Arizona Chickens

[redrocketrooster]

Last night I went to the Dirt Rally in San Tan Valley and it rained so hard i couldn't see. I had to cling to my friend to walk me to safety hahah. It's been so long since a good rain like that happened. I hope everyone is reaping the benefits! AZkat gave me some figs from her trees. They were so great. I want more now, where do i buy figs from? Just wanted to let everyone know: I have 2 buff silkies, 1 black silkie, 1 blue silkie, 3 porclain dUccle and 1 more russian orloff pullet left.

My Son an avid Boyscout troop 262 Glendale and I built this Redwood Chicken Tractor just thought we would share. Thanks

Wow, that's really great!

 

[mckenzy]

All four are friends now. I guess it takes a rain soaked bush huddle to become chicken family.

Certain I'll have to start clipping the Buttercup wings soon. Not even sure how they got up there!

 

[Phottoman]

Hey Skip - we are located in Chino Valley, north of Prescott - so not too far! Been past your house a few times as we have some some extended family in Bullhead City, been camping at Davis Dam, and to a soccer tournament for my daughter there. Just let us know - or maybe if we can get something planned for a one-day event somewhere in Northern AZ - you could meet there. I've done birds here and also up in Flagstaff to help my sister and her husband do their first meaties...

WOW!!! All the way "down there?"

From your info near your avatar, I thought maybe you were right here in the Kingman area.

Thank you for your offer, and I will seriously think about raising those meaties. As I recall reading, they are harvested at around eight weeks, gee, that's about the time I would normally be putting newborn chicks out into the yard. I have the brooders, and the room in my office to get this started, and I have a freezer that my sister gave me that is just sitting next door doing nothing more than gathering dust. When would be a good time to find, order, secure meaties and should I be looking at some of the mail order places to get them?

I used to travel right through your area when I was 'working' the gun shows selling a great product down in Phoenix and in Prescott, used to stay at a camp ground in Prescott Valley, I miss the camping but not the ants they had there, but I learned to live with them.

The next time you are driving through this area, let me know, I'll PM my phone number, I am just a mile north (that equates to two long blocks) of Highway 68 almost directly north of Mile Marker 21.

It's really funny, my yard has always been the best looking yard on the whole street, but I have been seriously lacking in time and energy to keep it up, and yesterday I actually took a few hours to start cleaning up the yard, especially out in back. We are on 2.5 acres, and the black plastic bags I had full of Pepsi cans were finally destroyed by all the sun and I had cans ALL OVER the yard, and as I was cleaning up I started thinking I would be embarrassed to have any one 'visit' and see the condition I have allowed this place to become.

GOOD NEWS department, I am now spending more time at home working. I got into sign making about five or six years ago, and during a lull in my other work related time, and with all the heat, I decided to get back into the sign business, custom hand routed signs, and business has really taken off. Mostly because I stopped and made a few 'sales calls' last week, and today I am delivering the last eleven of the eighteen signs I sold last week. I would really like to show them here but do NOT want to be commercializing on the forum. These signs are free hand carvings, I draw what I want on the wood, then use a handheld 2.5 hp router and cut the sign, I cut around the lettering and artwork and cut away the background so the letters stand out, rather than cut the letters into the wood. Really interesting stuff and seems to be VERY popular when I show up with a couple of my signs.

Skip

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

we have lived in our house for about 8 months and have been fighting bees since we moved in. Had the guys come out to get rid of them twice but they'd still make huge colonies in the block wall around our back yard. I'm allergic so moving them to a hive wasn't an option and they were super aggressive. It's such a shame all the bees are africanized hybrid meanies around here. No one wanted to take them from us they just wanted to kill them. We ended up doing it ourselves without killing too many. We drilled a hole in our wall and pumped water into it until they all left and found somewhere else to build. They must not have gone far because we still get a ton in our yard when the sprinkers go off and my cantaloupes are always covered with them, I just wish they'd pollinate my strawberries or squash or something else for once. 

We have been dealing with a similar bee issue. Last year they built a honeycomb inside the front porch column within feet of our front door. I have several members of my family who are allergic so we couldn't let them stay so close. I tried to get a beekeeper to relocate them but none would. We got bad information about a 'repellant' that turned out to be a pesticide and killed them But about five days ago more bees returned to the old hive in the column to rebuild it. We didn't want to kill them again...not all bees are Africanized, that is just over paranoid thinking. We went out the first night, when they had gone back to their original home, we filled the hole in the column with spray foam. The next day there were climbing all over the foam and buzzing around nervously trying to get back inside. The second day after filling the hive with spray foam they all went away...hopefully they will find a more appropriate home.

