Arizona Chickens

[AZChiknGoddess]

Queen Creek in the Rancho Jardines neighborhood.

Well I doubt we have the same rooster dumped then. I'm in Picture Rocks.

 

[cyborg]

Cyborg,

I like that set, but it wouldn't work for me. First, my house is huge, but the AC unit is right smack dab in the middle of my back wall, practically under my master bedroom window. Second, It is visible and can be seen by the neighbors and the HOA police, which is a no-no. That's why I'm building my run low to the ground. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson.


OH...Hey, Folks...I'm Bobby Basham. Without the hat, folks think that I am Morgan Freeman. This may not be a good representation of said subject, but I hear it everywhere, out on the street, store clerks, bank tellers. I'm just trying to look 59 years young. Thank you. --BB

Ha! 58 years young, AND, my girls still love me!


Still kicking around ideas for the new run, What I talked about up above kinda dictates a flat roof, and I'd prefer at least a little slope for rain runoff. I am out in the sticks, so no HOA to worry about, and a little over an acre for a back yard. Whatever I do , I gotta do it quick, so I can get the chickens moved, and the old house sold.

P.S. I'm not really bald, I have to shave my head because I have a cochlear implant that magnetizes to the side of my head. That's why I chose cyborg for a user name.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Ha! 58 years young, AND, my girls still love me!


Still kicking around ideas for the new run, What I talked about up above kinda dictates a flat roof, and I'd prefer at least a little slope for rain runoff. I am out in the sticks, so no HOA to worry about, and a little over an acre for a back yard. Whatever I do , I gotta do it quick, so I can get the chickens moved, and the old house sold.

P.S. I'm not really bald, I have to shave my head because I have a cochlear implant that magnetizes to the side of my head. That's why I chose cyborg for a user name.

Well, Cyborg, you wear the baldness well, and it fits you. My hair is just about slick straight under that cap. No more mini afros for me. My hair used to be almost waist length years ago, and that was my glory. No more...too much maintenance. I am what I am and that's all I am.

I was thinking about some extra diddies like putting rain spouts around the perimeter of the run to drain into a screened 50-gallon drum. Maybe add some solar panels to power some lights and other gadgets up in the camp. Have some 24/7 music out there (I read that they like Classical music and NPR radio...LOL!). The list is endless as far as what I can do to the run, and I think those plans are finalized. You're fortunate to have so much property which offers you an open canvas to do what you need. Please keep us posted on your progress.

I got a few books on coop designs, hoping to borrow some of those ideas and come up with BB's own mix and flavor. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[cyborg]

Yeah, I've already started stashing solar panels, but no battery system yet. I also have a greenhouse with an aquaponics system set up in it, with 2 300 gallon fish tanks. Capturing rainwater would be a definite plus, because I lose a LOT to evaporation. One thing I have going in the greenhouse right now are grape vines, and if I'd known they would grow so fast, I would have planted them along the outside of the run for shade. The new place is a clean slate!

 

[Sill]

When I woke up this morning I thought about her kidney. Remember when we found it we did not think it was one? Not till you opened it, it was smaller than a Banty hen kidney.. Do you remember finding the 2nd one?

No I don't, but we might have missed it.

If they are broody they usually will be protective of the stash, puff up and scream at you when you try to get near the eggs. Oh and consistently on the nest.

Like a raptor!

Thank you for all the recommendations about my new project. Decided to go with blue eggs. Searched around and got 9 Crested Cream Legbar hatching eggs from a breeder in Goodyear, AZ. Set them in the small incubator Friday for a 25th of September hatch date. Really like this new incubator. Totally automated, digital controls, turns the eggs and holds temp to 1/10 of a degree C. Only holds 9 chicken eggs though. Even has a hole on top so can add water every other day without opening. Wife got it here for my anniversary.

What a smart wife!

I found you ladies some nice shoes.

Miguel (my youngest) loves the new NN EE eggs and wanted to keep them so i spent the am blowing out eggs. my cheeks hurt. can i now fill them with anything to keep them from breaking? i was thinking epoxy

These make blowing out egg shells you want to keep simple and easy, and require no breath plus you only need to make one hole. I've had mine for many years. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/blowing-out-emu-eggs-for-crafting I usually use a dremel with a small diamond bit to make the hole, I have more control that way and can make the hole very small.

