light is Marion turn right.

 

[yorkchick]

Well, I finally did it! Last night I put 4 hatching eggs under Edna, my Silver Sebright who has been going broody regularly for the last year and a half--the first time only a few weeks after she started laying. (Doesn't read the books, doesn't realize Sebrights "don't go broody"). A big shout-out and thank you to FarmerBoy16, and of course to Backyard Chickens and the Michigan thread, or I probably never would have heard of him. Anyway, I picked up the eggs from Daron (FarmerBoy)--2 Ameracauna/Easter Eggers, 2 Speckled Sussex. As I was making the kinda long drive there, I was telling myself how crazy I must be to drive all that way (and spend more on gas than on the eggs, and I drive a Prius, LOL!) But I kept saying, it's my *hobby*! So that makes it okay? Not sure if that really flies...

But I can't tell you how glad I was when I got there and Daron very kindly gave me a tour. It's like a free range fowl amusement park! He has just so many types of chickens, plus ducks, geese. turkeys--mostly all free ranging except those he has in breeding pens and broody pens (which he put together himself). All the birds looked healthy, happy, calm, and beautiful. And he is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all his birds, where they came from. etc. Don't know how he keeps all of them straight but he does. Anyway, thanks again Daron for the eggs and especially for the charming tour. Reminds me of the saying, "Do what you love and the money will come." Never worked out for me since what I love is reading books and spoiling animals... But Daron should definitely run with it!

So Edna the broody girl transitioned just beautifully from the wooden falsies she was sitting on to the real eggs. Neither one of us has done this before but she seems to know a lot more about it than I do! (Wouldn't be a lot of use if it was the opposite, I guess...) She's in a big wire dog crate inside the main coop. Won't even poop in the crate even though there's lots of room away from the eggs. Food and water in there with her of course. And I let her out once a day to do her business ("No," I can hear her cluck, "My business is hatching out babies!") and stretch her legs. Fingers and toes crossed that the eggs hatch. Crossed yet again that they aren't *all* roos. I know I'm not giving myself much room for error with only 4 eggs. But I tried her with various numbers of wooden eggs and 4 seemed to be the most she could cover completely. (She's only about as big as a robin...) Wish us luck. I am technologically challenged so have not figured out how to post pictures here. (Yes I know, there are "simple" instructions but my eyes kinds glazed over trying to read them--must make myself try one of these days...) I will try to figure it out before the theoretical hatch day 'cause if everything goes right, IMO there's nothing much cuter than pics of broodies with their babies!

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
Whoo-hooo! Good luck!

Today is a nice cool day to bring out the tiller! I am going to build and herb/greens/flower garden around the run today for the girls. They've been getting herbs and greens out of my main garden and I thought it would be cool (and pretty) to make one around my chicken run, just for them.

Plus I have some compost cooking that I can use (and I also need to clean out the coop and get some more cooked up). Yes!

 

[Opa]

It's amazing the distances we will drive because of our obsession, I mean hobby, with chickens. A few years ago I talked with a individual who had a trio of BLW for sale. I told him I wanted them and he said he would hold them for me. He must have ask 3 or 4 times if I was sure I was going to come to get them. When he gave me the address for where he was located I was so amazed that it was at a monastery and that he was a priest I paid little attention to the actually location. Later when I did a Mapquest I discovered that it was 185 miles each way. Much too far to drive to get 3 chickens, but if I backed out I would be lying to a priest. Would God darn me to an eternity of hatches of all cockerels. Not a chance I was willing to take.

 

[KrisRose]

Quote:
Good luck with your hatch!!

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:

 

[Opa]

I just got darned by the BYC censor