Arizona Chickens

[nwebber]

My ladies enjoying the frozen water bottle when it's warm out.

 

[Demosthine]

I hear wood ashes are good for soil enrichment.      

Ash is excellent for soil enrichment. When the fuel burns at regular temperatures, all the organic material is reduced to carbon, but the remaining trace minerals are left intact. It also effectively raises pH or makes it more alkaline, which is why many holistic remedies for an upset stomach include activated charcoal. You will see animals eat wood ash if it is available, too.

In the mid-west, many land management bureaus still do prairy burnings every year. Oklahoma, for instance, burns about 45,000 acres. They rotate regions every year, with a three year cycle. There are countless reasons this is vital, but people are so scared of fire and hold no respect for it that it's a bad thing now.

 

[maryhysong]

Ash is excellent for soil enrichment. When the fuel burns at regular temperatures, all the organic material is reduced to carbon, but the remaining trace minerals are left intact. It also effectively lowers pH, which is why many holistic remedies for an upset stomach include activated charcoal. You will see animals eat wood ash if it is available, too.

In the mid-west, many land management bureaus still do prairy burnings every year. Oklahoma, for instance, burns about 45,000 acres. They rotate regions every year, with a three year cycle. There are countless reasons this is vital, but people are so scared of fire and hold no respect for it that it's a bad thing now.

WOOD ASH IS ALKALINE AND RAISES THE pH. DO NOT PUT IT ON THE GROUND HERE IN THE DESERT. Our soils here are already pH8+ some parts of my yard are over 9. Here you want to use things to lower the pH, like peat moss and soil sulfur. This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to grow certain types of plants here. Yes some plants actually need burned over occasionally, there is a pine tree somewhere that the seeds can only sprout after a fire. But here it takes years and years to get even a little bit of ground cover back after a forest fire. And yes, ashes are concentrated minerals. I've been trying to figure out how to neutralize them so I can use them in the garden. Maybe pour vinegar over them and let them sit, not sure.

 

[City farm]

I wish chickens ate ants. I'm so sick of my feet and legs being covered in bites every single day. I spread DE in the grass occasionally but it only helps for a few days. I pour boiling water on the hills when I find them but there's just no keeping up with them. We also have stupid fleas in our yard. I keep the girls dusted and the dog is treated but they still bite the crap out of me. I hate bugs, hate hate hate!!!

Fleas?? Weird I have never heard that here in Arizona.. Crazy...
Arizonachicken .. Petra & her hubby use a product that is not harful.. Private message them.. They are a awesome family!!

 

[Twinklin]

Fleas?? Weird I have never heard that here in Arizona.. Crazy...
Arizonachicken .. Petra & her hubby use a product that is not harful.. Private message them.. They are a awesome family!!

after all the comments about there not being fleas here I'm guessing they're not. I'm from the east coast so I just assumed fleas were everywhere. Maybe they're biting midges or chiggers, no idea. All I know is we don't see them and get bit constantly. I cut back watering the grass a good bit so maybe that will make them leave.

 

[City farm]

I put my first 2 chicks in the coop/run at 3 or 4 weeks, and my second set of chicks in the run at 1 week old.  It was May and plenty warm enough.  I don't know what I'd do now as the nights are a bit nippy...but I'll figure it out as I'm picking up some meat chicks on Friday.  I don't like chicks in the house--they are loud, smelly, and dusty--and my house is too tiny.    Maybe I'll do one week in the house, one week in the garage (also tiny) and then give the broilers a boot outside at 3 weeks. 

I'm building a broiler pen and it's challenging.  I'm trying to use free pallets and stuff from my yard for a zero cost coop, but I also want it to look nice.  I'm trying to get some corrugated plasticboard (plastic cardboard) and you know what fits the bill?  The political signs all over the place (actually got the idea from the Salatin site).  I called the City and they said to wait until the end of the month and they might have some signs for me. 

Are chicks easy to give away?  I'd like to incubate some hatching eggs with my daughter in the spring, but as I mention frequently, I have very limited coop space. 

My parents are looking at some small acreage in Eagar, and I'm already planning their garden and fruit orchard.  They won't do livestock since they like to travel, but I'm hoping to convince them of at least some chickens...

We love that you are into re-cycle re-use!!! The land fill is full.. So good that you share those great ideas.. It is inspiring!
Can't wait to see the photo of your finished project..

 

[City farm]

Ash is excellent for soil enrichment. When the fuel burns at regular temperatures, all the organic material is reduced to carbon, but the remaining trace minerals are left intact. It also effectively lowers pH, which is why many holistic remedies for an upset stomach include activated charcoal. You will see animals eat wood ash if it is available, too.


In the mid-west, many land management bureaus still do prairy burnings every year. Oklahoma, for instance, burns about 45,000 acres. They rotate regions every year, with a three year cycle. There are countless reasons this is vital, but people are so scared of fire and hold no respect for it that it's a bad thing now.

