Arizona Chickens

[LadyKotaDoria]

Pratt's in Glendale. get them in on Fri morning. Call first, they also have a location off of Grand, I think it is Surprise. I used to get my dog food from them when I ha Grate Danes. They started as a feed store when Glendale was a small farming town, it was a in the countryside fare from Phoenix. They had to reinvent themselves to stay in business. I like them, they have farm people working there, despite being a 'pet' and urban farm store. But! They have hired, I've notes one or two young people that are learning.

They used to have a big black rooster that would parade on the chicken cages. The floor was dirty and dusty, people getting supply's were somewhat fragrant sometimes, in the summer, no AC and hard working outside. (Visited them in the 60's) It was not a pet store then, in the 80's things started to really change, that is when I used them for my dogs.

COYOTES AND DOG
By the way, my Late Husband had a Great Dane that loved to play with coyotes. He would drag them home, unharmed, then wait for them to try to escape, them ponce on them. I do not think they enjoyed the game, this was in Montana at his Grandfathers ranch. It got so bad that coyotes must have wormed each other when he would be there for a visit. They all disappeared. The ranch hand would not see or hear a coyote for a good week after Harold left with his Dane. Censor was 180# of muscle, and beautiful white teeth, he was big for a Dane, not a record. Mine were 145/150# average. They only way I could compet with size if I let them get fat. They have such a short life span keeping them inshap is important. Now I have a fast food delivery dog.

 

[Mootworm]

I'll have to check Pratts out when I'm ready to buy. Btw I absolutely LOVE Great Danes. My mom has one now, 130# and going on 12 years She's my baby! And she has the same effect on wildlife lol.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Sonoran Silke, it is Red Tail hawk. Those red tail hawks have been here sense at lest 1987, that I know off. When they cut down their tree for progress they just move. Each pair had ruffly 2 sq miles it seemed. They were Most always pairs, bur not always. when there was only one they seemed not to stay. i often wised there was a way for me to mark them so i would know for sure. but, there is a hock on 111 Ave seems to be alone. He seems also a little small. I'm driving so I can't get a good at it. If I could see it fly I would know for sure. Every time the sun is not with me and he always keeps his tail out of sight.
We had a golden eagle or young golden, stop her in 2000, it did not stay. That young eagle was breath taking. When she spread her wings I held my breath. Either she as passing through or to many other predictors to compete with. Sone how being as close as I was, they would make room. Her beak was so yellow. I have seen a lot of eagles, non like her, never so close. About 25-29 ft to the shed. No one else out that morning saw her.

I see things other do not, from ready BYC members a lot of you are the same as I. You expect to see life and you open your eyes and heart and you see.

 

[rufus]

As mentioned above, the predators are everywhere in the valley. I use to live at 27th Avenue and Indian School Road. We saw coyotes wandering around surprisingly often. I worked nights, so I was out and about or driving to work late at night, getting home in the earlier morning. They are bountiful in town, you just rarely see them because they have SO much cover and camouflage. Phoenix is a prime spot for them because there are large amounts of strays, pest birds like pigeons, and small pets to prey on. The alleys, vacant lots, and city parks are great spots for them to hide at during the day. I've seen them at all three locations. I saw them the most at the city park at Bonsall Park South at 59th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. They love the birds that are there and enjoyed the water, too. I use to meet my ex-girlfriend there many early mornings.

There were a few attacks in North Phoenix, North Peoria and West Peoria this summer. Those are the three key spots I recall. Of course, Sun City is always complaining for the the reasons you mentioned above. No fences, lots of small pets and rabbits, plus the golf courses.

In terms of the dogs, they can be a great deterrent from the predators. The end of our street is State Trust Land, so we see all sorts of animals wandering around. Out of the last fifteen years, we've only had a coyote go wandering through the back yard once. It was at my parents' house (three houses away) and it was during a short period where they did not have a dog. We have never had any predator birds or coyotes in the yard when we had a dog. Not to say a hungry enough coyote won't, but it hasn't happened to us. Up until this last year, we always had Golden Retrievers in the family. We bought a German Shepherd mix April of last year and he couldn't care less about the chickens. We acquired a Siberian Husky about six months ago and she has extreme interest in them, unfortunately. She's the one that is the one we have to watch carefully right now. They are both still pups, though, so they should only become more docile as they get older.

Demosthine, I used to live in the area of 27th Avenue and Indian School Road, well actually, a little east of there where the canal crosses Indian School. My father got that property in 1932, and we sold it in 1980.

