Michigan

[SillyChicken]

sorry about beepers mom... such a cute chick!

I found a dead half eaten hen in the chicken yard last night... no tracks in the snow, so I figure she was nabbed while we were in Vegas before the snow fall on Sunday. So, I'm going to my parents and getting the live trap, and putting what's left of the bird in the trap. Hopefully I'll be able to catch what ever it is. I'm suspecting its an opossum or coon. We do have coyotes, but it's eating the hen under the tree in the chicken yard, it's not bothered by the fact that the dogs are right there. I've lost a few birds recently in the same spot, the same way. It's also only eating the meat, not so much the guts etc that a yote would go for first. Guess I need to invest in an auto door soon... eliminate anyone forgetting to open or close the darn door. Seems like when I trust anyone else to do this, they forget. One of the boss roos looked a little worse for wear, and missing half a toe, so I think he may have tried to save the hen. Regardless, I hope I can catch what ever it is.

I think I'm gonna go for a walk today if it warms up... it's currently 43 deg in AA.

after I have about 10 cups of this stuff............. had to get up at 3:30 to take DH to airport!

Hope everyone has a great day!!

 

[un-named543]

So sorry to hear about Beeper. You did right by her. ((Hugs))

I just came home and discovered that Beeper had died.

I was not surprised. This morning, she never woke up once before I went to work. I didnt even bother trying to feed her.
I KNEW, just by looking at her, that she wouldnt be alive when I came home.

I have no idea- except she was such a goofy mess from the get-go, that she just must not have been meant to make it to adult hood.
I do not believe she was sick.

was just well, wrong. She was just put together wrong and she couldnt grow any more or something.

I tried.

 

[un-named543]

Morning Everyone.....
Weird weather....snowing & blowing yesterday and 50's expected today. I Took a trip north on 75 yesterday to go pick my mother up. Weather was great heading up but on the way back, within in only a couple of hours....snow, snow, snow. I don't mind driving in it but I hate driving through a section of the snow belt (West Branch - Grayling). Nasty driving, nastsy drivers who barrel past you & end up in median 10 miles a head (4 to be exact), and big semi trucks who pass you and leave nothing but a total white-out in front you. Really happy when I drove out of it!

Mom2.....Hugs...

Nova.....conrgrats on the hatchings!!

Last night I went into the coop to lock up & noticed fresh red blood droppings on the pine shavings below the roost. PANIC. I notice that it was one of the Isas that was bleeding. I bring her in the mudroom to examine her and noticed what looked like to be one of her toe nails that was bleeding. I rinsed her foot as best as I could and the applied some Blue Kote to it. She seemed totally fine and was enjoying all the special attention & treats. I don't know what she could of snagged it on, all the roosts are smooth, nothing sharp in the coop or pen that I know of. I was thinking that maybe it was a wound from fighting over roosting spots? That's my spot, no it's mine, move, I'm roosting there!! lol

Hope everyone has a great day......I have to work!

SMART chickens will do that...self mutilate to get in the human's home and get special attention.

 

[NovaAman]

There are done with my phone in a dark garage, soooo...
This is the first Buffy egg, it has muffs and a beard. No silkie looks... so I am thinking this one is the full faverolle

And this one came out of Skatters egg. It also has muffs, has the chickmunk look to it too. Skatter is the other little black cochin, she has muffs and was the last of my girls to lay eggs.


I am still waiting on the last 2 eggs. Asters egg has pipped, but still I do not hear chirping from that one, and Buffys other egg has internally pipped, chirping just as loud as its free brood mates and wiggling around in its egg. I expect maybe they both will be out today.

I am going to get some batteries today and take pics with the good camera. I have to wait on Leila to vacate the nest box again though, so HOPE HOPE I can catch while she is out.

 

[farmgirl_09]

Hi All!

My husband and I are getting ready to get our first batch of chickens in March or so. We are in the Lapeer area, and I'm trying to find the best places to get feed from. We're getting 100 layers and 100 cornish x. Does anyone happen to know where Miss_Jayne gets her feed from? I pm'ed her, but I thought I would ask here too. Also any newbie tips you can give would be great and also any info on local laws. Mostly about selling our meat birds when the time comes. It would be great if we could find a place to sell the live birds to and let them butcher/sell them. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new people, sharing info and starting a new hobby!

