Arizona Chickens

[Mahonri]

My nephew from Utah got in last night.

This morning, I cleaned, x-ray'd and filled two teeth and then he finished the job his electrician dad started.

In January his dad put in an underground electrical line with a box into my feed/garden shed.

I no longer need the EXTREMELY LONG extension cord that ran along the top of my home to the top of the shed and into the chicken coop.

He put lights in both the shed and coop and electrical outlets in the coop and shed.

The AC, the light with a timer, a fan and the lights that go to my Laree brooder and grow out pens are all plugged into the coop. He also put flood lights on the outside of my garden/feed shed so when we put on the flood lights from the back porch and the shed, it can almost be like daylight in our backyard at night. I could mow lawn, pick out weeds, clean pool, (I've already got a light in the pool)... we could have a party.

I'm bushed, (I helped him run all of the wires and held a flashlight for him) but I only work until 2PM tomorrow and then I'm off until Monday. I've got to make a run to the feed store for FlockRaiser, EggMaker, scratch and shavings. I already have chick starter..

 

[jeepgirl13]

I live just outside of mesa and I've got 11 girls here. This will be their first summer but I plan on throwing frozen water bottles in their waterer to cool the water and hosing down an area in their coop for them. Lucky for them their coop is in the shade of my feed shed during most the day. Does anyone know of any hatcheries that ship here with a low minimum order, like ten chicken or less? And any suggestions for some colorful breeds would be appreciated! I want some chicken that are pretty and colorful. Thanks!

 

[GreatWhiteAfro]

I can not find anyplace a % guide to the size of an animal a snake can eat, Relying on hear I have seen, a full size mouse eaten by a king snake maybe 13"-15" long it had a hard time getting it down. I would say if you have small chickens yeas, but no not rally, it would be a very big snake. There are non-native constrictors that are feed chicks. As for getting bitten that is smoothing else. Snakes do not like to us there venom for anything else but food.

A friend of mine yrs. ago, brother was bit twice. First bit was dry, the second had enough venom to miss up his day. They were in Tucson, got anti-venom, but the dry bight was infected. I do not remember what kind of infection.

My suggestion so try to keep what they want unavailable to them, Water. They need water, their food needs water. Cover, places that they would love to he'd in.

Thank you for the great advice, I didn't even think that the chickens are probably too big of a dinner for a rattler. I should have know that based on our pet snake, he's still kinda small so only still eats fuzzy mice (frozen and defrosted from the pet store, no live feeds) they can only take food that's as big as their body is around. I will have to secure my coop better then to prevent visitors that like to dig!

 

[City farm]

Good morning ya all,
Here is a link for the chickens. Toxic plants...
We are only thinking about gardening... Tiss the season..
http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

 

[City farm]

We harvested our first tilapia tonight. The first two I could catch with the net, each just over 1.5 lbs. They were simply amazing. The BEST tilapia we've ever eaten. Not bad for the desert.

Hey just wanted to show this again... I am totally dreaming about our own tilapia pond!!! Gallo I can't wait to come down that way... Hope you will be up for some visitors? We like to go camping by the water... Last time we went to the lemon mountain "lake". it was completely dried up.. I was so bummed.. Our westfalia camper did not have air conditioning so I was ready for a dip... It was a mud stinky pond... So this year we are again only thinking about going to Tucson. Sabino canyon is pretty, but a hike. We might just do a day trip & mountain bike our favorite of all times fantasy island...

 

[Rezia]

Hey, all! I need to get more pics of my chickies and the coop up! I've been on a mission trip in Mexico... I got very sunburned. Boo. Oh well. Anyways, being a vegetarian in Mexico is extremely difficult. Thankfully, I managed to avoid meat the entire time! The chicken coop is almost complete. The chicks are in it now! (I just need to finish the nestboxes...) I'll be getting gambel quail eggs as soon as possible!

