Arizona Chickens

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:

I plan on using chain-link/dog kennel structure for my run. The top will even be chainlink, and there will be hardware cloth extending at least 18" up the sides and out under the planter boxes surrounding inside and/or outside the entire run.

What about using aluminum metal screening (as in rolls for screen doors) to cover the rest of the side walls upward from the hardware cloth, and extend it over the entire top of the run to keep out those small, pesky birds? I haven't been to ACE Hardware lately to see what the prices are The run will be fortified on four sides and the top to begin with to keep out the serious predators, and the screening should be enough to keep out those wild birds wanting a free meal. It won't keep out the tasty bugs, though.

Hate to do a repeat, but this is just a pen sketch of my potential run, subject to MANY changes, possibly 10x20 or 12x20, surely enough for six hens max and a small coup. The interior run amenities will come last...outside perches, dust baths, carpet, panelling, misters, spa and salon etc. I may have to call in Candice Olsen or the Property Brother twins from HGTV.

But on a serious note, I don't want the run to be Prissy and fu-fu, but very practical and functional to keep the gals busy while I'm at work. Maybe try to create a miniature ecosystem in this barren back yard. They should be well fed and tired by dusk. No coup decision yet, but plan on keeping the pop door open 24/7 when I do decide.

Okay, gotta do dinner then wheel this 300+ LB Hammond organ and 200 LB Leslie back to the back of the house to the family room. I didn't get to play at the Leo Rich Theatre last month.--BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Screening will also keep out mosquitoes and flies

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

OK, folks, I have to ask a few questions.

What kind of chickens do I have?

I have a beautiful little Bantam, and I am not sure what breed she is. And she has started going all broody on me. She sits on anything that is left in the laying boxes. I had placed golf balls in there so the birds would know where to lay their eggs. However, she is so adamant about hatching that I took all the eggs out of the boxes, and placed one about four inches away from her. WHILE I was watching, she reached out with her beak and pulled it under her. I removed all the eggs from under her, and placed a second golf ball under her, and she pulled THAT one under her too. The next time I checked on her, she had pulled ALL six of the golf balls under her, and she has been sitting on them for several hours. I even picked her up and placed he on the ground outside the run and coop. Within minutes she was back inside sitting on her golf balls. This has been going on for more than a week now, and I am concerned. By the way, she is part of my first flock, she came home as a two day old chick at the end of March, 2012, this year.




Next I have several, four in fact, white birds with black tips. This is what they all look like, and hard to tell them apart. I think it's a good thing I didn't name them, I would hate arguments with these girls if I called them the wrong name. These are also part of the first flock, late March this year, 2012.




The darker 'sister' sitting beside her was also part of this same group when I got them. I should mention at this time that these girls are giving me (or should I say "gifting" me) with beautiful light blue, almost green eggs, and a variety of brown eggs, though I have no idea which are giving brown and which are gifting me with the light blue/green eggs.




The last picture is of several hens. I know the white one is a Leghorn, but I have no idea what the others are. They are ALL black, except when the sun hits them. Their feathers look green and blue, very luminescent, and BEAUTIFUL. This is my second flock, brought home as one week old in late May, 2012.





There are five leghorns (still have all five, and the only breed I can name) and there were five of these black hens, but one was a rooster, and he was re-homed. He was vicious, he attacked everything, and the chickens all ran from him. When he attacked me, that was when I finally separated him from the group and put him in a separate cage. Then a neighbor asked about him and I gave him to that neighbor. I haven't heard a sound from the neighbors yard, so I will assume that he went to freezer camp that night.

OK, folks, can you help? What do I really have?

Skip

Gold laced (what kind of comb? either brahma or cochin, depending), light brahma, dark brahma. Can't see enough detail in the last photo.

 

[Phottoman]

I posted this picture about a week ago, this was what I found under the porch one afternoon, and there are six light blue eggs. I have ONLY been getting these eggs from the nesting boxes in the coop that has the six chickens above and two Rhode Island Reds.




At the time I was concerned on how old the eggs may have been sitting there, but in counting the six WHITE eggs, and only getting two white eggs a day from the Leghorns, I determined that these were only a few days old, since I hadn't had any eggs from the Leghorns in a few days.

