Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Have any of you ever hatched a Silkie chick in this color?

It came from my Silkie pen that has a white rooster a black rooster and white blue black and splash hens. I know the white rooster is blue based because he has a blue chest feather. Strange color chick for a BBS pen.

Agh, how precious.. No ave not..

 

[City farm]

I'm near Ina and Silverbell. The Tucson Mts. have a very healthy bobcat population plus there is a big wash that cuts across the back side of my property that connects from Saguaro Nat'l Monument to the Santa Cruz River, a major wildlife corridor. I have had major bobcat kills before (and always caught them) but none since this poultry house has been finished. I suppose it could be something else, but not sure if any of the other predators around here would kill so many and leave them. Coyotes usually kill and take what they want and I don't think we have any neighborhood dogs running loose at night, at least I hope not. Surely they would have been up here before now if so.

I'm at Sandario and Orange Grove. Pretty much just over the Mtn from you. I had a bobcat here and a cougar. From the sounds of the attack I would guess dogs. Nothing like a pack of dogs to go on a killing spree just for fun. A long time ago I used to have rabbits and a huge lab mix came from 3 miles away and killed 23 of them. I would never have known but it got inside a rabbit cage and the door closed on it. It had a tag with the owners name. He was unhappy that we had shot his dog. I also had a lab mix and a shepherd mix get into a duck pen and kill 19 of 24 just for a good time.

I bet his 3 dogs have done other bad things.. now 2.. Dd they say they were out all the time?if so he really replace your flock.. Plus he is lucky to even have the 2

 

[desertmarcy]

My DH uses a hand held grinder to cut welded wire, it sure saves the hands! It's faster too. Anyone that keeps animals and makes enclosures should have one.

Wow, thanks for that tip! I have one and just never occurred to me to use it to cut the wire!

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

I bet his 3 dogs have done other bad things.. now 2.. Dd they say they were out all the time?if so he really replace your flock.. Plus he is lucky to even have the 2

We charged the guy for all the animals. It was still a terrible waste of quality breeding stock. Just like Marcy's Cockrels.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Marcia, I was telling my neighbor about your predator attack, and how you thought it was a bobcat. He thought for a minute and said "no, I don't think it's a bobcat. It sounds more like raccoons. Or dogs. Or a fox." A light bulb went off in my head, because you've mentioned having fox around your property this summer. If you've set traps it will be interesting to see what shows up. Keep us posted!

 

[K9Dave]

I haven't seen ours play with anyone. It's very shy and young and skinny. I know it sticks around because there is always water available in my yard from several sources. I don't feed it, maybe I should? I don't think my DH wants to spend money feeding a cat that isn't ours. Good idea for a young cat to get used to the animals that belong. Do you think a resident cat would keep the feral cats away? Or is it the more the merrier with cats? I've never had an outdoor cat, mine have always been indoor only cats.

I've only had outside cats until my wife's inside cat now. It doesn't have front claws and she's afraid for it. I already have food for the cat that we have and an outside cat will supplement his source of food with goodies it finds.

I feed our feral girl. I'd really like to get her spayed so I'm working on that. She continues to do her job with rodents and snakes. She lets me pet her - kinda - no picking up or sitting on laps, etc - but no one else can get near her. She knows where her food is and when I feed. She takes care of the chicken pasture too. Does not bother the chickens and in fact have found her lounging around on the wet ground with the chickens during the horrid heat. She is very curious and about 3 years old - so I've often wondered if we could get another kitten in a year or so that she can train for the job! I do enjoy watching her.

I don't think there's a need for one to train another. Seems if you just get a kitten from a hunting mother, that's enough. I saw some live just tonight under a scrap wood pile. I really need to get this kitten going. Once they get started on your feed they're tough.

Oh no! How demoralizing. Do you have a wire apron around the bottom to prevent diggers?

I dug my trench halfway around the run and coop just today to lay aprons down. We have some rabbits and want them to roam the run:coop so it had to be done.

Our broody Moma hen "tiny" the smaller jungle fowl hatched out the barnyard mix.. & the 3 French bresse blue or slash from Greenfire farms are pipping!!! So eggciting e I had to do nothing!! Now that's what I am talking about...

woohoo

My DH uses a hand held grinder to cut welded wire, it sure saves the hands! It's faster too. Anyone that keeps animals and makes enclosures should have one.

Whatever color it is its adorable!

I use this same type Angle Grinder and that's what I'm using to cut my panels. Make sure and get Staniless Steel Cutoff Wheels for extra performance. They'll zip through it like butter. The thinner discs can get the cut closer to the welds and is also made for grinding too so you can clean up the cuts as you go. Discs are maybe $6-$7. Thinner will cut faster with its counter part (thicker disc) cutting a little slower but has more meat on it to last a little longer. They make these Angle Grinders battery powered now which is amazing. Will def be my next tool purchase.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
I have an angle grinder similar to this and can't find thin cutting wheels to fit it. They flop around because they are too thin to tighten. It is frustrating. The thicker cutting wheels work fine but it is impossible to cut close with them and they waste a lot of metal cutting such a wide swath. I am open to suggestions from those who are more tool knowledgeable than I am. Mine is a heavy duty angle grinder. I think it takes a 4" wheel. Might be 4 1/2" - I will check when it is daylight. No light in the shed.

 

[K9Dave]

I have an angle grinder similar to this and can't find thin cutting wheels to fit it.  They flop around because they are too thin to tighten.  It is frustrating.  The thicker cutting wheels work fine but it is impossible to cut close with them and they waste a lot of metal cutting such a wide swath.  I am open to suggestions from those who are more tool knowledgeable than I am.  Mine is a heavy duty angle grinder.  I think it takes a 4" wheel.  Might be 4 1/2" - I will check when it is daylight. No light in the shed.

You have to make sure that you have the right bits on the grinder to hold the disc. The best place to find discs and someone to help with it is a Welders Supply Store. There should be 2 different kinds of discs. One is threaded and screws on the grinder and the other just has a whole that the hardware fastens the disc down from free spinning. Can you show me a pic of your grinders head with a disc on? Sometimes the bits just need reversing to fit another disc.

 

[a little chiken]

I am so unbelievably excited!!! I have 2 Ameraucana eggs that I got and am incubating, and they were out of 7. The other have not been progressing during the incubation and I was down to these 2 eggs. A friend started the incubation for me and neither of us wrote down the date so we guessed based on some texting between us. I got my incubator up and going so I brought the eggs home to finish and to hatch. They went on lock down Sunday per our thoughts and should of hatched yesterday. nothing. no pips, no movements, no anything. I was going to eggtopsy them this am and when I picked up the egg it actually pipped in my hand. I could not believe it. I am hoping it hatches and has no issues, and that the other one hatches too. say a little prayer I have new chicks soon.

 

[Billiam]

Thanks everyone for the feedback on my recent chicken deaths. I have since sealed up the treadle feeder and finished my closed auto water system. This was to remove the risk of moldy food and dirty water. We had a bit of rain last night so I went and checked the feeder this morning and everything is bone dry! Everyone looks healthy and I'm getting four eggs per day out of six hens so I think everyone is laying right now.

Does anyone know of any feed stores that have chicks right now?