Arizona Chickens

[desertmarcy]

Yikes! Those yummy birds are just so tempting. You got Fort Knox for pens but they sure work to keep your birds safe.

Wish we could do a turkey, but they are just too loud for the city. My neighbors already put up with a lot.

Out here, I have to build strong. We have tons of bobcats and it wouldn't surprise me if a mountain lion showed up. They are in the Tucson Mts. where I live and this neighborhood has two main washes which connect Saguaro National Monument West with the Santa Cruz river. One of those washes goes through my property, not far from my pen area. The washes are major wildlife corridors. I am sometimes envious when I see photos of people's flocks out free ranging on acres of green grass with lots of trees. But the reality is, I would never want to move back to such a climate! I love the desert!

I estimate it cost about $500-$600 to build my new turkey pen. The two biggest costs being the chain link, which I bought the thicker 11 gauge wire, which itself was $150 for 50 foot roll, and the welded wire for the top. I like to buy used chain link materials but just couldn't find any when I was ready to build. And you can never find used welded wire. It will take a lot of turkey poult sales to pay for that pen! Gotta just love the birds

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote: I can't stake mine on the cement so I just zig-zag it to make it stand up. My dogs are small so they don't knock them down.

Ryan's pet in Phoenix has really good prices on x-pens. They have a mail-order business but you can buy direct to save on shipping.
https://www.ryanspet.com/eCommerce/search?Q=excercise+pen&As=false&Cid=0&Isc=false&Mid=0&Pf=&Pt=
(second page)

 

[flower]

My silken goes bloody a lot also. I just move mine off the nest and after a few times she snaps out of it. Lol

Mine little black Silkie is very persistent, she just got moved to a new pen with my new white hen and a mother chick doblette. So far she is behaving like a non broody.

DESERT MARCIE some day I am going to make it down south to see ya'll. I do enjoy the pictures that are posted from all of your "farms" and yards. Tucson is certainly on my list of places to visit.

 

[Born2blove]

I am back after 3 weeks


My chick after 5 weeks old


I keep the heat light in the case almost 2 weeks
Please let me know
Do i need keep heat light in the case any more


I just git this bag of food today $21
not feed them yet
Is this good food for them?

 

[moms3cuties]

I am back after 3 weeks My chick after 5 weeks old I keep the heat light in the case almost 2 weeks Please let me know Do i need keep heat light in the case any more I just git this bag of food today $21 not feed them yet Is this good food for them?

first question is, are your chicks outside? If your chicks are outside then yes I would continue to leave the heat lamp on in there for them. Someone else could chime in as to when they would recommend you turn the heat lamp off but I'm told until they've got all their feathers in and is usually good time. *Since it's been pretty cold at night I'd be at least leaving it on at night time, if it was my choice to make. I don't use any kind of medicated feed for my chicks when they're little, I just get an organic chick starter grower for mine. what city are you in? Some people buy from some of the co-ops and I buy some chick starter crumbles from Timskins on this thread.its a 50 pound bag and it should last you quite a while I think it's probably close to just $30. But don't quote me on that. I hope this helps.

 

[Sill]

I can't stake mine on the cement so I just zig-zag it to make it stand up. My dogs are small so they don't knock them down.

Ryan's pet in Phoenix has really good prices on x-pens. They have a mail-order business but you can buy direct to save on shipping.
https://www.ryanspet.com/eCommerce/search?Q=excercise+pen&As=false&Cid=0&Isc=false&Mid=0&Pf=&Pt=
(second page)

I always forget about Ryan's! Great place to get pet supplies (mostly for dogs) relatively cheap.

 

[Sill]

I am back after 3 weeks


My chick after 5 weeks old


I keep the heat light in the case almost 2 weeks
Please let me know
Do i need keep heat light in the case any more


I just git this bag of food today $21
not feed them yet
Is this good food for them?

They probably only need the light at night, at least now that it's warmed up a bit.

I feed organic too so no medicated feed, but other people have good luck with it. You can always switch to something else once that bag is finished.

 

[City farm]

Something tried to dig under the pen again, second time since I reinforced the bottom with wire. There were 5 dig attempts along the 40-foot length. All foiled, but I sure wish I knew what it was. I need a game cam. I have been working on a new turkey pen for the last 3-4 weeks and sure will not put any birds in it until I get wire down around the outside and pour cement under the gate! Those two things plus splicing into the water line for an automatic waterer, and putting a roost up, and this pen is ready to go! This will be my 9th turkey pen I'm gearing up to sell lots of poults this year and have many varieties to choose from.

Can't wait to see it.. Did you you have to take out any tree's?

 

[City farm]

Hi, I'm in Prescott and wondering what breed people in AZ raise for meat.  Has anyone successfully raised Cornish Cross Broilers with the hot summer?  Also, does anyone have experience with using electro-net fences to keep out coyotes?  Thanks!

Wonderful information here.. There is different breeds for dual purpose..Plymoth Barred Rock.PBR..
Orphinton.. Buff brahma ect.. So many to mention..what breeds do you have?

 

[City farm]

 
I have never tried making mayo.  Sounds easy enough that even I won't mess it up. 

So...I have worked 8 years turning my side yard into a garden paradise.  It is really lovely out there. I will now be turning it over to my dogs while I get the rest of my backyard to work on!  I'm a bit devastated as the dogs will take maybe a week to destroy what I've worked so hard on, but heck, I get 5-6x the space to garden in and beautify now!  I'll have a bigger garden, and the rest will be a mix of native plants and such.  I can't wait.   I've not been able to do much with the main backyard--my dogs are crazy plant and landscape destruction machines.  I should have made the trade YEARS ago. 

Well yeah for many times the working space!  Though it will be hard to see your hard work destroyed.  Maybe you can wire some plants off to keep them safe?

 
My ducks like to eat the ashes out of the firepit thing we have in the yard too. My ducks have gross poops all the time. I think I am going to give them some pro-biotics. sometimes they have solid but a lot they are messy. 

I know nothing about ducks.  Can they eat fermented feed?  I know it helps chickens and quail have less messy poops.

Our duck's DO NOT like F.F. Snob's.