Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:

Both of your mysterious seedling disappearances sound very much like the work of cutworms. Especially that the garlic survived and that something would have had to get under the row cover. They're moth caterpillars that live below the soil surface during the day and emerge at night to feed. They really like seedlings too. I just discovered a couple on some bok choy I harvested after dark a few nights ago. Unfortunately, they prefer soil with lots of nutrients and organic matter, the more compost in the soil, the more they like it. Bt will control them but they can wreak havoc before they get enough in 'em just eating seedlings.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Last night we were just hanging out with the family and Squeekyballs (aka, Tofu, TucsonTofu, and TT!) popped over with her son for a visit and ended up staying a few hours. Folks that have been around on this thread for a couple years (or read the whole thing) will remember her. We had such a great time laughing and laughing. That girl is hilarious! She said to say hello to everyone on the thread.

 

[mirasmom]

Happy New Year’s all...

When do you all start to transition your hens from Chick Starter to Layer Feed? I expect my two oldest hens to start laying in March when there about 6 months old. I am not sure if they need to start storing up the calcium and other nutrients/minerals before they start laying or not.

Marian

 

[Stynch]

Crazy man, crazy.. The pipe was old or the guy was big? Did he get fired?

Better than fired - he's on PAID administrative leave ("The probationary detention officer has been working with the jail for less than a year and now is on administrative leave with pay."

Read more: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24333723/phoenix-jail-flooded-forced-relocation-of-inmates#ixzz2pAK7weUe)

Our tax dollars at waste

 

[RockNSuccess]

Becky mine was more devastating than paint and top soil. Our city mandated sewer installed. My son dug out a garden for me 20+ years ago. He dug down 2 ft and sifted all the rocks out of the dirt, placed it back in and we amended to get it perfect. My garden area is 15 ft x 30 ft. For years we had huge harvests out of this desert land. One year I counted over 3000 tomatoes off of 36 plants. Every crop you can imagine other than corn.

The sewer project required that our existing septic tank be crushed so a homeowner couldn't hook back up to it on their own. Most new houses have a septic in the front yard. Guess where my septic was?? Yep, right under my garden. They had to dig up the garden to smash the tank. I BEGGED them to PLEASE take out the first couple feet of soil and put it in one pile, then dig out the rest and put it in another pile. Crush my tank then put the rocky soil back in and top with my good soil. Did they listen? NOOOOOO! They took a bobcat and dug like the dickens and piled all the soil together and dumped it all back in the garden.  

My pH was completely off, I had giant boulders in my planting beds. I would try to plant and the seedlings would die just after sprouting. My roto-tiller couldn't even make it through the soil without taking out a limb from the huge rocks. I was devastated. My heart and spirit for gardening completely broken. It has taken me about 6 years to even plant a seed. I have bought potted herbs for my little side garden and have had success.

I had a similar situation as yours with seedlings being eaten I planted bok choy, chard, kale and spinach.. 2 rows each. I put floating row cover on them, started to see seedlings and a day or two later, NOTHING! the entire rows vanished! I am guessing a lizard of some sort cause who else could get under row cover? Certainly not birds or bunnies! I will forge on...

That is the saddest gardening story I have ever heard! What a horrible thing to have happen, especially when your son took so much care and effort in creating it for you. It wasn't just a garden, it was a gift with wonderful memories.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Don't start them on layer feed until they start laying; some birds lay sooner or later than others. Starter will not hurt them, but too much calcium might.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: Thanks Magic and AZ Chick. I can only go by what they tell me when I buy em.
True RIR are much darker--they almost look black their red is so dark. And they don't have any white on them
Thank you Sonoran. I am here to learn.

I guess it would be nice to have "pure bloods" but as long as they are happy chickens, I'm happy as well.

 

[Mikey D]

Last night we were just hanging out with the family and Squeekyballs (aka, Tofu, TucsonTofu, and TT!) popped over with her son for a visit and ended up staying a few hours. Folks that have been around on this thread for a couple years (or read the whole thing) will remember her. We had such a great time laughing and laughing. That girl is hilarious! She said to say hello to everyone on the thread.

I remember TT!

Hi TT!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

That's her!

 

[Bobby Basham]

Kpgoldstar, that looks like a pre-fab coop, and if it is, how do you like it? It looks like one of the CConly coups, I'm straddling the fence about whether to buy or build. I've read a lot of pros and cons about, them, but with a bit of reinforcement, they do well for a small flock. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona