Arizona Chickens

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
If it doesn't say it on the bag, it should on the tag connected to the bag that details the ingredients. It's important not to feed layer feed until they are actually laying or very close to laying age. What brand was it?
Great minds think alike

FWIW, at poultry shows scratch is usually provided (and recommended to feed in higher volume the week or so before a show) because grains usually firm up poop, not cause it to be more liquidy. Treating for worms might be in order.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Great minds think alike

FWIW, at poultry shows scratch is usually provided (and recommended to feed in higher volume the week or so before a show) because grains usually firm up poop, not cause it to be more liquidy. Treating for worms might be in order.

I was just thinking the same thing. At least we're consistent! I didn't know that about the scratch firming up the droppings. I would imagine that is indeed a good quality prior to a show.

 

[pastrymama]

a friend of mine needs some help. she is moving back to phoenix from up north and cannot bring her silkies since she will be renting. the situation is personal but heartbreaking for her. i have been able to find homes for all the silkie hens, but not the 2 roos. they need to go together as they are bonded and get along great. there is a white silkie roo from Elite Silkies and a black frizzle roo from silkie lineage from our very own Sonoran Silkies. they are both sweet roos, very tame and obviously out of good stock. they have never been ill or anything of the like. they are about 1.5 years old and proven breeders. she will be moving in the next 2-3 weeks and these boys need a home. can you provide a safe one for 2 sweet balls of fluff?

 

[City farm]

I'm in Phoenix/Chandler area - wondering where do you buy your organic feed?  

we go to Tempe feed and tack

 

[kukupecpec]

I got mine at Mesquite Valley Growers (out on Speedway, just east of Pantano). Now would be a good time to plant too. They will loose their leaves with the first frost and will remain dormant until spring. They're cold hardy, so no need to protect them. One plant would be pretty good, but maybe two would be better. It will take some time for them to grow enough in a season to cover the space you have (maybe a couple years). I'd recommend Thompson seedless, Flame Seedless and Black Monukka seedless. I think that White Pearlette also do well here. Get the tallest plant you can so that the tips of the vines will quickly grow out of the reach of jumping chickens. You can see pictures of the grape vines on my run on "my coop" page just under my avatar.

Awesome! Thanks! I will have to go check them out ASAP and see what I can get my hands on! If I plan more than one plant, would overcrowding be a concern? Or will they grow just fine if crowded? Any idea for how much they run?

How old are your birds? Do not feed layer to chicks--only to birds that are laying or nearly at point of lay.

Grapes are deciduous--they die back during winter. Most nurseries carry them, but probably not at this time of year. They are frost hardy--think of all the areas of the world that produce wine--many (not all) have far colder winters than we do. Two to three vines will cover that, but not in one year. Might consider getting some annual vines to fill in until the perennial grapes grow large enough to provide shade. Or find an ever green vine to provide some year round shade and supplement with the grapes to provide deeper summer shade.

At least 4 of my 6 birds are laying although they might all be laying, I'm not sure how to tell. They are all of laying age though, I didn't get to start with chicks, too much of an investment, but now that Ive gotten started, I'm getting DH to warm up to the idea, even convinced him to let me keep a batch of chicks in the house so I can hatch my own sometime soon! Thus the need for the bigger, more protected run than the little one I've built now.





Oh one more thing for the both of you -
Are they HEAT hardy? I don't want them to shrivel up and roast in the hot hot summer sun. I need them because the coop will be in direct sunlight and I don't want to fry my ladies in the summer, so the vines are to provide all of their coop's shade to bring down the temp, they will still be let out to free range, but with a nice large run, it will probably only be on the weekends when I can be home the whole time.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote: Overcrowding isn't really all that much of a concern. You can trim them back however much you need if it comes to that. I can't remember the price, but they're somewhere between $30-40 each. You can find them cheaper at Home Depot or Lowes, but they might not be as tall. They are very heat tolerant. Up into the late 1950's, most of the nation's table grapes were grown in Pinal County.

 

[AnotherKim]

LMAO! Your chickens be funny!!! Heh, heh. I'll bet Meow would have had a great big grin on her face if she could smile.

So's I goes out to the coop last night to lock up the girls.

1,2,3,4,,,,8,9,10

Ooops

1,2,3...8,9,10

Someone's missing.

I goes back into the human domicile & gets me a flashlight.

Go back 1...10

Who's gone?

