Wisconsin Forest Plants

I went walking through the woods back a ways behind my home in rural north central Wisconsin a few weeks back.  I was originally out looking for wild leeks.  Unfortunately, I didn't come across any wild leeks because I was in an area that was too wet.  As I walked back in the woods, I found tons of beautiful yellow flowers and what looked to be some sort of lettuce.  I had no idea what they were.  I looked online and couldn't find any information.  So I asked someone who previously worked in forestry who knew exactly what they were.

The first plant is called a Marsh Marigold.  I wish the picture below came out better, but as I looked out into the woods, all I saw were these yellow flowers growing everywhere.  It was so pretty.

The other plant looked like some sort of lettuce with its big broad leaves. The unusual thing about this plant is it has a reddish growth growing to the side of it.  I found out this plant is called Skunk Cabbage. Yes, it did smell like something was rotting back there.

How to get your broody hen to adopt new baby chicks (or ducklings)

We had been noticing for the past few weeks that one of our chickens, a Golden Laced Wyandotte, stayed in her nesting box day and night.  When we would pick her up and bring her out she would peck around a bit and then end up back in that nesting box.  Unfortunately, the other chickens were not too happy.  Even though I have about six other nesting boxes, they all want to use the same one. 

After doing some reading on getting a broody chicken to adopt baby chicks, I decided to try this myself.  I went to our local farm store and talked to the gal that worked there (they are great at giving advice).  She told me to 1) move the hen to another location because the other chickens will eat the baby chicks and 2) To put the baby chicks under the hen at night so she doesn't see what I'm doing.  So I bought four day-old Cornish Cross Broilers and one Spotted Sussex and took her advice.

I moved the hen (and the nesting box) into our garage as soon as we arrived home from the farm store just to make sure that she would stay in the nesting box.  She stayed!  After the sun went down and it was completely dark, my daughter and I brought the five chicks to the garage and put them under the hen.  I figured she had to know what was going on because the little chicks were chirping away.  But they quickly quieted as they snuggled up under the warmth of the Momma hen.  We left and went to bed and this is what we found the next morning: 

Momma hen with her new adopted chicks.

We found a very very happy Momma hen.  The nice thing about having her raise the chicks is she does all the work.  No need for heat lamps or to make sure the cats and dog stay away.  She has turned out to be very protective;  Our cats know to stay away.

After about a week the momma hen will take the chicks outside of the nesting area on little excursions to look for bugs and other good things to eat.

They sure are cute!

One thing I hear about Cornish Cross Broilers is they have a lot of problems with their legs as a result of getting too big too fast (they are a breed of meat chicken and most likely the breed of chicken you buy at the grocery store).  They are fast growers and it generally takes them about 7 or 8 weeks to get up to weight.  Getting them out early like this, and having a Momma hen raise them will ensure they develop into healthy birds.  

OK, so I mentioned "ducklings" in the title of this post, because I read that hens will adopt ducklings, the same way they adopts chicks as I've described.  Our local farm store will get in some ducklings within the next few weeks and if for some reason I have another hen that becomes broody I will try this again.  Please note, the hen has to be broody for this to work.  When a hen is broody, she will sit all day and night in her nesting box and never leave.  If you try and stick your hands in the nesting box, she will nip at you.  She does NOT want to leave!  

Red Shoulder Yokohamas

This year we bought a few new breeds of baby chicks.  You have seen the Red Ranger Broilers in previous posts, but we have also purchased 4 Easter Eggers and 4 Red Shoulder Yokohamas.  The Red Shoulder Yokohamas are a somewhat rare breed for backyard chickens because they are smaller, often go broody, and need more space, making them a better option for a free-range environment.  Here are my Yokohamas at about 8 weeks old.  They are so small compared to my other chickens.  I can't wait to see how small their eggs are when they start laying.

Jungle Gym

A few weeks back we had some high winds.  We lost a few trees and one of them was within the electric fencing.  Now the Goats and cats have a new jungle gym!

Red Ranger Broilers

Here are a few pictures of our Red Ranger Broilers at 2.5 weeks old.  They have grown so much faster than our egg layers.

This is our first time with meat chickens so I can't compare them to the size of Cornish Cross Broilers.  Someone I know raised some Cornish Cross Broilers last year and had a few die (she didn't know that you have to take their food away at night so they don't eat themselves to death) so I thought I would try a slower growing bird that would be good for a free-range environment.  I notice that the red rangers do eat quite a bit too, so to be safe we have kept the food away at night too.  If anyone has experience with these types of chickens and whether or not they keep the food away at night please let me know.

We had them in the house for about a week before we moved them to the garage.  I think they like it a little better out here because they have more space.  Hopefully, if the weather cooperates, we can move them outside in the next few weeks.

Red Ranger Chicks

The red ranger broiler chicks are almost a week old.  They are all healthy and growing fast!

Making Your Own Chicken/Duck Brooder

It's really easy!  The first thing you will need is something to put the chicks in.  I found an old container that I used to store things in.  You can use just about anything.  Cardboard boxes might not be a good idea though.  I used one of those last year because we had so many from moving.  They don't last long.  Namely because the bottom gets wet and you can't clean them out.

The next thing you will need is something to absorb the water.  I use newspaper to start with so the baby chicks only have their chick feed to eat.  A day later I add some pine, not the dust but the bedding type you get from the store. If you are only feeding them chick feed you won't need any grit.  If they are eating anything other than chick feed then you may need to add grit to help them digest the food.

The day before they arrived I filled their containers with food and water.  You can add a little sugar to the water because they may be thirsty when they arrive.  I bought my containers from my local farm store but you can get them at Mills Fleet Farm or online at Amazon.


I like these because they are easy to clean and I can stick them in the dishwasher as needed.

You will also need to have a heat lamp ready because chicks need lots of warmth.  I like to use one with a clamp just to be safe.  Last year I had one fall and it burned a piece of wood.  Luckily, I got to it before a fire started.  I also prefer the clamp because I can easily change positions of the lamp.  When the chicks first arrive they will need the lamp a little closer because they need more warmth.  As they get older, week by week, you can move the lamp farther away from them as they need less heat.  I also like to use the red lamps or the ceramic heating elements used in reptile aquariums.

A good thing to keep an eye on is how the chicks are behaving in the brooder.  If they are all on top of one another, trying to stay warm under the light you need to move the light a little closer.  They care cold!  If they are on the opposite end of the brooder trying to get away from the light they are too hot!  Move the light away a bit.  If they are scattered all over the brooder and not congested in one spot the temperature is just right.

Chickens like to roost, so the chickens would appreciate it if you add a piece of wood.  I used a small piece of firewood, but really anything should work.

For ducks you will need more water and you will need to change the water more frequently.  They are messy!  Last year I had ducks and I was constantly adding more water.  They drink a ton and if they get a chance they will splash around in it.  They need just enough to dunk their heads.  For a treat you can put them in the bathtub and let them swim around but don't leave them unattended.  They can get tired and need a way out.

And finally, you will need a cover to put over the brooder or leave them in an area that pets cannot get to.  My dog and cats are really curious!  But don't worry we are supervising and would never leave them alone together.  Last year, I made a cover using wood and chicken wire.  This year, I am keeping them in a separate room until they get a little bigger, then I will put a cover over them to keep them from flying out.