I have no idea where he came from. The weirdest thing is he just waltzed in and made himself at home. I didn't see him til I was doing a head count because he was nestled in with the rest of the hens and no one was chasing him or anything.

A freeloader! I wonder if someone threw him over your fence knowing you had chickens? Like you wouldn't notice.

 

[moms3cuties]

I found one of my chickens very listless this morning, not able to hold up her head or sit straight, curled up in a corner of the coop. Her breathing seemed normal, clear nose and mouth, not egg bound. Her normally bright red comb was pale. I did not feed yesterday my DH did, so I did not get to observe anything unusual until I found her like that this morning. She did roost in her normal place last night. I called @CityFarm and she came over, we both decided to end her suffering. Thank you @CityFarm for helping me humanely dispatch my chicken! We did a necropsy, found normal looking digestive system, liver, heart, ovary and duct. No tumors. No visible pox. She had yesterday's veggies in her crop not today's and there wasn't much. The only thing we did find was black stuff in her lungs even though she was not gasping and was breathing normally. It was worse in the left lung. Caution, graphic necropsy pics.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Cross section showing black buildup in the lung air spaces. Outer view of same lung.

If anyone can give any feedback on this I would greatly appreciate it! It almost looks like smoker's lung, but I'm not sure what caused it and if that was what really caused her to go downhill so fast.

Sorry my chicken/fowl friend! -hugs for you!

AMDRO question: I have been out/town for several days and our daughter spread amdro in several locations in the back yard. Thankfully, she kept the chickens penned up. DH now wants to let the girls out to run around. Amdro hotline is not open. Does anyone have experience having used this stuff. Worked great on the ant problem. Don't want it to kill our chickens. Thanks to anyone who can help.

IT IS... poisonous. ....I would use coffee grounds instead to take care of the ants that way you don't hurt your chickens.. I myself would never use anything with chemicals since I've gone to organic farming and raising of my chickens and fowl.

since we've had a lot of floods here lately and a storm is coming, I wondered who has flood insurance? who do you use?

yes! Allstate paid for a new roof For bad hail damage for me!!...so I would highly recommend them.

I never leave it where the chickens can get it - I've always treated it like it was poison. You could put a pot over the areas where its sitting in the yard. I have done that and then sweep up the leftovers when I remove the pot after a few weeks.

I wouldn't use...but coffee grounds

Yes I will be selling most of these birds that hatch out. I had these eggs shipped in to test out my new fancy incubator I bought.

congrats! I might help you take a new baby off your hands..

 

[moms3cuties]

How many of ya all would like to do a processing class?

Yes! I'm in! I want to see how to process a chicken for freezer camp etc!

Oh, please...don't talk about moving in and relocating.  The accumulation is just rediculous.
I moved from a tiny, cute 800 spft 2 BR/1 Bath house that I rented for 18 years, into to a large, 4-BR,2-bath, 2-car garage house of about 1,900 sqft.

All the stuff packed up into that little house completely filled the new house...can't see any baseboard anywhere...LOL! A 9-ft concert grand piano, a big Hammond B3 with Leslie and Tone cabinet, huge bedroom furniture and over-stuffed couches, Magnavox console stereos out the ying-yang, enough kitchen equipment and a gazillion cast iron skillets to make one dizzy and mayby open a restaurant, and over 3,000 LP's of classical, gospel, country, Motown, British Invastion,  and who knows what else packed up in this camp.

I've been blessed head over heels.  God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. I've been blessed enough to give away good furniture and electronics to some of my friends and co-workers.

It's amazing how much we collect over the years, and, fortunately, these things come into use down the way. I have everything I need to exist, but would like a few other things (like a new Kitchen-Aid Blender....that's on back-order right now.  Already got my Emeril Deep Fryer from T-Fal).  But for the most part, I am content, and gald that I can wake up and see another day.

