Arizona Chickens

[roostereggs]

We have 32 eggs in the Brinsea for our Chickmas! It is day 8 and I will probably be culling a few today to make more room. Last night they were the size of small blueberries and swimming!

2/3 of my eggs are shipped and the box was damaged, so I am in awe at how great they are doing. I ordered CCL/super blue layers and black/blue Marans.

I may have some extra chicks available on the 28th if I hatch too many...mostly roos, though...my goal was a second flock of 10-12 but I have 23+ embryos. Hopefully I can sex some of them as I am needing layers. Dh wants me to raise the roos for freezer camp...but he isn't paying the feed bill LOL. We also have some barnyard mix fertilized eggs that were 100% fertilized x2 months, until last week. I will check the fertilized rate tonite of the 11 I have in the bator. I can't remember but I think 3/11 were clear.

 

[wondertwinpower]

Hey everybody. Is there a lab in the Tucson area that does necropsys? I have a 5-6 month old pullet that I'm very very concerned may have Marek's. She has been declining over the past 6 days or so, and currently can't stand or walk at all and has little interest in food. Has anyone in Tucson gotten a Marek's diagnosis? If so, how did you go about finding out?

 

[Demosthine]

Today is a joyously sad day. We will process our second turkey and allow him to rest until Christmas, where he will make his big debut amongst the remaining glorious feast. He appears noticeably larger than Thanksgiving was, but it may just be the cold weather and extra plumage. I'll post some before, during and after photos once I'm done.

On just plain sad news, we realized that our smallest chick from a few months ago has not been present lately. She was so small and adventurous, I have no idea where she could be. She loved being inside the house and on the side yard, away from the rest of the flock. It's a curious thing, though. Curious indeed.

And we bought an Angel Red and Wonderful Pomegranate bush yesterday. I need to get them in a planter until I can cut down our large tree and three smaller bushes that they will be replacing. I also have a Wonderful that was past the point of ripe, so I think I'm going to try to sprout a bunch of the seeds. Maybe I can give away or sell some of them to next year. Reading up, they sound like very good choices for our area here in Phoenix. We get colder at our house than he does in the Southeast Valley, so hopefully we'll get a better fruit production, too. My mouth is watering at the thought of it!

Happy Sunday everyone!

 

[alohachickens]

Demo, I was going to check in with you and ask how the Sussex turned out. I had one turn out just exactly what I was looking for, what a shame the rest of the Ideal order was so messed up! Because she's just awesome. Thanks so much for your help with them.




Look at how much white spotting she ended up with! She's the one in front, the one to the left is another Ideal hen and on the right is from Stromberg's.

 

[alohachickens]

I had one of my hens go broody, she snuck off and hatched out 8 babies in a junk pile on the side of the house!


This is her and the "daddy". They were very much in love. (No, seriously! She refused the coop and spent all her days with him!)

I can't wait to see how the peeps turn out. I will probably keep several of the babies!

 

[roostereggs]

I had one of my hens go broody, she snuck off and hatched out 8 babies in a junk pile on the side of the house!


This is her and the "daddy". They were very much in love. (No, seriously! She refused the coop and spent all her days with him!)

I can't wait to see how the peeps turn out. I will probably keep several of the babies!

Awwwwww, great photos!!!

Thanks!

 

[Demosthine]

Demo, I was going to check in with you and ask how the Sussex turned out. I had one turn out just exactly what I was looking for, what a shame the rest of the Ideal order was so messed up! Because she's just awesome. Thanks so much for your help with them.

Look at how much white spotting she ended up with! She's the one in front, the one to the left is another Ideal hen and on the right is from Stromberg's.

They are both growing very well last I saw. I don't believe they are laying yet, though. We had two friends that fell madly in love with them and adopted them out, but they are alive and well. I'm still not a fan of the mottling, but she absolutely loves it. I'm glad at least one ended up to be what you wanted, especially after that fiasco!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I had one of my hens go broody, she snuck off and hatched out 8 babies in a junk pile on the side of the house!


