Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Agh, poor girl.. Is she doing better?

I bought a chicken health book at Bookman's today. It's not clear to me if she can transmit Marek's to the other chickens. She seems to be getting worse. One of her claws is staying closed most of the time. My roommate work in a cancer research lab and feels confident in his skills to euthanize her. If she's comfortable through the week we will put her down this weekend. She's such a pretty bird. The difference between the production BPR and the heritage-bred BPR is amazing. It's not just the distinct, clear, narrow barring, but also the doneness of the feathers themselves. They are narrow and lofty. We will be sorry to lose her.

Well shoot, that is never fun.. But I have to tell myself, I eat chicken & it is only fowl.. When I got home to find a chicken so close to death, I called a neighbor that has always done the deed..NO answer.. It was imminent.. I could not see her suffer.. So ugh, there you have it.. I could never do the knife or wring their neck.. Our neighbors that moved out just a while ago gave us some gardening tool, along with a hatchet.. Dreadful.. But just ask any person older than 65, they will tell you stories of the family memeber doing it..

 

[City farm]

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

Where are you located?

Yeah, where? Huh interesting..

 

[desertmarcy]

question, then why do my one sweet potato on my west side of the yard that's from 12 years ago and then my other one thats from maybe 6 years ago are different in color the one from 6 years ago is more orange in it tastes sweeter and the other from 12 years ago is lighter colored more yellow in the flesh. Are they two different types of sweet potatoes? From what I've heard over the years at the Farmers Markets?? Thanks in advance!

Yes cyborg is correct, there are lots of varieties of sweet potatoes. About 6-8 are commonly carried by companies that sell slips but if you look at the Sandhill Preservation website, they have pages and pages of varieties of sweet potatoes! Kind of blows my mind. Regular white potatoes are the same way, lots of different varieties but very few are commonly sold in the supermarkets. In Peru, the markets have piles of all different kinds and colors of "white" potatoes. They are grown widely there, and much more selection than what you find in the U.S.

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

Are you planning on keeping him?

As it turns out, now that the chickens are dry, it looks like a hen with 1/2" spurs. The feathers and barring are much crisper than the production BR's I have so I'm guessing it is a heritage BR. Or at least Heritage BR cross. It is also much heavier than my production BR hens. It looks like a tank.

 

[City farm]

Your coop plans sound interesting.

Actually (get ready for an essay), I was supposed to be designing a small deck next to my covered patio off the family room. Looking out the back sliding doors, my patio is 9 x 12 and there is a dirt spot to the right about 8 feet wide that extends to the neighbor's wall. I want to build a small raised deck (only 8 inches high) and put a small table, grill and some plants. This is just a look out my covered back patio with the red dirt spot to the right to the neighboring wall. My back yard is a pretty good size extending to the left of what you can see for about another 20 feet. It's truly a wasted space serving no purpose, and that would be a perfect place for a grill, etc. I already have a complete set of furniture (still in the box) for the patio, except for my 1970's Magnavox octagon endtable sitting out in the garage. The wasted space to the right next to the neighboring wall: This is without the flooring installed. I would also like to add some lattice work and grow some type of vines around that area. Okay, back to chicken projects. I think a few years ago I was looking at some chain link fencing to build sort of a kennel type structure, but it would run way over $1000 for what I wanted and scrapped that Idea along time ago. Too lazy to go on Craigs List or where ever to find some used stuff. A few days ago, I was re-looking over my deck project, and decided to actually build my own run using 4x4's as posts, 2x8x8 for the base and surrounding planter boxes, and decided to attach these using those joists that you use for the decking. Since the posts are 4 inches wide, I can easily attach those joists and put in whatever 2" wide boards. Basically, this whole thing is an L-shaped 16x16, with that small 8x8 Chicken TV area on the outside. It's whole structure is gonna be alittle bit larger since I will be using 4-inch blocks (those black squares) and joists to connect all the wood. I'm thinking about putting a small planter box there near to door and reduce the size to 8x6, and maybe adding another box beside the area. Everything you see in green are the planter boxes, and should be more than enough for one person. This is definitely enough room for six laying hens. This is an open canvas right now, and I need to design they play areas, branches, dust bowls etc. I tend to work my way from the outside inward and then put the final touches. The top will be in three sections, the whole unit being only 5 feet tall...maybe 2x2x8 with hardware cloth. I'm saying 5 feet because I live in an HOA (Home Owners Assassination). I'm vertically challenged at barely 5'9" on a good day, so I can bend alittle and get in there for cleaning. The WHOLE RUN will be enclosed in hardware cloth, including the hinged tops. No wild birds will get in...burried, prayed over, blessed, holy water, speaking in tongues, you name it. I may have to leave the Word out there in a glass case, to give thanks for what my Pentecostal Gals will provide me...LOL! If I can get through these two projects, that just leaves the coop design. I kinda like those CC-Only coops, supposedly coming out with an "improved" design, but for their asking prices, I may have to wing this project myself, too. I'm a total amateur and like working with wood when I have the time. I don't want the Taj Majal, but I don't wanna look like trailer trash, either, with junk and dead appliances piled all around the camp. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. --BB Bobby Basham Tucson, Arizona

WOW!! e I bet you can't wait for these..

 

[City farm]

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

Yeehaa! You look like you.. A soon to be farmer..

 

[City farm]

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.

If you had a head of hair the chickens would fly up for higher ground.

 

[City farm]

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?

We are loosing our lemon tree in the front yard, I wonder if it could be from those creepy things?? I will have to look..

 

[City farm]

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.

Just an FYI, most coffee is not organic at all. It is one of the most heavily pesticide ridden items we can buy. Most coffee is grown outside of the USA and is only slightly "regulated" against pesticide use and even child labor. I drink Death Wish coffee. It packs a punch and is 100% Organic and Fair Trade. It is priced higher than most coffee but you don't need to drink as much either.

Huh, where do you buy this brand?

 

[City farm]

Just an FYI, most coffee is not organic at all. It is one of the most heavily pesticide ridden items we can buy. Most coffee is grown outside of the USA and is only slightly "regulated" against pesticide use and even child labor. I drink Death Wish coffee. It packs a punch and is 100% Organic and Fare Trade. It is priced higher than most coffee but you don't need to drink as much either.

he is correct when he mentions that using organic coffee grounds is the better way to go for organic gardening And detering ants.
Thanks for jumping in and adding that!

Do your chickens get a buzz from the grounds?