Arizona Chickens

[heidisue]

There should definitely be a grade above AA. If the store egg was considered AA Ony's egg is off the charts It took a tiny bit of adjustment in cooking the fresh eggs. I've only scrambled and fried them but I had to adjust when frying because I wasn't used to the white being so much firmer and thicker, it took a bit for the white to get firm throughout. I've read different tips on hard boiling since fresh eggs don't peel as easily, I'll probably do some this week with some of the week old eggs. I was really shocked with how much harder the backyard eggs' shells are. The girls have not really touched the oyster shells and I don't see any calcium bumps on the shells they're just insanely hard. 

Isn't that crazy (the super hard eggshells). I think that is what surprised me the most about my backyard eggs. I had to use a store egg a couple days ago and I broke one all over my hand because I misjudged how hard to crack it lol!

 

[Bobby Basham]

Nice hobby to have.. The reward of music is worth it..

Yeah, I like giving away stuff, and I don't mean junk, either. I gave one landscaping guy a practically new $600 huge portable dishwasher with a butcher block counter top. I gave another one of my landscaping guys a nice built-in GE Profile dishwasher and microwave because a swapped out for stainless steel, even given away power tools.

Top this.....I gave the neighbor a few doors down accross the street a brand new $800 sofa from Sam Levitz plus two wicker-inlaid, glass-top end tables, a practically new over-range GE profile microwave. Since that day he hasn't spoken to me or given me a thank you because he's in some kind of religious cult and think that the neighborhood is all heathens. He won't even associate with his sister that owns a house four doors down, directly accross from me, or waive when I give him a beep driving down the street while he's jogging...looks at me like I'm a piece of crap. I guess I'm not good enough to be in his company, but he gladly accepted everything I gave him, considering that his couch was chewed up by his two maingy dogs and his flat screen TV sits on a milk crate. Oh, I think I even gave him some gorgeous lamps to sit on those end tables, shades and all, completely furnishing his living room. He got the hookup. All that was needed were a few pictures to hang on the wall, and he would have been complete. What's up with that?

I don't expect him to come up and lick my boots every time I pull in the driveway and get outta my truck or build a shrine in my honor in his front yard. I try to treat folks the way I would want to be treated. The more ignorance, rudeness, inconsideration that I see, the more I withdraw from people. I've met some nice folks on the Internet, though. Some I have talked to for almost 10 years before meeting them in person, and they were really nice.

Oops, this wasn't chicken related, but this was in response about the JOY OF GIVING. I've been blessed with an abundance of things, some may consider trash while others may consider treasure.

On a chicken note, I am enjoying that long thread about the Delaware Chickens. The thread is about 1,265 pages and I'm up to about page 750. Many questions about their heritage, Standard of Perfection, the genetics aspect of the breed, the differences between hatchery stock and what current breeders are doing to restore/keep this breed going. They will definitely be number 1 on my list, next to the Black Austrolorps. I can't remember from posts past, but is it Desertmarcey (sp) a bit north of Tucson, who has those breeds? Sorry, so many folks, so little time.

Sorry for the rant above, but I hate giving away good stuff to unappreciative folks, just makes my blood boil. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[flower]

It is the other way around. The Orloffs are a cold weather breed. They do not like the heat. I've got a bunch of Russian Orloffs cockerels (and pullets) that are extras if anybody is interested.
For sale, not for rent

Yes well being Russian Orloffs WOULD tolerate the cold huh ? I get mixed up just every once in a while. Just so happens that I live at the other end of the state and would you believe that I have never visited Tuscon ? Anyway I like mixed breed chickens. I like silkie/NN/EEs and an orloff rooster would just add to the mix since half of mine are doozies anyway. I really wanted to keep Legbars but the rooster that I had was a jerk !

 

[flower]

Yeah, I like giving away stuff, and I don't mean junk, either. I gave one landscaping guy a practically new $600 huge portable dishwasher with a butcher block counter top. I gave another one of my landscaping guys a nice built-in GE Profile dishwasher and microwave because a swapped out for stainless steel, even given away power tools.

Top this.....I gave the neighbor a few doors down accross the street a brand new $800 sofa from Sam Levitz plus two wicker-inlaid, glass-top end tables, a practically new over-range GE profile microwave. Since that day he hasn't spoken to me or given me a thank you because he's in some kind of religious cult and think that the neighborhood is all heathens. He won't even associate with his sister that owns a house four doors down or waive when I give him a beep driving down the street while he's jogging...looks at me like I'm a piece of crap. I guess I'm not good enough to be in his company, but he gladly accepted everything I gave him, considering that his couch was chewed up by his two maingy dogs and his flat screen TV sits on a milk crate. Oh, I think I even gave him some gorgeous lamps to sit on those end tables, shades and all, completely furnishing his living room. All that was needed were a few pictures to hang on the wall, and he would have been complete. What's up with that?

