Arizona Chickens

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have to drive to Mesa, a bat company. Only when the baseball season I full do they have it regularly. Right now a couple of months to get enough. I get est 72 cu ft to 150 gals at a time. I have a lot off it right now in bags that are falling apart. If you want 100 gal let me know, I am going to be using some of it as fill. You need to bring bags to re-bag it. I also got some from truss company's. most sell it to recycling company's, asking 3 figures and you have to take scrap wood with it in a 20'x 8'x 5' or 6' dumpster. Call around, Amy place that works with wood.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Does anyone have a food link to egg color, production on the different breeds ? I use Meyer for that, but good
as opposed to excellent ?? 2-5 a week or 1-3 a week.. I do know that EE are great layers.. But I have heard that
Silkies are not good, fair? Again I do think it depends on the bird? Just a newbie.. I have so many neighbors & friends
that would like eggs, we are barly keeping up with demand.. So I am rehoming some/ adding.. Ya know..
So a chart will help ..anyone??

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html Realize that individual birds can vary from breed characteristics, and hatchery lines versus exhibition lines can also make a difference. I've been told that EEs are and are not great layers. Since they are mutts, I think it can vary; you'd probably do better with Ameraucanas. Australorps hold the record for the most eggs lain in a single year, but leghorns are generally considered the champions.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

STAINING concrete? That is interesting. A few years ago, alright, a lot of years ago, before I got my daughter back home (and my grand sons). I pulled up my carpeting. I had several funky idea's. they didn't come out of Better Homes And Garden or a home Fastion, you know the magazines. Redecorating your home on a shoe string, The bottom basement store, Drexel Heritage, Williams and Senoma, and other discount stores....... Ya, if you have an unlimited budget.
I had at the time serval directions.
1 paint a meaningful mural on the floor, challenge was bridging thems from room to room. Sealing in a layer of transpartent polymer. Can't remember what it was, I needed about 4 coats of the stuff, there was another medium that I thought would be better, but I couldn't put it down myself.
2. cover the floor with painted canvas rugs. Over a painted sealed floor.
3. Seal the gray concret and leave it as is.

I never Hearn of staining, tell me about it. What do you need to do to stain. Do you need to acid wash to floor?

I just love how fearless everyone is on this BYC. Doing interesting things, fearlessly lessoning to your own music. There had been a time when a friend told me that I would not only talk about doing something, but I would do it. (Of course, talking is a good thing, lessoning to yourself is even better..... Figuring out what needs to only talk about and what is a good idea to do..... Is not always easy.)

Concrete staining has been very chic for the last several years. Yes, you acid wash first. (I think you patch before that, though). There are different styles. I know a few people with stained floors. One did it herself, and the other two hired it done. It can look very nice! You sometimes see it in stores.

 

[Demosthine]

If you want something really awe-inspiring, forget the stained concrete! You've gotta go with a penny floor...

​

 

[Demosthine]

I'm sure most of you know I'm a Joel Salatin and Polyface Farm fan, so I check back for their latest videos every once in awhile on YouTube. They have a half-hour episode that just showed up about two weeks ago that goes more in depth about their farming structure and philosophy. I think it's the best they've put out, by far. I don't think anyone here has a real ranch this large on this thread, but it gives you something to think about. This would be a dream come true for me. I love the ingenuity of some of their stuff.

 

[City farm]

I have my chicks listed on Craigeslist, and I posted my chains.

If interested I have 2 Cobra CBs, load locks, and a lot of other truck stuff.

And then there is my sign... Don't know if I want to sell it... Besides it was to go to a female driver. Yes, Lot Lizards will bother everyone... Male or female.

if you have a driver in the family, let him/her/them know. PM me. PLEASE

This sign does no surprise me girl.. looks like it would fit in a gas station/bar..