This is her and the "daddy". They were very much in love. (No, seriously! She refused the coop and spent all her days with him!)

I can't wait to see how the peeps turn out. I will probably keep several of the babies!

Those chicks are adorable!

 

[alohachickens]

OMG, I can't believe I am even typing this becuase it is so freaky! Someone broke in and stole some of my chicks last night!

That is not a typo . . . they stole CHICKS.

I went out to feed, and I had just moved about a dozen three week old chicks into this rabbit hutch in my coop. They were moved out there day before yesterday. I came out there, and the huch door is hanging open! I double-checked it last night so I know I didn't leave it open.

Then, I look beside the coop, and OMG - someone cut a hole in the fence!!! Like about 18" in diameter!

BUT - the open latch is the MIDDLE of the coop, not the latch next to the fence. So I look up, and we have chicken wire attached to our chain link (to keep the hens from flying into the alley) and it's been lifted up!

It appears they tried to cut a hole, then just decided to climb over the fence! ***!!!

It could have been so much worse, they left my adult hens and roos alone, thank God. And the hen shown in the pics with her babies - she was in the cage next door!!!

My boyfriend already wired the hole shut, I wish I got pics before he did so you guys could see it:


See the funky wiring there? That's the hole. I didn't even think to take a pic of the top of the fence before he fixed that. I should have just because this is so bizarre.

ANYWAY, the missing chicks are a Blue Silkie, and a Buff Sussex with a green leg band. No pics, darn it, but both were three weeks as of yesterday. They also took several Aloha chicks that were buff and striped. About six of the dozen chicks are missing.

Seriously, folks, I sell chicks for just $1 to $2 each. You didn't need to break into my backyard for that. Tell me this is not the weirdest chicken story you're going to hear for a while.

Location of the theft is 67th Ave and Van Buren, in case you see a guy on a street corner trying to pawn a Blue Silkie and a buff chick with a green leg band. LOL. ("Pssst, hey there, I got a great deal on a Silkie for you . . .")

 

[MandyFitch]

OMG, I can't believe I am even typing this becuase it is so freaky! Someone broke in and stole some of my chicks last night!

That is not a typo . . . they stole CHICKS.

I went out to feed, and I had just moved about a dozen three week old chicks into this rabbit hutch in my coop. They were moved out there day before yesterday. I came out there, and the huch door is hanging open! I double-checked it last night so I know I didn't leave it open.

Then, I look beside the coop, and OMG - someone cut a hole in the fence!!! Like about 18" in diameter!

BUT - the open latch is the MIDDLE of the coop, not the latch next to the fence. So I look up, and we have chicken wire attached to our chain link (to keep the hens from flying into the alley) and it's been lifted up!

It appears they tried to cut a hole, then just decided to climb over the fence! ***!!!

It could have been so much worse, they left my adult hens and roos alone, thank God. And the hen shown in the pics with her babies - she was in the cage next door!!!

My boyfriend already wired the hole shut, I wish I got pics before he did so you guys could see it:


See the funky wiring there? That's the hole. I didn't even think to take a pic of the top of the fence before he fixed that. I should have just because this is so bizarre.

ANYWAY, the missing chicks are a Blue Silkie, and a Buff Sussex with a green leg band. No pics, darn it, but both were three weeks as of yesterday. They also took several Aloha chicks that were buff and striped. About six of the dozen chicks are missing.

Seriously, folks, I sell chicks for just $1 to $2 each. You didn't need to break into my backyard for that. Tell me this is not the weirdest chicken story you're going to hear for a while.

Location of the theft is 67th Ave and Van Buren, in case you see a guy on a street corner trying to pawn a Blue Silkie and a buff chick with a green leg band. LOL. ("Pssst, hey there, I got a great deal on a Silkie for you . . .")