Michigan

[ChicwannaB]

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I have Barred ROcks that are ALMOST at the Point of Lay, not quite tho, it you want to wait I'll let you know when I start getting them, it sould be soon. They are at 20 weeks old now.

 

[RaZ]

Straw bales stacked around the coop are a wonderful way to cut down the wind and help insulate the structure. I've placed them around my house and noticed that the floor is warmer. My house is on a open crawl space made of block. A straw bale is the same height as the exposed block so it keeps the wind from hitting it. The added bonus is that the straw is natural and can easily be recycled back to the garden in the spring.

This year is the first that I've had chickens so I'm trying a couple of new ideas. I'm making a place in my garage for the chickens to completely get out of the weather. The out door shed (tent garage) has hay bales stacked inside and straw bales stacked outside of the walls. The reason for the hay inside is that there is decent grass for the chicks to rummage in and eat if they like. Straw on the outside is just left over bales from the load I got for putting around the house foundation.

Besides, it irritates the neighbors!

 

[M.sue]

Here is a pic of my movable coop. It is very sound and water proof. It looks just the way I wanted it and I'm very happy with it! Except..... my DH & DB must of thought that I was gonna grow taller for it is higher off the ground than I wanted it. O'well. Anyway, I think the bales of straw are a great idea but I would need ALOT due to the height of it. Wish I would of thought about the winter when they were constructing it this spring cause I would of had them insulate it right from the get-go! Learn from our mistakes. Regardless I need to put some insulation of some sort in there. Thought about blowing some in but DH says it wouldn't work well cause the barn tin is flat up against the interior wood. I know a few builders, maybe I can get some ideas. My DH will do it but doesn't really want to for he is so busy with his work as it is.

 

[M.sue]

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Great, this ought to be fun.....I've never been to one and it'll be nice to meet some of you folks!!

you going Saturday or Sunday?? or both??

I'm just going Sat. in the morning. I need to be back home around 1:00...friends from out of town are coming over.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

I like the insulating ideas, straw bales, cardboard over foamboard, any others?

 

[RaZ]

Msue,
I think you could get away with 3 bales on the long sides and 2 on the short sides, 10 total. That would keep the wind from blowing underneath the coop floor. Even if you stacked the bales 2 high it's still not a lot.

I recently paid $1.50 per bale and bought 40. Of course I had to go about 15 miles to get them and I have a truck & trailer to get them. I passed a place today that was selling straw bales for Halloween at $9.00 per bale. The suburbanites were buying them like mad, then trying to fit the bale into a Honda. Townies!

 

[yorkchick]

I'm hoping to get to FowlFest too on Saturday. Crossing my fingers that the stars align for that. I actually do have a chicken hat, that looks like an actual felt chicken, bought in Nepal in 2003 long before I ever thought I would own chickens. Won't be wearing that though. There's standing out, and then there's "should the authorities be notified?"

Mom2! The geese can (apparently) fly!!! Well, 2 out of 3, anyway! Wednesday night when I got home from work, the DH told me that 2 geese had been on the wrong side of the fence when he got home. Asked him which two, he looked at me like I was crazy. (Funny thing is, our dog walker who comes in the middle of the day on the days I work can tell them apart, just from watching them over the fence. I'd told her their names but hadn't tried to describe which was which. She left me a note, "Here are my descriptions and, based on these, match up names. Shorty. Saddlebags. The Other One." And as Mom2 no doubt could tell immediately, that was Libby, Penelope, and Henry. "Saddlebags!"

) Anyway, the DH isn't really clear which chicken is which and they're all different breeds...

So anyway the two geese that were over the fence (still in the pasture area, just not the "fenced for fowl" area) had been hanging real close to the chicken wire fence and their still-enclosed buddy. The DH opened the gate and the two wanderers moseyed on in. I inspected the fence when I got home that night, then again in the better light this morning. It's not a pretty fence, it's not a well constructed fence, but it appeared completely intact. Today I was off work, so I kept going out to check on the geese (and hang out). They were always inside the correct area. And not looking either inclined or able to fly. (OK, I did see Penelope(!) "catch some air" but it was for maybe an entire second and no more than two inches off the ground). Then when I went out about 7:30 in the evening, sure enough Penelope and Libby were outside the fence but sticking close to Henry on the correct side.