I don't expect him to come up and lick my boots every time I pull in the driveway and get outta my truck or build a shrine in my honor in your front yard. I try to treat folks the way I would want to be treated. The more ignorance, rudeness, inconsideration that I see, the more I withdraw from people. I've met some nice folks on the Internet, though. Some I have talked to for almost 10 years before meeting them in person, and they were really nice.

Oops, this wasn't chicken related, but in response about the JOY OF GIVING. I've been blessed with an abundance of things, some may consider trash while others may consider treasure.

On a chicken note, I am enjoying that long thread about the Delaware Chickens. The thread is about 1,265 pages and I'm up to about page 750. Many questions about their heritage, Standard of Perfection, the genetics aspect of the breed, the differences between hatchery stock and what current breeders are doing to restore/keep this breed going. They will definitely be number 1 on my list, next to the Black Austrolorps. I can't remember from posts past, but is it Desertmarcey (sp) a bit north of Tucson, who has those breeds? Sorry, so many folks, so little time.

Sorry for the rant above, but I hate giving away good stuff to unappreciative folks, just makes my blood boil. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[flower]

Pipemom If one of the birds, in this case the hen, lays blue eggs, then more than half of the lifespans will inherit the blue eggs gene but approx 25% will not lay blue eggs. Naturally better results will come from both parents having the blue egg gene. But you could start you EE flock by using the Russian Orloff Rooster. Do you have any hens that lay blue eggs ?

 

[City farm]

I agree! What a beautiful bunch. You should be proud. Have you eaten any of their eggs yet?

Thanks! I have... Ony has laid 19 eggs, hasn't missed a single day. Phil has laid around 9 in the past 12 days I think. They are sooooo good. I posted this pic a couple weeks ago of Ony's second egg on the left and a store bought cage free grade AA large brown egg on the right.

I do like that you did a comparison.. I have always wanted to, just don't want to buy them... The white on yours proves the freshness..

 

[MagicChicken]

I have a broody sitting on eggs and the first one began to pip this afternoon. The broody is in a nest box (enclosed cat litter box) in a corner of the pullets' coop. Unfortunately my breeding pens/extra grow-out pens are not complete and won't be for a week or so. The other pullets have continued laying in that box with the broody the whole time, even though they have other nest boxes available. One day I found three birds in the box at the same time. Yikes...

I put a 2" x 4" wire cage around the nest box with the broody to keep the pullets out of the nest box while the chicks hatch. It's kind of small but there is enough room for the broody to get out and move around a little. Not as much as she would like. I put a bowl of feed in there for her and some water. I was figuring after the chicks hatch I could keep chick feed and water in the cage and the chicks could run in and out but the big girls can't get to it. I am hoping broody girl is a good chick momma and takes care of the babies after hatching. We will see.

My question is, what kind of roosting area should I set up for broody and chicks, since I can't give them their own private grow-out pen right now? They will have to share the coop/run and outdoors with the pullets. I assume the broody will roost on the ground with the chicks at night, but I never had a broody before so this is all new to me. I was thinking of removing the current nest box after chicks are hatched, and replacing it with a shallower open box with fresh, more chick-appropriate bedding. I can't put that in the cage with the chick food and water because the broody won't be able to go in and out, so it would have to be in another corner of the coop/run. I am open to suggestions.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Bobby, love the planters around the run! I think that's a good idea. I have in-ground planting areas around the run, but when I let the chickens out, they dig them up like crazy. I have a potted plant right by the run door, and for some reason, they don't tend to bother it, so I think a raised planted might have worked out a little better. Though they also get into my garden, which is primarily raised beds, so...

I would think the extra $500 a month is so worth 3 more years. Unless your job is pure soul sucking and 3 years in untenable. I've got a while to go before I'm in the retirement haze.


Pipemum, no definite retirement plans yet, but chicken wise, I think it would be good to dedicate one of those boxes for the "hot" stuff to use for the following year to fertilize what will go into the remaining boxes. I'm kinda surprised that I can still draw free-hand to express my ideas. Used to love to draw when I was a teenager 40+ years ago. Maybe double-stack the boards and have them 12" deep. This is all preliminary, because that's the way I am.

After using the first box for the hot stuff to compost, then hmmm, those remaining boxes...how 'bout a planter for squash, cucumbers, kale, collards, pumkins...err, maybe tomatoes, peas, string beans, garlic in another...how 'bout a couple of tall sunflower plants in yet another. From what I've read here, you folks are some true planting sensations and know how to feed your troups. I've read up alot on the fermenting and fodder stuff, and lest not forget mealworms and the "black soldier fly?" I can't remember but they were a hit in one of the other forums. I take a gazillion notes and throw them all in my chicken project tray/bin.

