Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Congrats on all the new eggs we have! I still only have one laying chicken (8 eggs out of 10 days), but the others are getting close. Any day now I should have nice brown eggs from my barred rocks. My EE lays late mornings most days, sometime after 9am.

Well, I went and picked up the broiler chicks on Saturday. For weeks I've been telling my daughter about the chicks and what they were for--eating. I kept saying, "don't get attached to them, we're going to eat them." Picked them up on Saturday, brought them home and told my daughter, "Remember, these are for dinner. Don't get attached to these chicks." She took one look in the box, and said, "Mama, I'm already attached!" These chicks are so dang cute it's kind of horrible because I know their ending. Perfect fuzzy little yellow balls. They are totally different than regular chicks. Mellow, quiet, poops aren't formed at all, even on the fermented feed, probiotics, and vitamins. I know these chicks will change and grow up to big fat broilers, but I wish they started out like little toads.

 

[FeatherPugs]

Could you post a photo of your scoop contraption, please? That's the biggest litter box ever!

When I get home - I'll take a pic then I'll try - I haven't tried posting photos yet!!

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
It manifested itself as a repiratory infection. I shot them ALL up with Tylan which had proven to be reliable for RI's in the past. I was a noob at the time and purchased 2 silkie/cochin crosses from someone who said she had antibiotics int the water as a preventative measure. I should have known better...

Family is doing well. One son is stationed in Ft. Droum NY. Others are busy living live.

Welding is great - I'm still teaching at MCC and I'm piloting an Applied Technical Math class at the HS. along with the Video Game Development class as well.

Busier than I can imagine.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: City Farm, if I remember correctly Mikey's flock had Mycoplasma gallisepticum: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/search/disease/504 . The details of his flock's ordeal are in this thread somewhere but I can't find it. It was a difficult time, and all I was doing was reading about it. Maybe he will chime in with a brief synopsis?

Ok, just linked three some of the photos & symptoms.. Now, does it spread threw
the flock quick? & other than our chicken looking depressed that was the only symptom
that got my attention.. Also, is there a cure? Man that really is a bummer.. He did loose
a lot. That is why I wondered if it moves threw fast?

Yes, Tammy confirmed it was Mycoplasma. It did spread pretty fast and knocked out about 18 - 20 birds pretty quickly (within 2 weeks). I probably prolonged their agony with the Tylan (1/2 cc / day for 3 days - twice about a week apart) But I was trying anything possible. The state vet came out and tested for the big three (which would have resulted in euthanizing my flock) but they didn't have one of the bad ones.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

My coop/run combo is 10 x 6 and I have 10 chickens right now. They free-range most of the day in our back yard and when we go out of town my neighbor enjoys watching them.
We did have a coyote visit a couple of years ago, but I think it was too traumatic for him so he hasn't been back. (The neighbor's very large dogs scared him over their wall, he fell in our pool and then I chased him off yelling at him the whole time). I know we might get one who is actually interested in the chickens and I'll have to build a larger run, but until then, they free-range.

You know, I think large dogs help. We've now chased the coyote(s) out of the yard well over a dozen times and each time neither our dog, nor the large Doberman that lives behind us were outside. They're such opportunistic creatures, I think that with any risk they move on to easier pickin's.

 

[FeatherPugs]

I love the sand. In the run we only have a thin layer right now and it doesn't get too dirty since the girls free range so I just rake it. We have a few inches in the coop though. I have a box under the roost lined with a tarp so the majority of the poo is in there. Usually I pull the corners of the tarp to the center and it pulls the sand into a pile and then use my super scoop dohicky that I made out of scrap wood and hardware cloth and scoop through it then spread the sand back out. It works amazing. Our litter is always nice and clean, and zero smell. I typically scoop every other day to every 2 days since there's only 4 chickens pooping in there. The rest of the coop... well.... today, I swear, today I'll do the coop wash down.









And side note... Onyxia is 3 for 3. 10:30am same as yesterday. The past 2 were smaller than her first egg and today's had very little speckling to it but still a beautiful warm pinkish brown.

This is much like what I use except it is on a pitchfork as the base and maybe a finer mesh (which was whatever we had around here!) I'll still try to get a pic and post it.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
Hey Gallo - I guess I didn't remember correctly - sux getting old.

I'm not sure of the breeds yet - you know I love those spitzhoubens but they're pretty hard to come by. I'd like to get some spangled varieties this time. May go with a few barred rocks since they seem to be the hardiest/friendliest. I'm going to invite the neighbor over for a chicken pick'n night.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hey Gallo - I guess I didn't remember correctly - sux getting old.

I'm not sure of the breeds yet - you know I love those spitzhoubens but they're pretty hard to come by. I'd like to get some spangled varieties this time. May go with a few barred rocks since they seem to be the hardiest/friendliest. I'm going to invite the neighbor over for a chicken pick'n night.

Yeah, the years have been unkind to me. Local breeder here in Tucson, Desertmarcy, has fantastic heritage Barred Rocks and Spangled Russian Orloffs (although it's the wrong time of year for chicks). The BRs are amazing and huge and the SROs are the friendliest birds I've ever owned. Here is her web site.

 

[City farm]

 

This all looks great!!  How is the contractor sand working for you?  Have you figured out a way to scoop it out?  I use a pitchfork that I've attached screen to - works okay for me.

Could you post a photo of your scoop contraption, please? That's the biggest litter box ever!

Yes, please do.. We are getting sand from a neighbors project.. On top of needing
it for luminaries we would love it for the chickens..

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:

Those Barred Rocks look amazing. Not too sure about the Russian Orloffs though - their lack of tolerance for heat makes me leary. I'll give her a call and see if I can pick up a couple of chicks about the time my order comes in.