Arizona Chickens

[redrocketrooster]

welcome to all the new az peeps and hello to all the regulars

i got a great compliment from a stranger yesterday he was working on my neighbors cable and came over to tell me he liked my rooster. apparently he heard him crowing and he and the neighbor came over to say hi.  I am constantly in a state of worry over my chickens because i have rental properties all around me and you never know what the new people are going to say. they both commented on how his crow isnt piercing and annoying. i was so happy. Optimus is a brahma and doesnt crow much in the first place, but when he does its deep and manly, lol.

to rrr and demo: thank you both for your info on rabbits. i will continue to research both sides to determine if its the right fit for my family.   on a side note, is it possible to compost rabbit waste?

re compost: i got a black barrel compost bin from the city. i water it and turn it whenever i remember and it makes a decent product. i am thinking about dumping the whole thing in a pallet compost bin and letting the chickens have access to it.

Rabbit poo is GREAT fertilizer! It works wonderfully in compost. We built cages that didn't touch the ground and layed a thin layer of Equine Pine in the pans. You can do the same without pans too. Equine Pine composts better than shavings, so im gathering.

 

[flower]

Rabbit poo is GREAT fertilizer! It works wonderfully in compost. as per redrocketrooster

I had read that it is not necessary to age either goat or rabbit poop so I add both directly to my garden and it seems to be working just fine. Having worms in your soil is also a big help. A while back I had a worm bin but the excessive heat did them in.

 

[Demosthine]

You probably already received the info you were looking for but I'll share my little 2 cents. We had 2 bunnies given to us because apparently no I don't want them means sure leave them here. I built a structure to try and keep them in and they would just climb right out of it, 3' high. Anyway they ate every last bit of grass in my yard. The chickens will eat it down low like a putting green but these bunnies ate the roots and all. I'm still trying to get the grass to grow back. They also chewed on the trunks of my fruit trees killing 2 of them. I spent a small fortune trying to protect everything from them so if you free range them beware.

Wow, that's pretty crazy that they were that destructive. I knew they were that way with gardens, but that should be a given. We have about 4,000 square feet of grass, so our chickens and turkeys don't keep our grass under control at all. I still have to mow every week or it gets too thick. If they chew up the bark of my trees, well, they'll probably die from the oleander poisoning. I'll have to look up recommended foraging area for them.

We did pick up the lone bunny tonight. The previous owners' kids were rough and mean eith him (or her), so it's no wonder he wasn't cuddly. It'll take some work, but I think he'll come around reasonably quick. I need to pick up pellets tomorrow, too. They said they would give me some and then flaked out. Oh well.

It's time to finish my rabbitry book and go to bed. Talk to you all later.

 

[maryhysong]

I have be researching raising rabbits for meat.
I have searched for the thread "Arizona backyard farmers" and
am not finding it. Can you point me in the right direction.

Arizona Backyard Farmer's is a facebook group, not here on BYC. It was down a few days and is now back

 

[pipemum]

I'm bummed. I've mentioned how I have a ton of little roos in my group of 9 chickens? Well, just this week, my black copper marans, who I swore was a pullet, has developed red wattles and her comb has really grown. She's...about 13 weeks, I think. Another friggin cockerel, probably. At this point, I don't care about fancy eggs or fancy chickens--I only want a couple of chickens that will actually lay eggs!

 

[jbolt]

Total bummer, I'm inundated with roos too, and I can't give em away lol, oh well tho, what doesn't find homes will make good eating. Though this is my first year raising chickens, so I'll have to find someone to help me learn how to process them efficiently......

 I'm bummed.  I've mentioned how I have a ton of little roos in my group of 9 chickens?  Well, just this week, my black copper marans, who I swore was a pullet, has developed red wattles and her comb has really grown.  She's...about 13 weeks, I think.  Another friggin cockerel, probably.  At this point, I don't care about fancy eggs or fancy chickens--I only want a couple of chickens that will actually lay eggs! 

 

[pipemum]

Yeah, I'll be eating all my roos. I've spent too much time and money on these guys to let someone else eat them...so. I'm not looking forward to it, but at least we'll have some tasty chicken dinners.

 

[mckenzy]

Yeah, I'll be eating all my roos.  I've spent too much time and money on these guys to let someone else eat them...so.  I'm not looking forward to it, but at least we'll have some tasty chicken dinners. 

I was just thinking one of my EE ladies may not be a lady. Much brighter comb and has a very different posture than the other. Talked to my wife about culling chickens and she flipped out a bit. Anyone have experience in preparing someone for it?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Total bummer, I'm inundated with roos too, and I can't give em away lol, oh well tho, what doesn't find homes will make good eating. Though this is my first year raising chickens, so I'll have to find someone to help me learn how to process them efficiently......

I thought I read about a poultry processing workshop several months ago. Now of course I cannot find it. I would like to raise meat birds and cull my unwanted roosters, but I too need someone to teach me and help me get past the killing part without freaking out.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

 I'm bummed.  I've mentioned how I have a ton of little roos in my group of 9 chickens?  Well, just this week, my black copper marans, who I swore was a pullet, has developed red wattles and her comb has really grown.  She's...about 13 weeks, I think.  Another friggin cockerel, probably.  At this point, I don't care about fancy eggs or fancy chickens--I only want a couple of chickens that will actually lay eggs! 

I was getting too anxious for my chicks to get old enough to lay, so I got a hen that was already laying. I love having a daily egg, and look forward to lots of daily eggs in about 5-9 weeks from now.

Sorry about all the cockerels