Michigan

[NovaAman]

Alfalfa here I think was 8, and that was for a bale half the size of the straw and hay, which are 6...

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
Hay and straw are almost always higher in the south and west. There are two reasons for that 1) Supply and demand. They have less supply and more demand than we do up here. 2) Bale sizes. "Small squares" in the south and west are usually 25-50% larger than the average small square here. Their small squares are what we would consider medium squares. Where our hay bales average 50-75 lbs theirs can easily top 100 lbs.

This year however, the unprecedented drought is playing a major role in the price of hay and straw. Where they normally might have to import some of their forages and beddings they are having to import almost all. And this is even after many ranchers have sold off major portions -- if not all -- of their herds. Northern farmers are now donating hay and sending it down on truckloads as a service to their fellow farmers. The drought is expected to continue, the severity as we go forward remains to be seen but it is a tragic state of affairs for our southern brothers and sisters in Ag.

 

[RBahmer]

Quote:
Wow I pay $3.00 a bale for my hay and $3.00 a bale for straw. They are twice the size of a normal bale and the hay has lots of alfalfa in it. The sheep love it.

 

[taprock]

Sorry didn't mean to start anything.

My son is the only one taking chickens, others are taking rabbits to a care facility to be petted. If my birds have mites when I check them tomorrow they are NOT going. I have been bit enough myself I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I dusted the one that I found mites on but I am always super cautious with chemicals and didn't want to take them after they were dusted and cause a reaction for someone. That is why I was asking about the bath not so much for the mites as for the dust/chemicals. I normally use .25 ml Ivomectin drench on bantams and .30 on full size chickens as per a MSU vet, but it hasn't been the recommended 3 weeks yet. As far as the coop I did spray it down good 3 times earlier in the year but the spray I used required the coop to be empty and closed up for 10 minutes after spraying and then air it out good. None of my birds are willing to leave the coop for that long right now!

I think I will check them over, if there are no mites just spot clean them. If there are mites they will find me! My husband says I'm so attached to my chickens I have become one and the mites can't tell the difference.

 

[Olive Hill]

taprock -- you didn't start anything. Everyone is just discussing the different angles. I don't think anyone is upset.

I definitely misunderstood what you were talking about though. I was thinking a barn setting, with other 4-Hers, not a retirement/elderly care community. I, personally, would probably just err on the side of caution and not take any chickens. I know it will be a huge bummer for your son, but he could still go and help and enjoy the experience without the chickens. And while I do agree that 24 hours is plenty to be handling treated chickens for us or any average person for the elderly... I would just not want to take that chance. And as far as other chickens besides the one you found the mites on, just because you don't see mites doesn't mean they're not there. Any of them in the flock could have them on them tomorrow without your knowledge and even just one could bite an elderly person and cause a reaction. An itchy bite could result in scratches that could get infected which could turn serious... it's a pretty extreme "what if", but I wouldn't want to take the chance. There will always be more opportunities to take the chickens around once you get a handle on your mite issue. JMO.

 

[Soulshadow]

Hi yas from the Belleville area.

 

[AngelaB]

Thanks for all the replies about the Polish chickies. I haven't decided if we are going to be getting any or not. I am getting two EE's in Feb, so I have to figure out what we are doing with the coop in the spring. I have a small coop and we are getting an old doghouse from a friend, that I am going to convert into a coop. We are making the run bigger too. I have to take a good look at the coop to see how many can fit comfortably. My coop now can fit probably a couple more also.

 

[yorkchick]

Quote:

RaZ, are you trying to imply that I was fictionalizing your responsibility for "grumble" as the new "crumble"? Do you actually not remember? Because if I really had come up with something clever like that, I'd sure remember. (To be fair, you post a lot of funny comments, so I suppose you can't be expected to memorize them all...) Or maybe you're just being modest. Because if you went to all the trouble to look up my use of "grumble," you only had to go back a mere 92 more pages to see the original:

Quote:
Looking for the reference? That would be page 2497, post 24964, Mr. Smarty Pants.

 

[NovaAman]

Welcome soulshadow.


My australorp has attacked me. See if I will eat her egg now. And guess what... It looks like she is laying the green egg. I took the eggs out today, and there none left in the box. I got a white, a pink, and a brown. Aster was in the box later, and I went to get her egg and she freaked on me! TOTAL FREAKED! I freaked, cuz I waited a minute, then she got out of the box, and I expected to see Buffy's, cuz she was in there when I collected the first time, but hasn't laid one in forever, so I was surprised she was in the box at all. Well, anyway, Aster gets out, and there is the green egg. I thought she was laying a light pink. I guess I have her and Skeeter backwards... SO, Maybe Aster is an EE and not an Australorp? I didn't know EE's came in black... SOOOO CONFUSED! I am going out in the morning and I am putting up the wireless, cuz I just gotta know who is doing what!

 

[RBahmer]

Quote:

RaZ, are you trying to imply that I was fictionalizing your responsibility for "grumble" as the new "crumble"? Do you actually not remember? Because if I really had come up with something clever like that, I'd sure remember. (To be fair, you post a lot of funny comments, so I suppose you can't be expected to memorize them all...) Or maybe you're just being modest. Because if you went to all the trouble to look up my use of "grumble," you only had to go back a mere 92 more pages to see the original:

Quote:
Looking for the reference? That would be page 2497, post 24964, Mr. Smarty Pants.

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