 

[Arizonachicken]

WOW!!! All the way "down there?"

From your info near your avatar, I thought maybe you were right here in the Kingman area.

Thank you for your offer, and I will seriously think about raising those meaties.  As I recall reading, they are harvested at around eight weeks, gee, that's about the time I would normally be putting newborn chicks out into the yard.  I have the brooders, and the room in my office to get this started, and I have a freezer that my sister gave me that is just sitting next door doing nothing more than gathering dust.  When would be a good time to find, order, secure meaties  and should I be looking at some of the mail order places to get them?

I used to travel right through your area when I was 'working' the gun shows selling a great product down in Phoenix and in Prescott, used to stay at a camp ground in Prescott Valley, I miss the camping but not the ants they had there, but I learned to live with them.

The next time you are driving through this area, let me know, I'll PM my phone number, I am just a mile north (that equates to two long blocks) of Highway 68 almost directly north of Mile Marker 21.

It's really funny, my yard has always been the best looking yard on the whole street, but I have been seriously lacking in time and energy to keep it up, and yesterday I actually took a few hours to start cleaning up the yard, especially out in back.  We are on 2.5 acres, and the black plastic bags I had full of Pepsi cans were finally destroyed by all the sun and I had cans ALL OVER the yard, and as I was cleaning up I started thinking I would be embarrassed to have any one 'visit' and see the condition I have allowed this place to become.

GOOD NEWS department, I am now spending more time at home working.  I got into sign making about five or six years ago, and during a lull in my other work related time, and with all the heat, I decided to get back into the sign business, custom hand routed signs, and business has really taken off.  Mostly because I stopped and made a few 'sales calls' last week, and today I am delivering the last eleven of the eighteen signs I sold last week.  I would really like to show them here but do NOT want to be commercializing on the forum.  These signs are free hand carvings, I draw what I want on the wood, then use a handheld 2.5 hp router and cut the sign, I cut around the lettering and artwork and cut away the background so the letters stand out, rather than cut the letters into the wood.  Really interesting stuff and seems to be VERY popular when I show up with a couple of my signs.

Skip

I'd like to see your signs! I really don't think anyone here would mind. I like to know what businesses people here are into, there's such a variety of people and talents here!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I am looking for a couple un-bearded silkie girls...anyone near Wickenburg or Prescott have any?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I am looking for a couple un-bearded silkie girls...anyone near Wickenburg or Prescott have any?

 

[tsuninight]

I am SOOOOooo JEALOUS! I cannot get a fig tree to grow here. I've tried three different spots in my yard. The first two trees died. The third has frozen to the ground every winter. It keeps coming back but is no higher now than it was when I planted it three years ago, and I've never gotten a fig from it. I've decided to stop torturing fig trees and try to grow something else instead.

We got talked into a Fig when we were fruit tree shopping. My Lemon, Tangelo, ant Truvita (sp?) are all doing fine.. .but that freaking fig.... well it's just sad. I emailed the nursery after it lost nearly all of it's leaves and was told i needed to water it more. She told us we needed to do a 2-3 hour drip on it a week + normal watering. Plus I get trees don't exactly have survival instincts, but this one is more interested in producing figs that leaves. I have spent the entire spring and so far summer yanking figs off the stupid little thing since I figure they are water sponges and using up too much of a struggling trees resources. It's FINALLY growing new leaves.... I don't hold out a lot of hope for it, but I'm pretty sure if it does die I'm going with another type of tree. If it does survive I'm hoping it'll be the nice shade tree I was looking for that happens to provide fruit.

... also while on the topic of figs. Does anyone know if the first set of fruit from trees is a little off? I see the pics of figs, and on the outside that's what my "first" figs looked like (prior to me realizing the tree was trying to commit suicide), but the insides weren't nearly that red. They were "slightly" pink, and weren't particularly good. I've never (I don't think) had a fresh fig before though so I'm not sure if I don't like figs or if the figs that were grown were just not developed enough.

 

[BakinInAZ]

Really sounds like the figs weren't ripe yet. I love fresh figs-just eat them from the tree-haven't used them for anything else. If I had a lot I would probably make some jam. Ripe ones are quite fragile & don't last too long. I couldn't get a fig tree to grow in So. Cal, & I know I couldn't get one to grow here-the water is quite restricted, since we bring it in ourselves. We have been having night storms & the lightening show is quite awesome.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I'd like to see your signs! I really don't think anyone here would mind. I like to know what businesses people here are into, there's such a variety of people and talents here!

I agree, let's see 'em!