Arizona Chickens

[pipemum]

Okay-AZ geography~ the Peacock mountains are near the junction of the 40 & 93. All the chickens out here are in coops. Just lots of predators. I used to keep 12--20 hens & 1 rooster. Have never used an incubator, as I had plenty of hens that wanted to populate the earth w/chickens. I had about a 90% or better hatch rate & the roo seemed to be quite proud of his peeps. He often found places for the hens to lay a clutch. Their interactions were very entertaining.

Alright, near Kingman then?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

My experience with nipple waterers was mixed.
They seemed to work great in the winter and all the chickens used them but then in the summer they only drank out of their wading water and forgot about the nipples. When they only had the nipple waterer I lost 4 chickens (they were un-attended for a couple of days, their other water dried up, and apparently they forgot how to use the nipples, (long story)). I'm pretty sure they would rather drink out of a dish or puddle, but the nipples will work with no other water source. Just make sure every chicken knows how!

I think it's hard for birds to stay focused on the nipples when other water sources are available---unless they were raised from an early age on the nipples. After my first batch all subsequent batches of chicks were raised on nipples from the first day. The chickens from these later batches seem to really love the nipples as much as a pool of water. The baby chicks relish at pecking the toggle for water. Yesterday, I let my new clutch out to walk around outside the coop and I put a vacuum waterer out for them and the chicks weren't all that interested. Interestingly, some left the group and went back into the brooder box where their nipple waterer is located to drink. So, it seems that how familiar they are with a particular water source is important.

ETA: I wanted to support the excellent point that you should make sure every chicken knows how before you remove other sources of water. You could lose a chicken very quickly in our heat if they don't have continuous access to water.

 

[pipemum]

I don't have chickens yet, but I'll be using a poultry nipple from the start.

 

[gallopingfrog]

Morning all! Anyone have a chicken that lays twice a day? One of the White Leghorns I got (Flopsy or Mopsy - not sure who) is attempting to lay an egg in the morning and the evening. The morning one had a nice hard shell, but the evening one's shell is extremely fragile and thin. Is there anything I can do to be able to actually get a harder shell on this later egg? I offer free choice oyster shell already.

At least my white shepherd appreciates it when she lays those fragile ones. Lol

 

[ChicksOfHazzard]

How do most of you cull a bird? When I quail hunt and a bird is still alive, I break the neck. Is that a preferred chicken method?

I'm a big sissy about such things. I haven't had to cull chickens, but quail I have (we raw feed our dogs, it's a long story, but not live food because we don't want to encourage the prey drive). I use CO2 gas with them at the bottom of a container (storage bin, etc.). And slowly turn the gas on, it's heavier than air so it sinks to the bottom. As long as you don't introduce too much too quickly, it's peaceful, they just get tired and fall asleep. Just another option out there for people like me who are averse to the sights and sounds of "the deed".

I hope Button comes through with a miracle in the next day or two and gets on the mend.

 

[BakinInAZ]

I won't get chickens until I have a good coop for them, & that could be awhile. I have a few neighbors w/chickens, so sometimes barter for eggs. Yes, the nearest town is Kingman. It's a big change from what I was used to after living near Riverside, CA for 35 years. But, I really do like the slower pace and not hearing the almost incessant sirens-there is very little traffic going by our property-just a few vehicles per day. I've been here for a year already & still adjusting.

 

[kevs-chickadees]

Most varieties of mulberries have male and female trees. Since they are wind pollinated, the males produce a lot of pollen. And since a lot of people are allergic to mulberry pollen, the sale of male mulberry trees has been banned in Arizona. You can still buy female mulberry trees, and some varieties will produce sterile fruit even if they don't get pollinated.
Mulberries are really, really great if you want a fast growing shade tree. I have one in my back yard that we planted 18 months ago that went from 24 inches to over 16 feet in that time.

I wish our Mulberry would grow that fast or even at all. We bought one kinda sorda for our neighbors to plant in their yard so it would shade the west side of our house eventually. It was probably 10' tall when planted 2 years ago and it might be up to 11' now. Might have something to do with only being watered once in a blue moon with the hose on high and only until the well is full???? Last summer just to make sure it would live I stuck a 20' length of pvc pipe through the fence and watered it through various nights.

 

[Arizonachicken]

No baby for me yet...but look what other surprise we had today!

 

[Phottoman]

I won't get chickens until I have a good coop for them, & that could be awhile. I have a few neighbors w/chickens, so sometimes barter for eggs. Yes, the nearest town is Kingman. It's a big change from what I was used to after living near Riverside, CA for 35 years. But, I really do like the slower pace and not hearing the almost incessant sirens-there is very little traffic going by our property-just a few vehicles per day. I've been here for a year already & still adjusting.

Hey Bakin', welcome to the neighborhood. We are in Golden valley, that's West of Kingman on AZ 68. I was raised in Torrance, then moved to Downey and eventually out to Ontario and Pomona when I was married the first time, then 14 years in Montclair, so ... that would put me "just outside Riverside County." At one time I was the Track Photographer at both Riverside Raceway and Arlington Raceway, those WERE the days.

I love it here, my sig other borderline hates it here, and talks constantly about life in Los Angeles ... sheesh.

If you haven't been there yet, go to Stockton Hill Feed store, (of course, it's on Stockton Hill, get off the freeway and turn North, it's about a mile) great advise and wonderful people there.

Skip

 

[pdx2phx]

No baby for me yet...but look what other surprise we had today!

Those little peeps are so sweet! Hang in there