Arizona Chickens

[desertmarcy]

Be prepared. When I was growing out my 22 Java chicks there was a month or two when they were going through a 50 lb bag of feed every few days. It started when they hit about 3-4 weeks old. I thought I was going to go bankrupt. Mine are dual purpose birds so I started culling cockerels and that helped, plus they eventually slowed down their consumption. Raising chicks is not cheap. Especially with today's feed prices.

Good luck!

I just ordered more feed today. I got my last 2500 pounds of feed on 10/2 and had to order again, not even a month later. This time I ordered 2 pallets (5000 lb or 100 50-lb bags of feed).
Talk about going bankrupt. Some of the money will come back when the turkeys are butchered for the holidays but not all of it since I'm raising up breeding stock for next year. I may have to give up my idea of keeping extra toms as insurance, not sure yet. I have deposits on most of the turkeys I was going to sell and the Arizona Illustrated TV story about my turkeys hasn't even come out yet.
Processed cockerels, now they are another story. Eating me out of house and home those boys are and not getting enough sales for processed chickens. Raising birds for show is not for the faint of heart (or pocketbook). Maybe when the snowbirds start coming back there will be more people wanting organic chickens. The good thing is, feed prices dropped a little since last order.

 

[MandyFitch]

I just ordered more feed today. I got my last 2500 pounds of feed on 10/2 and had to order again, not even a month later. This time I ordered 2 pallets (5000 lb or 100 50-lb bags of feed).
Talk about going bankrupt. Some of the money will come back when the turkeys are butchered for the holidays but not all of it since I'm raising up breeding stock for next year. I may have to give up my idea of keeping extra toms as insurance, not sure yet. I have deposits on most of the turkeys I was going to sell and the Arizona Illustrated TV story about my turkeys hasn't even come out yet.
Processed cockerels, now they are another story. Eating me out of house and home those boys are and not getting enough sales for processed chickens. Raising birds for show is not for the faint of heart (or pocketbook). Maybe when the snowbirds start coming back there will be more people wanting organic chickens. The good thing is, feed prices dropped a little since last order.

 

[Twinklin]

Is it crazy how much I love my chicks? I'm taking a mad amount of photos of them. FB friends will probably block my feed soon...
Here's my dog guarding her flock.

I'm the same way. I'm sure I've had people on FB block me already because they're sick of my chicken posts.

 

[City farm]

 
I would like to respond to this thread and also to ask a question. There have been several human deaths in Tucson in the last year, from Africanized bee attacks. I also happen to be an emergency veterinarian and have twice (in the past year) had to treat dogs who were swarmed by hundreds of bees and would have died without intensive treatment.

Right now, several shrubs of Desert Broom are blooming near where I was planning to set up my new chicken coop. Has anyone had trouble with the bees when they were feeding on shrubbery like this?

Greetings and  

Bees (including those that are Africanized) only defend the queen/hive.  They generally aren't aggressive while foraging because they don't defend nectar/pollen resources.  I wouldn't worry about the shrubs at all.  Now, if there were colony hiding in there that would be a problem.

Yes, Gallo said it perfect.. Along with maddbaggins.. We have also lived in Arizona
since 1975.. Outdoors all the time.. Bees constantly are buzzing round.. I let them
land; take a snff or lick if you will or whatever they do.. Off they go when they are done.
As long as you DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT start to smack them & get all upset
by their presents you'll be fine.. If you don't lie them buzzing around go inside &
wait for a bit.. They will leave.. we did see a new group of bees heading to their
new location one time. It was absoulutly amazing to see..

Please let us know what breeds you get.. AND.

 

[City farm]

 
have you seen the castings made by pouring molten aluminum down an ant hole?  Quite incredible - a little rough on the ants though...

Check it out:

Ant hill castings

Yes I am done with my foundry (except for little tune ups) and as soon as the list clears up a bit - this is going on it.

I have seen them!  In fact, I've seen the actual casts, in person.  They really are works of art.  

Just a report: the Orange Guard does not seem to be working on killing the colony I'm testing it on.  They get highly agitated and excavate the soaked soil from around the entrance but seem to carry on within hours.  Maybe if I had enough to drain all the way down inside, but the stuff is pretty expensive.

Man, it seems we need to get some ant eaters as pets..

 

[City farm]

Oh, oh, I have a garden box on top of part of my coop! Worked great this year. It was covered by shade cloth for the summer. Grew squash, basil, and watermelon. Shaded the chickens run, it was made from 2x4 scraps so if it doesn't last, no biggie. I painted inside and out w a million coats, so it will lasy at least a few years. Just cleared this weekend for lettuce, radishes, and some winter herbs.
Before

After, ahould be seeing spouts soon.

I did have a big ant problem in that box. Their aphids sucked most of the squash flowers dry and wrinkly.

Ooooooo! That looks wonderful...

 

[City farm]

City Farm, this is just one of my hobbies.  I got frustrateed when no one in town knew how to repair these things, so I've spent years and years talking to old retired techs on the internet, so now I repair these things myself.  I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron and can read schematics fairly well.  I like repairing these things and give them away to friends and co-workers, occasionally charging about $20 bucks for a new cartridge/needle. --BB

Nice hobby to have.. The reward of music is worth it..

 

[City farm]

Alright, we're halfway done with processing the four roosters that I picked up a few days ago and it's been quite difficult.  They have a very large amount of fat on them, and I've come to find that skinning a fat chicken is far more tasking than a properly lean chicken.  Nothing peels off correctly, it takes more effort to cut through and severe the neck artery and the organs are tougher to pull out.  The third one is bleeding out right now and we'll finish off the last one right afterwards.  Oh, and the roosters definitely know it's time to die.  They are screeching and doing their best to avoid my hands.  Yup, they definitely know.

A buddy of mine was supposed to come help, but he supposedly couldn't find a babysitter and he knew couldn't handle it all.  Heck, he said he wasn't sure he could handle it all.  The ultimate city-boy from Los Angeles County who can't even gut a store bought fish.  Maybe next time.

My 18 month old daughter, however, seems to have a general idea of what is going on.  When I hung the first three upside, she waved and said bye bye.  As they each bled out, she wanted to be held and had an unusual sadness to her.  But then, once it's time to finish processing, it's an endless "What dat?"  LoL.  That, my dear, is chicken.  The favorite dish of the house.  Of course, her answer to chicken is always "Eat!"

Ahhh, those city folk.. And a man? Huh.. Well really we are city folk too,
just to know how to process a chciken & fish.. Some dads don't teach their boys..
Actually I can say the same for mine.. That's why I invited them to the processing
class.. They have done a hunt &. Someone caught a 300 pound dear or elk.
Can't remember,
Any way.... We eat chicken, so I think & this is just my opinion, that it is important
to educate yourself..
They were not drawn this year.. Hopefully next year...

 

[Arizonachicken]

Here are my three chicks I got from RRR. They're about 6 weeks old. The Welsummer here was the first to feather out. I was so happy, I thought "Pullett!" Then it grew a giant comb.

Next up is the black Orpington. Slower to feather and decent comb.

Last is the splash Orpington. No comb.

What do you all think? Two boys?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Is anyone interested in giving this Russian Orloff rooster a home? If so, please let me know before dawn tomorrow. He's free if you want to keep him alive for breeding purposes. Otherwise, I have to send him to freezer camp in the morning. He's really a delightful dude and I will terribly miss him. I thought I'd give him a chance though.