Ahh, you're fine. Just my $0.02 but all birds should end up in the pot in the end anyway. If they don't, they end up going to waste and there's too many hungry people in the world. I'm not downing anyone that keeps them as pets, to each his own, but my view is that livestock is raised for supper...
I think Phoenix allows something like 20 hens so you should be ok there, but double-check the ordinance because I know some cities allow so many per square feet. Also you might need written permission from your neighbors who are less that so many feet (80?) from your coop. As far as roosters go...
There's a bunch of places to order online and some are better than others depending on what you're buying. When I used to live in PA I bought mostly everything locally at a place called Hakes Farm Seed (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hakes-Farm-Seed-Service/149873071723009). They were the best...
Sounds kinda small for 15 birds. 80 square feet is only about 9'X9'. My breeding pens are 5'X5' but they're just for two birds. I sometimes put three cockerels in them temporarily but usually no more than two.
Man, thanks for the great details. I didn't know any of that. I'm brand new to breeding and don't have a handle on the genetics yet. I certainly didn't know any of that about browns and silvers only having one gene difference. That surely makes it a little easier.
I got my browns from Bates a...
I know your post is almost a year old but I was just wondering - are you a breeder of Silver Leghorns? I have Light Brown chicks I got from a breeder and I'm planning to breed them this Fall but I couldn't find any silvers from a breeder. I just got some silver chicks from Murray McMurray and...
Gosh, do I ever hear ya on tweaking plans. Happens to me all the time. I'll tell ya though, I don't think I ever get things totally the way I want them so I adjust as I go where practical and bear those thoughts in mind on the next one. My biggest problem is time. I've got a gazillian projects...
Yes. They weren't there when we moved here but I put them up and then got the rain collection barrels and storage tanks. They're on the front and back. If I had to do it over again I would've gotten larger capacity collection barrels, maybe 400 gallons or more. I know it sounds like a lot but...
Roger that Bobby - I'm right there with ya. I remember when I was going to college in the evenings in an English literature class we had to talk about the last book we read. Everyone was talking about some novel they had to read for their last English class but when they got to me I talked about...
One thing you might want to think about is installing gutters that drain into rain barrels. I put them up first thing - the collecting barrels are 205 gallons and the storage tanks are 1,350 gallons. I got a good pump and transfer the water from the collecting barrels into the storage tanks when...
I've always separated the cloves and planted each individually. Even if they sprout you can still plant 'em and they'll do just fine. The next time you grow 'em, try finding the required dormant period for the particular variety and put them in a paper bag in the refrigerator for that period of...
Roger that. Yep I certainly rotate - forgot to mention that important point. I don't put anything from the same family in a given row any more often than once every three years. Yeah, not rotating will certainly make for a failed crop too - glad you brought that up.
Seed Savers is a great...
Glad you started this thread.
Anyway, as far as when to plant what, here's the link to the local extension services planting calendar: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1005.pdf
Personally I start everything from either seeds I've saved/bred myself or...
Not a whole lot to it actually. I put the bulbs in the refrigerator for about a month before planting in the fall so that simulates the dormant period, and then pretty much just plant them in the garden. The soil has been amended with compost beforehand or had a good cover crop and tilled down...
That's not a bad idea at all - I like it! There's plenty enough differences in growing stuff here than the rest of the country, except for maybe anyone living in Death Valley. If I get a chance tonight I'll start it, or if anyone here wants to start it feel free. That's one I'd certainly...
Geeze-a-pizza Desert Chic, you're talented! Very nice! That's some nice stuff. I just wanted to say I love biscuits too - got an older Porter Cable biscuit joiner and love it for joining boards to make table tops. It's a lot better than simply gluing side by side.
For dovetails I've used the...
Roger-dodger, I'm getting ready to order it now. Do you guys and gals have the R3, HD, or K4? I'm thinking to get the K4 since most all of my outdoor carpenter stuff is 2X4 and bigger. It's a neat jig for sure. Rather than joining two 1X3's to make run doors I could just use a single 2X4 - that...