Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

Looks like a great plan! When do you get started or have you?

Sill, I'm still flip-flopping my plans.

It's still basically three 8x8 modules, actually four with that lower corner being reserved for the Chicken-TV, and I downsized it to 6x6. I don't need a huge space to sit out there and drink a few cold ones and watch their antics.

My little Chicken-TV area will snug right into that lower right-hand corner, and I would like a lattice work/railing with a row hedges behind that for a little privacy. Not much, being only 5-ft tall. I also want to add some pavers to lead to the back patio. Sometimes, it gets alittle muddy out there.

I went out again today and measured my back yard (HOA neighborhood), and I have plenty of space to do what I want. It's not drawn to scale, but more than enough room for my 16x16 ft structure. I knew the space was a pretty good size, but, Umm, 50x20x42x34x49 will leave plenty of room for any additional planter boxes for veggies, compost etc., so you can see my Four Projects:

Looking out my back sliding doors, patio 9x12, side deck 8x12 to the right in lower corner to the neighboring wall...



This is the overall view of my back yard...good size for my needs.
All the hot mess in one pic...LOL!



The Run.....


Chicken TV (two pics drawn on same page) with brace for Lattice work,
and some hedges in the empty planter box behind the little chair you can barely see in the pic....


The Patio off the family room....


And the side deck to the right of the patio bordering the neighbor wall.


Yeah, I got my hands full. I may need to call on the One from Bethlehem for this project. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[City farm]

 
hahaha  I love my birds I currently have around 55-60 chickens mostly BBS, Buff, Wheaten and BW Ameraucanas, NN EE and some egg layers. I also have Muscovy, Cayuga, Khaki Campbell, and a few mixed ducks, plus a pair of Turkeys, Toulouse geese and a tuft Roman goose. so yeah my DH is thinking I am a little bird obsessed lol

I have been told I can't have a turkey or a goat until we move to a place that has more space. I think we have plenty of space, but he wins because I need his building skills for the extra pens and he refuses.  I guess I will stick with a couple more hens if I can find any.   man, I really like these little smiley guys! 

I like the smiley guys too.
. There is always free hens, just not young or a breed you might want..

 

[houdiniduck]

I like the smiley guys too.
. There is always free hens, just not young or a breed you might want..

Oh I don't even mind paying for them, I'm just being picky about colors/paterns. Hahahah. I could get more buffs, but now I want to add some color and possibly a polish? Those are the ones with the crazy fro feathers? Yup. Chicken obsessed. Hahahah

 

[City farm]

 
No more white AMs, they're long gone. My Blue Wheaten AM roo is 9 years old , the 3 girls I have left are wheatens - 1 is almost 9 yrs, 1 is 8 yrs and the other is not quite 6 yrs. I'm at the point where I'm just enjoying them. I used to breed and focus on improving the breeds I had, I still keep the breeds, and even colors, separate and the EEs, like their great great grandmothers, still fly over the fencing to every pasture except the English Cuckoo Orpington's. Maybe the coloration puts them off? Or they really look like fluffy, feathery basketballs? 

I do like the AMs myself, just something about them. My favorite was a white AM hen, she used to fly over the fences and be out the backdoor begging for attention and treats. I was heartbroken when I lost her but she did live a long life. I did lose quite a few to predators but that was when I was in Northern AZ and had way more predators than down here. I don't have electrical ribbon at the top of the fence nor electrical wire at the bottom, which I had up there. Also, had the LGDs running the outer perimeter fencing (20 acres), different llamas in the inner perimeter and the very center of those fields had the fencing and coops for the chickens. Orpingtons in the female llama area, AMs in the gelding pasture, bachelor pen was in the intact male field (I always kept backup roosters in case I were to lose any).

I like your farm name! I'll be waiting for updates on your hatch!

we just got our first 2 alpacas. not llamas but close. we have a male and a female and my son is in love...lol they live with the goats. yes all my AM are separated by color variety and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of the white AM. I am so excited to get some. The next fav is my Buffs. just like a BO with muffs and beard lol. My son was hoping they would lay golden eggs. I will keep everyone up to date on my hatch but these eggs are 11 days old so we shall see.

Wow, I can't wait to come and visit. Post photos.. Our camper is on the list. As soon as the radiator is fixed we are coming that way.. We absoulutly love alpacas.. There fur is expensive.. They are bratts, when you do something they don't like.. They think their spit is a scare tactic..