You might have seen more wildlife there than you know. One year my older brother went deer hunting up on the Kaibab. They got into a poker game with the folks at the next camp. He won a supposedly tame badger in the game. It was contained in two milk cartons wired together. When he got home we discovered that the creature was not all that tame and was terribly unfriendly. It never missed a chance to bite us. It hissed constantly. My brother's wife wouldn't have it at their house, so it got dumped on us.

It tried to dig out of it's cage, so my father slide a sheet of tin under it. That stopped the digging. One day my father got tired of it's nastiness. He opened the cage door and ran for the back door. The badger was gone in a flash.

We never saw it again, but we did find the remains of a lot of stray cats that did meet up with it. There could still be badgers out there now.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

You are lucky, I can not handle it anymore. They are so genial and sweet. Next American Bull dogs, and pit bulls they are my favorite. I hope some day to get a nanny dog ( as they were over 50 years ago. The were the symbols of the country, had a qualities we hold dear. The American Bull dogs are still being used heralding cattle, by a friend of my mom.

 

[notinoz2007]

mahonri, first i wanted to say that your chickens are beautiful, i especially like phyllis and her crest! second, i love the name blucy and she has amazing color, probably my favorite. they are med size hens?
hi everyone, i am hoping to take advantage of my 4-day weekend to get my fodder and fermented feed going. will post pics if i can remember. not sure if anyone else here is following it but i have been reading the growing fodder for chickens thread, i can get a pound of wheat at winco for .57/pound, and that is supposed to grow into 6 pounds of feed after 7 days. anyone grow or sprout for your chickens, and if so are you familiar with other grain/seed prices?

 

[Mahonri]

Yes Tracy, they are medium sized hens and at present I only have two of the nine that lay medium to large eggs. all the rest are small pullet sized eggs.

All 9 are gorgeous. I wish I wouldn't have had to rehome my roo, Drekki Jr. He is with Boston Bryce in Heber at present.

Right now I have one roo (a Blue Wheaten Americana) who hasn't been frisky with the hens, nor does he crow, BUT I have been feeding him Gamebird finisher, with water and he has put on some weight and is almost as large as my big Blue Copper Olive Egger... and he's getting pretty. Sad thing is, none of my 4 wheaten Americana girls are laying at all. I think I'll move the roo and the 7 hens he is with into the big coop and see if the light there will help stimulate the girls into laying.

My polish chicks are 9 days old now.... I usually move chicks from the Laree Brooder to a grow out pen by about 3 weeks... so they are half way there.... and then I hope to get some Icelandic chicks from Nurse Michelle who has some eggs from those beautiful Icelandic pullets under Drekki in her incubator the first week in Dec. When the new chicks are here I'll move the older ones out of the brooder.

I really hope that I get at least 10 pullets out of that polish order... I ordered 30, 9 died and then I bought 6 layer chicks from the Mesa Feed Barn.... so I have 27 chicks in the brooder at present.

 

[squeakyballs]

Demosthine, I used to live in the area of 27th Avenue and Indian School Road, well actually, a little east of there where the canal crosses Indian School. My father got that property in 1932, and we sold it in 1980.

You might have seen more wildlife there than you know. One year my older brother went deer hunting up on the Kaibab. They got into a poker game with the folks at the next camp. He won a supposedly tame badger in the game. It was contained in two milk cartons wired together. When he got home we discovered that the creature was not all that tame and was terribly unfriendly. It never missed a chance to bite us. It hissed constantly. My brother's wife wouldn't have it at their house, so it got dumped on us.

It tried to dig out of it's cage, so my father slide a sheet of tin under it. That stopped the digging. One day my father got tired of it's nastiness. He opened the cage door and ran for the back door. The badger was gone in a flash.

We never saw it again, but we did find the remains of a lot of stray cats that did meet up with it. There could still be badgers out there now.

Rufus! I always look forward to your stories! Is there really such a thing as a tame badger?

 

[squeakyballs]

You are lucky, I can not handle it anymore. They are so genial and sweet. Next American Bull dogs, and pit bulls they are my favorite. I hope some day to get a nanny dog ( as they were over 50 years ago. The were the symbols of the country, had a qualities we hold dear. The American Bull dogs are still being used heralding cattle, by a friend of my mom.

I didn't know that they could be used to herd! This is mine, we adopted him from the Humane Society:

 

[Demosthine]

Rufus! I always look forward to your stories! Is there really such a thing as a tame badger?

My thoughts exactly! Those things are some mean creatures. Of course, Blue Collar Comedy Tour comes to mind as well. It was a beaver in that story, but still...