Michigan

[Hillbilly Hen]

Too bad you aren't close to me. I have Delawares, Barred Rocks, German New Hampshires and Black Austrolorps. My Dels and BA's have been laying well all winter too.

 

[RBahmer]

Good morning everybody. I have been following the Michigan thread for nearly two months and have finally decided to introduce myself. I am new to country living and chickening, and am just about to place my first chick order. Still trying to decide if I want to hand pick one of this and one of that, or just get a "hatchery choice" in a lot of 25. I don't really want 25 chicks, but have some friends who may take 10 or so off my hands. I had hoped to get the chicks in late March or April, but if I hand pick the breeds, the earliest I can get them is May...just starting the process of converting a little playhouse shed into the coop and run. I hope to post some pics of the construction at some point in the near future. If anybody lives in the Milan area, and would like to show off their coops (and chickens), I'd be happy to come by for a visit to peck your brain (I mean pick). I am pretty clueless about lots of things chicken, so any advice you fellow Michiganders can pass on, will be much appreciated.

Opa - what product do you spray your Apple trees with? We have a couple of apple trees on our property and had a real problem w/ some sort of skin fungus last year. Hoping to do something about it this year.

This is a good thread to learn things with super people on it.

 

[b737drvr]

Yeah no kidding HillbillyHen...unfortunately, even though I am new to Michigan, I know that Newaygo is a longwaytogo from Milan!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Yeah no kidding HillbillyHen...unfortunately, even though I am new to Michigan, I know that Newaygo is a longwaytogo from Milan!

Well I am planning on going to Chickenstock and I do plan on hatching some chicks if I have any orders for them.

 

[RBahmer]

Hey Olive - Another set of twins. Total now is 42 with one ewe to go. YAAAA

 

[swampducks]

Don't know if you've got a Tractor Supply store or a feed store in your area they may have lots of chicks to pick from. My TSC gets their birds from a hatchery in Ohio, can't think of the name but it's not Meyers, that's all I remember. My feed store takes orders for Townline Hatchery in MI and combines them all to get the 100 chick discount so I can order only one chick at a time if I wanted, though I usually get at least 4 IF I am going with them. Townline has Barred Plymouth Rocks, gold and silver laced wyandottes, Isa Browns and a few other "common" chickens. Plus those nasty big white cornish meat chickens as well.

Just a thought anyway.

Still trying to decide if I want to hand pick one of this and one of that, or just get a "hatchery choice" in a lot of 25. I don't really want 25 chicks, but have some friends who may take 10 or so off my hands. I had hoped to get the chicks in late March or April, but if I hand pick the breeds, the earliest I can get them is May...just starting the process of converting a little playhouse shed into the coop and run.

Oh, almost forgot:

and out humble little Michigan board.

 

[Olive Hill]

Hey Olive - Another set of twins. Total now is 42 with one ewe to go. YAAAA

Hmmm.... my quadruplet dance has failed...

 

[RaZ]

b737drvr; We need to get this smiley adapted to the read "Welcome to the Michigan Thread".

We passed through Milan last week toting Yorkchick's new goose house home. So you are not really all that far from some of us (if 30 miles isn't that far). I partitioned part of my garage to act as my winter coop and I have a tent garage that the hens like to hang out in during rainy days.

Speaking of coops, I cleaned out the garage coop yesterday and fluffed up the floor. You gotta love that deep litter method. I didn't notice any odors at all and the dust was minimal. The tent coop sits over what was a few years ago my compost pile. The chickens have dug a few holes for dusting and finding worms. A couple of holes are quite deep and the excavated soil is that black gold that us gardeners so love.

Today looks like a good day to get the duck brooder cleaned and sterilized before the little quackers get here next week. Even though I have hay bales and pine shavings on site, I think I'll buy fresh straw and another bag of shavings just in case the chickens had something that might affect the new ducklings. I just hate paying the city prices for a bale of straw. But bio-security is a good thing.

I need to find a source for straw.

I hope all you sickies get better. Perhaps some of my honey will help.

 

[RBahmer]

Hmmm.... my quadruplet dance has failed...

One year I did have one that had 4 lambs. I was shocked

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I hope all you sickies get better. Perhaps some of my honey will help.

Sounds like a good idea RaZ. I still have a little bit of that left, I think I will mix it with a hot toddy.