Arizona Chickens

[BorderChicken]

Ok I do have a question, i really like the stain, but also the color.. Do you have two coops? Or did you stain it then paint?

Nah, just one coop. We started with the stain when we built it. A mahagony color if I remember.... then Lisa decided that it was just not fitting into the color scheme of the rest of the yard, so we painted it some sort of light moss and blue color. Its only been painted for a couple of weeks. The girls didn't like when we painted their little door and made sure to fly up and put chicken feet prints on the wet blue paint. Ha!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: They will go back to famliar territory to sleep, plus only feed them inside, and that is another incentive to return.

 

[Demosthine]

Wonderful news! You can now shope at Williams & Sonoma for all your back yard chicken needs. Their chicken scratch a real bargen at only $24.99
"Chicken Scratch is what brings wandering chickens back to the coop at sundown. Known by many as "chicken candy" because of its addictive flavor, this scratch is a GMO-free organic mix of sunflower seeds, corn and whole grains. In the winter, the extra calories from scratch also keeps chickens warm. But it should not be the only source of food.
Chicken scratch is a treat used to bring chickens back to the coop and is not well rounded enough to be the only source of food.
1 12-pound vacuum-sealed, resealable bag of hand packed organic hen scratch.
Made in USA."

it must be really good stuff. ?¿ Really! Just think! 12# for only $24.99!

right, I'm sure we are all going to be on line ordering chicken food from Williams & Sonoma. they have a really nice ceramic waterer for chicken, I'm sure the water is better coming out of it then anything from the feed store

So, would it be bad to tell you that I use a ceramic dish for giving them both the fermented feed and free-choice egg shell? I'm actually looking for a second matching bowl because there are too many of my chickens fighting for access to the one bowl. With the higher acidity of the fermented wet feed, galvanized feeders are out of the question and plastic just degrades so fast here in Arizona... But in terms of the water, they do make a very valid point of it staying at a more constant temperature with that feeder than the metal and plastic ones. The ceramic is an excellent insulator and is much easier to clean than plastic and metal. Just not for that price, though!

Those ceramic brown eggs look awfully spiffy, though! And at a great price, too...

​

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Two very quick stories about the same rooster I raised from a day old last year. I bought several (10) chicks at the end of March last year, plus a rooster. Every one got along well for about four months, and then the rooster started trying to attack me when I was in the yard. He would race all the way across our acreage to fly at me, wings beating, and making loud noises.

An elderly man from across the street told me he gets up in the morning and listens to the rooster crowing at the early morning sun. He sits on his porch drinking his morning coffee listening to the rooster. I mentioned this last year in a posting. He said he smiled every time he heard that rooster crow. It reminded him of a duty station in the Philippines, he is retired Navy.

The third time the rooster attacked me, I chased him all over the yard, cornered him and was putting him into the isolation cage I use for new birds, and a neighbor from the other side of the property asked what I was going to do with him. He had been watching for several days what I had been going through with this bird. I told him I was going to learn how to "harvest" a bird, TODAY!

He begged me to give him the bird, he had a large covered fenced area he would let the bird live in, so being the "nice" guy I am, I gave him the bird.

That was almost a year ago, and I can still hear that bird crowing every morning, the rooster is happy, the neighbors are BOTH happy, I am happy, and the neighbor I have the rooster too came back that day with a trailer full of pallets asking if I had a use for them, so now I was happy too.

Skip

I am so happy that it worked out for your you, your neighbors and your rooster. I will say, though, that fighting back is NOT going to work except in the very immediate term. When you fight a rooster that attacks you, you have lowered yourself to his level--he either sees you as a predator to protect HIS flock from, or competition for his flock. He needs to see you as a force of nature--something that he CAN'T fight against any more than he can fight a large tree or a windstorm.

So, how do you become a force of nature? Plunk a laundry basket over him and go about your business; or better yet, swoop him up and carry him around securely while you do your chores (yes, it takes a lot longer when you are working one-handed, but it is not forever), either ignoring him or babytalking to him (not sure exactly why, other than a guess is that one's attitude while babytalking comes through) seems to settle the boys down and even slightly embarrass them. When you are done with your chores, give him a handful or food to eat out of your hand (while you are still holding him). Chances are he won't eat, but give him the chance. If he doesn't after a few moments, put the food on the ground and set him down in front of it and walk away.

In the future, keep a wary eye out and don't let him successfully attack--reach out and grab him before he attacks. Do this every day until he no longer tries to attack at all. Usually a week takes care of the issue.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: First, if you are allowed to have roosters, then he really has no say over it unless you are violating a noise or nuisance ordinance (the same kind as can be used with barking dogs). Things that might help keep the peace and that are reasonable include trying to keep the rooster on the other side of your property from his yard (unless you have to move coop and run to do so), planting thick vegetation around the coop/run to help retain the noise, or installing soundproofing to the coop. Make friends with the wife and daughters since they seem less likely to be antagonistic towards your boy. Let him know that if he is having company or a special evening (not every evening--once in an infrequent while), if he gives you notice, you will put the boy up early.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Sigh...don't I know it...ours are even older. Hate those trees!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I bought a pair of silkie chicks from a local lady and everything was fine until I went to move them to the row out brooder today. I haven't paid super close attention to them lately, so it could have been going on for a month or so.
She is 9 weeks. She rarely opens her left eye. She kinda waddles and scoots backwards and she twists her head around in al different weird angles but it looks like her head is too heavy?
She squeaks kind of constantly too.
Anyone know what is wrong with her? Or what I can do?

This is crookneck/stargazing/a few other names....add vitamins, particularly E and B vitamins, you may need to handfeed. Keep separated, check for lice and mites and treat if you find any.

 

[BorderChicken]

I like the idea of putting the composter in with the chickens.. Will you show a photo of what your composter looks like??

 

[pipemum]

BorderChicken, your compost bins are beautiful. How do you get the compost out--are the side panels removable?

I have a big black plastic bin that's worked well for 6-7 years. The plastic is finally starting to break down. I have a couple of pallets around, and I think I'm going to make something useable with those.

Oh, and I don't know how to multi-quote, this is in response to the moringa trees. I'd stay away from trees that are so frost/freeze sensitive. It's looking like our winters will continue to have slightly longer and harder freezes...our tropical trees are really going to struggle.

 

[BorderChicken]

BorderChicken, your compost bins are beautiful.  How do you get the compost out--are the side panels removable? 

I have a big black plastic bin that's worked well for 6-7 years.  The plastic is finally starting to break down.  I have a couple of pallets around, and I think I'm going to make something useable with those.

Oh, and I don't know how to multi-quote, this is in response to the moringa trees.  I'd stay away from trees that are so frost/freeze sensitive.  It's looking like our winters will continue to have slightly longer and harder freezes...our tropical trees are really going to struggle. 

Yes, the slates are removable.