Arizona Chickens

[Fuzzybird]

With Cotton when she got broody during this heat, I put a frozen water battle in her nest. She stayed broody but sat on a cold bottle during the day so I wasn't as worried about her.

 

[AZBootsie]

Hey Bootsie, Our maran rooster is getting a little to big for his britches! He has decided to attack but you never know when he will do it. For such "chicken hearted" chickens he is trying to be a big shot.

I had to send my extra Wheaten Marans roo to freezer camp. He had an attitude too. He was a big bully, showed no mercy when beating up the underdogs but running and crying when a dominant roo got too close. The one I have left seems to be doing OK. He is with a seasoned flock rooster in the layers pen.....doing the mate and run dance. He considers me the main roo and keeps his distance.....so all is good.

If any of my Roos get within arms reach of me, I grab them and shower them with hugs and kisses. Works for me. The roos that like me, love the attention. The less nice ones run and keep their distance. Of course occasionally you will just get a mean rooster and freezer camp works well too!!

 

[itsredcandy]

Hey all, been offline a few days. Brought one of my girls in to do an exam. I try to do this at least once a month. She has a bald belly. She has not been broody from what I can tell but she hasn't laid in over a week. Her pelvic bones seem to be closing. Her belly is the only place she's got noticeable feather loss. She's eating and drinking like normal. She comes out of the run when I open the gate in the morning. She comes running to see if I have a snack when I go outside. Could she be going broody? Could she be starting a molt? She's not quit a year old and is a Blue Jersey Giant.

I do have to EE's that want to sit in the nest boxes. One that was purring when I'd open the nesting box lid and ruffling her feathers all up. They both lay eggs every other day. The one that was ruffled was sitting on her own egg and a golf ball. The other will get in after another hen lays and egg. None of them will stay all day or even half a day for that matter but they will stay for 2-3 hours in one sitting once a day. Normal? I am sure it's normal, but going broody?

What chicken would want to go broody when it's 105+ in the coop during the day. It's 85 under the coop (deep shade and wet) where they hang all day.

Don't get me wrong, if one of them is serious about going broody, I'll be asking for egg donations (or cheap) any barnyard mutts or otherwise, I'll be getting rid of them once she rejects them. Or before or if its a cute bird I might have to do the "Gosh, I can't get rid of it" routine. Chicken math

 

[Fuzzybird]

Bootsie, I have been trying to bully him before he bullies me. Works fairly well so far but he respects me more but Denise he charges! Yup he is really big. Would feed all 4 of us just fine.

 

[In2Ice]

To "tarp" or not to "tarp", that is the question. Will having a tarp on the top of the run as a shade provider actually hold in heat? Would I be better off using shade cloth? I have a tarp on about 1/2 my run (on the roof only to keep out sun and rain) but I was wondering if it actually holds in more heat than if it weren't there. I have misters all around the run too. Any thoughts or suggestions for what you all are using? Is anyone using a tarp (the vinyl type you find in all the camping sections)?

 

[GoldBarRanch]

Start a thread - it's easy...

Just sayin...

What I was refering to is the BUY_SELL_TRADE forum. why they dont have it set up as per state?They just have them all missed together and you have to look through them all until you come to one in your state.

 

[GoldBarRanch]

I didnt know you could in the buy-sell-trade section?

 

[GoldBarRanch]

Love this one , thanks for sharing Mikey D

 

[AZBootsie]

To "tarp" or not to "tarp", that is the question. Will having a tarp on the top of the run as a shade provider actually hold in heat? Would I be better off using shade cloth? I have a tarp on about 1/2 my run (on the roof only to keep out sun and rain) but I was wondering if it actually holds in more heat than if it weren't there. I have misters all around the run too. Any thoughts or suggestions for what you all are using? Is anyone using a tarp (the vinyl type you find in all the camping sections)?

Every year I add a little more shade cloth. Last year I had an old tent top on part of the roof, but the wind catching it was annoying. I finally cut it up and folded it into long strips. The top of my runs are welded fencing....I wove the strips through the fencing accross a section of the run attatching the ends of the strips to wood, when I could. The other ends I just wired to the fencing. It is holding up well. Makes fair shade, but won't keep the rain out. On my bachelor pad I used a heavy cloth painting tarp on the east fence to keep out the morning sun. It has been up for about a year and a half....I kind of like that look. The cloth is a cream color and looks a bit like nice linen drapes from a distance. It is still intact and looks less "granny Clampett/Ghetto" than the mismatched woven run. I figure it will all blend in once the grape vines get big enough to cover everything.

 

[GoldBarRanch]

I hope someone is on to inform me. I have only lived in Az for less then a year and have never seen a while cockatiel, where i am. Are there wild one out here in the pheonix/surprise area? There is a female cockatiel in my coop atm.

John looks like one of your neighbors lost a bird lol no that is a common looking one. cute.