Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

I know someone on FB who has some. She likes the birds and they're beautiful and good layers, but she couldn't tell me much about their personalities.

It say's that they lay a smaller egg than I like, but I was wondering if they could be crossed with a Naked Neck to come up with a bigger sized egg laying one that would have the better heat tolerance of the Naked Neck's?

 

[starri33]

Good Morning the coop is all but done.. just a few things now. I'm in the middle of trying to convince them that the new coop is the place for them to hang out. Tuesday night we had to carry them all into the coop and put them on the roosts, last night, Billy Bob and 4 or 5 of the hens found the coop, but found the wrong place to sleep, on top of the nest boxes and one of the girls in the nest box, I know she wasn't broody as the sex links barely look back after they are done laying.. So those get closed off tonight.. Boxes are at one end of the coop, roosts at the other. I'm hoping by Sunday they've all got the hint, they have their food in there, so they know that much, they made a mess..lol.

 

[FeatherPugs]

https://www.communitychickens.com/breed-profile-deathlayers/
I think this is the best I found about these type of chickens. I'm not certain they are for heat since they are German by design. They are a pretty chicken though.

 

[BlueBaby]

https://www.communitychickens.com/breed-profile-deathlayers/
I think this is the best I found about these type of chickens. I'm not certain they are for heat since they are German by design. They are a pretty chicken though.

That's why it would be interesting to know how long those people in Scottsdale had their flock of them, because they are now wanting to sell the hatching egg's. I wonder if they had them through the summer heat last year.

Edit: I probably wouldn't do well with them, maybe. Your link say's that they don't do well in confined places, and mine don't free-range.

 

[DesertChic]

It say's that they lay a smaller egg than I like, but I was wondering if they could be crossed with a Naked Neck to come up with a bigger sized egg laying one that would have the better heat tolerance of the Naked Neck's?

Personally, I tend to think that crossing anything with a NN "improves" the breed.

As for the egg laying though....I have a 4+ year old NN still averaging 5 eggs per week, each weighing roughly 2.3 ounces. She did take time off during the winter, but last year, her third laying year, she still gave me 174 eggs for the year. It's easy to breed for egg laying in NNs.

 

[DesertChic]

Good Morning the coop is all but done.. just a few things now. I'm in the middle of trying to convince them that the new coop is the place for them to hang out. Tuesday night we had to carry them all into the coop and put them on the roosts, last night, Billy Bob and 4 or 5 of the hens found the coop, but found the wrong place to sleep, on top of the nest boxes and one of the girls in the nest box, I know she wasn't broody as the sex links barely look back after they are done laying.. So those get closed off tonight.. Boxes are at one end of the coop, roosts at the other. I'm hoping by Sunday they've all got the hint, they have their food in there, so they know that much, they made a mess..lol.View attachment 1709024 View attachment 1709013 View attachment 1709014 View attachment 1709015 View attachment 1709016 View attachment 1709024

Okay...I'm inspired. I need to do a better job on the roosts I've built for my birds. Well done!

 

[cactusrota]

but last year, her third laying year, she still gave me 174 eggs for the year. .

You actually keep track of that???

 

[DesertChic]

You actually keep track of that???

Sweetie, I'm the quintessential nerd. I keep track of EVERYTHING.

 

[BlueBaby]

Personally, I tend to think that crossing anything with a NN "improves" the breed.

As for the egg laying though....I have a 4+ year old NN still averaging 5 eggs per week, each weighing roughly 2.3 ounces. She did take time off during the winter, but last year, her third laying year, she still gave me 174 eggs for the year. It's easy to breed for egg laying in NNs.

I agree with you on the improvement's of them. I like the big egg's, and being a decent sized dual-purpose type. The Naked Necks did way better for me this past summer in our high heat. I thinned down my flock recently, keeping just my better egg laying hen's because I liked the size and shape of them. So, I will have more room for those chick's that I plan to hatch from those eggs from your blue egg pen.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi all

It is such a beautiful day out there! I spent the morning cleaning the coop and rearranging the quail pen. I have some tomatoes in there, an artichoke plant and some dill next to the onions. I'm planting some peas this weekend and moving the quail babies to the outside brooder. The lemon tree is covered in flowers and the bees are visiting regularly.

I'm redoing the compost pile and the kids had fun hunting all the bugs in the exposed dirt.

@BlueBaby are your next batch of silkies due next week?