Arizona Chickens

[gckiddhouse]

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Is this your brooder????

I want one like that!!! Did you build it?

 

[gckiddhouse]

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Yes, I agree, way scarier than a snake... Hope they caught said man. Too bad the dog didn't.

 

[Menmyrc]

That's scarier than a snake.
Did they catch them?
People shouldn't be messing with other people's animals!

No they didn't. They apparently scattered. This has been an ongoing problem for these people - they dump the water troughs over, etc. Never really do any real damage or harm. Just make their presence known and cause some stress. I'm thinking it's probably someone they know or knew who has a grudge.​

 

[redrocketrooster]

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Yes, I agree, way scarier than a snake... Hope they caught said man. Too bad the dog didn't.

Things like this make me appreciate that my four dogs are insane. They are two very different extremes but never in the middle. If anybody ever comes into our home/yard unannounced they would be ripped into pieces. Last year we had a kid try to hop our fence at three in the morning because he THOUGHT he forgot his jacket in our yard. Our boy decided that wasn't ok and tore his shirt off trying go for the kids neck. The kid was fine, just scratched up and the cops came out and everything.

Our male is the biggest baby too. He cries when you aren't touching him and tries to sneak into our beds at night.

 

[pdx2phx]

gckiddhouse,

this is their new coop (brooder?) I'm not sure on terminology

The BF actually ordered it from Ebay I think. Originally we were just going to build one (he's very handy) and then all of a sudden he told me one was on order.....must have sounded easier to assemble rather than to build

It went together easily and seems pretty well designed. So far there is one small thing I'd change (where the hinges go on the box access). Who knows...maybe I'll have more complaints later, but so far so good....

The roof has a hinge top, and there are two drop-down doors and some slide open vents. The side you can't see has three smallish nest boxes that have a separate hinging roof. Once we get another roof structure built over the whole thing (probably this weekend) we'll also fence in a small run. We plan on letting them roam once they get used to our yard and know where home is....

Any recommendations on this idea? Are we dumb for thinking they'll stay? We also have a large Koi pond and and a pool. The chicks don't have flight feathers clipped and can jump/flap pretty high now. Do you all clip feathers? If so, do you do both wings? I clip my parrotlets flight feathers but they still fly very well. I have heard some folks only clip one wing on chickens...what is the reasoning on that?

thanks & TGI(almost)F!

 

[gckiddhouse]

The will stay. They don't go far from home. If you have dual purpose birds, they aren't as likely to venture over a tall fence, though they might. Usually if they do, they want to come right back! If you have slightly built birds, like a leghorn, they will go over the fence. Very independent guys, those leghorns. Probably will come back, but we lost one of ours this way. The neighbor's dog got her.

Given the top view, I assumed that they were in a brooder (the home for the babies with the warm light and all), but now that you explain, I can see that the birds are bigger than I first saw and this is their coop! It is very nice.

Clip one wing so that they can't fly evenly. They go sideways and can't get any height.

Mahonri, I took some pics tonight. Let me get them uploaded...

 

[gckiddhouse]

He is mature enough to be trying to mount anything that walks by. The poor youngsters don't know what he is trying to do to them. Silly birds.

Here he is.

And the two boys together

 

[gckiddhouse]

While I am sharing pics, check out this cuteness!!

And this is a Policana baby getting a little something on it's head!! They are starting to get some laced feathers on their shoulders.

 

[gckiddhouse]

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Thanks, btw. I think he's pretty handsome! Emailed you back...

Policanas - Well, one was very yellow and the other very white, so either that is just two different expressions of their genes, or one is a pullet and one a roo. I hope for pullets, too!

So, hey all, here are my EEs from Mahonri's flock. Any votes on gender???

EE #1

EE #2 (The one with the black head)

EE #3

 

[Sam The Yam]

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Not too long ago my daughter said, "Dad, there's a parakeet in our backyard". Sure enough there was a green/yellow parakeet hanging out at the coop getting free food and water. Must have escaped from somewhere in the neighborhood. It is out there quite often, I've got close to catching it but it is really a slick mover!