Arizona Chickens

[gckiddhouse]

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FYI - Sprouts carries a brand called Bubbies and it is real fermented kraut. They also have fermented tomatoes (SOOO delicious), pickles, and pickle relish. When I don't have fresh kraut, that is what we buy. It isn't cheap, but boy is it good! Probably at other natural food stores, too.

 

[stevensonm]

Yes it is I love it. Pretty soon I will be able to quit buying eggs.

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Gallo: The dates aren't set yet, could still happen.
gckiddhouse: I tried pickles but didn't work, they just got soft. Would LOVE trying sauerkraut.

stevenson: Isn't it great? I feel like I'm getting a present every day. I thank the hens excessively.

 

[Brenda Schonig]

I am growning Celebrity, Roma, Brandywine and Early Girl. The Brandywine are my favorite. They are huge...not so pretty to look at but delicious. They are starting to slow down now.




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I never imagined myself as a soap maker, but I'd love to hang out with such an interesting group of people and learn a new skill!

Constance, I just helped my neighbor process a turkey. I was surprised at how it all came back to me. Let me know if you have to process those roolie boys and want help (that blue olive egger is sooo cute!

).

AZKat, I'm sorry about your clutch. I have a broody that I just put eggs under six days ago. She'd been broody for over a month and was getting off the nest three times a day, so I was worried that she wouldn't stay on the fertile eggs I finally put under her (she was sitting on some non-fertile eggs). Yesterday and the day before she only got off the nest once and just for a few minutes. It's interesting how her behavior is changing, she must be able to detect their development.

Brenda Schonig, what kind of tomatoes are you growing?

TT!, I forgot to add, those lavender Orpingtons are beautiful!

 

[Brenda Schonig]

I use to grow hops when we lived in Seattle and we made great beer. It is a lot of fun and rewarding. It takes a lot of expense initally though. There is a beer making store on Baseline and just east of Stapley (Mesa)....in the same complex that Presidential Pools is in.

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Yes, yes, yes! I'll even give in and wear the mad scientist costume.

How long is this class going to last? We have a beer making kit that I gave DH as a present many years ago--never used it

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Mine generally aren't. What is your setup?

It's on my page. Lots of shade and water. However, the mister system was not on today due to a snafu. There are multiple water sources and they were free ranging today. They have 1/4 acre to roam on. Fresh green grass, water, pond, shade trees and bushes. We have never lost a chicken to the heat in 3 summers. But these Polish just drop dead.

It could have been a scorpion, I guess. But I know it was really HOT today. Darn it. She was the healthiest of the Polish girls.

Where was she when she passed, and what time of day? About the only things I don't see that would help keep the birds cooler are
1) air conditioner
2) evap cooler
3) fans

I will say that I have some parts of the yard with dense shade, and that area stays MUCH cooler than areas that have only some shade. The trees providing shade there are 30+ feet tall, and there are several.

I have started barred rocks that were shaded, but not with tall, layered shade, and they were panting really hard about 1. I took their cage and moved it to the garage, which is actually pretty comfortable, even without turning on the evap. You might consider moving the polish into a garage or laundry room for the next couple of weeks while it is so hot. Even if you only bring them in for the hot parts of the day, and let them spend the nights and mornings in the coop with the others.

don't have any full polish available, but I do have some polish X silkies that took on more of the polish characteristics if you are interested.

 

[nurseshelly]

Hi Mahonri,
We have two Wheaten Ameraucanas out, and one FBCM out from a pullet egg, and two more that are pipped. Can't wait for everyone to get out

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
It's on my page. Lots of shade and water. However, the mister system was not on today due to a snafu. There are multiple water sources and they were free ranging today. They have 1/4 acre to roam on. Fresh green grass, water, pond, shade trees and bushes. We have never lost a chicken to the heat in 3 summers. But these Polish just drop dead.

It could have been a scorpion, I guess. But I know it was really HOT today. Darn it. She was the healthiest of the Polish girls.

Where was she when she passed, and what time of day? About the only things I don't see that would help keep the birds cooler are
1) air conditioner
2) evap cooler
3) fans

I will say that I have some parts of the yard with dense shade, and that area stays MUCH cooler than areas that have only some shade. The trees providing shade there are 30+ feet tall, and there are several.

I have started barred rocks that were shaded, but not with tall, layered shade, and they were panting really hard about 1. I took their cage and moved it to the garage, which is actually pretty comfortable, even without turning on the evap. You might consider moving the polish into a garage or laundry room for the next couple of weeks while it is so hot. Even if you only bring them in for the hot parts of the day, and let them spend the nights and mornings in the coop with the others.

don't have any full polish available, but I do have some polish X silkies that took on more of the polish characteristics if you are interested.

I put a mister in with mine for the first time today, and they were all still panting, my Cuckoo Marans the most. So I went back to no mister, and just spraying them and their coop down with the hose every so often. They are in the shade and I also get their shade screen sopping wet, so it drips cold water on them, and when the breeze blows through the part that hangs down, it cools the whole area. I also get the sand in their coops all wet and flood the grassy area, and the block wall too. Then they can all find nice places to lay down where it's damp. Then when they start panting again I do it again. Luckily my husband and I work opposite days, so there is always someone home to check on them

I have a play pool for them to wade in, but they are too scared to get near it ... that was the same problem with the mister, I think.

 

[nurseshelly]

We got our first standard hen egg today from our juvie girls ... we've had Olivia for about a month and she has been laying almost every day, but looks like now the others are going to get started (they all hatched in February). Now the challenge will be getting them to lay their eggs in the nest box. That's how I knew it wasn't Olivia ... she always lays in the nest box. I have some fake eggs in their nest boxes, but they don't seem to be helping.

 

[squeakyballs]

Mine have two runs that are connected by the chicken house. One run has a shade tarp over it, and is under a huge tree. The other side is all sun. They were determined to hang out on the sunny side and fight over the little patches of shade under the composter. They looked miserable.

I ended up chasing them all to the shady side and then locked them in there. Idiots. I just added a mister to that side for good measure... a few don't seem to like it, but aren't getting a choice at the moment.

 

[Mahonri]

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Wahoo, the roo is doing his job!

can't wait to see pics!