Arizona Chickens

[flower]

I'm having trouble with my chicken addiction. Some days harder then others.
The weather is getting nicer, now I have the feeling I will have to start working again on all my projects. I have to do something with the ants.... I'm at a loss. Camphor is to expensive, I am still to scared to use poison. It is incredibly painful to work in my garden, or even on my coop/pen because of those ants.

Well my little flock has grown again. I'm up to 13, I may have a few more if my eggs hatch. I hadn't counted them before, on purpose. I didn't want to do the math.

The ants in your yard require gorilla warfare clothing. I will wear my tallest boots to walk in Phoenix. Does the cooler weather help ?

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

you non't count chicks!!!! e I have 6 pullets (2 will be hens in next month) 4 pullets & 2p3 hens......... I have room for a couple more!

 

[Demosthine]

Ugh, my wife noticed the d'Uccle that we picked up from RedRooster was uber lethargic this evening, so she brought her inside. We force fed her some raw yogurt, homemade pedialyte and gave her some Benadryl. After an hour, she was still just sitting in the shoe box, a blink from death. Next thing we know, she jumps out of the box and starts eating my daughter's dinner! We let her eat it and then my wife gave her dry feed. She is still going to town! I'm hoping she makes it just fine.

We'll see in the morning.


I went and picked about ten gallons of prickly pear tuna today, also. I washed them off thoroughly and a lot of the glochids came off, flushing out of the bucket and on to the cement. My wife sent my Baby Girl out to me and she walked through it to get to me. I didn't realize she was shoeless, so she got all those microscopic little spines in her feet! We tried tweezers, packing tape and finally started getting somewhere using Elmer's glue. Boy, you never realize how long that takes to dry, especially with a crying baby on your lap! Ultimately, though, it worked out well and I think we got everything out. Let's just say, the only place I'm washing those off again will be the middle of the streets. These darn glochids are the only bad part about the prickly pear. But they are the reason a very large amount of people won't even considering attempting it,

In the meantime, I racked my blackberry and blueberry wines today, meaning you syphon it from one jug to another in order to eliminate the sediment off the bottom. It's bits and pieces of the fruit, as well as all of the dead yeast that has been building over the last few weeks. They are both an absolutely gorgeous color and I'm so excited for the final results. That's what the above pickings were for, a large batch. I'm picking up a 7 gallon glass jug this week for my next batch. That'll give me about two and a half dozen bottles, if I calculated right. With plenty of time for the holidays next year, I'll have some perfectly aged wine to give as gifts.

Now to get enough wine bottles for it!


I'm doing perfectly fine after the accident. So far, I show no signs of injuries, no pain or whiplash, nothing. Thank the good Lord! My wife is definitely feeling it, although she was moving and using her arm a lot more today. She's getting plenty of rest, icing it and taking a few pain pills. Being the second day, if this is the worst of it, she's doing really well, too.

No word from the adjuster, but that wasn't expected since it's the weekend. Bonnie, the frame looks fine, but with nearly 200k miles, over a decade old and both airbags going, I'm sure they'll total it. Depending on the buy-back price, we may take that route and use the extra cash to but all the parts. My Dad priced it out, since he works at a dealer and has infinite contacts, and it should be about $1500 for the parts, plus whatever the airbags cost. I figure about $2000 total. We can manage that.

Thanks for those who have offered prayers and were concerned. It always means a lot to know people care.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

My prays are with you. I had a clutch problem, asked some one to look at it. Said $150.00, then I needed a pump, pluse new clutch. Said at first $4XX.xx, then told my sister $800.00, and then back to me at $600.00. Then I said thank you and then called Tunderbird Automotive, I've been going to them sense 1987 and my Mom 1981. I do not really enjoy working on cars and tarring up my knuckles, blood and grease is not appealing to me.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Glad to hear you guys are doing better, DEMOSTHINE! Your wine sounds delish! I know what you mean with those little hair stickers. I would go to Sally's and pick up some wax strips. The kind for ripping out hair. Lot faster than waiting for Elmer's to dry. We like to hike in the desert a lot and with all our little ones, someone's bound to end up with cactus. I keep some in my first aid kit. You can warm them by rubbing them in your hands. Works well.

 

[Demosthine]

Glad to hear you guys are doing better, DEMOSTHINE! Your wine sounds delish! I know what you mean with those little hair stickers. I would go to Sally's and pick up some wax strips. The kind for ripping out hair. Lot faster than waiting for Elmer's to dry. We like to hike in the desert a lot and with all our little ones, someone's bound to end up with cactus. I keep some in my first aid kit. You can warm them by rubbing them in your hands. Works well.

That's a GREAT idea! As much as I've been working with them this year, they'll be a lifesaver. Thanks!

 

[City farm]

Wow, what a beautiful day here in Tempe.. I have been giving our flock wheat grass.. Does anyone else do that?

