Michigan

[b737drvr]

Had an absolutely beautiful day here in SE Michigan. Worked outside most of the day on the coop. Got the nest boxes mostly done. Need to run to Home Depot and get some hinges for the box, but it is good to see things start to SLOWLY come together. I am by far from an expert carpenter, but I thought the (3) boxes turned out pretty well. I need to get the box painted and the get the siding back up. Still debating about putting a window on that side of the coop. The wind was a pain today, but I am not complaining. We need it to dry up some of the mud and swamp around here. Tried to start the tractor, and it wouldn't start. Don't have the first clue what is wrong w/ it. Starter wouldn't even engage. Thought it might be the battery. Tried jump starting it. No dice. Also noticed that the radiator fan was missing four blades. Grrrrr. So the tractor dealer is coming by on Friday...hopefully it won't cost me my firstborn! Also got a purple martin bird house put up today. Dad is a bird watcher and he called and said martins were spotted just a little ways south of here, so hopefully we will be able to attract some mosquito loving martins this year!

Here is a before picture of the coop.


And here is the picture this afternoon. Also notice the martin house erected in the far left side of the picture (it blends in, so look hard!).


Juise - too funny about the chickens in the house...Raz - nice comment about Juise's situation...ha ha. - Nice explanation about the synthesis of Amprolium...right.

Mom2em - glad the surgery is on the calendar. Hopefully your discomfort won't be too intolerable until then and hopefully you will have a speedy recovery.

Chicken Grandma - good info about the medicated feed. If I ever get some chicks I will be asking bout the weaning process at that point. Don't lose that info!

Hope you all have a great day. Weather is supposed to be lousy again tomorrow w/ more rain

definitely not what we need.

 

[Juise]

My little guy has an ear infection. Pretty bad. Poor guy was near hysterical from the pain when I got home from work this morning. I got him in to see the Doc, and got him penicillin. They, the nurse and doc couldn't believe that I didn't notice. I told them, I didn't, my mom didn't and his father neither... He never complained about his ears hurting. Makes me feel bad..

Nova, we use to run daycare from our home, and this happened a lot. Like, more than I can tell you. Many times the only reason the parents found out that their child had an ear infection was because they brought them in for something entirely different. Don't feel bad.

Hope he is feeling better soon.

I agree with fuzzybutt, the bleach would definitely also wipe out the beneficial bacteria, and just... eww!

I don't even use that stuff to clean, I just used diluted vinegar.

So I spent the day trying to prepare for my new veggie bed, hauling nasty old chipboard and plywood to lay a base that will, hopefully, smother out the beach grass. Now I just have to hope that this blasted wind doesn't tear the whole thing apart before I can get the next layer on. I'm depending on the rain that is supposed to come tonight to soak everything and weigh it down.

Between that and this sinus infection, I am wiped out. Also, something bit or stung me on the shin while I was digging into the moldering wood pile (This was left behind by the previous owner, god knows how long this stuff has been sitting out there, I am overjoyed to get it out from behind the barn!) and it looks almost like a bee sting. It is itchy as all get out. I didn't see anything, but all I can think is...

But I think that every time every since we found that little lady near the house.

We found her a few years ago, and I have found 3 more since, all different types. One more was like this girl, another was similar, but with white rings around the red spots on her back, and the last had no markings at all on her back, just the hourglass on her tummy. We kept this one for a few weeks until I couldn't take having her in the house anymore, even though I knew she couldn't get out.

I really wanted to watch all those babies hatch, she laid them and made her egg sac the night after we caught her. Then I panicked.

 

[Farmerboy16]

We are thinking about having a chicken coop tour when the weather gets a litter nicer .
This would a good way for us to me up people in our West Michigan area.

Hey! Finally someone here from Sparta! I have seen a picture of your tractor coop at the Feed Mill, and thought that it was very cool! Where in Sparta are you? I am west of M-37. Hillbilly Hen- I have looked at all the chicks that I hatched from you, and none of the 12 chicks look like roos. But, of course they are only 2 weeks old. Chicken Grandma and Snowflake- Thanks for all the info that you have been sharing about the classes. I enjoyed reading everyone's responses about the chick feed, etc. I have learned a lot.

 

[chicken grandma]

Hi Daron!
We asked the vet about MG. Dr. Fulton wanted to know if it was a blood test or swab. I guess the swab is more reliable.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Hi Daron!
We asked the vet about MG. Dr. Fulton wanted to know if it was a blood test or swab. I guess the swab is more reliable.

It was a blood test. It was one of the reason why I wanted to go, to ask the vets questions about MG.

 

[chicken grandma]

Well we asked about MG and then Dr. Fulton asked if it was a swab test or a blood test because he felt the swab test was more reliable.

Are you already treating the chickens? If so, maybe we could help you do some swab tests in a few weeks. Since I don't have chickens right now it won't compromise my biosecurity to come and hold some chickens.

I think you can retest about 2 weeks after stopping the antibiotic treatment.

 

[RBahmer]

Hillbilly Hen- I have looked at all the chicks that I hatched from you, and none of the 12 chicks look like roos. But, of course they are only 2 weeks old.

All 14 she hatched out for me are pullets. Even the Delaware's are all pullets except for 1. HH has the touch LOL.

 

[Farmerboy16]

That would be really nice Nancy! I just got the vet bill today. There goes my paycheck for the last two weeks. But, on the bright side, the antibiotic is working! The peacock that got sick, is doing much better, and he has no bubbling around his eye, and the running nose is gone. Also the swollen sinus has gone down. In-fact he looks like that he never got sick in the first place, and this is only day 3 three of the treatment! Yay for Denagard!

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote: All 14 she hatched out for me are pullets. Even the Delaware's are all pullets except for 1. HH has the touch LOL.

Hey, that is great! My first hatch from her eggs, I only got 1 cockerel out of 6 chicks.

 

[chicken grandma]

Daron After you get done with your treatments I'd be glad to help you swab test. Fifelaker did her own swabbing I think and we can send it to M.S.U. I know it shouldn't be done right away after treatment, there is a waiting time after treatment so that the test will be accurate.
Can you research how to do the swab testing and maybe some of us can research that also for you?


With that kind of success in hatching pullets, I think Hillbilly Hen needs to open a hatchery!!