Arizona Chickens

[SherrieT]

Please remember this is just my opinion. I would NOT order from a hatchery. I would get a few primo Silkies ( there are a few AZ members that have quality stock). I have seen it time and time again that people who HATE chickens will, eventually, fall in love with silkies. Make sure you spend a bit of time with them (get some meal worms from WalMarts fishing section) give them treats so they will come running when they see you.

Start small. Ask her to sit out with you on evenings and just watch them. It's better than a video of a fireplace. It sounds weird but it is so relaxing just sitting with coffee in the morning ( or wine in the evening) and chicken watching. JMHO?

Then , hopefully, the chicken math will kick in

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I just wanted to send a shout out to Mama Hen for having my girls and I over to see her chickens. They girls had a blast and are wanting some now. My wife ended up throwing a huge temper tantrum, at almost 30 years old, and ended up not going. Wow, I never expected such childish behavior from her about this.

I may end up getting some chickens anyway. You know, it's one thing if I just jumped out and bought them, but I've tried to include her in the decision. If she won't even learn and experience it, well, it leaves the decision up to me now, as far as I'm concerned. I'll start out with chicks, though. I like the idea Mikey D gave me about them bonding more with the family.

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm sure more questions will come up soon!
Scott

It was great to meet you and the girls. They are adorable. They look like they are ready to be junior mama hens. They are so enthusiastic about your endeavor.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

If she would admit that's what it is, we could deal with that. Heck, I'd be a whole lot more inclined to giving up the endeavour for awhile and working it out. Instead, she'll only say it's 'cause they are nasty, smell, disgusting things. She's obviously not been anywhere near them. Even one of her very close friends who has had chickens has told her I'm right about them being minimal work, minimal fuss and minimal smell.


Yeah, my Mom is that way. Her relatives had chickens when she was a kid and there was this one particular rooster that was downright evil and would go all-out attack mode any time someone came in to the coop. She was attacked multiple times until she finally took a 2x4 board in with her and knocked him *** over teakettle. I can understand her bias towards it, although she has the disgusting and dirty belief, too. That may be how they were kept 50 years ago with her family. I don't know. My younger brothers and sisters would easily change her mind after being over a few times.

So far, I've told her she doesn't have to do anything with them. They are my project, but I've been trying to communicate and be open about them. That was the entire point about going out today. She has it stuck in her mind that Mama Hen cleaned everything up really well and gave the chickens a bath before the girls and I went over, just to make it look good. We argued about it for a good half hour tonight and she used the same four-word excuse the entire time. She can't come up with any real or productive reasons against it. Anyway, we'll keep trying. There's a few months before ordering starts in October.

Good point Fuzzy. I never thought that she may be afraid of them.

What you saw today is what the coop and run look like every day. Your DW may not believe that but it is true. The poop gets scooped every morning and if the poo hits the wall, that gets wiped down. So easy to maintain and no smell. Sometimes you may have to bathe a chicken but mine only took dirt baths today. I have had to bathe a chicken and to bathe all 11 of them, oh my! That would be an all day project.

I guess she needs to ease into this slowly. Every year there is a Tour de Coop in Phoenix and you can see many different styles of coops and the way people raise them. There were a couple coops with chandeliers. Maybe head off to a feed store and just look at the chicks. I am sure she will come around. They are quite entertaining.

If she does change her mind, you are welcome to come back again. I am sure the girls would love to. When it is cooler, they girls (chickens) will be more apt to stay outside and run around in the yard.

 

[Fuzzybird]

I had thought the same way. Get silkies first. They look like they have fluffy hair and not feathers and they are loving. Mine can be held and the girls would love to cuddle them I am sure.
Also agree don't buy from a hatchery there is lots of breeds to choose from locally with our members.
Try not for awhile to get roosters for if your wife has a fear she is hiding they may well scare her if they get randy. On one note tho. The Silkies are always sweet even the roosters. At least that is my experience. I including a couple of others have baby silkies right now.

You folks that are from Oregon I must say I LOVE it there. Les and I moved here is 95 from Omaha. In Aug 2010 we moved up to Vancouver, WA. Stayed there until Aug 2011 when Les' health made us come back to Phoenix area to get back to our old doctor to get him healthy again. He is diabetic and for some reason the Doc there couldn't get him on the insulin he needed. Well Our wonderful Doc got him back in good control in one week. Loved Vancouver! The smells the green but the constant drizzle made us nuts!

We do plan on going back in a couple of years but to Roseburg, Oregon. Does any of you know if Roseburg is really less rainy as the stats say? We have been to Roseburg and like it. We should have stopped there in stead of going all the way to Vancouver but at the time Les was hoping to get work. He now has his disability so doesn't matter where we end up. We also hope we have a motor home, a small one, to go back in and live in various places before we decide where we want to settle.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Wow, 2932 pages of AZ comments. That's a lot of info!

