Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

Ahhh Bobby you're right, the Delaware lays a jumbo brown egg. Good catch! Maybe I'm so excited for eggs I'm getting my shell shades mixed up I LOVE isa browns as well, they are so sweet. And my buff orph reminds me of a golden retriever, she's super soft and has the disposition of a good old dog. I, too, wanted to avoid having flighty chickens and I think breed is important but hand-raising and socializing with them is also key.

Thanks, SonoranChick. My choices are still up in the air. It was either on this website or one of my poultry magazines, but there was an article about ISA Browns, and will have to find it again. I don't really want anything that's gonna "burn-out" in 18 months (do ISA's fall in that category?), constantly having to process and replace. That's why I didn't want the other sex-link varieties out there even though they are prolific egg layers. Being single, there's no problem if one or two stop laying, especially if I get attached to them. If nothing else, they do provide company and companionship. Heck, I used to watch my Mom (back in the 60's) out in the yard wringing chicken's necks just before dinner, then sitting at the kitchen table spread with newspaper as she plucked and gutted them, asking a gazillion questions (I must have been about 7 years old at the time) and wouldn't have a problem eating my spent birds, but I would rather have someone else do the deed. The Delawares and ISA's are my two top choices, but would like to throw a third or fourth breed into the mix. --BB

 

[cactusrota]

Can chickens get Valley Fever? Up until now I've just assumed that they can, but I'm realizing that I really need to adhere to the addage that: when you assume you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
What brought this on is I have two hens that get congested during the hottest part of the day. A white cornish and a mottle java, both Privett birds as far as I know. No discharge, no other symptoms, just respiratory congestion (gurgly sound when they breath and a rare cough/sneeze)... and only when it's hot. They've been doing this for a good three months now, and no other birds have shown these symptoms, so I've deduced that it's not contagious. This brought me to thinking recently that maybe it could be Valley Fever, due to all the dust storms in the summer?
Does anybody else have some knowledge on this subject that I don't??

 

[MagicChicken]

Can chickens get Valley Fever? Up until now I've just assumed that they can, but I'm realizing that I really need to adhere to the addage that: when you assume you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
What brought this on is I have two hens that get congested during the hottest part of the day. A white cornish and a mottle java, both Privett birds as far as I know. No discharge, no other symptoms, just respiratory congestion (gurgly sound when they breath and a rare cough/sneeze)... and only when it's hot. They've been doing this for a good three months now, and no other birds have shown these symptoms, so I've deduced that it's not contagious. This brought me to thinking recently that maybe it could be Valley Fever, due to all the dust storms in the summer?
Does anybody else have some knowledge on this subject that I don't??

I am not sure what causes this. It may be some form of Mycoplasma. I have a relatively large flock (40+ birds at the moment) and have not had much problem with those symptoms this year. In previous years I've had several birds with moderate to extreme symptoms. I have made a significant effort to reduce this problem in my flock by removing those birds from the flock. (Permanently.) I may keep a bird with only a mild case, but I won't breed it. And I don't bring many new birds into my flock. After several years of culling the sicker birds it seems to have made a difference, but I may just have been lucky this year.

Some of the old-time poultry folks have told me that Mycoplasma is virtually impossible to avoid here. Your best bet is buying birds from a reputable local breeder, because those birds should have been bred to handle local weather conditions and common local pathogens.

 

[cactusrota]

Thankyou, that makes alot of sense. You would think that birds susceptable to it could pass on that suscepability to their offspring. I'm working towards a majority Naked Neck flock, which I don't have alot of experience with, but they are reputed to be resistant to most diseases. So I'm hoping that once I have it narrowed down to all the keepers it should nip this in the bud. So far all the NN's I've got have been in perfect health.

 

[Parront]

Thankyou, that makes alot of sense. You would think that birds susceptable to it could pass on that suscepability to their offspring. I'm working towards a majority Naked Neck flock, which I don't have alot of experience with, but they are reputed to be resistant to most diseases. So I'm hoping that once I have it narrowed down to all the keepers it should nip this in the bud. So far all the NN's I've got have been in perfect health.

How do your naked necks handle snow, do you know? I live in Prescott.

 

[cactusrota]

How do your naked necks handle snow, do you know? I live in Prescott.

I can tell you that two of my naked necks spent last winter mixed in with a cousins flock in utah, south of Salt Lake, where it's pretty high elevation. I had gotten them from my brother up in WA but wasn't able to bring them all the way down right away so they got a temporary flock up in mormon country. It got into the single digits there numerous times and probably half the birds in the flock got a bit of frost bite on their toes and combs... my naked necks included. My birds championed it just as well as any of the other birds. They lost a couple claws on their toes but but weren't the only ones, and that was it. Hope that helps.

 

[Parront]

I can tell you that two of my naked necks spent last winter mixed in with a cousins flock in utah, south of Salt Lake, where it's pretty high elevation. I had gotten them from my brother up in WA but wasn't able to bring them all the way down right away so they got a temporary flock up in mormon country. It got into the single digits there numerous times and probably half the birds in the flock got a bit of frost bite on their toes and combs... my naked necks included. My birds championed it just as well as any of the other birds. They lost a couple claws on their toes but but weren't the only ones, and that was it. Hope that helps.

It sounds good. I think it is colder in Salt Lake than Prescott. Lots of people in AZ seem to have them, pretty hardy. They get a nice size, too. Thanks for the info.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

6 BIRDS FOR FREE RE-HOME (recap)

Hello everyone!!!

I have a bit of sad news for myself, but honestly good news for others.

I need to reduce my flock size. I can keep 4 birds, I have chosen which.

My other 6, all hens under the age of 4, are going to need re homing. I live in Vail, and can drive into town to drop off as far as Tucson Mall.

I currently have

Finn (Barred Rock Hen, 2 years. Molting)
Quinn (Barred Rock Hen, 2 years. In Tact Feathers)
Reba (Gold Laced Wyandotte Hen, 2 years. Molting)
Gladys (Easter Egger Hen, 1.5 years, New Feathers)
Go Pro (Barred Rock Hen, 3.5 yeas, Molting)
Winnifred ( Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 year, Molting)

ALL BIRDS HAVE BEEN TREATED FOR MITES THIS SUMMER.
None of them have any remaining symptoms, aside from missing feathers .

please text me or PM me if you have any questions!!! (I answer texts before I answer calls, as my phone does not identify caller ID's that are not contacts)

 

[cavemanrich]

How do your naked necks handle snow, do you know? I live in Prescott.

Get the NN and if you encounter problems, contact the ladies in video.

 

[Parront]

Get the NN and if you encounter problems, contact the ladies in video.

LOL