Since this find, I have kept all the hens in their respective coops for several days. I am still getting two white eggs a day from the coop that has the Leghorns, and none from the other four black hens, and I continue to get about six to seven eggs a day from the eight original chickens, pictured in my last post, plus the two RIRs. Unless the RIRs are giving me blue eggs, which I doubt, then these MUST be coming from the Brahma's, right? On average, there are normally two of these light blue eggs a day from eight chickens.

Thank you to every one that answered my question on what kind of chickens I have.

I forgot to mention, if this means anything, ALL the chickens in question have feathers on their legs.

Skip

 

[pastrymama]

I posted this picture about a week ago, this was what I found under the porch one afternoon, and there are six light blue eggs. I have ONLY been getting these eggs from the nesting boxes in the coop that has the six chickens above and two Rhode Island Reds.




At the time I was concerned on how old the eggs may have been sitting there, but in counting the six WHITE eggs, and only getting two white eggs a day from the Leghorns, I determined that these were only a few days old, since I hadn't had any eggs from the Leghorns in a few days.

Since this find, I have kept all the hens in their respective coops for several days. I am still getting two white eggs a day from the coop that has the Leghorns, and none from the other four black hens, and I continue to get about six to seven eggs a day from the eight original chickens, pictured in my last post, plus the two RIRs. Unless the RIRs are giving me blue eggs, which I doubt, then these MUST be coming from the Brahma's, right? On average, there are normally two of these light blue eggs a day from eight chickens.

Thank you to every one that answered my question on what kind of chickens I have.

I forgot to mention, if this means anything, ALL the chickens in question have feathers on their legs.

Skip

sorry, i must have skipped the part where you said you were getting white eggs. can you post a pic of your RIRs? maybe they are not really RIRs. where did you get them? you most certainly have brahmas and unless they are crossed with a a blue egg gene, they should give you light beige pinkish eggs. same with your cochin girl. cochins have single straight combs, brahmas pea combs.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Phottoman: One of your hens HAVE to be crossed with the blue egg gene...an Easter Egger. All the breeds you have will not lay blue or green eggs if they are pure. I agree with Pastrymama, post a pic of your RIRs. I'm not well versed on your breeds, but the gray hen in #3 looks like she has a pea comb...I could be way off.. But maybe she's the one. Cochin x EE or Ameraucana?

 

[Di Gibbs]

OK, folks, I have to ask a few questions.

What kind of chickens do I have?

I have a beautiful little Bantam, and I am not sure what breed she is. And she has started going all broody on me. She sits on anything that is left in the laying boxes. I had placed golf balls in there so the birds would know where to lay their eggs. However, she is so adamant about hatching that I took all the eggs out of the boxes, and placed one about four inches away from her. WHILE I was watching, she reached out with her beak and pulled it under her. I removed all the eggs from under her, and placed a second golf ball under her, and she pulled THAT one under her too. The next time I checked on her, she had pulled ALL six of the golf balls under her, and she has been sitting on them for several hours. I even picked her up and placed he on the ground outside the run and coop. Within minutes she was back inside sitting on her golf balls. This has been going on for more than a week now, and I am concerned. By the way, she is part of my first flock, she came home as a two day old chick at the end of March, 2012, this year.




Next I have several, four in fact, white birds with black tips. This is what they all look like, and hard to tell them apart. I think it's a good thing I didn't name them, I would hate arguments with these girls if I called them the wrong name. These are also part of the first flock, late March this year, 2012.




The darker 'sister' sitting beside her was also part of this same group when I got them. I should mention at this time that these girls are giving me (or should I say "gifting" me) with beautiful light blue, almost green eggs, and a variety of brown eggs, though I have no idea which are giving brown and which are gifting me with the light blue/green eggs.




The last picture is of several hens. I know the white one is a Leghorn, but I have no idea what the others are. They are ALL black, except when the sun hits them. Their feathers look green and blue, very luminescent, and BEAUTIFUL. This is my second flock, brought home as one week old in late May, 2012.