I am thinking of getting some easter eggers based on the duel description of friendly and hardy. Where could I get some in NW AZ? I am here hoping to learn about chickens so I can bring some home to a competent owner. I live in Kingman that after 25 years in Vermont, which seems like a different planet.

I would guess that coyotes can be an issue, apparently scorpions as well, and probably snakes? I have a small chain link fenced-in backyard, all dirt. What kind of a coop might be a good choice for a novice and no more than 3 hens? What else do I need to know to keep my flock safe?

I look forward to getting to know you all!!

Welcome, Eselpee! You found a GREAT place to be!

I don't own EEs but I hear they are hardy, and they are all pretty unique in coloring. Lots of people here often have chickens up for sale, just ask around when you are ready and I'm sure some local AZ person can help you out!

You're right about the predators, look out for birds of prey, too. Hawks have been known to take chickens. Chickens will eat scorpions, but they can and will get stung, so keep children's benadryl handy. A coop with lots of ventilation is the key in the AZ heat. Lots of members here have posted pictures of their set up. Also, the best piece of advice is to build bigger. There's something out there called chicken math...

 

[Arizonachicken]

I just wanted to send a shout out to Mama Hen for having my girls and I over to see her chickens. They girls had a blast and are wanting some now. My wife ended up throwing a huge temper tantrum, at almost 30 years old, and ended up not going. Wow, I never expected such childish behavior from her about this.

I may end up getting some chickens anyway. You know, it's one thing if I just jumped out and bought them, but I've tried to include her in the decision. If she won't even learn and experience it, well, it leaves the decision up to me now, as far as I'm concerned. I'll start out with chicks, though. I like the idea Mikey D gave me about them bonding more with the family.

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm sure more questions will come up soon!
Scott

I'm sorry to hear that. It's always easier when your both on board. My husband was the difficult one. He was SURE that chickens carried all sorts of diseases and parasites that our kids would get. There is a lot of misinformation out there and it is difficult to re-educate sometimes. Luckily for me, DH came around and I even found him holding a chicken once. 'Course he acted like he was just "checking something out" when he noticed me, but the point is he has totally come around.

Mama Hen is awesome and her coop is the creme de la creme of coops. My coop is sorely neglected compared to hers! I think chickens can be as low or as high maintenance as you want them to be. I have 5 children (oldest is 6...almost 7), I homeschool, and I run my husband's company, so I don't have much "free" time. I have 10 chickens, and my coop is not stinky or dirty. I couldn't handle it if it was. If they were high maintenance or smelly, they'd have to go. I use the deep litter method for the coop and the girls free range almost every day.

I hear what you're saying about getting chicks, BUT, unless you have a broody hen to take care of them, you'll have to do everything...in the house, or if you can, your garage. Poultry in the house in a brooder can get smelly, so that may not be good for your wife. I have purchased POL hens (about 6 months old) and younger pullets that were fully feathered (they can be outside then) and I haven't had a problem with the bonding. Now, I don't cuddle my hens or anything like that, but they come up to me and let me hold them and check 'em out. My kids are always walking around with one under their arms. They're not as cute as those little fuzzy-butts at a day old, but you won't have to have them inside at all. Just a thought.

 

[SherrieT]

One of the reasons that breeder silkies are preferable to hatchery is that that hatchery silkie stock I have seen still look "chickenish" for lack of a better word. A breeder silkie has a better chance of looking like an exotic, loving fowl

 

[Mikey D]

Wow, 2932 pages of AZ comments. That's a lot of info!

I am thinking of getting some easter eggers based on the duel description of friendly and hardy. Where could I get some in NW AZ? I am here hoping to learn about chickens so I can bring some home to a competent owner. I live in Kingman that after 25 years in Vermont, which seems like a different planet.

I would guess that coyotes can be an issue, apparently scorpions as well, and probably snakes? I have a small chain link fenced-in backyard, all dirt. What kind of a coop might be a good choice for a novice and no more than 3 hens? What else do I need to know to keep my flock safe?

I look forward to getting to know you all!!

Welcome Eselpee!

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: My wife was the anti chicken advocate around here. I mentioned it on and of and on again for a few years & she still didn't want anything to do with them.

One day I heard a peeping coming out of my garage - a neighbors chicken had gotten in. I caught it and Walter brought it into the house - it was still pretty young - month or two old. Walt just hung out on the couch with it on his knee we watched the silly thing for quite a while - it would peck at a mole on his arm etc...

Tammy watched for a while & then remarked, "Well, it is kinda cute..."

PERMISSION!!!
The rest is history.

Regardless of where you get your chickens - be sure to stick with only one source! The state vet said stay away from feed stores as they frequently will take in older birds that people just give up on and that's how diseases are passed.

I know it sounds like I'm pretty anal about the bio-security thing but it really sux having to deal with them getting/being sick.

Day old fuzzy butts are awesome!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Chickens will not and should not eat ants. The formic acid will make them VERY ILL (at best). There was a discussion a "few" pages back. Maybe someone saved the link.