Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Peep-Chicken]

I think I found a new way to check for fertile eggs?

I checked our news chickens eggs for fertility along with one of ours to compare (we have no Roo).

So I left the intact yolks in fridge for the chickens the next day. When I got the eggs, the fertile one still had a white spot, but my chickens egg where it had the infertile white spot, there was a sunken in spot where it used to be.

Accidental experiment lol.

 

[gladahmae]

It's almost MAY and that means it's time for me to get my butt in gear with the gardening stuff! I'm hopefully going to pick up the rototiller from my brother this weekend and get to work cleaning up the veggie gardens.

This year, I'm putting in a new, 2nd garden so I have room for all of the varieties and volume of produce I am going to attempt. I NEED some ideas for fencing that will deter rabbits and deer. Our CURRENT garden is bordered on 3 sides by house, coop, and dogs' yard so we really have very few problems from hungry mammals (squash bugs are a different story). The NEW garden is next to the driveway and is bordered by nothing that would act as a natural deterrent. My biggest problem though, is that this fence needs to be REMOVABLE since DH plows snow up into this area in the winter. No, he cannot plow it somewhere else. Anyone have any ideas for something I could use to fence this area off? It's going to be around 30x40 or so I think. Inexpensive and relatively easy to take down in the fall would be great.

 

[taprock]

I hate snow! I really don't think we will even have a growing season up here this year.

 

[RaZ]

I use the plastic step in stakes for making pens and fencing off the garden areas. They are inexpensive but I have broken a few over the years.
I use plastic fence material which is also cheap but a lot easier to move around than the metal fencing. This combination is NOT predator proof but has served me well as a deterrent. It keeps the chickens and even the dogs out of my gardens and flower beds.

 

[snowflake]

It's almost MAY and that means it's time for me to get my butt in gear with the gardening stuff! I'm hopefully going to pick up the rototiller from my brother this weekend and get to work cleaning up the veggie gardens.

some people swear a line of cat gut strung around the garden will deter the dear, they run into it but cant see it and leave. Never tried it so I don't know if it works. you could also watch craigs list fore some electric netting, once in a while you get lucky, (not me I pay full price) the electric netting goes up easy, comes down easy, and can work with solar power. I use it to keep chickens out of areas, never got the electricity to go with. 3' works for most of the birds (till they watched the cat go under and fallowed) 5' metal posts with fencing works also but can be a pain to take down

 

[snowflake]

Thank you!...I'm loving this thread, trying to restrict myself to checking it just once a day after my dinner.....sometimes I fail

, I'm so glad I found BYC, so many nice people on here.

I see lots of new names, WELCOME!

miss a few days and you get so far behind
love the video

WHY CAN'T I KEEP WYANDOTTES ALIVE!? She's not even a year old yet!

good video, but?? good luck with her hope she recovers

 

[Brennigan]

So, I thought it had to be 50 degrees at night for my ladies to stay outside (8 weeks old) at night in their coop. Its insulated (mostly); should I test the temperature with a thermometer one night to see how cold it gets in there before putting them out there? Or do I keep them in just at night?

 

[preciouskitty]

I use plastic fence material which is also cheap but a lot easier to move around than the metal fencing.

I, too, use the green plastic 1" garden fencing. It has worked great over the past 5 years.

I think you can see it in the pic..my neighbor uses it, too
.

 

[NovaAman]

But very, very quiet these days...there was a time when a group posted continuously racking up numbers, lol! Remember that? Most of those users have left, or are just lurking in the cyber shadows. SO, did you re-enter the duck world? I still have mine and just got 4 more KC's yesterday. How's that jeep running? My son, that lives in Holland, is about to throw in the towel on his.

The jeep is still running! Door is falling off again. Thinking it's just going to come off for the summer. OR I am going to have it welded closed and Bo and Luke duke it!

I haven't re-entered the duck world yet. BUT I see those rotten little things at the farm store and I have to walk away. LOL Not getting. Not getting. Not getting. I am thinking I'd like sebbies though... just for the funny factor. I know. That's a goose. LOL

Hope everyone is well and that the spring is come for most of us. I mean, I would have enjoyed spring more if I had known it was only going to last three days! HAHAHA

Had a mama hatch out some chicks. I know, I said no more birds this year, but I gave her 5 amber eggs. Well, they chicks started hatching, she abandoned, and went to new eggs! WT?? AND to top it off, she's a silkie cross. Roger's grand daughter... I was NOT pleased. All chicks were dead before I could intervene. I am thinking, I might have black silkie chicken soup. Oh, she's crossed with faverolles. Loralies daughter. So, she comes from good broody stock. What gives??

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi Nova

8 week old chicks with a good coop are fine outside even below freezing.

I use 2' high chicken wire around my raised beds, pretty much keeps the hens out.