 

[RaZ]

Welcome farmgirl_09.

My concern for you is to woinder how your are going to come up with names for all those birds.

You might find some answers on the Mi Right to Farm Thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/182280/michigan-right-to-farm-law-what-does-it-mean/470

post # 468 has a bunch of links that should help you.

Good luck in your new venture (and adventure).

 

[RaZ]

All things considered, I think I would rather be fishing with Opa today.

I have to go to school early today to meet with the Administrative Manager of the Graduate School to make sure that I'll be able to graduate at the end of this semester. Those 2 words in her title are making me nervous, both just scream of bureaucracy. Plus I have to pay $100 for this meeting.


Uggos Update:
I'm pretty sure these birds are dim. Again this morning, I had to pick them up and set them in front of the water and food. They eat and drink just fine when I do that but they seem to be too lazy to do it by themselves. Maybe they just like to be picked up and held for a bit.

Just held, not groped. They are too young for that.

 

[RBahmer]

Welcome farmgirl_09

 

[Chickmate]

Hi All!

My husband and I are getting ready to get our first batch of chickens in March or so. We are in the Lapeer area, and I'm trying to find the best places to get feed from. We're getting 100 layers and 100 cornish x. Does anyone happen to know where Miss_Jayne gets her feed from? I pm'ed her, but I thought I would ask here too. Also any newbie tips you can give would be great and also any info on local laws. Mostly about selling our meat birds when the time comes. It would be great if we could find a place to sell the live birds to and let them butcher/sell them. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new people, sharing info and starting a new hobby!

Welcome farmgirl! Wow, you're starting out kinda small, aren't you? Only 200 chickens for your first flock?

So glad to have you! There are several people over in your area who I'm sure will be able to offer advice.

There are done with my phone in a dark garage, soooo...
This is the first Buffy egg, it has muffs and a beard. No silkie looks... so I am thinking this one is the full faverolle

And this one came out of Skatters egg. It also has muffs, has the chickmunk look to it too. Skatter is the other little black cochin, she has muffs and was the last of my girls to lay eggs.

I am still waiting on the last 2 eggs. Asters egg has pipped, but still I do not hear chirping from that one, and Buffys other egg has internally pipped, chirping just as loud as its free brood mates and wiggling around in its egg. I expect maybe they both will be out today.

I am going to get some batteries today and take pics with the good camera. I have to wait on Leila to vacate the nest box again though, so HOPE HOPE I can catch while she is out.

Congrats Nova! Too cute!

Such nice weather we're having! I'm going to let Mama and babies out for a while today. She's pacing and complaining and needs to stretch her wings.

Yesterday my neighbor insisted on coming over to shovel some snow for me so my dogs could get out and do their business. I told her I could do it but she felt I was still sick and shouldn't be shoveling. She went back by the run and shoveled and I noticed one of the EE hens making a noise like hard breathing and she kept sneezing. She kept it up and I finally told my neighbor I was going to bring her in for the night to keep an eye on her. I got a vari kennel set up in the laundry room and got her settled for the night. Not a peep out of her all night. Not a single sneeze, no hard breathing, nothing. This morning I put her back outside. I think the noise she was making was just her worrying over my neighbor shoveling so close to the run. Silly bird, but glad she's not sick.

Talking to my friend last night and she said she was worried she was getting early onset Alzheimer's because she used to be able to figure numbers in her head with no problem, but now she needs a calculator. I told her I knew what she meant because I have been having a terrible time counting my chickens. I know I have 15, but each time I count I end up with a different number. Sometimes there are 14, sometimes 18. . . . . . She said "well it's not easy to count chickens when they're running all over the place!" I told her no, this is when they're sleeping on the roost!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

fresh red blood droppings on the pine shavings below the roost. looked like to be one of her toe nails that was bleeding.

could've been pecking or nail breaking. Nothing big. just check and see if anyone's nails are getting too big?