Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Quote: Whew!!!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I have some various pullets coming from Meyer Hatchery this year.  One of my sons really wants me to add a White Crested Black Polish to the order for him, but from what I have read, they don't tend to do well in the cold (not to mention they aren't the greatest layers and tend to have smaller eggs).  Does anyone have any experience with this breed with regards to how well they tolerate Michigan winters, or anything else we should know about this breed before I let him talk me into one?

I've had a polish in my flock as long as I've had chickens. I got one from a fellow member and she was part bald when I got her and still is. The other who I've raised as a chick has never had baldness issues. They have no issues with the cold, and my other chickens don't pick on them but I hear this is an issue for some. If you free range, be careful as they may have blind spots other chickens don't. Also, I had to trim one of mines poof back as it bothered her eye.
They are a very fun breed though and I get eggs from them even though they're almost four years old!

 

[Trefoil]

Does anyone have muscovies? I'm looking for hens or babies, I am in Millington,MI

 

[birdmanmax]

There's a lot of moscovies at mbgba swap meets, more then you'd want. This might help as well: https://saginaw.craigslist.org/grd/6060145449.html

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Does anyone have cayuga ducks in Michigan?

 

[taprock]

Does anyone have any experience with this breed with regards to how well they tolerate Michigan winters, or anything else we should know about this breed before I let him talk me into one?

I love Polish I started with an all Polish flock. They do ok in winter. You do sometimes have to thaw out a crest or put them in pony tails but otherwise they are fine. I haul them to the house and blow dry their crest. I do have three right now that are missing crest feathers thanks to others plucking them. I'm not sure why some are never touched and others are always bald but it does happen.

My smallest Serama hen died last week. It appears she was egg bound or something with her reprodctive tract. She had just started laying again so I put four of her eggs in the incubator. It looks like only one is developing. Not what I was hoping for.

 

[chyna]

Dates for Chicken sales and swaps in Alma and Tawas Michigan.

 

[brandymulvaine]

Is anyone elses girls slowing down? I used to get close to two dozen eggs now barely a dozen. I've got 29 hens, SLW, orps, ss, araucanas, Bresse, and some sort of production red. The reds are 2 or 3 years and the rest will be a year old this July.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Is anyone elses girls slowing down? I used to get close to two dozen eggs now barely a dozen. I've got 29 hens, SLW, orps, ss, araucanas, Bresse, and some sort of production red. The reds are 2 or 3 years and the rest will be a year old this July.

Most of my flock is going on four years this year. Half to 3/4 of them lay eggs daily. They're a bunch of breeds, I don't have too many layer hens. They lay more than I thought at their age.

 

[WalnutHill]

I have about 200 mostly year old layers, red sex links and olive/green/blue layers. I change them out yearly as I sell eggs as a business. If anyone is interested I have both stewing hens and laying hens available. They are not in show condition (they are working girls) but the layers are healthy and moderately productive. The stew hens are stew hens.