Michigan

[1muttsfan]

Welcome Jenerva to BYC and the Michigan thread, lots of people here to answer your questions.

Raz, great pictures.

Nova, I do the deep bed method and use a thick layer of pine shavings, which I turn about once a week after cleaning out any wet spots around the waterer and under the perches. It stay odor free, and generates heat of its own as it decomposes. I also throw a handful of scratch in each day and the chickens dig the bedding around. Straw does not work well for deep bed, and hay is not good bedding as it does not dry well. It is good as a snack, and I throw it out in the run for the chickens to dig through and to help keep them off the snow - they spend a lot more time outside if they have a flake of hay or straw to dig through and stand on.

Opa, I would add to your list - chicks are small, you can keep a bunch them in a small area, and they are sooo cute

 

[chickflick]

There is a story in the Grand Ledge Independent about an 11 year old girl with 2 chickens that..... you guessed it, the city council wants her to get rid of. Raven Norris has raising the cochin chickens as a 4H project. Since we're in the mood to write letters, maybe we can send some her way.

 

[ChicwannaB]

CHEEP homemade diatomaceous earth shaker/applicator:
Parmesan canister empty, lid from sour cream etc, and corn pick:

poke holes with the corn pick in the sour cream lid, cut to fit inside the parmesan lid:

screw cap back on parmesan container with holey insert and it will shake DE like a salt shaker, also can be lightly squeezed to spply DE:

Im so CHEEP it makes me sick......
Where theres a woman, theres a way!!

 

[chikkaboomboom]

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[chikkaboomboom]

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[ChicwannaB]

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Girlfriend you got my number..LOL
I reuse everything!..LOL

GOOD, I like to help my Michigan chicken friends.

 

[Olive Hill]

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There is such a disconnect in this country between people and the food chain, and such a lack of support for farming and raising livestock, I and my family only own 2 acres but I get every once of veggies and plan on getting every once of eggs from it that we can. I am writing a letter and pointing out theses things. Poor kid.

I'm sorry but there is a big difference between farming and raising a couple cochins in the city for 4-H. If you think the girl should be allowed to keep her chickens, great! Write a letter, but base it on an argument that can hold some water. Perhaps you believe 4-H is a positive program for youths that encourages community involvement, provides leadership opportunities, teaches responsibility and pride in accomplishments. That would be an awesome argument. Arguing that the girl is farming in the city with a whopping two chickens of a largely ornamental breed is however, going to hurt more than help. The city council will see through it in a millisecond, it will be written off before they've even read the name you signed to the bottom.

We really need to stop abusing the MRTFA as a way to get whatever people want. If you believe that everyone should have the right to a couple of backyard chickens, that's great! I agree! But this act was not designed to function in that manner. Yes, it has a loophole that some people have been successful in exploiting. That doesn't mean that exploitation should continue -- or even that it should have been allowed to begin with. Eventually the abuse will lead to the revocation or the stringent re-writing of the act that will result in actual farmers being put out of business. You think people are disconnected from their food now? Keep abusing the MRTFA until it's made impossible for small farms to exist in close proximity to population centers. The disconnect that you see now will be nothing compared to the disconnect thereafter. This is not the way to get people better connected to the source of their food.

Yes, I realize this won't be a popular opinion here, but someone had to say it. One way or another rampant abuse of the system always leads to that system becoming defunct. The MRTFA is an important law that we need here in order to take agriculture in the right direction in the future. I don't really believe anyone here would want it ruined, but I also don't think people are thinking about the ramifications of their actions when it comes to exploiting it for backyard chicken keepers.

Argue that the girl should be allowed to participate in 4-H because of the opportunities and lessons it offers youth. Argue that the lady who posted here a few days ago should be able to keep the chickens as an alternative therapy for her autistic son. Argue that chickens are of value to a family and community -- eggs, compost, bug control, therapeutic recreation, economic boosters as feed and accessories must be bought, etc. But don't argue that any chicken from here to Ann Arbor is automatically livestock in a farming operation. It's simply not true and aside from hindering your own argument it will eventually hurt many others.

And... I'll step down from my soapbox now.

I truly hope I haven't offended anyone too terribly.

 

[chikkaboomboom]

Ill

 

[bethanyrae]

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98...congratulations to him! Have a great time. Vermontville? You don't know the Jansma's there, do you? That's also where we have our Meals on Wheels route.

 

[Olive Hill]

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I don't think that's really necessary, do you? I think we can disagree and still both contribute to a conversation. (I'm not upset at all, btw. I disagree with your intent and the intent of others, but I can disagree with something without being upset.) I don't think it's a good idea to revoke something you've said anytime someone disagrees. Things would never be discussed if that's how we all operated, things would certainly never be changed. Maybe someone else will come around and disagree with me. That's fine. I won't be removing my post but I will welcome their input. Maybe they'll even change my mind.

If it makes you feel better to delete, then by all means, but I don't see a need for it.

I will say I don't think it's a good idea to run out of a community anytime someone else says something contrary to something you've said. You can decide what is right for you. I do hope you choose to stay and to stand by whatever you say/believe now and in the future. We all should. Diversity of thought and opinion is an incredible thing to have in a community and a true enrichment, imo.