Arizona Chickens

[pollo disco]

I had a coopers down here that did a lawn dart attack at the run. Unfortunately, he didn't see the netting. It looked like a cartoon for a moment there. Eventually, the bird did free itself from the top of my run and leapt over to a neighboring tree. Licked his wounds and swallowed his pride. I have seen a few hawks give the birds the stink eye, but they all "seem" to know about the fencing now! lol. I also, have that large RG Tom that is displaying and that keeps others from getting to close. As for bobcats, the neighbors dogs take care of that!

 

[pipemum]

The hawk was lucky it didn't break it's neck on the netting. That would have been quite a site! Err, not the breaking of the neck, but watching the hawk dive bomb the run...

All 8 of the broilers are doing well. They don't look much different than 4 days ago, but they are much more hefty. Would have been interesting to weigh them on my little postal scale, but eh, not quite enough time in the day to keep track.

My barred rocks and others are 22 weeks now--they have nice red combs and wattles, but not squatting behaviors.

I picked up my 2nd bag Big Sky layer feed yesterday. Just in time, I had one day of food from the last bag left. This bag doesn't smell fishy at all. Pretty sure I got the fish meal added bag, but the last bag I saw a lot of what looked like crab shell in there, this bag I don't see any orange bits. I guess since each load is mix just prior to delivery, the mixture might vary a bit. Anyone else notice differences between bags of Big Sky?

I've got a couple of projects lined up for the weekend:
--finish broiler pen--I think everything will be easy to put together, but I'm having a hard time visualizing the door. I want the broilers to be able to walk out of the pen and have a couple hours of garden time, but will they be able to hop/step over a 4-6" high piece of wood? I don't think I can make a door that opens level to the ground. I'm thinking like they are invalids, but they aren't that helpless, are they?
--build little stepstool so my daughter can check the nest box
--finish fall garden

 

[pipemum]

kpgoldstar, your chicks are adorable!

 

[Mikey D]

The hawk was lucky it didn't break it's neck on the netting. That would have been quite a site! Err, not the breaking of the neck, but watching the hawk dive bomb the run...

All 8 of the broilers are doing well. They don't look much different than 4 days ago, but they are much more hefty. Would have been interesting to weigh them on my little postal scale, but eh, not quite enough time in the day to keep track.

My barred rocks and others are 22 weeks now--they have nice red combs and wattles, but not squatting behaviors.

I picked up my 2nd bag Big Sky layer feed yesterday. Just in time, I had one day of food from the last bag left. This bag doesn't smell fishy at all. Pretty sure I got the fish meal added bag, but the last bag I saw a lot of what looked like crab shell in there, this bag I don't see any orange bits. I guess since each load is mix just prior to delivery, the mixture might vary a bit. Anyone else notice differences between bags of Big Sky?

I've got a couple of projects lined up for the weekend:
--finish broiler pen--I think everything will be easy to put together, but I'm having a hard time visualizing the door. I want the broilers to be able to walk out of the pen and have a couple hours of garden time, but will they be able to hop/step over a 4-6" high piece of wood? I don't think I can make a door that opens level to the ground. I'm thinking like they are invalids, but they aren't that helpless, are they?
--build little stepstool so my daughter can check the nest box
--finish fall garden

I have been ordering that feed since Scott started the group. The feed does vary a bit - especially the no soy mash which is all they sell now, but is is always fresh and my girls turn up their beaks at any store bought feed. I've gotten samples from different places and they really prefer the fresh big sky stuff.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:

Hmm... yes, but they do have to be able to kill the big bird first. The other day I watched a Cooper's Hawk make a half-hearted swoop at my nine month old cockerels. The cockerels weigh 5.5-7 pounds, and are way bigger than any Cooper's Hawk. It was kind of amusing. The cockerels all looked at that hawk with a "***?" expression. One of them gave the hawk a little pecking-order-establishment sidle and the hawk changed course and flew away. I think that hawk was just hoping one of those big birds was stupid or sick or otherwise defenseless. A hawk's gotta eat, and you never know unless you try... I suspect if it had tried harder those cockerels would have been having Cooper's hawk for lunch.

Edited to add: Please insert "what the heck?" in place of that apparently banned three letter abbreviation... assuming "what the heck?" is not also banned...

 

[tsuninight]

Congrats on your lovely eggs. You got more eggs in one day than I have gotten in 5 months from our olive egger. She's interesting. One egg a month whether we want it or not. My whole reason for getting her was for the excitement of colored eggs. Oh well. It's still nice to get that surprise every once in a while.

I think all my chickens are having a competition to see who can lay the most eggs. Glados (one of my EE's) started laying blue green eggs, and they're big for "first" eggs compared to the others (which is kind of funny because she's smaller than both Peep & Cad) (they are more blue green than the pic shows). However in 4 days shes' laid 3 eggs. We get one from Firey (silkie) nearly every day too. It's interesting to me that one chicken will lay an egg nearly every day and another could lay an egg only once a month. I guess every chicken is her own unique snowflake.

 

[CrazyChixLady]

Saw this and wanted to share:

Reply to: [email protected] [?] Posted: 29 minutes ago
free chickens (Mesa)

I have three chickens I want to give away. They come with their pen. For more info call 4806295659 (se habla espanol

 

[City farm]

Congrats on your lovely eggs. You got more eggs in one day than I have gotten in 5 months from our olive egger. She's interesting. One egg a month whether we want it or not. My whole reason for getting her was for the excitement of colored eggs. Oh well. It's still nice to get that surprise every once in a while.

I think all my chickens are having a competition to see who can lay the most eggs. Glados (one of my EE's) started laying blue green eggs, and they're big for "first" eggs compared to the others (which is kind of funny because she's smaller than both Peep & Cad) (they are more blue green than the pic shows). However in 4 days shes' laid 3 eggs. We get one from Firey (silkie) nearly every day too. It's interesting to me that one chicken will lay an egg nearly every day and another could lay an egg only once a month. I guess every chicken is her own unique snowflake.

Wow georgeous egg! So glad Firey is laying that many for you... Good to hear from you..

 

[kpgoldstar]

I'm giving some kitchen scraps to my five week olds but if you do that, be sure to chop into little pieces. I thought I was going to have to do the Heimlich maneuver on one of my chicks after she downed a large piece of apple. She finally managed to bring it up but I was freaking out for a minute there. (All she did was eat it again, whole.... Whatever.)

Thank you for the warning Mandy!

 

[City farm]

Saw this and wanted to share:

Reply to: [email protected] [?] Posted: 29 minutes ago
free chickens (Mesa)

I have three chickens I want to give away. They come with their pen. For more info call 4806295659 (se habla espanol

Ha!! That is One of my favorite sentences!!! I have a friend that would love them..
I did call, the mom only speaks Spanish, which is great for my dearest friend.. They
will be able to talk..
Oh & it's only one of my favorite sentences.. Another one is I have some plants
that need a home...
Or I have some free furniture.. We will always find a friend or family that could use
stuff... Never want anything to go to the land fill.. Rather a good friend..
Thanks for posting..