Arizona Chickens

[Parront]

I get them from tractor supply. A 40 lb bag costs like $8, and since im expanding them before i use them, it doubles the litter amount. One gallon pitcher (filled halfway w pellets, then water) will give me all the litter i need for the three trays and a little extra in case i want to clean out an area befoee the next full cleaning. As soon as im done w the parrots current litter, ill switch her over to this same stuff. Much cleaner.

I guessed I must have missed a post -- why do you add water to the pine pellets? Because of dust in the house?

 

[City farm]

Still in research mode, and probably wont be living on our Northern AZ land for another year or so & we'll only be able to have a maximum of 5 hens. We can't have chickens where we are at in Mesa, but that hasn't stopped me from researching good egg laying hens that are also family friendly. I'd like the kiddos to be very hands on.

I've narrowed it down to these 4 so far. I'd love to get everyone's opinion on these.

Plus, does anyone currently have Lavender Orpingtons? There is no way they are quite that color, right?

Buff Orpingtons
Lavender Orpingtons
Australorps
Faverolle

You have picked one of my favorites the faverolle! Had a few but that didn’t last long. Thinking a few wild birds got in their run & got our flock sick, I didn’t catch it in time, they died. I researched and wanted to get some but never have. If you do a order let me know, I see your in Mesa, so are we. The leghorn come in brown I think & is also another great layer, however I don’t think they lay as much as they get older & probably don’t live as long as other breeds. I think your like me & want different looking hens.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I guessed I must have missed a post -- why do you add water to the pine pellets? Because of dust in the house?

No, once you add the water, it breaks up the pellets and it turns it into a nice crumbled soft litter, that clumps around the poops. But it is also dust free... so they can kick it, but what goes up comes straight down instead of going air borne.

Here is a look at it from the top.

 

[City farm]

Welcome to Northern AZ! Where are you moving? For a first flock that is kid friendly you can hardly go wrong with Orpingtons! I have never had the lavender variety, but Buff Orpingtons are very calm, and used to let my kids manhandle them. They can handle the heat well enough here, I do not think people in Phoenix area can keep them very well. The are also ok with snow that we get here in Prescott.
Edit to add: I would like to recommend a sex-linked layer, also. My daughter in San Diego had red sex-links for her first flock because she could not keep a rooster and she did not want to have to get rid of one of them like she had to when she was a kid. (We hatched out 10 chicks under a Buff Orpington, 7 roosters)!

Well that is a high # for a dude hatch, crazy. I agree sex-links are good layers too.

 

[Parront]

No, once you add the water, it breaks up the pellets and it turns it into a nice crumbled soft litter, that clumps around the poops. But it is also dust free... so they can kick it, but what goes up comes straight down instead of going air borne.

Here is a look at it from the top.View attachment 2239781

I just have used them dry so that they hold more juicy poop. Since you change it so often I guess you would rather have it pre-fluffed when you put it in the cage. It does look like it would be nice on the floor of the parrot cage the way you have it. Here, I have not used it because I want something to add to my garden compost besides pine -- which is free here in the forest! I used the alfalfa pellets for the barred hollands this time. It smells very nice and grassy. I already used it on my Iris for fertilizer -- it will be even better with chick poop added and mixed in and fluffed with chicken power!

Here you can see the whole green pellets. Absorbs spilled water and poop very well, as well as the pine, only better for my garden. I used some paper from the shredder, but am not too happy with that, it is sticking to the chicks feet when it gets pooped.

 

[Parront]

Well that is a high # for a dude hatch, crazy. I agree sex-links are good layers too.

I know, just my luck!

 

[City farm]

True, this is the best way to not get a rooster. But you have to trust the seller to not sell you one of those old layers! New folks can not tell how old a hen is, or how healthy she is, either. You have to get older ready-to-lay pullets from someone you know and trust. I would have a hard time telling the age of one of my own birds! And, I just like raising chicks.

Yes, I do like to hand raise the chicks as well. They turn out to be much sweeter as when I need to a health check they are easier to handle.

 

[Parront]

Yes, I do like to hand raise the chicks as well. They turn out to be much sweeter as when I need to a health check they are easier to handle.

These little Hollands were flying up to perch on my hands before they were 2 weeks old. I can tell already I have plenty of cockerels -- the morning face off today was soooo funny!

 

[City farm]

I know. I do keep record's of my hatch dates on mine though in a notebook that I write them down in.

I am getting better at that, glad you do. Adam is the sweetest of the 4 but I do think 3 girls out of the 4, wh000oooo hoot, Terrie the Turken lost a few of her black feathers & is still shy.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I just have used them dry so that they hold more juicy poop. Since you change it so often I guess you would rather have it pre-fluffed when you put it in the cage. It does look like it would be nice on the floor of the parrot cage the way you have it. Here, I have not used it because I want something to add to my garden compost besides pine -- which is free here in the forest! I used the alfalfa pellets for the barred hollands this time. It smells very nice and grassy. I already used it on my Iris for fertilizer -- it will be even better with chick poop added and mixed in and fluffed with chicken power!View attachment 2239798
Here you can see the whole green pellets. Absorbs spilled water and poop very well, as well as the pine, only better for my garden. I used some paper from the shredder, but am not too happy with that, it is sticking to the chicks feet when it gets pooped.

I did try the whole pellets, but the bottom of my coop has trays that are removable for the litter,and it was So heavy, and the poop just sat on top, and then the pellets would get stuck in the side of the trays making them impossible to move. They have a self feeder and waterer, so i dont have any food or water mess to contend with (thankfully), just poop. I had to experiment w a few things, thankfully this worked, because i was getting tired of buying new stuff