Arizona Chickens

[MaddBaggins]

One of these days, I WILL make it over there for a meet/visit/beer tasting & maybe some brewing education! I've always been meaning to learn more about home brewing & I certainly do love microbrews!

Anytime. The garage is always open on brew day.

 

[kevs-chickadees]

At the Bee meeting we had a very informative presentation,
I asked if I could share with BYC

Dan Punch
[email protected]
FACEBOOK : www.facebook.com/MyBeekeeper

Contact him and he can send you information and locations of ASU bee studies and such. One location is near Williams Air Force Base. I plan on taking advantage of the training/education. They are working on putting together a training educational program for people like us. I believe it can't hurt to show interest in such a program. Also information on bee studies in California.
I'm tired, so it is a little disjointed.

Thanks for the information, I'll contact him later this evening. I/we didn't make it to the meeting, to much stuff going on leading up to the time to make a decision.

 

[Mahonri]

Chicks that were due Saturday at noon, started pipping this morning. 1st one (an Aloha) hatched at 6:30AM. Two more Aloha's were pipped. None of Tab's shipped eggs had pipped. My wife thought the first one was dead... it was just resting. Too bad I can't just sit and stare at the incubator.

I'm at the office.... a construction fellow is here tearing out the old Formica and putting in new Corian countertops with a Corian sink in my sterilization/x-ray lab. He says it will only take 3 hours.. He had all of the old torn out in about 30 minutes. Amazing. I may get the plumbers here early to hook everything back up. That would be sweet, then I'm cleaning coops and mowing lawns as I doubt my two teenagers will ever get to it. I've also got to call Pratt's and see if I can come sell them some two month old roos. One that looks like an American Game has a pathetic little crow and he wakes me up before the crack of dawn every morning. If any of you AZ folks want roos, PM me I'd rather give them away to you folks. I have some Silver Laced Cochins, some Australorps, a Buff Orpington a Partridge Rock, a Giant Partridge Cochin and some other game looking roos...

 

[Demosthine]

That would be sweet, then I'm cleaning coops and mowing lawns as I doubt my two teenagers will ever get to it.

You know, what the chickens have done for the lawn is truly miraculous. Over the years, I've spent a small fortune on fertilizers and weed control, but this year with the chickens, my lawn is greener and lusher than ever. I'm using about half the water I use to as well.

I found a Scotts Push Reel Mower at Goodwill a few months ago and it has cut my mowing time so far down. I spend about ten minutes a week to blow through the backyard. It use to take me between half an hour to an hour with my gas-powered mower. I can not recommend it enough! It takes such a small amount of time, I'm mowing weekly and leaving the clippings for the chickens to eat and scratch at. If I remember, I'll have to get a photo when I get home...

 

[Demosthine]

If anyone else is interested, this just popped up on one of the other threads I'm involved in... I am in no way involved in this...

Today only -

A fellow breeder of Madagascar Hissing Roaches is having to move and can't take their roaches with them. I don't have room to take his inventory, so offering a starter colony free of charge is anyone wants to try these out as breeders. Let me know A.S.A.P. and I'll get them in the mail for you.

 

[City farm]

This is just my opinion...

NO on the comb

I don't trim the nails either except once on one of my roos who ripped one of my girls' sides open from mounting. He didn't have his spurs yet, so I knew it was his nails. Most of the time if they are allowed to scratch around, there is no need for this. They grind down their nails and beaks from scraping them on hard surfaces - dirt, rock, etc. I have a piece of flagstone in my run that one of their dishes sit on just for wiping their beaks or scratching on because I use deep litter method in their run - which isn't exactly hard enough for grinding down beaks or nails. But, even that's probably not necessary as they can easily wipe their beaks or scratch on the wood of their house, etc. They also get some supervised free-ranging daily.

Spurs - only if it's causing a problem. I would only remove on a rooster if it was a problem. And if you need to, do the pliers method. Make sure if you trim nails or do spurs that you have something to stop the bleeding just in case you have an issue.

Silkies - Feel free to trim their poofy head fluff, etc. if they seem to have trouble seeing. You can also trim the fluffy butts if you are doing any breeding. I have boring hatchery silkies that never get poofy enough to need a trim, but if they are having trouble seeing, definitely trim their "hair" back.

Like the flagstone idea..
I have trimmed their bottoms as well.. Not their top hat..our silkies can see fine.. Now the polish is another story..
They are still young so that will be determined at a ater date..

 

[City farm]

Got my first pullet egg from the Javas this afternoon. It's so tiny and CUTE! Here is is, next to a grown-up egg for comparison.

Nice congrats on that.. We can't wait to get the chocolate eggs from our french copper maran..

 

[City farm]

Reminder, I'm brewing a Belgian Saison on Saturday morning if anyone is interested in seeing the process, meeting me and my birds and taste testing my current batch on tap.
PM me if you want my address, Eastside Tucson. I'll probably start by 9am and finish up around 2-3pm.

Yes I would love to check it out... I work on Saturdays. Do you do sundays or week days?? I am asking around to different friends for
equipment.. & advice.. I am so excited..

 

[City farm]

Boston just dropped off 6 two week old chicks. 4 BCMs and 2 Ameraucanas... I hope I can get some girls.
I put them with Milagro and her two Dellie companions.

Saturday, I'm sending 3 pairs of 2 month old chickens back with him. A pair of BLRWs, A pair of Sultans and a pair of Splash Cochins.... and maybe some blacks so he can make some blues.

Incubator should start popping with chicks in about 24 hours. I've upped the humidity to 64% and it's in our bedroom and driving my wife NUTS!!!! (the humidity pump keeps it at 64. I think I'll up it to 70 and then turn it back down so she can get some sleep.

Boston's BCM's that we got from him are precious!! They are so sweet & calm.. I can't wait to see their eggs.. The are quite as well..love that.. Thank you for the referral

 

[City farm]

Show this to your wife, the incubator is only 19-21 days, this is 365 1/4 days a year.

forced air, I have forced in and out. My sister wares one of these things bit smaller, it only forces air in. I felt like Dark Vader for the first few nights.
Scary isn't it.
I do hope to be able to switch some day to a different unit, this one is just as scary

just as noisy (or quite) take your pick. The incubator is better.

Girl you are a HOOT!!!!