Dot, Dash, Freaky, Fuzzy, Princess, Gretchen, Gisell, where's Meow?

1,,,10

Now the coop is only 4 x 17.

Mikey can count to eleven - been teaching them number things for quite a spell now.

Not too many places to hide.

Meow is gone.

What the heck?

Go out this AM, scream "Where's my cluckers?!?"

Meow doesn't come runn'n up.

Let the ladies out, Meow pops out.

Let me say that again...

What the heck?

Some one want to tell me where she was hiding?

Freak'n chickens!

 

[AnotherKim]

I've got them on layer feed now, so their pooh is s much nicer normal consistency, but they still get the scratch as a treat if they eat it from my hand. I'll definitely have to toss some in the planner boxes then so they can go at it!
Where does one buy grape vines? Do they come as baby vines? Will they stay green year round? Do i need to cover them from the frost in the winter? And any idea how many plants i will need for a 15x6 run? It only needs to cover two sides and the roof, the other two 15 and 6 ft sides are already solid.

Mesquite Valley Growers usually have nice plants. There's also Harlow's on Pima, and another smaller place on Pima, too. A couple of small places on Golf-Links and also on 22nd could use our business, too. I think February is the best time for bare-root planting around here. I'm going to get some bare-root grapevines this year. A friend gave me some cuttings last year, and they just didn't take/.

 

[AZKat]

You might also think about planting passion flower vines. They can attract long wing butterflies, which is more of a issue in Tucson than in the Valley, but they grow really, really fast.

 

[Bobby Basham]

There is some type of "Community Prosecution" out there, and I believe it is an extension of our office. We set up one of our prosecutors at a remote location, and people from the community are also involved in deciding how to punish those offenders. This is not connected with JUVIE Court, but I think it does deal with kids who do stupid things in the neighborhoods like tagging, vandalism (even shooting baby chickens in the head).

From reading all the Police reports over the years, some angry parents have no problem with squealing on/turning in "Little Johnny" for what he did. He wasn't brought up that way and needs to be held accountable, and the Prosecutor and chosen community members decide a fair, appropriate punishment for the offenders.

I know that this is a Chicken board, but some of the issues shared here are very disburbing, and I'm not out to get every kid (good or bad) out there. Sometimes, it good to let issues be known, then others can chime in through PM's to come to your rescue.

My topic is distantly related to chickens, but it stems from the original topic where animals suffered at the hand of some idiot(s). That behavior is totally uncalled for, and I hope they find the little jerks who did this, and hope maybe their parents will step up to the plate. Then again, we don't know if it were kids or adults, but I can't imagine any adult neighbors in close vicinity doing such a thing. I can understand an adult knocking on your door and may have a complaint about all the crowing, gazillion egg songs, smell etc., and then take some steps to work out any issues where both parties are satisfied. Kids usually act first, then worry/ignore the possible consequences later. It does sound like kids to me, probably one that just got a BB gun for his birthday or something, and needed some target practice, at the expense of harming someone else's babies.

I think that when I get my setup completed, I may put some solar lights around the run perimeter, and can see the entire back yard from of my HUGE 8-ft master bedroom window. It may be kinda pretty looking at it after dark...just nice, dim lighting. Maybe remove a screen or two from the window so I can fill a few butts with some buckshot if needbe.

I hate to come off sounding like a complete grump with anger issues, but when you've been a doormat for others during different stages of life, it's time to stand up for what is yours and defend/protect what you have. After all, you've worked long and hard to achieve what you have.

The planning stages have already started, just alittle worried about the retirement issue, and would love to come home to some creatures/feathered friends who will realize that I'm their provider of food, goodies and companionship, and they will show unconditional love in return. Is that too much to ask for?

I'm jacked up right now, watching HGTV in one room, Food Network in another room, listening to Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto blastting on an old 1970's Magnavox cradenza radio (San Francisco Symphony, every Sunday @ 1:00pm), gabbing and replying on here, still have on the tight dress shoes from Church, feels like my toes are in a vice, LOL, ....haven't decided what to do for dinner yet, laundry to be done, dishes, pots & pans scattered everywhere needed to be loaded in the dishwasher. No wonder I can't anything done. I'm just all over the map. Maybe I can take a nap and hope that everything will just go away. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

God Bless all you keepers of our feathered companions, whether they be for meat, eggs, companionship/therapy, or a combination, and I can't wait to join the ranks as a Backyard Chicken Owner. Oh Lawdy, another extended essay. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson Arizona