Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hello from Northern Arizona!! I had found this thread once before a while back but just "re-found" it and would like to join in here!

Spent the day putting extra straw in both our chicken and duck houses - also fed the chickens a bowl of nice warm oatmeal before closing them in for the night. Supposed to snow tonight! Tomorrow night is going to drop to 10! Brrrrr...

My ducks are crazy - they choose to just sleep outside in the open most of the time and are all frosted over in the mornings when I go out.

Good weather to snuggle up with a blanket, a book, and some hot cocoa!


Just to introduce our birds... I have 12 chickens that are all about 12 weeks old and 4 ducks that range from 12 to 14 weeks. More info is on my profile page, including a post of all the chickens' baby pics and names.

I look forward to talking with all of you fellow Arizonans!

Greetings! We love having members from the far reaches of the state.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

It's official, your chickens are famous. Another hilarious picture and caption too!

Thanks G. Just got an email that another one of my pictures will be featured on the 15th.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

WELCOME Countrygirl74!!!! You have joined a great bunch of chicken lovers

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

The silkie additon





One day will live in the silkie addition



See Noel..they do go up the ramp! LOL
I had forgotten to turn the light on and they were waiting at the door. Once the light popped on, they went in.

 

[countrygirl74]

My family & friends laugh at me. Because I don't check Facebook but I'm into the chicken forum every day or so..

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Me too!! LOL

 

[Fuzzybird]

My girls featured on workday chickens

Cool! I should have one come up soon also.

 

[MagicChicken]

Few more weeks...got an email and they are having a giveaway worth $2200..booth # 423

19th Annual Phoenix Show...lots of great new vendors!

We've added lots of new booths and have the best line up of vendors in our 18 year history! The date for 2013 is firm and is on:
JAN 31 - FEB 2, 2013!

$500 cash given away every morning at 15 minutes til 10AM at the
entrance to the GREEN / $$$ youth building only.
We will give 10 gifts of $10 / 5 gifts of $20 / 4 gifts of $50 /
1 gift of $100 every morning...be there early and win big!!!
​

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Is there more information on the Phoenix show available? Location would be helpful. I might make a run up from Tucson to check it out.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: James Smith in Central (near Safford) has very good orpingtons; not sure if he has buffs, though.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

We had a crappy day yesterday. I let my birds out to free-range at 8am, as usual, while I piddled around the yard doing chores. Went in at about 8:20 to take a shower and the phone rang. I never get out of the shower to answer the phone, but something had me answering. It was my neighbor at the end of the block asking if I was missing any chickens. He had just seen two birds running across the street to the next block over. I surely didn't think they were mine, but I raced out back to check on them. What I saw was complete carnage, feathers everywhere and my poor BO, Waldo, dead on the ground. Not another bird to be found. I ran down the street and around the corner where the two birds were spotted and found my Delaware and one of my EE hiding in some dried weeds. They let me pick them up and I quickly searched for others. Went back to my house and saw my BA standing in the middle of the yard, apparently in shock and I grabbed her up and put the three into the run. It was so crushing that more than half of my flock was gone. I searched the yard again and then looked into the back alleyway, right there in front of me was a coyote, eating my other EE. It was barely bothered by my presence and only took the bird and ran away when I hopped over the wall and went after it. So, two birds were still unaccounted. For one I had high hopes, there wasn't a single feather from Mrs. Beasley anywhere. But most crushing was the massive amount of feathers and a wing from Weegee, my CM, the top bird in the flock. I searched the yard for another fifteen minutes or so and then searched the surrounding blocks and alleyways for the next hour, but finding no trace. I just killed me thinking that she could be lost out on the street. When I gave up searching and went home to look in the back yard again, right there next to the coop was Mrs. Beasley and standing right next to her was Weegee. It was one of the few times in my life I was sure that I was hallucinating because I was so certain she was dead. But I wasn't. She lost a good portion of her feathers, including most of the flight feathers from one wing (which is why I thought I saw her wing on the ground), but escaped with no other obvious wounds. So, in the end, we were fortunate that only two birds were killed. They stayed up on the roost for a couple hours, but by late afternoon, they were anxious to be let out of the run, which was not going to happen. I think the coyote came back this morning because they still have not come down off the roost.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs!!!))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

So very sorry, but so thankful that Mrs.Beasley and Weegee survived.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You a re so right, Demosthine. The Web site referred to boy eggs, I am 75% convinced that it is a PETA member or sympathizer. Now, it is true you will always find abuouser, hoarders, and people that just do not do the homework. But, it referred to BackYard Chickens, I am confident that members of this site do their home work and take good care of their chickens. To meny of us they are pets with a bonus. For me, they are pets, they relax me, and brings me piece, and a bonus, eggs.

Well, since the hen determines the gender, technically they are boy or girl eggs, regardless of whether or not they are fertilized. HOWEVER, they will never develop into boy or girl chicks is there is no rooster to fertilize them. Only way to tell if an unfertilized egg is male or female is DNA analysis. The website sounds like it had a lot of misinformation...