Arizona Chickens

[Tracydr]

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You do mean literally shrink-wrapped in plastic wrap? To increase the humidity of his little shell?
I've never incubated eggs in AZ before. Last time I incubated any eggs Was in OK. It was dry but not AZ dry.

 

[Tracydr]

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Do you have any milkweed? Desert or tropical milkweed? I had so many monarchs this spring that I really want to provide them a place to lay eggs for their next migration.
This sounds really fun!

 

[Arizonachicken]

Loved the rain last night! It's still sprinkling here. The girls are finally getting a break from the heat!

 

[pastrymama]

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Do you have any milkweed? Desert or tropical milkweed? I had so many monarchs this spring that I really want to provide them a place to lay eggs for their next migration.
This sounds really fun!

We were vacationing in Seal Beach last summer(where we always go) and they have a small nursery there and had a BIG milkweed growing covered in caterpillars and cacoons(sp?). i thought it was the neatest thing until i read the plant is poisonous for chickens

 

[dofnup]

Does anyone know if there is a plant that REPELS butterflies?

So I have a really bad phobia of butterflies and moths ... yeah, I don't know what's up with that, either ... I can handle all sorts of creepy crawlies, bats, snakes, whatvever! But one monarch and I am helpless

I was visiting a friend of a friend in Tucson in April and she had a large property and it was FILLED with butterflies, they were all gaga over a particular flower, so I asked her what it was (so I'd know to never have that in my yard), but she was so disgusted with my phobia that she just snapped "they're just wildflowers, get over it". Because, you know, I was faking, or doing it to annoy her, or you can get over a phobia just by having someone tell you to. Sheesh.

Now I am wondering if that flower was milkweed ...

And I'm wondering if there is some kind of anti- milkweed ... that would be awesome!! Or else I'm gonna have to train my chickens to hunt butterflies

(Edited to fix typos)

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Oh dofnup! Lepidopteraphobia?! Yikes! Out of curiosity, how do you feel when one smashes into your windshield while driving? Is there a terrible, yet brief streak of fear or a deep sense of satisfaction? Both maybe? O.K., I know that phobias are tough and I shouldn't joke. I've known lots of people with phobias and it can make life difficult for sure. BTW, no, I don't know of any plant that repels butterflies.

Tracydr, I don't have any milkweed in the seed bank. I have two desert milkweed plants in the yard, but they haven't done well or produced seed yet. Hopefully someone else will.

 

[mclevinson]

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I don't know of anything that repels butterflies other than a great desire to have them. Sorry. Phobias are not fun. You know those grates/storm drains in parking lots that are for rainwater to escape? Can't stand them. Get nauseous when I'm near them. One time DH was mad at me and stepped on one and I threw up. We are, however, clear about that issue now.

 

[pastrymama]

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oh, i should have trainned that little salmon to be a butterfly hunter for you! my delawares go CRAZY when they see a butterfly or moth and they start chasing it and sometimes if they are quick enough, they catch it!

btw, did you hear me screaming yesterday around 5pm all the way in mesa? i moved a bucket and there were 4 roaches (ew, i just got chicken skin) i started screaming at the top of my lungs and ran and got a delaware. like i'm going to kill them, gross! it became something so disgusting i can't get the images out of my mind. phobia, YES!!!!!!

 

[pastrymama]

oh meg, wow. i don't step on those either or let my kids, but i don't puke if they do. i just go into a panic attack

for a long time i wouldn't walk on my bath mat, didn't want to mess up the fringe. oh wait, that's my ocd. different support group

 

[GrannysRoost]

I've got 3 broody's too sharing eggs, but keep laying in the pile as the egg count goes up. I left for a trip to MN a few weeks ago to see kids and granddaughter calls and asks what to do...told her to just leave them alone while I was gone. Last night they got up to eat, so I grabbed a few to candle. At least a couple are showing life, here I thought the young roos weren't doing anything. Now to candle the rest and mark them I guess.