Arizona Chickens

[Sock Puppet]

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There is a feed store on Broadway and Mesa Drive - called Mesa Feed Barn. I buy my feed from there. They also have straw, and most what you would need. They are the cowboy type that works there.

I dont think they have DE, havent checked. I get mine from a friend that can order it. He owns a food store.

 

[cluckin_crazy]

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I got my DE at Aden's hay Oasis on Power and Williams Field. They sell hay (it's in the name) but I've never looked to see whether it's alfalfa, or if it is straw. They may have oyster shells, I'm not sure since the only ones I ever got were at Higley Feed. I don't use shells anymore... I keep egg shells, let them dry then crush them and the girls can pick through that. Works just as well.

Nest boxes are super easy to make and way too expensive to buy. I know Higley Feed sells them, but I would never pay that much for something that can be made from some pieces of spare wood. PM me if you want to contract that out to someone cheaper (me)

I don't think anyone in the EV sells the nips... You may need to order those.

 

[redrocketrooster]

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I got my DE at Aden's hay Oasis on Power and Williams Field. They sell hay (it's in the name) but I've never looked to see whether it's alfalfa, or if it is straw. They may have oyster shells, I'm not sure since the only ones I ever got were at Higley Feed. I don't use shells anymore... I keep egg shells, let them dry then crush them and the girls can pick through that. Works just as well.

Nest boxes are super easy to make and way too expensive to buy. I know Higley Feed sells them, but I would never pay that much for something that can be made from some pieces of spare wood. PM me if you want to contract that out to someone cheaper (me)

I don't think anyone in the EV sells the nips... You may need to order those.

Thanks!

Adding another number to my list haha. Morning and "some hay for the nest boxes", not nest boxes lol.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Do you all really supplement calcium for your girls? I can't imagine, with the calcium content of our water, that its necessary. You practically need a hammer to get into my girls' eggs. We have never supplemented.

Please share.

 

[cluckin_crazy]

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Hmm... good point. Hadn't thought of that!! Now I'm curious too...

 

[LarryPQ]

I have heard it isn't necessary, but I also work for the company that designed our water treatment plants. We do good work here :lol

I always feed my girls the egg shells. After I use them, I nuke 'em for 1.5 minutes then toss them in the scraps bowl to be food processed later. I can't use them in the compost, so I figured, "might as well".

 

[Sock Puppet]

I feed Oyster shell, because I use the gamebird maintenance. So they need the extra calcium they get from the Oyster shell. Although right now they are on Layena because the place I usually go to (Mesa feed barn) was closed and I had to go elsewhere.

I like the Gamebird better. My chickens were doing very well on it. It was suggested to me by a cochin breeder. So that is what I have used.

 

[redrocketrooster]

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What exactly is Layena? And Gamebird?

 

[gckiddhouse]

Well, admittedly, we are on a well and have a higher calcium content than in the city, but even when we lived in the city, the calcium deposits were terrible. Hmmm. Phoenix has around 18 grains of hardness (is that correct terminology?) We have 26 grains. We have a water softener and still have very hard water. It just takes it down to doesn't-ruin-fixtures-so-fast level. The chickens get unsoftened water from the outside tap.

 

[Tonopah Pati]

I wish I could grow a garden that would not get eaten. I have tried fencing in with hardware cloth. The critters dig under and have a feast. If I plant in large pots the darn things dig under the pot and come up threw the drain hole. I screened the hole and my pots clogged up with dirt. Plants rotted. So I gave up growing.
I am lucky that I have TonopahRob's Farm stand only a couple of miles from my house. He grows All Natural Produce, it is better than Organic. Check out his web page and if you live near the farm or in the west valley. he sells at two locations. tonopahrob.com

If you try his veggies you get hooked. It keeps lots longer than any store produce.