 

[City farm]

Does anyone have a food link to egg color, production on the different breeds ? I use Meyer for that, but good

as opposed to excellent ?? 2-5 a week or 1-3 a week.. I do know that EE are great layers.. But I have heard that

Silkies are not good, fair? Again I do think it depends on the bird? Just a newbie.. I have so many neighbors

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html  Realize that individual birds can vary from breed characteristics, and hatchery lines versus exhibition lines can also make a difference.  I've been told that EEs are and are not great layers.  Since they are mutts, I think it can vary; you'd probably do better with Ameraucanas.  Australorps hold the record for the most eggs lain in a single year, but leghorns are generally considered the champions.

Fabulous, thank you.. I do want mostly blue/ green eggs.. So yes Ameraucanas

 

[City farm]

I have to drive to Mesa, a bat company. Only when the baseball season I full do they have it regularly. Right now a couple of months to get enough. I get est 72 cu ft to 150 gals at a time. I have a lot off it right now in bags that are falling apart. If you want 100 gal let me know, I am going to be using some of it as fill. You need to bring bags to re-bag it. I also got some from truss company's. most sell it to recycling company's, asking 3 figures and you have to take scrap wood with it in a 20'x 8'x 5' or 6' dumpster. Call around, Amy place that works with wood.

Do you want to pop on over for tea & Coq AU Vin after 5 today? We are getting our new girls..

 

[City farm]

I think it would be more fun in a group. If we have all day and a show, maybe, I don't know, maybe not.

I'd love to meet some of you fine folks at the fair for chicken gazing. Although being a 30 year old male covered in tattoos I might not fit in too well. I'm nice tho, I promise!
You gotta hit the donut booth and get a "Wagon Wheel" donut. Amazing!

I told my wife I'm more excited about the fair this year so I can see the poultry competitions.

The Del Mar (California) Fair was my growing up as a kid fair and I guess I just love Fairs. AZ is good enough for me.

Tattoos or not us chicken folk here in Tempe are good with everyone.. Plus it is fun to see everyone's set up... Well & of course their
chickens..

 

[City farm]

 
​Quote:
You post reminds me of all the factors involved with gardening. In the SW the lack of organics is a really big factor in poor results plus the lack of good clean rain water. But the commercial food producers use regular ground water so you might think that ground water will do. And it does but the rain that we have had UP NORTH sure made a difference. Our climate is more temperate due to the altitude so I will not be able to maintain a winter garden for at least three months and during that time I intend to introduce as much goat, rabbit and horse manure as possible.

About the bees, I have plenty of flowers and see a lot of bees visiting the flowers. But my squash blossoms have not been fertilized and I have lost hope that they will produce despite the blossoms. This is sad.  I look forward to learning hand pollination form your wife.        

Hand pollinating squash is easy.  There are male and female flowers.  The female flowers have a tiny baby squash at the base of the flower.  The male flowers are typically on a longish stalk with no baby squash at the base.  To hand pollinate, pick one of the male flowers, pull off the petals, hold what's left of the flower by the stem and touch the male parts (with the pollen) to the female flower's stigma (the stubby white thing inside the center of the flower).  Make sure some pollen gets on each part of the female's stigma.  You can usually pollinate two or three female flowers with one male flower if you are careful.  The trick is making sure you do the hand-pollinating early in the morning when there is still viable pollen on the male flower parts.  At my place the ants will collect all the pollen within an hour or so of sunrise.  If I don't hand pollinate my zucchini before 6:30 am in June and July there isn't enough pollen left to be effective.  What the ants don't take the bees will get.  So for best success, pollinate early!

 

Send some pictures to me. DH might be able to help. He is a plant guy, after all!

When I typed that up I was thinking that same thing. I have a set of books that describes the different symptoms of the nutrient defs and has a ton of pictures. Problem for me is the pictures are of plants reaction/needs and I'm curious about the fruit trees. Nitrogen, Magnesium and Iron seem to have similar signs. I'll take some pictures though and send them your way. Thanks

Lady K, where did you get your saw dust from for your garden soil and does it seem to dry out quickly. I like the idea of raised garden beds but the only experience I've had with them is it seemed to need watering several times a day.

Here's a guide to plant nutrient deficiencies from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension folks.  Might help identify the problems and it's specific to Arizona:

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1106.pdf

Hey, thank you for that guide..