Arizona Chickens

[520farmer]

Hahaha ya Im pretty lucky, she likes the chickens, just not spending money on them. I'll figure something out though

 

[Demosthine]

From my limited understanding at this point, you need to actually capture them, put them in the supper, lock them in with sugar water and a pollen mixture if you have it, then give them a small opening to get out, one ware the queen can not escape. It takes a week or so to become established. The queen is the key. It sounds like you had a sworn with an established queen. Make sure you have the queen, they (should) will fallow her sent and stay with her.

Did you know if they were Afriacnized or Europen? African become aggressively more aggressive when hive is established. At first they do not have the numbers, to form a full out attack. I believe that Africanized are still much more aggressive even in the swarm.

I will let you know when I am ready to do something about mine, ore when they swarm. We have a box to put them in and an attractant (I think my nephew said he had some), as for a queen, we could get a couple of queen cells from the established hive to start a new hive. After I am finished with the new run and coop I will spend more time with the bees, will know more by then.

If they are in a semi-temporary location than can be disturbed and they are lured to an actual hive nearby, then queen and all should relocate. There are many times that doing what we did works out perfectly fine. I got the idea from a professional beekeeper. Yes, the queen is always the key, but I didn't expect them to abandoned the fairly large honeycombs they had in the meter box like they did. You win some and you lose some.

They were not Africanized, I'm sure of that. Even with me disturbing them when I put the hive nearby and moving the lid to the box, they were very calm and peaceful. A dozen or so stirred and got a bit angry, but nothing like the Africanized would have.

My girls are out of school on the 23rd and I really want to get them exposed to the hive and such, so if you are working with them on a Monday or Tuesday and we're welcome down, please let me know. It was nearly two years of working with them for them not to panic over a mere fly, so they've come a long way. When I first met them, they were overly terrified of anything that crawled or flew. We had a huge carpenter bee flying around a few weeks ago and they were ok with it. I bit leary because of the size, but they didn't go screaming and crying. I'm not even sure if they can sting or not, but I've never heard of or known anyone who has been.

 

[Fuzzybird]

jbolt, just noticed that you live in Wittmann! So do I. In the Dove Valley/ 227 ave area.

 

[bcluff]

Okay i need some insight!

........... My little japanese bantam has this pattern. I see her starting on monday morning to come eat. Then i dont see her until wednesday morning to eat ans that continues throughout the week. I have searched high and low in every single nook and cranny. But she's not anywhere. And she cant fly because i just clipped her wings about a week ago.

 

[flower]

Just my 2 cents but you should get 2 chicks so they can become buddies. I find that adding one to the already established flock results in lots of pecking the newbie. If you add two, they feel a bit "safer" in numbers.

I have found that three is the magic number for full grown birds (hens) but for chicks at least two or more if possible. If there are three hens added, the established flock is less likely to gang up and seriously peck the single birds. Not talking about lonely here just defense mechanism. Chickens can be nasty to a lone and different bird.

 

[ChicksOfHazzard]

I have found that three is the magic number for full grown birds (hens) but for chicks at least two or more if possible. If there are three hens added, the established flock is less likely to gang up and seriously peck the single birds. Not talking about lonely here just defense mechanism. Chickens can be nasty to a lone and different bird.

It's day 2 now and still going pretty well. Daisy is much smaller than them, even though she's 4 or 5 weeks and fully feathered. She's a bantam, so she just looks like a little chick because of her size. My other two, Rosco and Boss Hogg, are at 11 weeks now. So there's not a tremendous age difference, but certainly a distinct size difference.

They've been getting along better than expected though. They do peck on her. But not too much, and it's usually a peck or two and then they leave her alone for a while. She was getting pecked by the hens at the farm as well, so she seems unphased by it, she just goes back to doing whatever she was doing. But she roosted with them last night. I went out and checked several times and she was nestled at Rosco's side, Rosco accepting her being there. And several times I've seen her today sitting with them when they are bedded down outside the coop. They'll occasionally kick her out, but let her sit with them for a while before that happens.

So I think it's going pretty well. I was expecting it to be more violent/aggressive. But they've been pretty easy on her. I think in a couple days she'll be part of the gang. Fingers crossed. But so far so good.

 

[flower]

Chicks of hazzard Of course all birds do have their different personality. I think because your flock is small and young it is easier for them to adjust to a new member. It is good to hear your success story.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Requesting some insight -

My black australorp has been sitting in the nesting box since 4pm yesterday.
She is acting normal other than that.
I checked on her yesterday concerned that she might be egg bound as she
didn't lay yesterday. However, today, after giving her the once over and
removing her from the nest, I think she may have turned broody.
When I took her out of the nest box today, I "felt her up all over" I put her on
the ground and she pecked a little, got some water and ran back into the
nest.

Now What?

I have no fertile eggs to place under her. If I can, I'd like to interrupt the
brood. If not, am in need of some fertile eggs. Don't want a crazy chicken
on my hands. She's our best layer and friendliest.

Your opinions and insight are requested. Thanks all

Once she stays on the nest two nights in a row, you know she's broody, so PM aloha chickens (Sommer) and see if she can spare 9 or 10 eggs. (Australorps are pretty big)

So, whats the best way to make a hen not broody? I won't be hatching out any eggs until our hens get near the end of their good laying days.
I'm expecting them to start laying in the next 4-6 weeks.

 

[jbolt]

Nice ta meet ya, what kind of chickens do you have? Anybody broody?

jbolt, just noticed that you live in Wittmann! So do I. In the Dove Valley/ 227 ave area.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

So, whats the best way to make a hen not broody? I won't be hatching out any eggs until our hens get near the end of their good laying days.
I'm expecting them to start laying in the next 4-6 weeks.

You can try this suggestion:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/broody hen breaking