Sorry for the rambling, but on a chicken note, I am getting ready to build a sturdy chicken run built like Fort Knox, using pressure-treated lumber and those metal joist thingies you use for building porch decks.  It may be overkill and cost several hundred bucks, but I want something to be built once, and will out live me.

I should have been an architect, having many drawings and plans so far, but I will reveal those down the road. Maybe not unique, but it will have many features plus a screened/covered sitting area to watch some "Chicken TV" with a little park bench and coffee table. Small lights strung around the camp to provide some entertainment until bed time, and 24/7 music piped into the area.

I will share my drawings with you all soon.  This is all from scratch from the top of my bean head, and sure you will enjoy. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

.... sounds like fun, keep us posted!

 

[Sill]

Like @CityFarm I spent the day removing water from my abode. I had standing water on the basement floor and some damp drywall on the basement ceiling. So most of the day I was sopping up water, setting up fans, tearing out drywall...all the fun stuff. The yard was a lake, poor tortoises. Had to lock them in their house and my DH used a sump pump to get rid of some of the water.

The chickens loved all the extra bugs and critters to eat! The water forced all kinds of treats out of the lawn. I found out at least part of the problem with my sick grapefruit tree is that there is an infestation of palo verde beetle larvae eating it's roots! These are grubs the size of tomato horn worms! I found seven drowned grubs in one spot, fed them to the chickens and a little while later I found five more had come up in the same place.

How many of these creepy things can be eating the roots of my grapefruit tree? At least the chickens enjoyed them.

The quail looked like wet rags. I'm not sure if they are dumb and can't figure out how to stay out of the rain or if they really do like to be wet?

 

[moms3cuties]

[quote namch" url="/t/31227/arizona-chickens/49610#post_14064472"]I hope everyone stays safe and off the roads today.  It's nasty out there.  My DH just called - he finally got to work.  It took him 2-1/2 hours to get from west Buckeye to 43rd Ave (normally takes him 35 minutes).  I guess the 1-10 is closed between the 101 and the 17 - he says it looks like a lake, with cars floating instead of boats!
[/quote]
Yes. . It was rough today!

Our kids can stay home today & it won't be marked against them, playing hookie..

Nice to have a day to stay home!

My birds must not be the brightest. Their coop is built up just a few inches off the ground so all is dry although most of the yard is flooded but instead of staying in the coop half of them are standing out in the rain. The funniest was the silkie:
On a normal day...

Like a drowned rat in the rain...

He/she kept shaking to get the water off....news flash, bird, your coop is nice and dry!!!

Funny chickens!
Here's what my white leghorn
Looked like this afternoon,,,,

I have a white Cracker Barrel wooden rocker in front of my pens. I feel like granny from the Beverly Hillbillies.

Must be an epidemic! My next door neighbor just discovered a young Black Copper Marans rooster amid her flock. He just showed up!

Maybe it WAS raining roosters. Lol
I'm thinking I might just sell him and my two Barred Rock hens as a set!

or it Was supposed to be raining dogs and cats But it Was Raining Roosters instead, , lol

 

[moms3cuties]

Like @CityFarm
I spent the day removing water from my abode.  I had standing water on the basement floor and some damp drywall on the basement ceiling.  So most of the day I was sopping up water, setting up fans, tearing out drywall...all the fun stuff.  The yard was a lake, poor tortoises.  Had to lock them in their house and my DH used a sump pump to get rid of some of the water.

The chickens loved all the extra bugs and critters to eat!  The water forced all kinds of treats out of the lawn.  I found out at least part of the problem with my sick grapefruit tree is that there is an infestation of palo verde beetle larvae eating it's roots!  These are grubs the size of tomato horn worms! I found seven drowned grubs in one spot, fed them to the chickens and a little while later I found five more had come up in the same place.  How many of these creepy things can be eating the roots of my grapefruit tree?  At least the chickens enjoyed them.

The quail looked like wet rags.  I'm not sure if they are dumb and can't figure out how to stay out of the rain or if they really do like to be wet?

... lol ,,, I think they're probably both dumb and like being wet. Because mine stayed in their Tree getting rained on all night!