Arizona Chickens

[Twinklin]

For the people who had been discussing starting small scale compost I just emptied my tumbler today and took pics. I filled the tumbler for a few months until it was pretty much packed to the brim with grass clippings, shredded paper, pine shavings, and fruit and veggie scraps then let it sit for about 6 months, keeping the tumbler in the sun and keeping the contents moist and turning once a week.

It filled this small wheel barrow twice


It was enough to put a thin layer over the 4x8 raised and 16' bed along the house.


I'm a bit late getting my stuff planted from their little seeding pots but should be done in the next day or 2. I'll spread the compost and turn it in then add a thin layer of garden soil. I have to put the rest of the fencing up to keep the chickens out then all the stuff I started indoor from seeds will go in.

 

[City farm]

Hey everyone, thank you so much for all the tips on my bedding. I have a nice pile of clean construction sand in my back lot that I used for a patio project that should last me quite some time and after that, it is easily accessible to me so that is what I am going with. I will also bed my brooder with the sand to raise my chicks. Today I figured out my brooder box, found a great feed/tack store here in town that carries everything I will need to feed and water my flock. The owner actually has her own chickens, twelve of them! So excited to find practically everything I need and can support a local business to boot. WIN/WIN!! She was so helpful too about keeping the hens cool, things they like to eat. I garden and grow lots of greens that need to be thinned throughout the season. She said her chickens LOVE kale and I grow kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, beets and bok choy. My girls are going to be so spoiled!

I also got my heat lamp but realize now it has a plastic housing so I will be taking it back tomorrow to get the ceramic one. We went to the other feed store in town and didn't find any starter mash, grit, scratch or anything else, but they did have a big tub of dried mealworms that I got for treats. I've never been to my local petsmart but we did go there and obviously they don't consider chickens as pets since there was nothing pertaining to poultry there at all.

I do have a question about a roost in the brooder box. Should I provide that right when I get the chicks or add it later? We will be getting chicks from Pratts (hopefully) on Monday the 7th. By the time we get them they will be about a week old. Should we have the roost installed right away or add it later? Another question I haven't read about. We will have a coop with nesting boxes, and the roost with bedding underneath. We will more than likely enclose them in the coop during the night for safety until we are assured of no predators. There will be an attached run that they will have access to all day when we are at work. We'll probably let them free-range in the yard every evening when we are home from work and during the day on weekends. Should I have food/water both in the run and in the coop? I know they won't eat at night, but I worry about water just because it's so dry here. I just don't want a total mess in the coop with the added water and food containers.

Twinklin, loving all your pictures of the transformation of your backyard and house! I also have oleanders along the entire one side of my property. They are not on irrigation but they get plenty of water from one of my gardens. I trim them regularly and keep them to about 10 ft. I had a Chihuahua for 12 years in my backyard and never had a problem with poison. The dried leaf bed will surely provide bug hunting!

City Farm, Wow! what a small world we live in! I own a business in the main part of town and know that photography shop extremely well. In fact, several years ago we met up with them at the old store and purchased a display cabinet from them then never made arrangements to pick it up! Tell them we are the ones who own the engraving store that was just up the side street from their location. We have since moved down the street a bit. I am, however, the president of our Main Street Assoc. and we would love nothing more than to see that prime space rented out!! I would love to come for a spot of tea and see your chickens!
Kristine

I have alway provided a roost of some kind.. Or at least when our hens have gone broody & hatched eggs they really never roost.. They stay under
their mom.. But there is one close by if they want..

Well, about the photography shop. It is slow going for them, always you will really need to stay on top of them.. Seriously!
So that does not surprise me in the least bit... They have been dear friends for more than 20 years.. I can count on Eva anytime..
Just as long as I keep calling... They are awesome people.. Yes let's get good tenants in there for you!! I agree.. I have never been
there, they just talk about it a lot..

 

[kpgoldstar]

I have alway provided a roost of some kind.. Or at least when our hens have gone broody & hatched eggs they really never roost.. They stay under
their mom.. But there is one close by if they want..

Well, about the photography shop. It is slow going for them, always you will really need to stay on top of them.. Seriously!
So that does not surprise me in the least bit... They have been dear friends for more than 20 years.. I can count on Eva anytime..
Just as long as I keep calling... They are awesome people.. Yes let's get good tenants in there for you!! I agree.. I have never been
there, they just talk about it a lot..

Oh, and CityFarm, yes only 4 hens!! LOL ! I don't want to overwhelm myself right off the bat!

