Arizona Chickens

[igorsMistress]

Read up this thread. It details all you need to know.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/water-glassing-egg-preservation-experiment.1428588/
There is another thread about doing same.. Just cant find it easily since it has not been active for some time now.
BYC search did not bring it up. I never had much luck with BYC search. Maybe I'm doing something incorrectly.

I don’t think so Cavey, it doesn’t work all that great. Too many results and it lists like all the posts in a thread showing 200 results but those are all the same result with 200 answers

 

[CaroleW]

I haven't tried the waterglassing to preserve eggs. I never needed to until now - I'm all out of eggs except some from the freezer that are too old for people to eat. So dogs or chickens will get them and I'll wait till they start laying again.

 

[CaroleW]

I noticed that the 2023 New Year's hatch-a-long has been posted here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bycs-14th-annual-new-years-day-hatch-along-2023.1555103/

If anyone here want's to join it, but need's fertile hatching egg's for it, I have some that will be available for it. All of my egg's will be the Bielefelder's though, and you will be able to tell the sex of them right after they hatch and are still in the incubator drying off by the coloring of them.

Someone needs to take you up on that offer -- if I was closer I would buy some of those hatching eggs for sure!

But I'll just wait till mine start laying to start my NN/Bielefelder project. I don't really feel like raising more chicks yet till I make room/warm up slightly in greenhouse.

 

[CaroleW]

Railroad strike threat is back again... you might want to stock up on anything you need.

 

[BlueBaby]

Railroad strike threat is back again... you might want to stock up on anything you need.

Yes, I heard that on the new's. I'm worried that the trucker's might strike too. There might end up a shortage on egg's again. With the way that thing's seem to be going, there will most likely be a shortage on everything. Why do they alway's have to pick around the Holiday's to strike?

Someone told me that waterglassed egg's are more watery and are better for baking.

 

[BlueBaby]

@CaroleW Have you ever tried that straw bale gardening?

 

[CaroleW]

@CaroleW Have you ever tried that straw bale gardening?

I maybe tried it many moons ago in Mesa but I don't dare do it now - too many mice, rabbits & snakes that would just make a nice burrow here. I think if you're sure you don't have rodents or other pests it could be ok. Anyone in an urban area where there could be roof rats probably shouldn't. Maybe in another climate or if you have a large parcel where it's not near your barn or living spaces.

I know the previous owner here near Prescott had some of it but it was too near our shed with equipment in it so I did away with the bales. The wind here also just allowed those bales to collect terrible foxtail and other weed seeds.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good afternoon Arizona! It’s gorgeous outside, warm in the sun but not too. I currently have six chicks that Stella hatched but I’m pretty sure at least four are cockerels, maybe five. Oh well, the dogs will eat good! I ordered some lavender “Ameracaunas” that’ll ship in February, hopefully they’re all pullets. I love the color and want some blue eggs. That’ll give Elvis 8 girls in his harem and that’s more than enough. No more hatching though, if anyone goes broody I’m kicking them out and taking the eggs.

Been doing tons of yard work and redesigning the front yard after we lost one of the mesquites in a storm. I think I’d rather put another mesquite out there, but it’s probably not the best idea. The last one was terribly close to a car when it fell over.

That’s about it. The kids are out of school this week and we’re staying home for the holiday. Except for the park for the dogs, that’s a must.

Hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

 

[BlueBaby]

I maybe tried it many moons ago in Mesa but I don't dare do it now - too many mice, rabbits & snakes that would just make a nice burrow here. I think if you're sure you don't have rodents or other pests it could be ok. Anyone in an urban area where there could be roof rats probably shouldn't. Maybe in another climate or if you have a large parcel where it's not near your barn or living spaces.

I know the previous owner here near Prescott had some of it but it was too near our shed with equipment in it so I did away with the bales. The wind here also just allowed those bales to collect terrible foxtail and other weed seeds.

Ok thank you for that info. I'm just thinking about the upcoming food shortage that they have been talking about and trying to think of the best way to start a garden here with having all of the rock's and colitchey in the soil around here. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that has been wondering how to manage that.

 

[CaroleW]

Ok thank you for that info. I'm just thinking about the upcoming food shortage that they have been talking about and trying to think of the best way to start a garden here with having all of the rock's and colitchey in the soil around here. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that has been wondering how to manage that.

I've done raised beds with bagged soil. You can even just plant directly in a bag of soil (poke holes for drainage underneath and holes in top to slip in transplants - this way there's very little opportunity for weeds to plant themselves).

Try this with some lettuce, spinach or other greens this time of year, it should work great with these shallow-rooted plants. Then you can just cover the bag-bed with a plastic bin if it's actually going to freeze overnite if you want. Remove the bin during the day. You might want to mulch the top of bag to keep it cool even in winter in Phx.

This lady on YT has a ton of cheap ideas for patio or raised planters
www.youtube.com/@RobbieAndGaryGardeningEasy

Make sure you save your chicken bedding in a compost pile (age it before you use it on plant beds) to rejuvenate your used soil bags and you can plant things like tomatos or peppers in all that after done with lettuce and greens.