Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

I’m not advocating the theft, but many charities are begging for food to distribute and you have to qualify for food stamps. Reality and qualifying are two very different things sometimes.

Wasn't it St. Mary's before that someone had broken into and stole all of the food there, and the shelves were empty?

 

[igorsMistress]

I know some of you have had quail.. can i have 5-6 female coturnix quail without a male? Or will they still chop each other's heads off?

I have some raised garden beds i bought a couple years back.. i think im going to finally assemble them and create a hoop house so i can shade them in the summer (im working on creating my own microclimate yard, i don't think things will go back to "normal" until we are extinct)... but i keep coming back to the idea of putting quail in there. But I really don't want to worry about hatching chicks and dealing with separating mating groups.

Here's a cool (hehe) microclimate article I've been perusing https://www.gardeninginthedesert.com/creating-microclimates-for-the-desert-summer/

You can keep females without a male. Coturnix quail don’t typically go broody so you wouldn’t really have to worry about that. However, having a way to hatch more of your own quail might be a good idea. They don’t often live a long time, 2 to 5 ish years I think, and they are an easy food source for meat if you ever did need to process for food. Much easier than chickens. Their eggs are quite small and they do diminish production over the years so a natural light cycle with a break in winter can help extend that. They aren’t as economical with food conversion, they need a high protein feed and they are very smelly so be prepared to clean often. Based on my experience of course. The males do sound adorable though, you definitely know when you hear them. Also, use hardware cloth around their enclosure so they can’t stick their heads through the wire and it should be a low enclosure, no more than a foot or so high, so they can’t fly and literally kill themselves by bonking their head, or very tall for the same reason.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Wow, it's pretty foggy out there this morning! When I first got up I could barely see the outline of the coop from the window.

My gosh I miss fog!!

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning AZ. Got myself a golf cart last weekend for running up to the store when I need to get more than what I can carry in my backpack. Having fun with that right now! Hubs is using my car because his is at the fix or get rid of it before it dies stage. I need to get a black liner for the floor board though, when the sun hits the metal it’s blinding! Got three ducklings in last week but they didn’t make it so have three more coming next week. Decided to go with white layers instead of more Runners though. Just for variety. We got some decent rain yesterday afternoon but managed to get some chores done before it arrived. Our city moved our bulk trash schedule up by two weeks this year which is awesome! Next weekend I’ll be moving it all out to the street. I got a chip drop toward the end of summer and that has really helped with dust and no lakes in the yard after the recent storms. We’re playing Russian roulette with the garden right now, it’s still not enclosed and the ducks are going to go after it I know it. Definitely gotta figure that out. Back to work for me, trying to get the house cleaned up since hubs is working today. Have a good day everyone!

 

[BlueBaby]

Good morning AZ. Got myself a golf cart last weekend for running up to the store when I need to get more than what I can carry in my backpack. Having fun with that right now! Hubs is using my car because his is at the fix or get rid of it before it dies stage. I need to get a black liner for the floor board though, when the sun hits the metal it’s blinding! Got three ducklings in last week but they didn’t make it so have three more coming next week. Decided to go with white layers instead of more Runners though. Just for variety. We got some decent rain yesterday afternoon but managed to get some chores done before it arrived. Our city moved our bulk trash schedule up by two weeks this year which is awesome! Next weekend I’ll be moving it all out to the street. I got a chip drop toward the end of summer and that has really helped with dust and no lakes in the yard after the recent storms. We’re playing Russian roulette with the garden right now, it’s still not enclosed and the ducks are going to go after it I know it. Definitely gotta figure that out. Back to work for me, trying to get the house cleaned up since hubs is working today. Have a good day everyone!
View attachment 2509036

I know that you won't be taking the dog's to the dog park in that. They won't fit.

 

[igorsMistress]

I know that you won't be taking the dog's to the dog park in that. They won't fit.

Oh no, and no place to strap them in and it takes two of us to take them to the park. Always need a backup in case of a fight. The golf cart is just to run down to walmart or the gas station, get a sick kid from school or maybe Fry’s early on a Sunday morning before traffic gets crazy.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Do you think having only 5 or 6 would be too smelly to just let the poops sit and go back into the soil/ plants? If we need more poop scooping, i think the kid will cry

Im ok w the lifespan.. i miss traveling, so once everyone here expires, around the same time the kids leave the nest, i plan to be pet free. Other than my mini parrot, i have another 25+ years w her.

You can keep females without a male. Coturnix quail don’t typically go broody so you wouldn’t really have to worry about that. However, having a way to hatch more of your own quail might be a good idea. They don’t often live a long time, 2 to 5 ish years I think, and they are an easy food source for meat if you ever did need to process for food. Much easier than chickens. Their eggs are quite small and they do diminish production over the years so a natural light cycle with a break in winter can help extend that. They aren’t as economical with food conversion, they need a high protein feed and they are very smelly so be prepared to clean often. Based on my experience of course. The males do sound adorable though, you definitely know when you hear them. Also, use hardware cloth around their enclosure so they can’t stick their heads through the wire and it should be a low enclosure, no more than a foot or so high, so they can’t fly and literally kill themselves by bonking their head, or very tall for the same reason.

 

[igorsMistress]

Do you think having only 5 or 6 would be too smelly to just let the poops sit and go back into the soil/ plants? If we need more poop scooping, i think the kid will cry

Im ok w the lifespan.. i miss traveling, so once everyone here expires, around the same time the kids leave the nest, i plan to be pet free. Other than my mini parrot, i have another 25+ years w her.

With that small of a covey then it would really depend on the space you provide. The easiest thing is to use straw under them if you’re going to put them on the ground.. It works wonders and is easy to take out and compost once in a while. If you’re using raised beds do they have a bottom or will they be on dirt? Dirt is easier to use deep litter on and would be less work over all. Just stir, add some dry straw when it’s needed and you’re done. Then when you clean it out just spread under shrubs and such and it’ll break down pretty quick.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

With that small of a covey then it would really depend on the space you provide. The easiest thing is to use straw under them if you’re going to put them on the ground.. It works wonders and is easy to take out and compost once in a while. If you’re using raised beds do they have a bottom or will they be on dirt? Dirt is easier to use deep litter on and would be less work over all. Just stir, add some dry straw when it’s needed and you’re done. Then when you clean it out just spread under shrubs and such and it’ll break down pretty quick.

Im planning on enclosing a 4×10 area, about 5' high. It will be a raised garden bed w dirt and veggies growing. Will that work? Ill have a section of grains like millet that they can eat/hide in. But im hoping their poop is just safe enough to leave, and then turn the soil in between plantings.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I’m not advocating the theft, but many charities are begging for food to distribute and you have to qualify for food stamps. Reality and qualifying are two very different things sometimes.

I've helped people fill out their applications for food stamps.. and luckily they all got approved.. for $30 a month. It isn't what people think it is.