Arizona Chickens

[GrannysRoost]

Sherrie, if your eggs come before the bator and you can't wait, I have a spare I'm not using right now you can use if need be. I have about 17 Welsh Harlequin duck eggs going into lockdown today in my other and I swear am not hatching until I get these guys outside...

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

The whole world is built on a sliding scale... Will...

We need a "like" smiley.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

All this talk of hawks... how about a coyote!?
I had a coyote in my backyard today! We have a block wall and live in the middle of a bunch of suburban neighborhoods! It was about 9:30, not even early morning.
I saw coyotes all the time when we lived in the desert in Tucson but I didn't expect it here.
He was on the other side of the yard from the chickens. It looked like he had just fallen in the pool. I think he must have been trying to make a quick escape from the eastern neighbors' very large dog and didn't realize there was a pool on the other side of the wall. The walls in-between houses in the very back is shorter because of the slope of our yards.
I didn't see him until he was sniffing around by the pool, drenched.
When I went running out there yelling at him, he ran the full length of the back yard, against the wall, to jump into the western neighbor's yard. He ran right by the chickens. The laying hens were put up because I had the 18 week olds out for some play time. I guess I'm lucky he didn't have time to explore my yard and that my schnauzers were in the house at the time.
I'm hoping the dunk in the pool and the yelling chase by me will keep him out.
So much for paint ball sling-shot, time to bring out the paint ball gun!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Yep, kitty-munching coyotes have been moving in to suburban and urban areas for a while now.

Grannysroost, I'll be interested in some of your Welsh Harlequin ducklings at some point

Do you hatch them regularly?

 

[GrannysRoost]

Becky, that would be a little un-nerving to say the least, good thing you saw it!

Smiles, this is my first time with ducks, but for hatching eggs via the mail at Christmas, they have done great so far...I have 17 with definite movement, a couple I can see beak pushing at air cell, and 1 iffy, cannot see movement and more liquid than the others. These are supposed to be Holderread stock with potential for silver and gold hens. If even close to all hatching, they will be needing homes at some point

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

All this talk of hawks... how about a coyote!?
I had a coyote in my backyard today! We have a block wall and live in the middle of a bunch of suburban neighborhoods! It was about 9:30, not even early morning.
I saw coyotes all the time when we lived in the desert in Tucson but I didn't expect it here.
He was on the other side of the yard from the chickens. It looked like he had just fallen in the pool. I think he must have been trying to make a quick escape from the eastern neighbors' very large dog and didn't realize there was a pool on the other side of the wall. The walls in-between houses in the very back is shorter because of the slope of our yards.
I didn't see him until he was sniffing around by the pool, drenched.
When I went running out there yelling at him, he ran the full length of the back yard, against the wall, to jump into the western neighbor's yard. He ran right by the chickens. The laying hens were put up because I had the 18 week olds out for some play time. I guess I'm lucky he didn't have time to explore my yard and that my schnauzers were in the house at the time.
I'm hoping the dunk in the pool and the yelling chase by me will keep him out.
So much for paint ball sling-shot, time to bring out the paint ball gun!

Wow, what a story! Having one inside the wall would definitely freak everyone out here.

I've been seeing a lot more coyotes. In one day last month I had three separate sightings. One was in the middle of the day at the Pima County Cooperative Ext. office. It walked by a group of us standing outside. Later that afternoon I saw one cross the street just a couple of blocks away from my house. At about 7pm that evening I saw a group of five cross the intersection at 5th and Wilmot. It was the first time I've seen a group of them moving around in the city. I've since seen several more around town.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Wow, what a story! Having one inside the wall would definitely freak everyone out here.

I've been seeing a lot more coyotes. In one day last month I had three separate sightings. One was in the middle of the day at the Pima County Cooperative Ext. office. It walked by a group of us standing outside. Later that afternoon I saw one cross the street just a couple of blocks away from my house. At about 7pm that evening I saw a group of five cross the intersection at 5th and Wilmot. It was the first time I've seen a group of them moving around in the city. I've since seen several more around town.

My sister lives at 5th and Rosemont (Tucson) and sees them in her neighborhood. They had a few chickens taken (the ones I raised) about a year ago. They have a very short wall, though, you can see right over it. Since my wall is higher I thought it was more of a deterrent.
Why do "they" let coyotes roam the streets if they won't let dogs? I don't mind seeing them in the desert but I definitely don't want them taking my cat or dogs out of my own backyard.
We have a cat we feed that lives on our front porch/garage that someone dumped in the neighborhood. My daughter is allergic so I can't bring her in but I don't want her to be a coyote meal either.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

SS, I don't understand

How does the hen lay in the aquarium? Can you move a hen and her eggs once she gets broody to where ever you want her to be?

If you move her at night you may well be able to move her. If you move her once the eggs are hatching, she will not abandon the nest.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Coopers Hawks are THE chicken hawk. While they may not be able to carry off a large chicken, they will happily munch it on the ground. They will also chase birds on the ground and through undergrowth unlike many other hawks.

Coyotes have been in urban areas for decades. Their range is about a 20 mile radius. They can scale much taller fences than you would expect.

 

[Fuzzybird]

If you move her at night you may well be able to move her. If you move her once the eggs are hatching, she will not abandon the nest.

So do I move a hen when the chicks start to hatch or before? I would think a tote tub would work with a heat lamp? Than when the chciks are all hatched and old enough do you put them back with the flock? Cotton and 3 chicks are doing well with the flock so far.