Arizona Chickens

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have been working on plans for the other half of my yard, the chicken side. I fear chicken math will take over. My garden more then doubled, chickens next. I so love those adorable silkies. There are so many references to Silkies as pets. I have so much work to do right now, the irrigation system is really a problem. Emotionally I am resisting the design given me, the designer in me tells me there is another way.


When I was in the field inspecting work, I was always surprised at different ways the same job with the same results could be done. That was what was important. I worked from the aspect, the contractors were professionals, observe and evaluate, do not tell them how to do their job. I was more interested in not cutting corners.

Nearly 20yrs ago, I  was the lead for a landscape crew. I did all the irrigation install. It's possible I could help. Pics or drawings or questions?

I wish it was Possable. I did a number of systems. I used to know the flow/waster pressure/ dia of line all that stuff. Every thing was in my reference book, notes and formulas.

My problem is I have to drill holes in PVC pipe, I was told to get both 200psi and schedule 40 3/4" pipe. I got it. Now I have to make a jig, draw 3 lines @ center, 45deg both sides full length of each 10' section. Next mark every 1/2". Lastly I then drill holes with a #57 wire drill bet. That is about 360 holes, I have 30' each bed, 9 beds, 270'. A #57 wire bet is very small and I have only 1 wire bet. That is 97,200 holes. I disagree on the 200psi pipe, I am not sure about water pressure, ... You know what I am getting at, and I think that this is not time cost effective, or a negative return. Steve believes that LDS PREPPER has everything covered. Well he is always fine tuning, and for him it works. When I put the top on my T-frame I told Steve I needed a center brace. No, that was not what LDS did. Then when LDS put the shade covering on he had a center brace. Steve designs web sites and advertising. He told me he doesn't understand what I am talking about.

I've been weighing wither or not I want to deal with him being angry at me to redesigning the wheel. Clearly the hoses do not work in proper watering. I have an idea. I may set up an experiment to see if it works.

I ran a fowl of a civil engineer design once before, and he know what he was doing. I was working the week end to finish the project, the engineer I usually work with just let me do things if i couldn't ask him at the time. Will, I saw 2 things, I could save 600' of 12" pipe and trench by rerouting to a collection drain, increase the size of the out let pipe. Then I saw were I could dig one trench a little deeper, put in water line under the electric with proper separation. My boss was thrilled. I saved money both revisions. The project engineer was complimented on the improvements. But he was insulted a mere civil cad operator should change anything and in a rage at me. The next day the guy up I usually worked with asked me if I mind doing his job. I told him not at all, after all he checks my works, signs off on it and it is his butt that is in a sling not mine. He said he could live with that.

 

[City farm]

Rufus, I've noted an "uptick" in the number of what I assume to be illegal aliens in my neck of the woods since last week. I imagine most just want to work hard, but unfortunately, I believe many of them to be food stamp/ entitlement free loaders. I can imagine an uptick in robbery and break-ins soon. My two children are seriously the ONLY kids in the entire school across the street that pay full price for breakfast and lunch. (The head lunch lady informed my wife of this fact not long ago) Makes me sad for my state and my country. This entire financial fiasco we find ourselves in now, was engineered by the White House. (I also blame complicit Republicans who are in the tank with them) They've admitted as much... problem is, most of the American people are being misled by them and the state run media. The sequester didn't cut spending at all, all it did was slow down the INCREASE in spending... and very little at that. Spending $$$ we don't have and have to pay interest on! Simple facts. Everyone who is getting jobs cut and furloughed by the government, were handpicked by the POTUS to make it appear that we are suffering and of course to blame it on the other party... It's all they've done for 6 years. The only true suffering, is that caused by freeloaders and the fact that EVERYONE'S taxes have gone up since Jan. 1st and more especially all those who try to work a little harder. Since gas prices went above $3.60 a gallon, I've had my schedule go to pieces. I'm back at 2010 levels again. Folks have decided that they can't afford to spend money on themselves when they need the $$$ to get to work. We will see massive layoffs start in the private sector again before the end of the year. Small business employers will stop offering healthcare and dental plans; Real estate may stay at current levels or rise slightly, simply because it's the only safe bet for savings at this juncture. As soon as a barrel of oil is priced with the Yuan rather than the Dollar, we will see the price of gasoline skyrocket to over $12 a gallon with RUN A WAY inflation. We'll need weeds to pick to feed the chickens, feed will be much too expensive. This new full fledged depression is going to make the last "recession" look like NOTHING. Anyone who actually believes there has been a 'recovery' need to pull the sunglasses off and walk out into the daylight. The only exceptions are the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana and parts of Texas... due to the oil and natural gas boom there. A good investment at this point could be in pipelines or in ways to store or transport natural gas. In reality, the only smart/safe thing for folks to do who have ANY extra cash at this juncture is to buy Gold, Silver and more importantly, real estate that can produce income.... I would also add if you've got the storage space; store COMMODITIES! TP, ammo, Food, water and FUEL!... and if you have any debt, pay it off as QUICKLY as possible. Barter may soon be the name of the game. And the stock market? Get out or get ready for a HUGE tumble... OK... getting down off of my soap box now. Carry on.

we are completely miss informed!!! COMPLETELY. However I believe most people thing subconsciously. " IGNORANCE is bliss!!" Even though I know and am informed, I still feel that there is not much we can do...