 

[Demosthine]

Good morning ya all,
Here is a link for the chickens. Toxic plants...
We are only thinking about gardening... Tiss the season..
http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

Wow, that's a really large list. Looking through, I wonder exactly how accurate it is for poultry. It mentions the data comes from Reptile Keeper's Handbook. But it lists a huge amount of plant parts that I know many feed to their girls. Nearly the entire plant for chives, garlic, leeks and onion. Apple and apricot seeds. Milkweed, elderberry, tall fescue if contamined with a fungi, flax, soybean, Sweet potato and tomato plants. Kale leaves, lima bean, pepper and potato (immature) plants. I mean, we're eliminating the entire garden off this list. Practically every week and grass that grows in a regular Arizona backyard is there.

Doing a quick search to compare, I found the Comprehensive List of Poisonous Plants and Trees here on this Forum. It looks like it was mostly just a simplified version of the one you referenced, although it includes avocado, cilantro and parsley. Has anyone had a chicken die from any of these things or is this more of the ultra-paranoid list? Based on this, you should keep your girls in an isolated coop and run, fed strictly commercial feed.


And that post came out a lot more harsh than I intended... No offense was meant!

 

[countrygirl74]

Wow, that's a really large list. Looking through, I wonder exactly how accurate it is for poultry. It mentions the data comes from Reptile Keeper's Handbook. But it lists a huge amount of plant parts that I know many feed to their girls. Nearly the entire plant for chives, garlic, leeks and onion. Apple and apricot seeds. Milkweed, elderberry, tall fescue if contamined with a fungi, flax, soybean, Sweet potato and tomato plants. Kale leaves, lima bean, pepper and potato (immature) plants. I mean, we're eliminating the entire garden off this list. Practically every week and grass that grows in a regular Arizona backyard is there.

Doing a quick search to compare, I found the Comprehensive List of Poisonous Plants and Trees here on this Forum. It looks like it was mostly just a simplified version of the one you referenced, although it includes avocado, cilantro and parsley. Has anyone had a chicken die from any of these things or is this more of the ultra-paranoid list? Based on this, you should keep your girls in an isolated coop and run, fed strictly commercial feed.


And that post came out a lot more harsh than I intended... No offense was meant!

Most of the really dangerous plants, the chickens actually are smart enough to not eat and many of the plants are only really toxic if they eat huge quantities. For example, my mil's chickens free-ranged their huge garden last year that had onions, tomato plants, sweet potato, etc. - they pretty much didn't even bother those plants. Now, the cabbage on the other hand - well they had to plant extra.

Also, I know people who let their chickens free-range their entire apple orchard and never had an issue with the seeds either. That all to say that I don't think you have to worry too much - they will "weed" out what they shouldn't eat and most don't eat enough to warrant illness or death.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Ok Feed in Tucson currently has about a dozen different breeds in stock, if you want to take a drive. I was there this morning getting some crumble.

 

[Fuzzybird]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I need about 6-10 fertile eggs that have a good chance of hatching. My son's kindergarten class incubates eggs and takes care of the chicks for a while. His teacher knows I have chickens and has asked me for help. But alas, I have no roosters currently. The last few years the eggs they got from the school didn't hatch and the kids were disappointed. Does anybody have a few fertile eggs I could pick up from them this Sunday? I'm more than willing to pay for them. And since I'm probably going to be taking the chicks that hatch, I would have a preference for silkies, americaunas, faverolles, or polish eggs. But I'm open to any fertile eggs, and live in Scottsdale. Please call me or text me if you can help at 480-227-4136. Thanks in advance! Deanna

PS. I was thinking about hosting a get together for some of the Scottsdale chicken people. It'd be nice to meet some others and learn from you. Would anyone be interested?

I can help you if you want to drive to Wittmann. I have a rooster and the eggs are fertile when they are opened so have a good chance to hatch. They are Americanus/Maran cross and should be Olive eggers. I would take some back if you have a good hatch. I won't charge you for the eggs.