Arizona Chickens

[Macboat]

Ducklings but no ducks laying yet. Those are all from my Ameraucanas, wheatons, 1 RIR, 1 Ancona, 2 Crested and 4 silkie mixes. I have about 19 laying hens right now and about 20 chicks in various stages of growth.

My back still hurts but I am moving around today so will be back to normal soon.

48 eggs in two days (yes, I counted twice) ! you gotta have more than 19 big girls....

 

[a little chiken]

48 eggs in two days (yes, I counted twice) ! you gotta have more than 19 big girls....

It is possible that my 2 five month old Turken/Ameraucana hens have started to lay but I have not seen the tale tale signs of a new egg layer. I have a couple of my hens that lay late afternoon. I collect every mid day (from noon to 2:00). I collected Monday around noon when I go out to spray the coops down and then I fell on Tuesday so I did not collect Tuesday or Wednesday and We collected at 9:00 am this morning after dropping my kids at school. I only have 15 in my big coop and the 4 silkie crosses are in with the chicks and my 5 month old Turken crosses. I guess you could say 2.5 days since I collect mid day. But yes 4 doz is what we got. A few were broken.

 

[pipemum]

This is our automatic watering system with gravity feed. We love it. It also stays way cleaner.

I can't wait to get mine set up. Is it hooked to a 5-gallon bucket or something bigger?

While I'm working on setting up the cups, I'm sure I'll need to go to Lowes or Home Depot for some parts...where I'll also pick up pieces needed for a pvc feeder for the meatie coop. They have 3-bucket type things hanging in there (2 waterers, 1 feed bucket) and they need all the room they can get. Now all the big stuff will go on the outside. Plus it will make life so much easier for their care taker when we go out of town here and there. I'm not going to do an outside feeding system for the layers--the hanging feeder is perfect for them.

 

[a little chiken]

I can't wait to get mine set up. Is it hooked to a 5-gallon bucket or something bigger?

While I'm working on setting up the cups, I'm sure I'll need to go to Lowes or Home Depot for some parts...where I'll also pick up pieces needed for a pvc feeder for the meatie coop. They have 3-bucket type things hanging in there (2 waterers, 1 feed bucket) and they need all the room they can get. Now all the big stuff will go on the outside. Plus it will make life so much easier for their care taker when we go out of town here and there. I'm not going to do an outside feeding system for the layers--the hanging feeder is perfect for them.

Yes it is a 5 gallon bucket. We bought ours as a kit and my husband installed it but you can purchase the cups and make your own. We are building 3 more coops and all of our coops will have this watering system.
I am thinking of doing fermented feed for my layers but not sure yet. I am just wondering what to use to feed them in if I do. I think it will stick to the sides of my hanging feeder but I am not sure. I also free feed my chickens their lay mash and their crushed egg shell. I am not sure if fermented feed can sit out or not. I have not found answers to these questions yet.

 

[pipemum]

Yes it is a 5 gallon bucket. We bought ours as a kit and my husband installed it but you can purchase the cups and make your own. We are building 3 more coops and all of our coops will have this watering system.
I am thinking of doing fermented feed for my layers but not sure yet. I am just wondering what to use to feed them in if I do. I think it will stick to the sides of my hanging feeder but I am not sure. I also free feed my chickens their lay mash and their crushed egg shell. I am not sure if fermented feed can sit out or not. I have not found answers to these questions yet.

FF won't work in a hanging feeder. I use the regular dry feed in the hanging feeder, and FF in the mornings on an old plant saucer. The FF can sit out. I've used chick feed, layer feed, meat bird feed and all fermented just fine. Pellets, crumbles and mash, it doesn't matter.

 

[pipemum]

Any tips for dyeing fresh brown Easter eggs? Of course they'll be hardboiled. Last year I had a hard time getting the dye to "stick," it would just wipe off with a fingertip. Should i wash the eggs first to get the bloom off before boiling? Boiling alone did not help last year. I prefer using the regular store kits for coloring as this is already a process and I don't really want to be mixing my own colors and vinegar and such, lol!

eta: oh, fine, I think I will mix up my own vinegar and food color dyes since it's not much harder than dropping a PAAS tablet in vinegar. What I won't be doing...making my own dye from beet juice, turmeric, dandelion flowers!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I am going to build a separate coop for them. I already asked my amazing husband. he laughed and said ok so yes I can keep a rooster and reasonably 15 hens with the size of my coops. I like big coops since I cannot free range them. I am so excited to try this new breed.

Thank you!!!

as for water, I love my gravity fed 5 gallon bucket with cups. so clean and really easy to use. If you have a few of them when you have to leave the only thing the sitter will have to do is fill the bucket. I also leave out pans of water when it gets hot. They sometimes drink the dirty water but my chickens prefer to drink from the cups. I will be installing cups in all my coops this summer.

Can you take a picture of your watering system please?

eta: I saw the pics of the coop side of the waterer. Would it be too much trouble to show the bucket side as well? Thanks

Pipemum is right about the ff in a gravity feeder. I don't offer dry food at all, I only feed ff in a trough style feeder morning and afternoon. You can use any type of feed.

 

[a little chiken]

Can you take a picture of your watering system please?

eta: I saw the pics of the coop side of the waterer. Would it be too much trouble to show the bucket side as well? Thanks

Pipemum is right about the ff in a gravity feeder. I don't offer dry food at all, I only feed ff in a trough style feeder morning and afternoon. You can use any type of feed.

Sure I will go take pics of the bucket on the outside of their coop. It didnt show well from this am because of where the sun was.

Thank you so much for the info on the FF. So you and Pipemum both like the FF?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
When I first saw this I thought it was a cup. Looking at it now, I think it'd be the best option for LKD.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Any tips for dyeing fresh brown Easter eggs? Of course they'll be hardboiled. Last year I had a hard time getting the dye to "stick," it would just wipe off with a fingertip. Should i wash the eggs first to get the bloom off before boiling? Boiling alone did not help last year. I prefer using the regular store kits for coloring as this is already a process and I don't really want to be mixing my own colors and vinegar and such, lol!

eta: oh, fine, I think I will mix up my own vinegar and food color dyes since it's not much harder than dropping a PAAS tablet in vinegar. What I won't be doing...making my own dye from beet juice, turmeric, dandelion flowers!