Arizona Chickens

[humbtrfly]

good morning everyone! looks like everyone had a busy weekend same as I. well the coop and run are coming along enough that the girls (they are four weeks old) spent from sunup to sundown in there this weekend. they were so happy to be able to run around. i had to keep a 100 watt red flood light on to keep it warm enough but that seemed to work fine. i left the light on overnight and checked this morning to see how warm it kept it and it was not warm enough for the girls to stay in the coop overnight yet. it got down to about 36 here last night and the coop was 58 at 5:30 this morning. well i am off to get ready for work everyone have a great day!!!! i will post some pic later.
Christi

 

[LarryPQ]

Mahonri- What is that velociraptor? It has extra toes and stumpy legs? Do salmon favorelles have 5 toes? (I think they do...) Just what are you up to over there?

The chicks are darn cute!

I am glad everyone had productive weekends. Yesterday the DH worked on my chicken run while I finished digging up the "older" carrot patch. Then I uncovered the "in-garden, in-process" compost pit, tilled it, and thoroughly mixed it with the carrot patch soil. Covered the ENTIRE area with black fabric and those Big Lots beach mats. (if you wait until winter, Big Lots sells the mats for $.25) I don't feel like battling grass this year, so I am going to let the mixed dirt cook all summer. Showing great restraint, I only planted 2 started watermelon plants--right in the middle. The covered area is a large patch, so I dont mind if the watermelon plants take over.

The "in-garden, in-process" compost pit was chugging along nicely. The only "recognizable" hay was where it was not covered by the old beach mat. SO-it didnt stink. Too bad you can't actually grow 2 worms when you chop one in half with a shovel. I could open a bait shop

Next season's carrots are going to get a WICKED boost from all that chicken poo---but I am going to have to bring in some sand: I find hairy carrots a bit unappetizing. You shouldn't have to shave your veggies.

(too much mulch makes for hairy carrots)

 

[tofuranch]

Quote:
If you in close an area with straw bales and put the light and chicks in there...your chicks can out out now...From someone close by in Chino Valley

 

[LarryPQ]

Quote:
It is gross! I use the hairy ones for soup, but the food processer never gets all the "hairs" . Pull one of those out of your teeth.

 

[tofuranch]

Quote:
It is gross! I use the hairy ones for soup, but the food processer never gets all the "hairs" . Pull one of those out of your teeth.

I agree gross but funny for some reason this morning

Update on my chickens....well the older chicken she is just fine, I am sure that the cold weather is just bugging her

The one with the "bite on the foot" well the swelling has gone down, she is walking better, less infection. She is not out of the woods all the way but she is eating and drinking and hanging out so I am sure we just have to wait now

Mahonri----nice looking birds, thanks for sharing with us. I wish my grass looked like yours, but if it doesn't warm up it isn't going to

Shaun---sounds like you have been busy...you are now a slave to the chickens like most of us are Congrats

 

[humbtrfly]

Quote:
thanks Tofuranch for the suggestion! have a great day!

 

[smjacob]

Quote:
Yea not even sure how I got this many since it definitely wasn't planned but... Ohh Well. They are certainly fun and my whole family has gotten involved with them which is funny so its not hard to take care of them with 4+ adults to look after them.

So once these guys get all healed up and looking pretty I will happily trade or give a few away. Dont want to right now with the health issues

I am hoping My Americaunas are all girls but fear that some if not all are boys but I am no expert so we will just have to wait and see.

Now starting to work on a new much larger permanent coop for the side yard.

Shaun

 

[Menmyrc]

I officially no longer have brooder babies! We got all 46 7-8 week old chicks transferred to the new coop Friday evening. As the sun began to set, they all ran and dogpiled in a corner of the run screaming. We just started tossing, pushing, guiding all of them into the coop where they quickly huddled and fell to sleep with that occasional contented peep they make. I didn't sleep all night.

Saturday morning they were up with the sun and out in the run pecking at the ground. Later that day we had a 7 yr. old and a 9 yr. old boy over to see the chicks. They had a great time chasing the chicks and feeding them carrots from the garden. The chicks handled the visitors well and didn't seemed stressed at all by them. I guided them into the coop at sundown, and they all stayed in there, peeping contentedly.

Yesterday the wind was so bad that they didn't venture out of the coop. A few tried and they couldn't even walk. At about 7:00 the wind died down and they all ran out in unison. I thought I would have a heck of a time getting them back in the coop after being in there all day, but as ut started getting dark they all ran back into the coop together and settled down for the night. I'm so proud of them! I'm thinking the wind helped to drill into their little brains that inside is warm and safe so it was the natural place to be at night.

 

[LarryPQ]

The one sizzle in the CL ad looks like my Daphne

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Forgive me if I mix up some names.

EnjayToo - Congrats on the new nest boxes.

Hurray for doing better chickens.

Monhonri - thanks for the pic's.

Shaun - love the blog. Looking good.

They will like the dust bath. ... 4 adults?

Northerners - Nice to be reminded of different weather. Glad the chicks are doing well up there.

Laree - I wish I could get my garden so well organized. What kind of hen is Daphne?

Cluckin - What an INCREDIBLE deal on Bantums...if only....

Menmyrc - hurray for brooder graduates!

RRR - hope your Dog is fine by now.

UPDATE: Squiggles still has 6 babies. Jumbo is still sitting on eggs. I am worrying a little less.

Mother has a new development at her house. A visiting hen has been coming by in the afternoons to scratch around under the mulberry tree. That hen appeared today with .... count them... 12 babies!!!!! Mother says they appear to be very newly hatched. How the hen found a nesting site that was above the irrigation line is still a mystery. They are exploring her yard and were happy to find the shallow water puddle Mother made for them. 12 babies. Wow.

You can see why the mother hen likes Mothers yard...lots of growing things ....

ETA = well the picture shrank. Mom Hen and some babies are in the center of the picture.