Arizona Chickens

[LindaMurphy]

They are very cute.

 

[Demosthine]

Well, I sent my daughters out to play in the backyard tonight and came to the quick realization that our two toms have reached adolescence! Both, but Thanksgiving in particular, poofed up all majestic and started making circles around my eldest daughter. She was doing cartwheels across the yard and he followed her both directions, trying to court her! I've never seen anything like it.

Marcia, should I be worried about them getting aggressive and trying to mate with her? I've never seen or heard anything like this, so I'm at quite the loss. Hopefully, it's not any type of an issue...

 

[WestSideChicken]

Last week we finally definitively knew we needed to do something about our son's beautiful Ameraucana roo. It no longer only made a little crow in the morning, but decided it found its voice all day long. We originally were donating him to the processing party, but I wasn't able to drop him of with the taker. My husband joked that he was going to stop down the road at house that has a ton of chickens and ask them if they wanted him. (The house is on unincorporated land, unlike ours even though it is only a half mile a way). I told him "no one is going to take a rooster!" He stopped with the kids anyhow and after asking a few questions, the guy said "sure bring him by!" So Chipmunk is now at a house with some of the coolest and varied breeds of chickens I have ever seen in real life. We also lost my Buff Orp a couple weeks ago to a hawk we now believe. So since we were down two chickens and the yard seemed too quiet and lonely without them... I made a trip to Pratts and came home with 4 :two Bantams, a Silver Wyandotte, and a leghorn (because we figured we get every other colored egg except for white) I forgot how noisy the little buggers are in the brooder though! They are day olds too, it has been a little while I forgot how tiny and cute they are. At least I didn't come home with a duckling or turkey like the kids wanted.

 

[tsuninight]

Paid $60. There is another exactly like it, same price. Goodwill on Scottsdale rd at Acoma.

Not my patio, I was standing in front of goodwill waiting for my buddy with a truck!!!

WOW that is a fantastic price for a parrot cage. Great find!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Well, I sent my daughters out to play in the backyard tonight and came to the quick realization that our two toms have reached adolescence! Both, but Thanksgiving in particular, poofed up all majestic and started making circles around my eldest daughter. She was doing cartwheels across the yard and he followed her both directions, trying to court her! I've never seen anything like it. Marcia, should I be worried about them getting aggressive and trying to mate with her? I've never seen or heard anything like this, so I'm at quite the loss. Hopefully, it's not any type of an issue...

​

I wonder if he thinks she is dancing for him? Animals are so interesting. I heard all typs of things we can do that sends signals to birds and animals that can trigger an interesting response, sometimes meeting a challenge. I would insure your dominance as Alpha Tom Turkey. I would think he may get upset or challenge you if you came between him and your daughter. However, I would watch closely when your kids are out side. With your Toms. You have watched the documentary of the man that lived as a wild Turkey? But is is exciting to see this behavior. There must me something writen on Talking Turkey !

 

[kacklinkelly]

OMG that video is tooo funny. Your daughter seems to be having a great time.

I was also at Pratts yesterday and had to make myself walk away from those cute fuzzy butts. I don't know why I torment myself, but sometimes I just need a fix of cuteness. I was also hoping they would have some meat birds. I left empty handed at least for now.

 

[Demosthine]

OMG that video is tooo funny. Your daughter seems to be having a great time.

I was also at Pratts yesterday and had to make myself walk away from those cute fuzzy butts. I don't know why I torment myself, but sometimes I just need a fix of cuteness. I was also hoping they would have some meat birds. I left empty handed at least for now.

Yeah, she was trying to show off because she thought Mom was recording her. Little did you know we were watching her new "boyfriend," as we were teasing her about afterwards. As long as it isn't "too hot," they all have an absolute blast out there. Big ol' playground to play "castle" in, peaked roofs to climb 15+ feet into the air, slides, monkey bars, tetherball pole, sandbox... They have no idea how good they have it! And we were begging to go outside in 120* weather when I was a kid. It was downright miserable to even come inside to eat lunch when I was their age. I remember trying to throw pennies in to the asphalt back in '90 when we hit 122* here in Phoenix. They closed the airports, we watched the roads buckle because of the semi-trucks stopping, we tried to fry eggs on the sidewalk, and our ice creams melted faster than we could inhale them. No sunburns, no heat stroke, no heat exhaustion, nothing. Heck, we were drinking out of the water hose half the day, which my kids throw a fit about now. Well, they have gotten a lot better when they finally learned they are not running inside every five minutes for a drink... Yeah, the good ol' times...


I would not recommend the Cornish Cross from Pratt's. We tried some of those at the start of summer, and although they grew very, very well, they seemed to have far more problems than they should have. Their feathers, nor even their fuzz, ever came in remotely close to correct. BeeKissed had some that she got from a different source (obviously, since she's on the other side of the Country!) and they were looking absolutely gorgeous. I don't have another source or recommendation for you, though.

 

[desertmarcy]

Well, I sent my daughters out to play in the backyard tonight and came to the quick realization that our two toms have reached adolescence! Both, but Thanksgiving in particular, poofed up all majestic and started making circles around my eldest daughter. She was doing cartwheels across the yard and he followed her both directions, trying to court her! I've never seen anything like it.

Marcia, should I be worried about them getting aggressive and trying to mate with her? I've never seen or heard anything like this, so I'm at quite the loss. Hopefully, it's not any type of an issue...

I'm not sure he is really trying to court her. It looks to me like he is excited about the cartwheels. My tom turkeys display all the time. I would just keep an eye on him and make sure he is not acting aggressive. If he does, then you need to show him who's boss.

 

[Demosthine]

I'm not sure he is really trying to court her. It looks to me like he is excited about the cartwheels. My tom turkeys display all the time. I would just keep an eye on him and make sure he is not acting aggressive. If he does, then you need to show him who's boss.

No aggressive signs at all. They do have a tendency to thoroughly attack food, especially if it's chicken or something I'm cooking on the barbeque, but all of mine have been food maniacs since very early on. Heck, they went through four pounds of feed in about a half hour the second week we had them home. I started to refill the hopper and they went to town again. That's when I got some clarification and learned that the turkeys will gorge themselves if you allow them. I try to do two or three small feedings a day for them. Although the Ameraucanas did learn that they can fly up to the edge of the turkey's feed tray and eat that way. They are the only ones of my clan that manage to fit.

Do they display more around the women versus the men? My eldest daughter is part hispanic and my wife keeps telling me that she'll develop earlier, based on her family's past. I wonder if he's sensing pubescent hormones that we can't, too. I sure hope not, because I am NOT ready for that can of worms!!! But I've heard most dogs can tell and tip the parents off, if you know what you're looking for.

 

[heidisue]

I'm not sure he is really trying to court her. It looks to me like he is excited about the cartwheels. My tom turkeys display all the time. I would just keep an eye on him and make sure he is not acting aggressive. If he does, then you need to show him who's boss.

I agree fwiw it doesn't look like courting, just excited or freaked out over the cartwheels so he's making himself look bigger. It's a really cite video!