 

[City farm]

1 day old Black Copper Marans. I think this will be an only child as tomorrow is day 21 and I don't see any movement in the other 4 eggs. Little one may need to go to a home that has chicks it's age. As I previewed this photo, apparently I did not see that a fly was buzzing about when I snapped the photo.

I have 3 chicks that are still itty-bitty, so I can take him. Of course I think you should get more chicks to keep him company!

WOW Chris, your photo skills are awesome !!

 

[City farm]

Ugh, my wife noticed the d'Uccle that we picked up from RedRooster was uber lethargic this evening, so she brought her inside. We force fed her some raw yogurt, homemade pedialyte and gave her some Benadryl. After an hour, she was still just sitting in the shoe box, a blink from death. Next thing we know, she jumps out of the box and starts eating my daughter's dinner! We let her eat it and then my wife gave her dry feed. She is still going to town! I'm hoping she makes it just fine.


We'll see in the morning.

[rule]

I went and picked about ten gallons of prickly pear tuna today, also. I washed them off thoroughly and a lot of the glochids came off, flushing out of the bucket and on to the cement. My wife sent my Baby Girl out to me and she walked through it to get to me. I didn't realize she was shoeless, so she got all those microscopic little spines in her feet! We tried tweezers, packing tape and finally started getting somewhere using Elmer's glue. Boy, you never realize how long that takes to dry, especially with a crying baby on your lap! Ultimately, though, it worked out well and I think we got everything out. Let's just say, the only place I'm washing those off again will be the middle of the streets. These darn glochids are the only bad part about the prickly pear. But they are the reason a very large amount of people won't even considering attempting it,


In the meantime, I racked my blackberry and blueberry wines today, meaning you syphon it from one jug to another in order to eliminate the sediment off the bottom. It's bits and pieces of the fruit, as well as all of the dead yeast that has been building over the last few weeks. They are both an absolutely gorgeous color and I'm so excited for the final results. That's what the above pickings were for, a large batch. I'm picking up a 7 gallon glass jug this week for my next batch. That'll give me about two and a half dozen bottles, if I calculated right. With plenty of time for the holidays next year, I'll have some perfectly aged wine to give as gifts.

Now to get enough wine bottles for it!

[rule]
I'm doing perfectly fine after the accident.  So far, I show no signs of injuries, no pain or whiplash, nothing.  Thank the good Lord!  My wife is definitely feeling it, although she was moving and using her arm a lot more today.  She's getting plenty of rest, icing it and taking a few pain pills.  Being the second day, if this is the worst of it, she's doing really well, too.

No word from the adjuster, but that wasn't expected since it's the weekend.  Bonnie, the frame looks fine, but with nearly 200k miles, over a decade old and both airbags going, I'm sure they'll total it.  Depending on the buy-back price, we may take that route and use the extra cash to but all the parts.  My Dad priced it out, since he works at a dealer and has infinite contacts, and it should be about $1500 for the parts, plus whatever the airbags cost.  I figure about $2000 total.  We can manage that.

Thanks for those who have offered prayers and were concerned.  It always means a lot to know people care.

Oh yes we are praying for a speedy recovery..
On the matter of prickly pear, someone said they use a potato peeler? Now that you have talked about it we are inspired..
Did you boil water & dip them in quick to take off the outer part? If you posted up earlier I did not read.. We have family in
town from England.. We only read a few post.. So I hope I did not miss to much..

Now about the wine bottles, I bet if you ask your local bar to save the bottles & corks you would be doing them a service..
Plus reusing rather than sending to a land fill.. ...
Glad you guys are doing ok..

 

[WestSideChicken]

okay change that.... The two little Bantams didn't even make it through the night (I tried explaining to the kids you don't pick out the tiniest little runts from a batch, but they did) So we went back to the store again and came home with three instead of two (not sure how I got talked into that) a little yellow, a black with white wing tips, and a chipmunk but without the usual EE chick look, so I have no idea what they are. I will post pics, but my computer bogs down every time time I try. We also ended up bringing home a tan and white turkey with the understanding that it will eventually end up being dinner. I still said no to the duck...not ready for that venture yet. My husband gets home from his business trip today and is gonna have a fit! he knew I was going to replace my sweet Buff... but now we went from 4 almost mature pullets that should start laying soon, 5 new chicks and a turkey. The run is big enough, but He will have to expand the coop (they refuse to leave the run to free range, if you get near them at all they run back. They became paranoid like that after we lost Butterball. My biggest question is once the chicks are done being in the brooder, how long do I need to quarantine them before I can integrate them in with the 4 older ones?
Oh and I have kept my garden seedlings up where the chickens couldn't get them and the dang wild birds destroyed everything, so I need a new plan for planting my vegetable garden this season. Maybe I'll do the cheating thing and go buy bigger starters from the nursery, instead of starting everything from seeds.