 

[Arizonachicken]

All of those chicks are seriously cute!

On a sadder note, I think one of my SLW is an internal layer. She looks exactly how my FCBM looked...water balloon abdomen. *sigh*. Now I need to decide if I should cull her or just let her go on.

On a happier note, I did get 9 eggs yesterday out of 10 laying hens! They've really picked up production.

 

[Demosthine]

On a sadder note, I think one of my SLW is an internal layer. She looks exactly how my FCBM looked...water balloon abdomen. *sigh*. Now I need to decide if I should cull her or just let her go on.

That's a shame to have to deal with problems. Personally, I want the healthiest and best laying flock I can manage, so I am attempting to go the all-natural, minimal intervention route. Part of that maintenance, in my opinion, is culling the weaker birds and those with health problems. From the sounds of it, this is one I personally would cull. From my understanding, there is no cure for internal laying. it causes the internal organs to fail and will ultimately result in her death.

If you truly want to try to extend her life, you can try to drain the fluid with a large needle. This link here talks some about the amount and type of fluid he drained, even explaining on Page 1 where he inserted the needle. Ultimately, she passed away, but if you are truly attached...

Either way, I would do a necropsy to see if you can better determine the cause. Did you get both birds from the same breeder or hatchery or were they different?

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

First one is a Cinnamon Queen.

Second two look like Australorps... but could be Black Sex Links or Barred Rocks

Cute chicks

Isn't "Cinnamon Queen" just a fancy way of saying sex-link?
I've seen gold, red, and cinnamon used to describe them depending on the white hen used.

Also, the black ones don't look anything like the BRs or Black sex-links I've had. They look exactly like my BAs.

 

[City farm]

We put golf balls into a few different laying boxes... As of this morning no hen has decided to stay put...

 

[GreatWhiteAfro]

Isn't "Cinnamon Queen" just a fancy way of saying sex-link?
I've seen gold, red, and cinnamon used to describe them depending on the white hen used.

Also, the black ones don't look anything like the BRs or Black sex-links I've had. They look exactly like my BAs. 

But doesn't Cinnamon Queen sound so much cooler than red sex-link? And after looking at more pictures I'm positive they are BA's too.

 

[Mahonri]

There are 3 or 4 different types of red sex-links.

Cinnamon Queens are the only ones with the white tail feathers.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

All of those chicks are seriously cute!

On a sadder note, I think one of my SLW is an internal layer. She looks exactly how my FCBM looked...water balloon abdomen. *sigh*. Now I need to decide if I should cull her or just let her go on.

On a happier note, I did get 9 eggs yesterday out of 10 laying hens! They've really picked up production.

I had a hen that was about 2 years old that started acting like that. I didn't do anything thinking that I'd let nature take it's course unless she was suffering. I truly thought the hen was going to die. I helped her up to her roost for 4 days straight because she couldn't get up there herself. During the day she rested a lot and sort of crouched when she walked. After 4 days or so she just went back to normal and a few weeks later started laying again. Since then she has gone through a molt and looks, acts, and lays like her beautiful self again.

Mine have picked up production too. My 2 new EEs are laying one green and one blue just about every day and the green one already looks like a normal sized egg!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

There are 3 or 4 different types of red sex-links.

Cinnamon Queens are the only ones with the white tail feathers.

I've done some research and I think the name depends on where you get them. There doesn't seem to be a standard naming system for sex-links.
I had two that Ideal Poultry called a gold sex-link that had white tail feathers and white lacing in other places. They looked just like the cinnamon queen from Cackle hatchery. I even ended up with a rooster that looks just like the picture of a rooster cinnamon queen at Cackle.
I also had a hen that Ideal called a red sex-link and it looked exactly like a PR.
Hale Malu Farms calls all 3 red rooster/ white hen crosses cinnamon queens.


Ideal differentiates between the three white hens with these names
From Ideal:
Gold Sex Links are a breed cross using Rhode Island Red males and Rhode Island White females.
Red Sex Links are a breed cross using Rhode Island Red males and Delaware females.
Brown Sex Links are a breed cross using Rhode Island Red males and silver factor White Rock females.

So it looks like if your sex-link/cinnamon queen has white feathers, it was probably a Rhode Island white hen.

There you go, more information than you wanted. I have too much time on my hands...too sick to do much else.