Arizona Chickens

[cbnovick]

If anyone is interested in growing out some 'meaties' as a good alternative other than the hybrids available at ideal and other mass hatcheries...here is a link to view.

http://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/purchase

 

[Arizonachicken]

I still have the EE Roo (5 months old) and two pullets: White Rock and a Buff Orpington both 2.5 months old, available. Anyone interested?

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Five to six birds will eat about 50 pounds of layer feed a month, with all the weeds, bugs and plate scrapings you can muster. So not very much really.

50# plus for 6 chickens! that means I need 100# for mine! I have never used 50# of feed in a month! even when I had12 hungry beaks to feed. That's like over $8.33 a month per chicken in feed alone. If each laid min, 6 eggs a week, that would be over 33¢ per egg. With all the treats I spend about $60.00 a month on 12 girls, when I can afford it. They are more pets, but I only need to spend no more then $30.00 to $40.00 a month. I have spent more that was my chose, mealworms, crickets, and such. Am I doing something wrong? I had lost 3 girls to being to fat and over feed, In the necropsy, I found they died of conjunctive heart failure, and excessive fat.

I had been giving them scratch, w/very little corn in it. I have stopped giving it to them until it gets colder. Scratch lasts 2 months on average.

I do ferment their food, dose it really makes that much difference? I have bee working on 50# a month for 12 girls, give and take. Now that I have 7 pullets/hens I gave been using 50# ever 6-7 weeks. Am I doing something wrong? I have not been recording how much I give them, I will start now...... $3.98 a dozen at coast....... ! I would like. To know my real coast of feeding them, not including the greens and scraps.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Might possibly be a pea comb. Can't really tell due to the angle of the photo. The bird looks like an Easter Egger cockerel. It's definitely not silver laced.
dose this help? Dose she have a waddle?

No...I did zoom the photo; need different angle to tell about the comb.

 

[Arizonachicken]

I have a genetics question...if I have an EE Roo, what should I breed him with to get EE chicks? Thanks y'all!

 

[flower]

The results of using an EE rooster over any hen will result in all EE but not all will lay green/blue eggs. If you want green eggs you will need to have hens which also carry the blue egg gene. A lot of people interested in EE are interested in having green eggs.

 

[Arizonachicken]

Thank you, FLOWER!

 

[heidisue]

The bantams seem

"Five to six birds will eat about 50 pounds of layer feed a month, with all the weeds, bugs and plate scrapings you can muster. So not very much really."  [COLOR=FF0000]Maryhysong[/COLOR]

[COLOR=006400]If you can be satisfied with smaller eggs,  I have read that bantams eat less and are still as productive as the standard size birds. Large eggs are nice but when you consider the feed the bigger birds eat maybe the bantams are not such a bad idea ?  I have both in my flock and have not decided to make any big changes yet.[/COLOR]

The bantams seem to do really well in the heat too

 

[heidisue]

That sounds like the right amount of feed to me... The extension office says 1/3 cup a day for a large/dual purpose breed - for 5-6 pullets that would mean a 50# bag every 4 weeks. Treats and free ranging cuts back on that.

Fat birds could mean too many treats, not just overeating. Most birds shouldn't overeat unless it is meaties or treats.

 

[Twinklin]

My 4 20 week old pullets go through a 50lb bag of crumbles in 2 months. They free range all day. I only give vegetable and fruit scraps and once every other week I sprinkle a cup of scratch around the yard. I don't give them any meat. They get 1/4c yogurt or kefir mixed with feed in the morning. I just got them pellets for the first time today so we'll see how they do on those, hopefully there's less powder in the bag. I'm getting a part time job so they will be confined for part of the day soon so they'll probably start eating more feed when that happens.