Arizona Chickens

[desertmarcy]

This my first time with a link, I hope it works. Thought some of you would be interested. The star of the video refers to American chicken (production) as rubbish. I have to agree. One of the reasons I hope some day to move to ware I can have meat chickens, ofcourse my pet egg layers will be safe. Other then the joy just seeing happy animals, in my cases, there is a bonus, eggs. Our eggs are the way they are suppose to be like. The chicken livers and hearts in the store are inlarged and often have exsisive fat, there is a yellow color to the liver. If you found this in a necropsy, you would say it was sick and contributed to its death. Our chicken meat has no flavor, on the other side, because it has no flavor it lenders itself to many dishes, kind of like Tofu.

Americans, except the older folk and people who emigrated from the old countries, think our bland, texture-less chicken is the way chicken is supposed to be. Most people do not want to pay what it would cost to raise a good tasting heritage chicken to market size. Around 5 months or more for most dual-purpose breeds. When I got my Good Shepard Barred Rocks, I thought now this is a breed that would be great for people who want to raise a great meat bird but can't have roosters where they live. Those Barred Rocks did not start to crow until between 6 and 7 months because they mature very slowly. No one would know you had male chickens. By that time, the males were already very big, make a great meat chicken, and delicious too. Most breeds start crowing way before then, and the males are still scrawny.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Now that was absolutely hysterical! Not only is it on my FaceBook now, but I want to find one... Thanks for the link!

*** Edit ***
That's the 2013 Hallmark Squakin' Egg Droppin' Hen and is only available in stores or miscellaneous third-party sellers like eBay. As soon as my two Hallmark locations are open, I'm calling and setting one aside!

Got this one last year and then had stopped into Hallmark after Easter and they had a whole flock available at half price. I would check out some other Hallmark stores.

 

[rufus]

Relative to the question of lights in the coop, don't. Chickens are animals and they need the dark to sleep. Once they fall asleep, they are dead to the world.

I live along the freeway, and some advertising company saw fit to put up a couple of those huge flashing electronic bill boards. I can read a newspaper at night in my backyard. I appreciate the free security lights, but of course, the chickens never saw fit to go to roost. Finally, we put a tarp over the coop just before sun down. Chickens like to go to roost about that time. It worked.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I had a light in the coop for the transition, 250 W, next week 150 W, third week 60 W, then a 2.5 W. . I left it, didn't bother to take it out. A month ago they were making a lot of noise going to coop. In and out, I too have a street light on both sides of my yard, it gets dark but you can still see. I turned off the light, they went in and stayed in quitly, almost. Just the normal, "ha! Watch ware you are stepping", "move over", and "don't crowd me".

It was in Jan/Feb. that I put them out. By mid Feb right after that cold snap is when the lights went out. Next time, depending on the time of year 2.5 W for a week, then lights out. When I build my coop I plan on making it a dueplex, with a 1/2"x1/2" screen divider. New girls on one side, established on the other. If it works, I hope the new girls will be comforted by the older/established girls. I may make it so I could side a curtain in . . . Just incase.

i will be starting next week, a little every month, by October I should have it done. Dose any one know about paint and stains and chickens? I want to stain the wood RedWood, then seal it. I guess I will have to paint it every few years with the Arizona Sun? Has any one with experience? I want to stain and seal the pieces before I put wire mess on it. I want it for winter and summer. I wish to be able to remove part of the walls for additional ventilation.
Something like this, because I like the looks. I do not think the girls care much. I have the first 8' section of the coop pin done.
Pit is 5'ht X 8' wide. I will have a 12" wall at the bottom and 12" around the top, for a 7' high coop. 4x4 nailer, 2x4 top rail, 6x2 bass (12"), top I am working on idea's. thinking of possibly putting plexiglass panels in on the East side. I will post a sketch.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Do you think this would upset the flock if they knew?

Happy Easter everyone

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Do you think this would upset the flock if they knew?

Happy Easter everyone

I bet they are checking on who is missing!

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Lucille says Happy Easter



Visited my grandson today but he is ill with a fever and runny nose. So I took photos of my grand horse Rosie

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Do you think this would upset the flock if they knew?

Happy Easter everyone

Of course it would, silly. How many do you have? They would want at lest a leg each to them selves, however they may split a mushroom.

As for me.......... Yummmmmm!

 

[countrygirl74]

Thanks you everyone for your advice and help!! So I think maybe the strategy I'll take then is to leave them out in the coop with the light for a couple hours each night, then move them back into the brooder box and keep moving the night light farther away.

Is there any harm though do you think in leaving the light in the coop for them? I mean, if they like it, and it doesn't hurt them to do that... it's not like they ever have to get married and explain to their husband that they can't sleep without a night light, you know?

Or do you think there's a down side?

Country girl, where did you make the nest for them? In the roosting area or the nesting boxes? And right now, they have most of their feathers and they seem to do fine in the mornings when it's 58 degrees. I would assume it's warm enough for them if they were to stay out all night, but what do you think?

Also, what do you guys think I do with regards to food and water? The book I have says they should always have access to food and water. I mean, duh, I know. But I put some food and water in the roosting area for them last night since I knew they wouldn't want to go into the outside part of the coop. But are they at an age now where they would be ok without food and water overnight (if they didn't want to go down to the bottom to get it)? Or should I leave some up there with them at night until they are older. Again, I don't want to get them used to something they won't have in the future, but I also don't want them to be without.

I should change my name to CoddlerOfHazzard... Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the help!

Haha, CoddlerofHazzard... I think we all are, especially with our first! Okay, so here's the details on my first girls & boys... (I have a current brooder full that aren't out yet...)
After I let them "acclimate" a little to the dark and colder temps for a few days, I left them out all night for the first time just before they turned 8 weeks. They would have been out sooner except we were in the dead of winter here. Our night temps that week were around 25 degrees, which is why I waited until they were at least 8 weeks. There were 12 of them, 3 of which were silkies, so I was also waiting for them to be big enough and feathered out to help keep the silkies warm in those temps. I put them in a nesting box - actually it was 2 nesting boxes as I took out the divider. It was full of thick straw and pine shavings. Straw is a great insulator in the winter. I don't use it in the warmer months, just the pine, but I put in thick straw in the colder months. Once I physically placed them all in there, they all settled down in a big heap together in the straw and went to sleep. I also "locked" them in so they couldn't get out of the house at all until I let them out in the morning. This was to teach them where they go at night. It only took a few days for them to start going up the ramp themselves when it got dark. There were a couple nights we were in the teens about a week later and they all did fine. I never provided any heat or light, and I don't think either is good. However, I did still sometimes have to get a couple stragglers who were on the opposite side of the house and place them up in the nesting box with the others. Pretty soon they had it all figured out and before long they were big enough to figure out where they wanted to sleep and I didn't worry about the cold. They actually slept in those nesting boxes until they were 3-4 months old! It was getting pretty comical when they were that big all trying to squeeze in there and accidentally knocking someone out! Eventually, they started going to the roosts - silly birds.
As for the food and water... I did put a bowl of water and feed in the house for about a week or so, so that they could eat and drink in the morning before I got up to let them out. After that, I took it out due to the moisture in the coop from the cold, their body heat, and the water. They were about 9-10 weeks by then, and I was certain they could wait until I came out in the a.m. to take care of them - usually around 7-7:30a.m. Their water would be frozen solid, so I would try to get out there.

So, after all that... hope I didn't ramble on too much, I think they would be fine at night with your temps right now. I personally (as a coddler

) would provide food and water overnight for for a little while, but I don't think it will take them long to come down for it - might just be a few days!

 

[countrygirl74]

Rosie is such a cutie!!