Arizona Chickens

[LadyKotaDoria]

Thanks for the incubator advice. I had only $75.00 in my budget.... Going to have to rework it.

I'm addicted. . . Now I find Icbar, good layer, looks great, and friendly....... [COLOR=0000FF]IS THERE NO END?[/COLOR]. I feel so defeated. . . . So many wonderful chicks, so little space and money. . . . I just can not go on eBay and look at chickens. I wonder if there is a support group "Chickens Buying Anonymous".


(Mantra) I am getting Maran no more repeat 1000 time . . . Quietly when in public

Did you get a bater yet? PM me I have one and a turner.

I couldn't find one in town, only Little Giamt, and GQF, so I ordered one on line about 15:00, just before you posted. I got a Farm Innovators Model 4200 Pro Series Circulated Air Incubator with Automatic Egg Turner . I hope it is a good one. I will have to wait on my knew out fit I was going to make. I was going to order the one with the hen and roaster on a pile of eggs in the red color. They usually have something with chickens in their prints. I have COD, so I have to expect this type of thing. I had come across Wheaten Marans, and a Golden Marans, and thought GEE THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL ONE OF EACH IN MY FLOCK.... Yah! That would be nice. Oh sure, I would have to make room first. Non of my girls Volunteered for Camp Freezer. So I couldn't get them, but they are beautiful.

 

[Sheof3Angels]

Processed my tiny crowing cockerel yesterday. I seriously (

drama!) felt traumatized at the killing part, which took less the 3 seconds. Milk jug as a cone, lopped his little head off with brand new tree loppers. I'm not sure there is quicker and less traumatic way to kill...besides letting someone else do it., but ugh, hated it. The rest was quick and easy. I skinned since I didn't want to deal with scalding and plucking. His wee body is brining right now, I'll probably do stock with him. This guy was a Polish/silkie mix, obviously small at only 3 months old.

Oh my!! I can only imagine how horrific that was. If it weren't for my hunter husband I'm not sure I could process any of our chickens. I completely understand the cycle of life but not sure I
wanna be on the front line of that process. Guess it would get better after processing a few.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
I had the same thought about the shirt!

 

[pipemum]

i am intrigued by your shirt. either its tie-dye, or that was a slippery chicken...

(sorry, twisted sense of humor here) anyways, it looks like my bubble run shirt (awesome 5K btw)

Haha! No, just a junker tie dye--one of my husband's old undershirts that I used to mop up the puddles of dye when I'm done with a project. They make great weekend chore shirts for me! I got a drop of blood on my leg when I, ack, chopped the head off...otherwise it was a really clean process. My gloves didn't even get gory.

I was thinking about doing the next color run...I'm getting my races lined up till next summer.

So, I was expecting more blood. Like, he bleed out maybe a tablespoon. Now I'll probably be shocked at the blood when we process my other for sure cockerel, a RIR. He's still peeping like a chick (at 13 weeks!) and is already twice the size of the little guy. Ugh, hope he can hold off on the crowing for weeks...I need to recover, lol!

 

[Jordi15]

James Smith in Central (near Safford) has the best in the state, and some of the best in the country.  I doubt he is on BYC, and I don;t know if he does facebook or not.

You might try the chicken swap of arizona page on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/162698773828108/

thank you both!

 

[pipemum]

Oh my!! I can only imagine how horrific that was. If it weren't for my hunter husband I'm not sure I could process any of our chickens. I completely understand the cycle of life but not sure I
wanna be on the front line of that process. Guess it would get better after processing a few.

exactly! But, I think of all the meat I've mindlessly ingested without a thought to what part of the world it came from, who cared for it, the life it lived, the way it was killed, butchered, and transported to the store....and, we're obviously so far removed from the food processing loop. I'm a little surprised that I am STILL upset at killing the chicken...and I've eaten how many hundreds in my lifetime?? I kill one measly chicken and it's suddenly TRAUMA? This disconnect is now normal for most of our society, and I'm not saying it's wrong (I kinda prefer it)..but it's probably not a good thing either. I'm not going to be raising my own cows and pigs on my 1/4 acre lot or anything,

, but I can at least do my own dirty work with my chickens. I guess. Ugh. (***also, this was so not intended to be a lecture...I'm still trying to work out why I'm still not feeling all that great about killing the dang rooster! I eat meat! I've hunted! I've grown up and live with hunters! This shouldn't be a problem!)

 

[redrocketrooster]

awesome, i did not know that. THANKS!!
i always skin mine, just makes for less fat in the crock pot.
oh my that would be great. i've been wanting my husband to try rabbit but dont want to buy the frozen ones. i would also be interested in learning how to process rabbit. 
I am currently growing out 6+ cockerels for processing. they are about 12 weeks now and a bit on the small side, but 2 are starting to crow. i figure i have about 3 more weeks before no one in my neighborhood will be able to sleep past 4am. i dont have the space to host a processing party, but would still consider it. i'm in mesa.

Rabbits are very easy. The main issue is being careful when gutting. I can demo but im self taught too. I also have a friend who does butchery classes for them. You get to bring your bunny home.

 

[redrocketrooster]

Im trying to become NPIP certified but im having such a hard time finding the right agency. Ive been put on hold, forwarded and been told to call different numbers for two hrs now.

 

[pastrymama]

Hi pastrymama,

I'm brand new to this site and to having chickens. I just introduced myself in the new member forum... I have a group of 8 one week old chicks, mixed flock including 2 silkies, 2 easter egger bantams, 1 marans, 2 polish, and 1 barred rock.

Do you incubate chicks, or how did you come across just one lone fella? What color is the baby silkie? I would seriously consider taking your silkie off your hands if you think it would be safe to introduce her to an already established (albeit still very young) brood? Can you be sure of the sex yet? Unfortunately I can't have any roos (I live in central Phx), would hate to get attached if he turned out to be a he indeed...

welcome to byc and the world of chicken(and duck) addiction!!!!!!! do I incubate eggs? uh, almost non-stop

it's really a serious issue. lol! this lone silkie baby is VERY SPECIAL because it is the only one out of 24 shipped eggs to make it. plus, it's a lavender. I cannot possibly let it out of my sight. poor baby all by itself, but I found a remedy from a super silkie addict. baby lav will have bunkmates later today!!!!

 

[desertmarcy]

Im trying to become NPIP certified but im having such a hard time finding the right agency. Ive been put on hold, forwarded and been told to call different numbers for two hrs now.

Good luck with that. I found the contact person is Lacy Greer. I talked with him on several occasions at the poultry shows about becoming NPIP. He told me the State Vet gave him authority to run the program. He said he would do it but I have yet to get him to come here to test birds. I stressed to him last winter I needed to get tested before I started hatching again, that my bird #s were the lowest they were going to be but it did not happen and now I've got hundreds of birds. I have given it up for the time being. I also believe, but am not sure, that if you are NPIP, you cannot have people come out to your place and see your birds for biosecurity reasons. If this is true, I am not sure I want to do it. What fun is that.

I enjoy showing off my birds and people want to see what they are buying.