 

[Demosthine]

Quick check in during football, but we started Halloween decorations tonight...

Have a good night!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Tina & Rosy (white Leghorn & Minorca that I think is a PBR) was able to get out of the brooder yesterday afternoon. They free ranged with the older chicks, well to day Tina left with the others, but cam back right a way, Tina & Rosy spent the day in the brooder and the safe pen. I guess they figured it was to ruff out there, those big birds with sharp beaks.

On another note, I need to find out from experience what others do for their Turkens, on the back of Sylvia's head and part of her neck looked as if she had dry skin. I put Bag Balm on it. Is it dry skin, sun burn? What I have read is sun has no affect on their skin, such as sub burn. I know that dogs, cats, and pigs to name only a few will get sun burn when naked shin is exposed to the sun. When I put it on she didn't seem to mind at all, until the group started to move away, then she just wanted to join them.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

This is Sadie ... I am sure she was singing this.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hi all!
An update! I got my heater lamp replaced with a ceramic housing instead of a plastic one. I have figured out the feed and water contraptions for my brooder. I will install the roost before I even get my chicks. Our temps are so moderate that I think I can start my birds in the coop as soon as 6 weeks. They will be 1 week when I get them next Monday, so I will only have 5 weeks in the brooder. Early November has highs in the 80's and nights still around 55. Inside the coop will be even warmer at night from the heat of the day. My husband and I are in a debate about whether we will lock the girls in the coop at night or give them access to the run 24/7. I know for the most part they will instinctively stay in the coop, but I have read about hens that choose to roost on open ground. I still have a small fear of predators, mainly neighborhood dogs or coyotes. There is only one dog who has scaled the block wall to swim in my pool in the heat of summer. We placed some landscape barriers on the wall this year and we haven't noticed that he has gotten in lately. I just worry that once coyotes or other dogs realize there are chickens to be had, it will be a free-for-all.

Pros for not enclosing them in the coop is I don't have to get up at 5 am to open the door for them to have access to food and water. I think after all consideration and searching the forums that I will only have food/water in the run portion. Although I will be using sand for bedding in the coop/roost I don't think I want to start feeding/watering in there. I don't want to do nipple watering as the water will just get way too warm in the summer.

Other than that, I will be purchasing my starter mash this week. We are headed to Casa Grande this coming weekend to stay with my son and dil for his 35th birthday celebration. Planning on stopping at Pratts on Friday morning to see what chicks they have in for the week and hoping they are sexed and that they have RIR's since we absolutely CAN NOT have roosters, checking out coops there and at the new Ranch Supply store in CG (moved into the old Albertson's) just for some extra ideas. We have done extensive research on coops and are pretty set on what we want, but it won't hurt to look at new ideas to add to our arsenal. If we like the chicks we see at Pratts we will come back through on Monday and purchase our girls! Then it will be into the brooder and we are on our way!

Am I missing anything? Please chime in if you have any advice!!!!

I am so excited! I can't wait to be a chicken mom! We got our Chihuahua as empty nesters and had her for almost 12 years. She was my baby. Hubby refuses to get another dog, but is so ready to start raising chicks. A new chapter in our lives!
Kristine

 

[nwebber]

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

Shoul I be worried that my Grace is a Rooster and not a hen? This will break my heart as she is my very favorite!!!

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Good Morning

 

[pipemum]

Good Morning

Another great photo!!

I finally processed my RIR roo yesterday. He seemed pretty big when he was alive, but dressed out at only 3lbs. Smaller than I expected. He was 20 weeks old--still not crowing and I guess he had a lot of growing still to do. The silkie cockerel I had skinned, this guy I scalded and plucked. Wasn't too bad a process. He's brining now.

Ordered some broiler chicks from the feed store, and I should be able to pick them up this weekend. My husband isn't going to be happy, but eh, I'm not sure why he cares. If anyone in Tucson wants some broilers, AZ Feed on Sunset and I-10 will have chicks on the 4th.

Finished my garden sink/processing station, except for hooking the sink up to a hose and drain. That'll come later, for now I'll use the hose and a bucket underneath. I do wish I'd finished it before I'd done the rooster earlier in the day. The green board is covering up the sink...I've also got some hooks and eyelets to install on the overhang.



My EE has laid 2 eggs now! In the nest box, both times. Love it. My chicken count is down to 6. I really want 2 more chickens, some of those EEs from MaryH are so tempting!! But 6 is a good number, just perfect.