Michigan

[Opa]

With all the various maladies that can affect our flocks, the predators just waiting for an opportunity, now we have to worry that our coops might wind up in area 51.

 

[keyt1969]

Well, I should go back and read the couple of weeks I've missed but I'm feeling lazy lol.

I noticed several of you posting about your numbers for the year so I decided to keep track of how many eggs we get. From January 1 to now the number is 192 eggs. WOW. Keep in mind that's chicken and duck eggs. I forgot to separate the two lol.

Still looking for reasonable turkeys. I'm beginning to think we won't get them this year.

I think my crazy animals are getting a little tired of me lol. Since getting my new camera (DSLR) I don't have much to photograph so I'm out there a lot. I seriously need to get some work!

Guess I better go to bed. Tomorrow is coop cleaning day. I've put it off a day because of this cold weather. I need to remember it's Michigan LOL

Oh, also wanted to share these things for sale if anyone is interested. I'm taking offers and maybe even trades...

http://lansing.craigslist.org/ele/2793627504.html

http://lansing.craigslist.org/pho/2791419077.html

 

[yorkchick]

I'm trying to get a permit to raise wild ducks for Fish & Game. Those web footed little buggers are cute as all get out.

RaZ, you probably already are aware of this, but if Fish and Game won't give you your permit, you could volunteer for an established bird rescue or wildlife rehabilitation group and work under their permit. You would also get access to people with a lot of experience that can answer any questions and have handled all the common urgent situations with wild fowl. They'll also have worked out dietary issues and release protocols and all kinds of stuff. The downside is, and you may also be aware of this, rescue people (of all varieties--wildlife, dogs, cats, reptiles, whatever) in a general sense tend toward the crazy. Not everyone! (And of course NOT any of you fine people on this list who have done rescue! But I'm sure those of you who have done rescue will back me up...) Rescue people are generally very dedicated and sincere! Especially the crazy ones! A few decades ago, when I worked at the humane society (Huron Valley/Ann Arbor) I got trained as a wildlife rehabber and raised baby pigeons. It was very fun. (Rats on wings, you say? Well, that's okay, I like rats too). Anyway, it's likely that the groups that do this will be running their training sessions this winter in preparation for the crazy, crazy spring bird rescue season. So you might want to investigate, especially if F&G is stingy with giving out individual permits..

 

[Mom 2em All]

RaZ, you probably already are aware of this, but if Fish and Game won't give you your permit, you could volunteer for an established bird rescue or wildlife rehabilitation group and work under their permit. You would also get access to people with a lot of experience that can answer any questions and have handled all the common urgent situations with wild fowl. They'll also have worked out dietary issues and release protocols and all kinds of stuff.
The downside is, and you may also be aware of this, rescue people (of all varieties--wildlife, dogs, cats, reptiles, whatever) in a general sense tend toward the crazy. Not everyone! (And of course NOT any of you fine people on this list who have done rescue! But I'm sure those of you who have done rescue will back me up...) Rescue people are generally very dedicated and sincere! Especially the crazy ones!
A few decades ago, when I worked at the humane society (Huron Valley/Ann Arbor) I got trained as a wildlife rehabber and raised baby pigeons. It was very fun. (Rats on wings, you say? Well, that's okay, I like rats too).
Anyway, it's likely that the groups that do this will be running their training sessions this winter in preparation for the crazy, crazy spring bird rescue season. So you might want to investigate, especially if F&G is stingy with giving out individual permits..

I work under the Friends of Wildife- Ann Arbor because the DNR is ridiculously hard to get the license to do wildlife rehab. So, I am under Ann Arbor.
I can do the babies- oppossum, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, but not legally the waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, or deer/coyote.. Their restrictions are very very tough. You can go to the Michigan DNR website and download the permit regulations that have to be followed.