 

[City farm]

How much were those steel panels you have on top, and where did you get them from?

I would be a bit reluctant to use PVC. It's not stable in the sun and will become brittle over time, especially in our environment. I get what you're looking for in a transitional place though. Do keep in mind that such a tractor will be terribly vulnerable to predators compared with a fixed coop unless you take extra precautions. Having said all that, I made a similar structure to use as a day brooder for my first chicks. Since then it's been mostly used as a place to be out of the sun or rain while they're free-ranging. I used 6" X 6" concrete re-mesh as the structural material to make the hoop shape and I covered that with hardware cloth. The re-mesh can be bought as panels (4' X 7') or as longer 4' wide rolls. I think the panels are about $8 at HD. I used two panels to cover the 4' X 8' wood frame I made, which resulted in a hoop 32" high. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR]

I have seen those metal roofs in different ally ways, people throw the coolest stuff out.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Hi Everyone,

My pen faces west and I thought it might be a cool idea to grow some vines up the fences to give the chickens some extra shade from the low western sun. But I have two questions:

1. What vines are safe for chickens? Morning glories? Jasmine? My mom has had really good luck growing these up her pergola this monsoon season.
2. Will the chickens just eat them before they can really take hold?

Also, I got some milk crates for free and had a good idea to make a lip. I bought a pop-up mesh laundry basket on clearance at Target. It has covered, flexible wire for a skeleton. So, I'm cutting out squares with two sides of wire (covered). I'm folding it in half and inserting into the crate (on its side) with half on the floor of the crate then folding up to make the lip. I'm just zip tying the top edges in place. I put hay inside, which weights down the mesh. Can you imagine it? I'll take a pic tomorrow. I'm pretty proud of myself.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I had 3 Anatolians, all females and they protected the chickens, alpacas, sheep and goats. All my neighbors had problems with bobcats either wiping out their entire flock or almost but I never did except for a few of the AMs that would fly over the fence off my property and never return, I figured a coyote or bobcat got them. I had quite a few coyotes too. My only concern was with the big barn owls and all the hawks but I had quite a few juniper trees for the chickens to hide under. I like the Anatolians because they deal with the heat better than the Pyrs, Maremmas and Kuvasz. Pet Allies up in Show Low might still have some Maremmas looking for homes, they're all purebreds. They came from a breeder and Pet Allies ended up taking in all 90+, adults and pups and were looking for homes for them. That was summer of '13 but there still may be some left in their foster homes. They were reaching out to all AZ rescue groups to see if anyone would adopt or foster.

I wish I could get another dog, but my boyfriend is just rolling his eyes with all the chicken math happening. He thinks I'm on an OCD binge. I suppose its possible ... but it is cheaper than horses. And the chickens don't come inside like cats and dogs. He should count his blessings ... LOL

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hey everyone!
I still have the seed box and will be coming down to the Valley Oct. 1-3 or thereabouts. My granddaughter was finally born! She was due on the 9th and made her appearance on the 21st. I can officially say I am old now that I'm a Grandma!

I should be in Chandler area on the afternoon of the 1st then at Mayo Clinic North Phoenix on the 2nd and hope to head home either that afternoon or the following morning of the 3rd. Whoever wants it PM me or quote me here and we can meet up somewhere or I can get it back to @CityFarm since I think she is hosting a party mid-October.

I got some great seeds and added some of my own to the box.

Weather is finally cooling down. I got 4 eggs a couple days in a row, then back to only 2 today. My Leticia has had no feathers on her neck all summer. I though maybe she was getting pecked or someone was pulling them out. I keep expecting them to grow back. I check them all the time for mites or lice and nothing. Other than that, no signs of molting over here.

 

[a little chiken]

I wish I could get another dog, but my boyfriend is just rolling his eyes with all the chicken math happening. He thinks I'm on an OCD binge. I suppose its possible ... but it is cheaper than horses. And the chickens don't come inside like cats and dogs. He should count his blessings ... LOL

hmm I have chickens in my house. he would freak out here. lol

 

[702marine]

I'm not going to travel the ally ways here in vegas. Lol...

I have seen those metal roofs in different ally ways, people throw the coolest stuff out.