WOOD ASH IS ALKALINE AND RAISES THE pH. DO NOT PUT IT ON THE GROUND HERE IN THE DESERT. Our soils here are already pH8+ some parts of my yard are over 9. Here you want to use things to lower the pH, like peat moss and soil sulfur. This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to grow certain types of plants here. Yes some plants actually need burned over occasionally, there is a pine tree somewhere that the seeds can only sprout after a fire. But here it takes years and years to get even a little bit of ground cover back after a forest fire. And yes, ashes are concentrated minerals. I've been trying to figure out how to neutralize them so I can use them in the garden. Maybe pour vinegar over them and let them sit, not sure.

All we can say about ash is we can't wait to burn a fire so we can have roasted marshmallows.. We have so much to burn from our neighbors
cut down trees..
Ladydoria... What kind of wood did you get? You might of said I only have a few minutes before I head to class so I can. Not read all the post
this morning....

If we can pull it together we might have roasted marshmallows by the fire sat night.. I will post up sat if we do.. If not the following weekend..
I have been feeling so awful for 2+ weeks.. Just barley catching up with stuff..

 

[pipemum]

I finally ate the silkie/Polish cockerel that I butchered weeks ago, and the RIR roo that was done on Sunday. Crock pot with potatoes, carrots, celery, parsly, onions, garlic, tons of spices, water, and a bit of leftover redwine. Oh, and butter. Lots of butter. So freaking good. My husband said the meat had fallen off the bones in the crock (he got home before me). The silkie mix meat was dark, and some of it was black, but not like, black all the way through. Tastes like chicken, not doubt about it! I didn't eat meat for years and years, so looking at 'weird' streaky meat in my lunch today...it'll take a bit of gumption to get it in my mouth! The RIR meat is fantastic. Pats self on back, Good job butchering!

Do chickens "change" after they start to lay eggs, or is it just human perception? I feel like my EE is so much sweeter now that she's laying, but I think I'm just projecting how happy I am with her now that I'm getting eggs from her. I caught her in the nest box laying this morning and she just looked so cute, content, and motherly. Yeah, I'm definitely projecting.

Yes, fire in the desert scrub is no bueno. Fire in grasslands and forests, muy bueno. I add a bit of fire ash to my compost every now and then. Oh, and I always add some scoops of charcoal from the fire pit into the dog poop trashbag after doing poop patrol. I *think* the charcoal absorbs some of the smell as it sits in the garbage.

It's clear that my summer into fall garden is going nowhere. I had green stuff growing all summer, but hardly any production. Total dud this year. My squash and tomatoes have had a resurgence of flowers, but the ants and their pet aphids are proving impossible to eradicate from the squash, and the tomatoes aren't forming fruit. Sunday, I'm going to rip everything out and get my winter stuff going. I should just ditch summer attempts and stick with cooler weather plants. I always have much better success. Discovered recently that I LOVE pickled beets, so I'm going to try some beets this year. I still have kale and chard growing, and growing well, from January! So more of those, peas, broccoli, lettuce, cilantro, carrots, radishes...yum.

 

[Demosthine]

WOOD ASH IS ALKALINE AND RAISES THE pH. DO NOT PUT IT ON THE GROUND HERE IN THE DESERT. Our soils here are already pH8+ some parts of my yard are over 9. Here you want to use things to lower the pH, like peat moss and soil sulfur. This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to grow certain types of plants here. Yes some plants actually need burned over occasionally, there is a pine tree somewhere that the seeds can only sprout after a fire. But here it takes years and years to get even a little bit of ground cover back after a forest fire. And yes, ashes are concentrated minerals. I've been trying to figure out how to neutralize them so I can use them in the garden. Maybe pour vinegar over them and let them sit, not sure.

I always mess that up! I was thinking it correctly this morning and ended up putting the wrong one. This getting old stuff sucks!

I'm a bit surprised. I didn't realize desert pH is high. I was having to raise my pH levels at my other house when the grass was growing so poorly. I was sold dolomitic limestone to add, resulting in a beautiful lawn, lots of weeds and a great flower bed. I haven't had my new soil tested, so I'm not sure where I sit now.

My hibiscus plant did really well in the natural soil, though. It grew to be over eight feet tall and was the most beautiful one I've ever seen! I may have to plant another one this spring, because I miss it. I added my used coffee grounds to the surrounding area every day, so I'm sure that helped. Hibiscus grows best in acidic environments.

 

[flower]

Yes, I working on learning agronomy. Using horse manure to lighten up the tuff and add organic matter to turn the ph down to level for blueberries. There is a nursery in Flag that touts itself as being A Native Plant Nursery. Whenever I talk to them they insist that acid loving plants will not grow in AZ. I do not engage in discussion with them anymore. What is wrong with changing the soil to the needs of whatever you wish to grow. Humans can do that as long as the practice is kind and scienticially sound. Now stip mining and fracing on huge scale is horrible but indiviual blueberry or hibiscus plants ?

I decided that blueberries and blackberries are going to grow in my yard, so there Native Plants Nursery !