Arizona Chickens

[dofnup]

Got a total of 6 eggs today ... 6 out of 6. None were green. Which can only mean one thing: my EE's are laying brown eggs! I feel cheated!

... anyone want to trade a green egg layer for 1 or 2 brown egg layers? Ha!

I told the hubby that I was gonna have to buy another chicken and he said I don't have permission (don't remember asking him) because HE wants ducks.

... are there any blue or green egg laying ducks?

Blah!!!

P.S. - Amdro works like a miracle on ants! If you are sure you can keep the chickens away from it, then that is deffo the way to go. If not, I wouldn't risk it. ... Amdro looks a LOT like chicken feed crumbles

 

[mydog8it]

That frog/toad photo is awesome! I love frogs, but I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to pick that one up. It's huge.

I read somewhere that cinnamon repels ants. I haven't tried it because DE usually works for me. I've also used EcoSmart organic pest control granules from home depot that worked really well on red ants, but I don't know that I'd let my chickens eat it. It's made from thyme oil and some other oils (can't remember) and it smells really fresh and minty.

Hi Bob - I'm new here too

 

[Bob's Henhouse]

Dofnup, my runner duck lays greenish eggs, might try one of them. I have 7 or 8 in the bator as we speak.
Gallo, I'm sorry, I don't remember, but if I did, ummm, you're wlecome? lol
Hi Mydog8it, welcome. I got a really warm welcome myself a couple of days ago.

One of my baby toads must have been hiding underground when I was tilling the garden today.

But, on the bright side, so was one of the demon mice I have running around here.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Chicken and garden chores never end. Sorry about the confusion Bob's Henhouse! I was referring to Bob of mydog8it. We have two Bobs now.

I saw a frog today for the first time ever in Tucson (outside of a park). I only got to see it for about 2 seconds before it disappeared into the watermelon vines. It looked like a classic member of Ranidae. As far as I know the nearest pond is four blocks away. It was a great surprise.

 

[pastrymama]

Dofnup, when did your EEs start laying? I have 2 that are still freeloading at 23 weeks. One is doing the squat and making all kinds of noise, but nothing. Bright red face, pea comb and wattles that came out of nowhere and no eggs. The other still looks like she's 2 months behind. I think if I got more chickens, my hubby would make me sleep in the hen house. I told him I only wanted 3 at the beginning and we have 15!

 

[AZKat]

Cinnamon works really well to keep ants from getting in places. The scent covers up the ant's scent trail, so that they can't guide other ants there. If you put it on or around the nest it makes it hard for them to get food and starves them out. I'm dealing with a plague of ants here, but DE seems to be doing the job.

For those who are wondering why I've been scarce the last few weeks, life has been totally chaotic lately. We got a water leak way back in the bathroom wall, and ended up with the bottom four feet of drywall cut out in the hall bathroom, the master bath and our bedroom. Since everything was torn up anyway, we decided to have the house re-piped a few months ahead of schedule. Thank goodness the car was paid for, so we were able to get a loan quickly. We were in a hotel for a week while the dryout/restoration company was doing their thing, which I'm still not happy about. Everything is slowly getting repainted and put back, but its been a very stressful and difficult month.

 

[dofnup]

Quote:
Got the EE's as chicks from the Stock Shop in late March. One of them started laying about 2 weeks ago. The other one has only been laying for a day or two. I am willing to wait until it gets cooler to see what "regular" laying schedule looks like. One of them is doing the squatting thing, the other not so much. I am assuming now that she is laying she will start squatting as well.

If you are interested, I will take pics of the eggs and the chickens this afternoon for a full profile of each one

 

[NoSkiveez]

Its seems like chores are never ending. We have an acre and we are surrounded by cotton crops. Several years back there were plans for the land around us to be turned residential but every one went bankrupt and the fields are now massive weed pits. We had pulled all of the weeds (just imagine 7 years worth of an unmaintained yard), got it under control. A week later, they were all back and I even had a tumble weed growing in a bucket! I'm getting a weed eater to knock them down. Id love to have grass!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
We haven't had a weed since we got chickens.
Can you borrow a goat or two?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Mallard eggs are greenish.