Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

In my defense, they were only $1 each. Even the ducks (which dh said no way no how to getting). Apparently tomorrow I am supposed to get our spare coop habitable for these chicks and get the out of the basement brooder.

 

[bigmrg74]

I may or may not have bought 60 chicks from tractor supply this morning. The plan is to sell all of them....except for the 10 Cornish. I figure that's enough for this year for meat. More would be nice but fronting the cost for feeding more would be a chore this year.

That makes me feel better about the 14 freedom rangers I just picked up from Family Farm and Home today. I was thinking getting 10 or 12 of them, and well, what's another 2 right??

 

[gladahmae]

The manager was trying to get me to take more. "Oh you can fit 10 more, can't you?" Apparently they want all of their chicks gone by tonight. I might call in the morning to see if they have any more left. Hahahahhahahhahaha!!

 

[RaZ]

In my defense, they were only $1 each. Even the ducks (which dh said no way no how to getting). Apparently tomorrow I am supposed to get our spare coop habitable for these chicks and get the out of the basement brooder.

And this is why I am not married.

 

[PrairieFairy]

I may or may not have bought 60 chicks from tractor supply this morning. The plan is to sell all of them....except for the 10 Cornish. I figure that's enough for this year for meat. More would be nice but fronting the cost for feeding more would be a chore this year.

lol!!!!!!!


Chicken Math.

 

[PrairieFairy]

And this is why I am not married. 

I keep bringing more home and pretending they aren't in the brooder and I might not be.

 

[gladahmae]

lol!!!!!!!


Chicken Math.

oh you want to hear about chicken math? 4 years ago my BIL decided to get chickens. But the minimum order was 15. So he asked DH (his brother) if WE wanted half of them. Sure. So we built our first coop. The "small" coop that is around 6x8 (was 6x5 until i convinced DH to kick the one wall out further. DH agreed to 5 chickens. We got 8; the hatchery sent 1 extra. THE NEXT YEAR we decided to do meat birds. So we built 2 8x8 a-frames. And then built an 8x12 shed and walled half of it off for coop space. THE NEXT YEAR we walled off part of the "storage" section of the coop for some silkies. THEN we bought BIL's coop because 2 years of chickens was enough for him. LAST YEAR DH's mom decided to get chickens for her granddaughter that lives with her so we built her a small tractor coop. She has since graduated to a larger coop so we got it back and TA DAAAAA! DUCK COOP!
Not counting the chicks in the basement, we have around 25 pullets/layers. And 11 chicks and 5 ducks in the duck coop. And a broody sitting on 5 eggs.

In short, ONE COOP and **5** chicks turned into 7 coops and a lot more than 5 chicks. Chicken math.

 

[PrairieFairy]

In short,  ONE COOP and **5** chicks turned into 7 coops and a lot more than 5 chicks.  Chicken math.

The coop I bought is 4x8x6 ft. High with 5 knock-out nest boxes.. The SO told me to plan on 20% loss - maybe 30% by the end of the first month outdoors. So far I have lost 1. Now - in fairness - we have every kind of predator here so I would be shocked not to lose more when they get out-side but 30% is not something I am on-pace for.

I am up to 28 and getting ready to turn the dog house into a coop for the bantams. The dogs don't use it and my chicks sure can...

It appears I may need to go to ChickenStock so I can bring whatever chicks are extra by that point and locate new digs for them...

 

[iamfivewire]

made a trip today to the feed store to meet someone who purchased some of our birds, & got a ffew bags of feed & bedding while i was there.
they had at least 10 bins of chicks - i did NOT bring any home with me.

 

[1muttsfan]

Not buying chicks either, going to wait for these to hatch -