As I mentioned before, I tend to work from the outside in...getting that outside/inside run together before building the small chicken palace to put the icing on the cake. Why have a palace when you have every coyotte, fox, hawk, wolf, tazmanian devil (LOL) critters eating up your prized possessions, when you have no protection outside the palace? The inside run will be an HGTV progress...branches, perches, dust baths, wading pools for hot days, toys, and even canned music.

I heard on some boards that chickens like to listen to NPR radio or Classical music...they will have that, too. With all the equipment I have, I can easily wire up some outdoor, weather-proof speakers to keep them entertained. What better way to wind down an evening by sitting out there with a few chickens in your lap before dusk with your favorite beverage and listening to some Mozart etc.

No, I am not crazy, but that's what I would like to do when I retire, and after dealing with all the nit-wits at work and church, and crazy drivers out there, I'll gladly settle for an hour or two of down time in the coop, listening to them yap at me about how their day went, ratting on who did what, etc.

I'm just sharing all this because I'm in no hurry right now, but the planning wheels are in progress, and have been for several years, and when I finally partake of this new project, I want it to be right the FIRST time, so that I can enjoy the fruits of my labor without any regrets. More factors will come into play to re-adjust the budget when I'll have a half dozen beaks to feed. --BB

 

[kpgoldstar]

Yeah, I like giving away stuff, and I don't mean junk, either. I gave one landscaping guy a practically new $600 huge portable dishwasher with a butcher block counter top. I gave another one of my landscaping guys a nice built-in GE Profile dishwasher and microwave because a swapped out for stainless steel, even given away power tools.

Top this.....I gave the neighbor a few doors down accross the street a brand new $800 sofa from Sam Levitz plus two wicker-inlaid, glass-top end tables, a practically new over-range GE profile microwave. Since that day he hasn't spoken to me or given me a thank you because he's in some kind of religious cult and think that the neighborhood is all heathens. He won't even associate with his sister that owns a house four doors down, directly accross from me, or waive when I give him a beep driving down the street while he's jogging...looks at me like I'm a piece of crap. I guess I'm not good enough to be in his company, but he gladly accepted everything I gave him, considering that his couch was chewed up by his two maingy dogs and his flat screen TV sits on a milk crate. Oh, I think I even gave him some gorgeous lamps to sit on those end tables, shades and all, completely furnishing his living room. He got the hookup. All that was needed were a few pictures to hang on the wall, and he would have been complete. What's up with that?

I don't expect him to come up and lick my boots every time I pull in the driveway and get outta my truck or build a shrine in my honor in his front yard. I try to treat folks the way I would want to be treated. The more ignorance, rudeness, inconsideration that I see, the more I withdraw from people. I've met some nice folks on the Internet, though. Some I have talked to for almost 10 years before meeting them in person, and they were really nice.

Oops, this wasn't chicken related, but this was in response about the JOY OF GIVING. I've been blessed with an abundance of things, some may consider trash while others may consider treasure.

On a chicken note, I am enjoying that long thread about the Delaware Chickens. The thread is about 1,265 pages and I'm up to about page 750. Many questions about their heritage, Standard of Perfection, the genetics aspect of the breed, the differences between hatchery stock and what current breeders are doing to restore/keep this breed going. They will definitely be number 1 on my list, next to the Black Austrolorps. I can't remember from posts past, but is it Desertmarcey (sp) a bit north of Tucson, who has those breeds? Sorry, so many folks, so little time.

Sorry for the rant above, but I hate giving away good stuff to unappreciative folks, just makes my blood boil. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

I agree completely. You are so welcome here to tell you woes of the everyday public these days. Chicken people are family.

 

[desertmarcy]

Yes well being Russian Orloffs WOULD tolerate the cold huh ? I get mixed up just every once in a while. Just so happens that I live at the other end of the state and would you believe that I have never visited Tuscon ? Anyway I like mixed breed chickens. I like silkie/NN/EEs and an orloff rooster would just add to the mix since half of mine are doozies anyway. I really wanted to keep Legbars but the rooster that I had was a jerk !

Last year I crossed an Orloff rooster over true Ameraucana hens (a blue and a black). The offspring had the Orloff look and personality and 7 out of the 8 I kept laid blue-green eggs. More on the blue side than green. One laid tan eggs. Never could figure that out. Blue X Tan egg layers should all be green. They laid pretty well but not so much since this hot summer. I hope they start laying again now that it has cooled off some.