Arizona Chickens

[cactusrota]

@ejcrist *hint hint*, I did find another book titled "Extreme Gardening" very helpful when I started my garden here:

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Gard...d=1492100096&sr=8-5&keywords=desert+gardening

I showed this to my husband and he found this:

http://thesurvivalmom.com/gardening-in-a-drought/

 

[ejcrist]

ejcrist, you will have to tell everyone the secret of growing that beautiful garlic like you do.

Not a whole lot to it actually. I put the bulbs in the refrigerator for about a month before planting in the fall so that simulates the dormant period, and then pretty much just plant them in the garden. The soil has been amended with compost beforehand or had a good cover crop and tilled down to about a foot. They don't need a lot of water, maybe about an hour from a 1 gph emitter once a week or so. I think where most people have a tough time is they don't refrigerate them for the required dormant period length for a particular variety, and then the bulbs never get very big as a result or the flavor doesn't rise to it's potential. That's really about all there is to it though. That and making sure to plant them around October or so for a spring harvest. Also remember the hard-neck varieties are the very best with superior flavor and aroma. They're exceptionally tasty.

 

[DesertChic]

I always figured that the hens have humidity coming from their body and they are insulating the eggs from too much evaporation by sitting on them, and that's why we have to add humidity to the incubator. I'll certainly be interested to see how a dry hatch works here in Az where ambient humidity is so low.

Well, I heard that people have been getting a better hatching rate in using this method, so I decided to try it out this time. The eggs are from my own flock, so it's not like I am experimenting on bought shipped eggs.

I don't dry hatch, but I do keep the humidity between 40% and 45% until lock down and have had really good hatches using that method. I too would have concerns about dry hatch around here....except during monsoon season.

 

[BlueBaby]

I don't dry hatch, but I do keep the humidity between 40% and 45% until lock down and have had really good hatches using that method. I too would have concerns about dry hatch around here....except during monsoon season.

People over in the Australorps thread mentioned that to me about dry hatching. I added some water to it today.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Not a whole lot to it actually. I put the bulbs in the refrigerator for about a month before planting in the fall so that simulates the dormant period, and then pretty much just plant them in the garden. The soil has been amended with compost beforehand or had a good cover crop and tilled down to about a foot. They don't need a lot of water, maybe about an hour from a 1 gph emitter once a week or so. I think where most people have a tough time is they don't refrigerate them for the required dormant period length for a particular variety, and then the bulbs never get very big as a result or the flavor doesn't rise to it's potential. That's really about all there is to it though. That and making sure to plant them around October or so for a spring harvest. Also remember the hard-neck varieties are the very best with superior flavor and aroma. They're exceptionally tasty.

Do you plant the entire bulb whole, or do you separate the cloves? There were times when I held on them for too long in my pantry and they started to sprout. I find this gardening thing very interesting and had thought at one time adding this to my list of garden goodies because I love garlic. --BB

 

[ejcrist]

Do you plant the entire bulb whole, or do you separate the cloves? There were times when I held on them for too long in my pantry and they started to sprout. I find this gardening thing very interesting and had thought at one time adding this to my list of garden goodies because I love garlic. --BB

I've always separated the cloves and planted each individually. Even if they sprout you can still plant 'em and they'll do just fine. The next time you grow 'em, try finding the required dormant period for the particular variety and put them in a paper bag in the refrigerator for that period of time before planting. You'll end up with the maximum size and flavor. Don't pay any attention when you hear people say a certain variety won't grow here in AZ because it's a northern type requiring so many months of winter temps - that's what the fridge is for. That logic only applies to bushes (i.e., berry, etc.) and fruit trees and then only because you can't stick them in the refrigerator like you can garlic. It also applies to certain alliums like onions which need a certain number of daylight hours. Garlic isn't like that though, at least I've never heard of it. Garlic does extremely well here - we have the perfect climate. And especially where you're at in Tucson. If you want a really great book on the subject you might like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Great-Garlic-Definitive-Gardeners/dp/0963085018

For the best seed garlic you might want to check out Forever Young Farms in Amado, AZ (http://www.foreveryongfarms.com/). Most of my best garlic originated there. The Seed Savers also has some great seed garlic but nowhere near as great as John's at Forever Young.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
"Rule of thumb" density numbers you find online tend to be way too crowded for the Arizona heat. My birds are much happier if they have a lot more room. Especially in the heat of the summer. Assuming you have large fowl, you've got enough run space for 8-10 hens. But that coop is on the small side. Six birds would be okay in that coop. Maybe 8. It will depend on ventilation and shade. If the coop is elevated so they also have run space below the coop and you never close the coop so they always have access to outside, then you might get away with 10 birds in there. If you have bantams instead of large fowl, then 12 birds should be no problem.

Just remember that the more birds you put in there, the more manure they generate. The more manure generated, the more often you have to clean or add litter or otherwise maintain the coop. Even if you are using deep litter there will be maintenance. And given that your runs are under 5' in height, maintaining those runs is going to be a pain in the neck. Literally. So the fewer birds you have in there the happier the birds will be and the happier you are likely to be, because you won't have to be constantly adding litter or wetting down deep litter or raking things around or picking up chicken poop.

 

[howesmr]

Hatching eggs needed in Arizona. Specifically purebred French Black Marans, Creme Legbar or Svart Hona. Just getting started on them. We are in West Valley but will drive a distance for the right eggs. Trying to get our groups a little more diverse. Send Private message or reply to this.

Thanks so much.

 

[cactusrota]

Hatching eggs needed in Arizona. Specifically purebred French Black Marans, Creme Legbar or Svart Hona. Just getting started on them. We are in West Valley but will drive a distance for the right eggs. Trying to get our groups a little more diverse. Send Private message or reply to this.

Thanks so much.

This guy in Wilcox has FBM's and Ayam Cemani's. He delivers in the Phoenix area as long as you give him a weeks notice (he's a veterinarian and has a practice in Phoenix, so you could feasably pick them up from his work, too.). I'm planning on trying out some eggs from him as soon as I get back from a trip in a couple weeks.
http://rarebirdfarm.vpweb.com/chickens

 

[igorsMistress]

@cactusrota thanks for the link! I know it wasn't for me but, I might show these to my grandson for 4-H.