Arizona Chickens

[DesertChic]

Down in Sierra Vista......
New to the raising chickens
Any ideas for a good starter flock of 6-8 birds.... 2-3 breeds to research?
Thanks for your help
Fill free to send a PM also

What are your goals? Just eggs? Meat? Breeding?

There are definitely a few breeds that do better in our climate than others. I've personally had the most success with Naked Neck Turkens, Australorps, Barred Rocks and White Rocks....but Easter Eggers and Ameraucanas sure do help make the egg basket prettier.

 

[Tumblweed]

Thanks for the suggestions.... My primary goals are eggs ... Then as time goes by to rotate the old into meat as new ones added.
As I learn ...work into breeding.

 

[moms3cuties]

I've heard a lot of good about the naked neck Chickens and then being able to tolerate the heat. The Easter Egger seemed it do reasonably well too With the heat. I've heard good things about the Java and Jersey Giants chickens too.

I have Orphington's, and Black Copper Marans, cuckoo Marans and a heritage barred rock that all went " Broody" ( tries to hatch eggs).

I also had a hatchery White Leghorn who was very flighty and friendly that laid an egg regularly each day for over 2 years then died of EYP.

My Rhode Island Red Hen was very friendly but I picked her up and petted her on a regular basis.

My experience the Easter Eggers and americanas are also little standoffish and don't particularly like being petted but will tolerate it. So I think it depends on how much time you want to invest to make them friendly.

Lot of families enjoy having the silkie hen or rooster also known as a cockerel, as they are very friendly and also as I understand it and allow people to handle them considerably well.

Honestly there's quite a lot of breeds to choose from, and you may choose your breeds based on who doesn't go Broody too often, if you don't want to have the hen hatch you some new chicks from time to time, providing you have a rooster among your flock to give you fertile eggs.

I've also created my own backyard mixes, such as some olive Egger hens and a mix of a White Leghorn him with the father that's a Black Copper Marans, for a white hen with black spots, goes Broody often and lays eggs almost on the daily basis. Just as an example.

.....And sooo chicken math can become quite a BIG problem when you get excited about creating all these new exotic backyard mutts!

 

[aviddamy]

I have three Easter eggers. Three different colors of eggs. One is olive, one is green, and one is almost blue. Diversity is fun.

 

[City farm]

Hello peeps, been having fun working, doctors apts, gardening, did thanksgiving dinner Sunday evening with neighborhood peeps & now still cleaning up after the party. . Git some photo's of the flock. . I was out enjoying the weather with them. . The moon look's awesome. Here are some of the girl's. "The dude"
That is not his name, but it might be now.. really @Sill
Named her dude that 1st.. the black with red hen's, "the sister's?" Are from @desertmarcy & the dude. . The showgirl is from @AZChiknGoddess i still have the BYC seed box if anyone would like to go threw it or take it.. let me kniw via P.M. i won't have time since i have class. Ih & the doctor's apt are for our son, torn ACL.. hoping to have surgery on about 3 week's. Also to all the new byc's

Hope the moon photo turned out right side up.. AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

[Sill]

Thanks for all the advice! I really appreciate it. I went to The Stock Shop to check them out and found a couple of the chicks I was looking for. Since my coop will be set up soon, and the chicks have to be in the house until they are old enough for the coop anyway, I finally took the plunge! Ended up with 2 Americauna pullets and what I think is going to end up as a silver laced polish - straight run, so I'm crossing my fingers that the polish is a hen. Got all the goodies recommended for starting out (except chick grit...checked out several shops and no one had it...coming in on the Amazon Express tomorrow), and have them set up under a heat lamp, and already growing like crazy. I'm always amazed at how fast they grow!

I'd love to check out someone else's setup - even if via photos - to see how you store all your odds and ends. There's so much stuff to keep on hand...grit, calcium, regular feed, scratch, etc. My coop will have an exterior "shelf" I can put some supplies on, so I just need a weatherproof tub or something for the smaller stuff. And I'll use the big metal trash cans from Home Depot for the big bags of feed. Any other "storage cheats" would be appreciated.

Anyone convert a small water bottle into a nipple waterer? I want to set up a nipple waterer when the chicks can graduate to the wire mesh cage. I want them to get used to it before they move to the coop, so I know for sure they know how to use it. Plus, it would take up less space in the cage and not end up with bedding in it 5 minutes after I change the water!

Also...anyone have issues using a wire mesh cage for older chicks? It's made of hardware cloth, including the floor, with a removable tray under the floor. They won't be able to have litter in the cage, but I can put another substrate down (i.e., rubber shelf liner) if needed if the wire won't work for their feet at a younger age. Wondering how young they can transition, too. Recommendations?

If you use mesh for the cage or brooder bottom make sure to include a place for them to rest their feet. A box to snuggle in, a brick or piece of wood to stand on etc. I use mesh for my quail and as long as they can span at least three sections of the mesh with their feet they are old enough to be housed that way.

Hello peeps, been having fun working, doctors apts, gardening, did thanksgiving dinner Sunday evening with neighborhood peeps & now still cleaning up after the party. . Git some photo's of the flock. . I was out enjoying the weather with them. . The moon look's awesome. Here are some of the girl's. "The dude"
That is not his name, but it might be now.. really @Sill
Named her dude that 1st.. the black with red hen's, "the sister's?" Are from @desertmarcy & the dude. . The showgirl is from @AZChiknGoddess i still have the BYC seed box if anyone would like to go threw it or take it.. let me kniw via P.M. i won't have time since i have class. Ih & the doctor's apt are for our son, torn ACL.. hoping to have surgery on about 3 week's. Also to all the new byc's





Hope the moon photo turned out right side up.. AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I hope your son's ACL is able to be mended so he can get back to being an active young man! Love the pics.

 

[DesertChic]

I just want to send out a big thanks to Marcia, aka @desertmarcy for the fabulous turkey we had for our early Thanksgiving meal. Wow! Heritage turkey tastes amazing!!! It was a fantastic meal with our employees and vendor/friends.

 

[desertmarcy]

I just want to send out a big thanks to Marcia, aka @desertmarcy for the fabulous turkey we had for our early Thanksgiving meal. Wow! Heritage turkey tastes amazing!!! It was a fantastic meal with our employees and vendor/friends.

Glad it turned out well! I am brining ours tonight. Made a good organic vegetable brine today and just waiting for it to cool enough to put the turkey in. I should have made it yesterday but oh well!

 

[DesertChic]

Glad it turned out well! I am brining ours tonight. Made a good organic vegetable brine today and just waiting for it to cool enough to put the turkey in. I should have made it yesterday but oh well!

After brining for three days and then smoking for hours, the turkey meat literally fell of the bone. We devoured it!

 

[moms3cuties]

 


Glad it turned out well! I am brining ours tonight. Made a good organic vegetable brine today and just waiting for it to cool enough to put the turkey in. I should have made it yesterday but oh well!

After brining for three days and then smoking for hours, the turkey meat literally fell of the bone. We devoured it! 

Yum! !!
Happy Thanksgiving all my byc friends!!!