Here is the link to the DNR bible for rehab licensing:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/WLD_Wildlife_Rehabilitation-Is_It_For_You_341551_7.pdf

And the OTHER bible- the strict standards of care required for licensure, also the DNR inspection:
http://www.nwrawildlife.org/sites/default/files/MinimumStandards3rdEdition.pdf


Which reminds me, I have a picture to show you all!!!!

Yorkchick! The other downside is crazy people don't usually KNOW they are crazy...um,,,

perhaps I am.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Well, tomorrow is day 21 for Mama's eggs. I hope to see babies soon. I have a question since this is my first time ever hatching eggs. I have been making Mama come out to eat, drink and poop twice a day. Once the babies hatch, should I still take her off the nest to come out? Will the babies get too cold if she is off the nest for 10 minutes? How does she get a poop break without the babies being exposed to the cold? Help?

Nope-
Just leave her alone. She will sit with the babies until she is convinced they are done hatching and ready to leave the nest and then she will get up and they will follow her. I have been worrying about my outside babies with Mama- but they are doing fine. Just fine. They are what? Five weeks old now. And Mom has done a fabulous job. I just keep my distance and watch her. It is so much fun. Mom has done a fantastic job keeping the other chickens away from the babies when they were tiny, but she doesnt charge the flock now, and they all intermingle.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Okay if I remember how to do this, this should show pictures of the coyote that I worked on. It came in with a snare around its neck. Someone set a snare trap in a children's playground in Allen Park. We had to guess on his weight, I had to manage to get in this cage and not get bit and poke him with anesthetic drug to knock him out, then removed the snare, clipped and cleaned the wound, sutured his lip where he tried to chew through the cable holding him, reverse the drug and put him back in the cage.
He was then released back to the wild...the stretch of wooded area by the big tire on I-94:

 

[yorkchick]

Quote:
I work under the Friends of Wildife- Ann Arbor because the DNR is ridiculously hard to get the license to do wildlife rehab. So, I am under Ann Arbor.
I can do the babies- oppossum, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, but not legally the waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, or deer/coyote.. Their restrictions are very very tough. You can go to the Michigan DNR website and download the permit regulations that have to be followed.
Which reminds me, I have a picture to show you all!!!!

Yorkchick! The other downside is crazy people don't usually KNOW they are crazy...um,,,

perhaps I am.

Yeah, I trained with Friends of Wildlife but this was when they worked with both mammals and birds. Then in some typical crazy rescue snit, the bird people broke off and formed their own group (Bird Rescue of Huron Valley). OK, to be fair, I wasn't in on the details of the breakup so maybe it wasn't a crazy rescue snit, maybe it was totally logical. I just remember that there was some handwringing over the fact that the acronym for Friends of Wildlife (FOWL!) wasn't going to fit any more. And generally the volunteers either did mammals or birds, so it probably made sense to split the groups. At the time (1990's) the leaders of both groups were super dedicated and hard working. Yes, I realize that having done rescue myself, I may also be crazy and just don't know it. It's always the other guy, isn't it? :/

 

[Mom 2em All]

Yes, I realize that having done rescue myself, I may also be crazy and just don't know it. It's always the other guy, isn't it?

Absolutely!!!

 

[Opa]

Always amazing the number of posts that can accumulate in just one day. Two years ago, when I took Granny to visit relatives, I think there must have been over a hundred pages for me to read through. This past October, when Hope and I went on vacation, I took a laptop with me and was able to check the site each day. What is it about this thread that makes it so addictive? It must be like M2EA said earlier; the people on here become a kind of extended family.

 

[MamaFeathers]

Good morning

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome, it is greatly appreciated. I have to say that it's extremely refreshing to encounter so many kind supportive people in one place.

Ferrret, glad to hear that your missing chicken is back.

I should have multi-quoted...there were some other posts that I wanted to comment on as well, and I have forgotten what I wanted to say.

DOH! I guess I should get myself another cup of coffee, read back through and see if it comes back to me.

edit: Welcome to the other members that have recently made their way into this great thread!