Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Really cool, Gallo

From the photo, it looks like one type of grass. Can you see any mix of grass in there or is it all buffalograss? The website says the mix is 82% buffalograss and only 1% curly mesquite. I talked with a neighbor who has planted native grasses for her 5 desert tortoises, and she reported they liked the curly mesquite best. In fact so much, that they'd eat it to the ground and kept killing it. I may have to browse that website and see if they have pure seeds of grasses, to mix your own preferred mix? Out where I am, grass seed would have to be covered with some sort of wire or net to keep the desert vacuum cleaners---the doves and quail---from eating them all up before germination.

It seems that, at least initially, the grasses were in about the proportions they said they would be. I also bought an additional small bag of curly mesquite to add to increase it's proportions. I have a feeling that the buffalo grass will remain dominant in the mix and probably even increase it's proportional representation because it spreads by runners. It's multiplying much faster than either of the other two species but the blue grama has also been making seeds all summer long. That seed company sells a variety of native grasses and each species can be purchased individually so you could make your own special mix. I think I probably lost a lot of the seeds to the doves and sparrows before they could germinate.

When you first mentioned this grass, I passed the information onto my DH. He said he is willing to give it a try.. Will it grow all year? Or does it need to be re seeded??

Yes, it's supposed to grow all year long. I'm very curious how it will perform over the winter. All three species are perennial, so it shouldn't need re-seeding. They say it will go dormant under drought conditions and will green right up after watering.

 

[moms3cuties]

Gotta be a daily blogger to keep up.. Sometimes we get busy.. However, chicken folks are the best!! Well, really fowl folk..

Thank you, I will try to keep up with my chicken fowl. .. Ooh! I mean chicken friends! ! =D

Hey there!

I'm new to the forum and live in the outskirts of Phoenix. I was hoping to get some tips and pointers from those of you who understand "our" climate.

After considering getting chickens, I'm now leaning toward Coturnix quail (for eggs and possibly meat). My thought was to have them in an outdoor aviary (rather than a coop?) and possibly have doves or diamond doves in there also.

I was wondering how to manage the summer heat -- other than shade and water. I spoke with one person who tried misters for their chickens but said their chickens weren't smart enough to use them. So one question is what is necessary to keep the quail cool enough.

I am also wondering about the flooring of the aviary. We have bare dirt in the area I am considering for the aviary. It has a natural (not landscape) fine gravel on top. Any research I've done on quail (as opposed to chickens) doesn't seem to address this. It is all about small, raised box coops. so I haven't had much luck finding out detail on suitable flooring.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Never had quail but my chickens love the mister and sit under it. My silkie sits under it all day long!

[COOL idea! /B]

You know there is a thread here about house chickens...just sayin'.:cd

Lol. .... I just can't get myself to let all my beauties inside though I don't think I'm up to cleaning the carpets that much!!!

Our welsumers layed her first egg today.. Very eggciting.. Counter clockwise..
Top first welsumers egg
Right silkie
Bottom from@BostonBryce black copper Marans
Left jungle fowl

EGGciting!!

 

[kacklinkelly]

?????? We, AZ BYC IS NOT A CLOSED GROUP. WE WELCOME CALL NEW MEMBERS. You must have made a typo.

I welcome you. I spent years reading and learning about goats, still do not have goats, but it have chickens. Even if I had given up my 2 girls on this trip I would not give up BYC. I WILL HAVE A SMALL FLOCK AGAIN.

Lady - it is so good to hear from you and about your travels!

 

[kacklinkelly]

Just put the 5 chickens back into there coop, they enjoyed there time outside they mostly stayed under that bush, on the front porch and around the front of the house, will be adding a few more with them tomorrow mornin.

I remember when I first started letting our girls free range in the back yard. It makes me laugh now. I used to let them out for a few hours a day and I would be outside with a rake in my hand in case a hawk or anything came around for a snack! I was a bit obsessed.

 

[moms3cuties]

Fyi-I have one of my two white leghorns that Fly over the fences just to come to the front yard and say hello to all the neighbors and sometimes to pick my dining room window to let me know she wants me to feed her again, lol!!

....this is why I made her my avatar she's the one that was getting into my Front yard & since my chicken seems to come out and meet all the neighbors and company, my neighbor Suggested I create an Egg store for her asMy Mascot, named..."All about chicken,"...for a store since l
"Chickles," our Leghorn chicken seems to come out and meet all the neighbors and company daily...and of course this is in spite of the second gate /fence I built to keep her from getting into my garden! the little stinker!!

 

[moms3cuties]

Ooh NO!!!

I HAVE 4 Roo's! Yikes!

 

[moms3cuties]

Let me know if Someone needs a roo to breed their hens with! !

 

[Sill]

Let me know if Someone needs a roo to breed their hens with! !

What kind of roos?

 

[City farm]

OMG I have become a victim of chicken math! I took a whole day yesterday and drove from Tucson to Chino Valley intending on purchasing 5 show quality Silkies. I came home with 13!

Yeeehaaa!! Now were talk'n..

 

[Sill]

?????? We, AZ BYC IS NOT A CLOSED GROUP. WE WELCOME CALL NEW MEMBERS. You must have made a typo.

I welcome you. I spent years reading and learning about goats, still do not have goats, but it have chickens. Even if I had given up my 2 girls on this trip I would not give up BYC. I WILL HAVE A SMALL FLOCK AGAIN.

Yes it is an open group, plus peeps that are not members of BYCs can read everything on the forum.

Thanks for the info! If we do the aviary, it will be tall enough to walk in, so over 6' high. Putting out pans of water and having hidey places won't be a problem.

I have more questions, but before I get into too much detail with those...

...do you know where we can acquire some coturnix eggs to sample how they taste? Before my hubby jumps on board with the keeping quail idea, he wants to see if he will even like the eggs. If he doesn't, then we'll be going back to the idea of raising chickens. If he does, well then I'll know which way to go and can ask the right questions.

Most Asian grocery stores carry them. Local to me LeeLee and Mehkong both carry fresh and canned quail eggs. Get the fresh eggs for a true taste test. To me they taste like chicken eggs, maybe a bit creamier because there is more yolk to white. Don't over cook them, they are much smaller than chicken eggs!

You can't crack quail eggs open like chicken eggs, they must be cut open if they are fresh (or just peeled if hard boiled.)

Or use quail egg cutters if you decide to get your own quail, they are much faster than using a knife but most people already own a knife.

BTW I have the same kind of cutter and it is awesome. If you get quail for eggs you need to get one of these. Much faster, cleaner and easier to use than a knife. Almost like they were made for the purpose!