Maybe when the sun starts to go down they start thinking, well, this was nice, time to head back home to Mom2 now, see ya! Luckily they're all for one, one for all, and so far one apparently can't fly... That fence is at least 3-1/2 feet tall at its shortest (it's 4 foot chicken wire but I strung it all by myself and it looks it). I would actually love to see the girls attempt to "rise above" and by all evidence succeed. But looks like I may be trimming some flight feathers.

 

[RaZ]

At our Master Gardener's meeting tonight, we had a speaker talk to us about raising chickens in the backyard. He had a nice powerpoint slide show and was overall a good speaker. He mentioned BYC as a resource and one other site as well. I thought he did a nice job and the audience was attentive and asked good questions. However, I didn't think that too many people caught the chicken fever.

On the other hand, I told the group about my project and asked how many MGs had chickens. About 5 people raised their hands but they seemed to be pretty timid about it. After the meeting 2 different people told me that they own chicks but are afraid that they will be caught. Even the few that are "legal" said they were afraid that their city would cause problems for them. They had no idea that there are places like BYC for socializing and discussions of raising poultry.

I just wonder how many stealth flocks there are around here.

 

[Mom 2em All]

M.sue :

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LMBO.....just got done reading a thread about similar remarks and people's opinions on farm fresh eggs. The things they say and think.....makes me really wonder sometimes.

The thread.....Eggs in the office rant!! Funny stuff!!!

chickens lay eggs? hmm. imagine that. I will have to let my chickens know that...i bet they are going to be so surprised...

YORKCHICK!!!!!
Thank you thank you for an update on the goosers. I was missing them so so much. My husband and I were in the backyard and he moved the tractor earlier in the day to the frontyard (take that City Inspector!

) as part of my Halloween/Fall decorations. AND- he made a comment, "the backyard looks so empty". And I said to him, "because my goosers are gone".. of course, he meant the tractor and it was lost on me.

"saddlebags"

awww, sweet Penelope. I think that she and Libby probably stand on Henry and then hop over the fence. They probably tell him, once we get over the fence, we will pull it and let you out. You know the saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side"...well, they believe in that very much. They used to try to convince me that my neighbors grass was much much greener and they would appreciate being let over there, thank you very much.

I miss them.

Please give them a hug for me. Tell Henry the dogs are still not convinced that he isnt here. Alex still looks around nervously when he goes out the door.


I am going to Goshen Indiana on October 29th. Everyone please please wish for nice weather on that day. My older little brother (not the baby brother who drives a truck that doesnt talk to me anymore) goes to college there. He is part of some educational nature walk for little kids (and will be dressed up as an owl in a tree). My girls are going to be dressed up as a frog and a toad and participate as well. It is 3 1/2 hours from here- we will find a hotel near there and spend the night then head back the morning of the 3oth. I need it to not be cold- as my frog and toad will want to hibernate. I am a big wimp in the cold and being out in the woods all day in the cold does not sound like fun at all. Halloween is always cold and I am grateful that my kids are finally old enough that they either do not trick or treat or they can go without me. My grandson was fun last year- I stayed at his house and his parents took him and I helped hand out candy. YAY I didnt have to be cold.

RAZ! Is there somewhere near us to get hay? I plan on taking some from my brother in law but I would love ten bales this year instead of the four I usually get. I feel bad taking so much from him- so, if there is a close-by place, please let me know.

Everyone have a great day. One more day of work for me- hubby is leaving tomorrow to go to 'prepare his hunting spot' in Hillsdale. Hubby-free weekend for me.​

 

[M.sue]

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I guess I'm gonna be getting some bales this weekend. I'm still gonna ask a builder friend what else I could do, won't hurt to ask. He'll probably laugh at me because I don't want my chcickens to be cold! Thanks for your advice!