There are five leghorns (still have all five, and the only breed I can name) and there were five of these black hens, but one was a rooster, and he was re-homed. He was vicious, he attacked everything, and the chickens all ran from him. When he attacked me, that was when I finally separated him from the group and put him in a separate cage. Then a neighbor asked about him and I gave him to that neighbor. I haven't heard a sound from the neighbors yard, so I will assume that he went to freezer camp that night.

OK, folks, can you help? What do I really have?

Skip

I am not sure of the first one, looks like our Barnevelder but she didn't have feathery feet, the beautiful white one is a light brahma, like our Fiji and she is my favorite, she is so tame and would live in the house if I could potty train her. Good luck with the broody hen, when Alice did this a few months ago we just got some fertilized eggs and let her do her thing, 6 out of the 9 hateched and she was the best Mum.
~Di

 

[pastrymama]

sorry, i must have skipped the part where you said you were getting white eggs. can you post a pic of your RIRs? maybe they are not really RIRs. where did you get them? you most certainly have brahmas and unless they are crossed with a a blue egg gene, they should give you light beige pinkish eggs. same with your cochin girl. cochins have single straight combs, brahmas pea combs.

looking at your light brahmas, the one pictured has a strange tail, almost EE like. the dark brahma girl has the correct shaped tail, so it is possible your lights are crossed with an EE roo, they would still have the pea comb, feathered feet are dominant. the only real way to know who is doing it is to catch them in the act! good luck with that. and btw, brahmas are notorious for being late layers. i normally have a few running around for my kids and they don't start laying until about 9-10 months. yours are not that old. pick them up and check their vent and you will know who is laying and who is not. EEs lay sooner than that, so if you have a cross, i would guess it's your lights or red birds.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Is this someone here on BYC? http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/grd/3347752388.html

 

[itsredcandy]

Just wanted to check in. I started a business on top of raising my chickens, taking care of my children and husband, and working full time and taking care of some medical issues. I am 50 pages behind. Just wanted to let you all know I am still living. Chicks are getting big. The three that hatched on 9/10 are still being raised by their serogent mom who I tucked them under. I thought by 6 weeks she'd be kicking them away but she's still a good mom and calls for them when they stray to far or when there is food put out. She keeps all 7 warm at night but pushes 4 of them away during the day. She's very protective of the first 3 and could care less about the 4 I put under her a few days later. After the first week I let them integrate with the other 11 hens and they all seem to mingle well. The 10 hens think mama hen will kick their butt if they get too near a chick so it works out.

Now if I could only get my frizzles to go to bed at night. They are about 6 months old and I still have to get them and put them in the coop at night. They really are dumb chickens. They don't come for treats so tricking them won't work. Grrr.

 

[rufus]

Hi TT!
See Gallo, I told you people would start coming back!

So, I just want to check with my fellow desert dwellers...
I have searched threads on when to put chicks out in the "cold" but most people have enclosed coops, unlike most people here, I think.
I think I have heated my previous batches of chicks too long so I'm trying to change that.
My chicks are 6 weeks and have been spending days outside in their grow out coop for at least a week but I've been bringing them inside at night. They have been getting no added heat since 4 weeks but I don't think it's less than 75 in the house.
I'd like to just leave them out there now but I'm trying to decide if they need heat at night. Three are fully feathered but the 4th one still has some feathers to grow on her head. My grow out coop is open-air just like my big coop. See "my coop" to the left, 4th picture.
The low temp tonight is only supposed to be 58 but tomorrow it's going to be 51.
It seems like the perfect time to acclimate them somewhat gradually, right?

Well, we always put the little chicks out right away. We used to start them in the tractors and they were fine during the day time. For night time, we had a light socket mounted on a board. This was covered by a large terra cotta pot. Use only 40 watt or 60 watt bulbs in it. Otherwise it gets too hot. The extension cord ran back to the barn where it was plugged into an old appliance timer. That way if someone fell asleep or forgot, the chicks were fine.

The chicks could hug the pot when they were cold or they could move away from it when they were too hot.

If it gets real cold during the day time, you can just plug it in and give them some warmth. It worked for us.