Arizona Chickens

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have a BIG QUESTION, there was a featured breed, Gallo Giro. I tried to look it up, but couldn't find it. I did find a lot of restaurants. Then I looked up Gallo, that means Rooster, the masculine GIRO mean turn, or money order, postal giro - in postal money order.

This is the picture they had with the name.

 

[Demosthine]

Giro is the nickname for the breed more commonly referred to as the Gamefowl. There are numerous strains, but in our region, they are used largely for cock fighting down South of the border. And as you mentioned, "gallo" means rooster in America, although a majority of the world translates it as "cock." Since Americans use that as such a derogatory term, rooster is the preferred word in many circles. Just on my brief research, it appears the photo above is a Silver Duckwing Old English Game Fowl, although it may be a mix because the standards require black legs. In the Silver Duckwing Old English Jungle Fowl, the legs should be blue/green in color. That photo appears to be very yellowish. Not an expert and that's a hard picture to judge from, but it may give you a better starting place for searching.

So there is no breed called the Gallo Giro. It was posted by a mis-informed individual, which is extremely common in this day and age.

 

[circesfire]

I know summer is still a ways away but I want to be prepared as to how to help the chickens through the 110-120 degree weather. Their run is already half covered with shade cloth so they can get out of the direct sun. What else should I do?

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Chicks don't eat much the first couple of days. That's why they can ship day-old chicks so easily. Don't force-feed them. Don't force them to drink. Show them the water - dip their beak in it and put them down - they'll figure it out when they are ready. Sprinkle some chick starter/grower on the floor of the brooder so they can find it when they are ready. Sprinkle more around the feeder, and show them where it is. Again, they will figure it out.

As for the standing issues, what kind of surface are they on? They need traction. Newspaper is too slick. TerrAmigo bedding (basically a pelleted wood product) is really good. You can put a layer of paper towels over the bedding for the first couple of days and sprinkle food on that to make the food easier to see. Whatever you do, don't put them on a slick surface.

I never use electrolytes in the water. I will put a little raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (with the "mother") in the water. Braggs is a common brand. Not all grocery stores carry it, but I have found it at our Wal-Mart Neighborhood store which really surprised me.

If they are peeping like mad they may be cold. Or something else is wrong. If they are happy-peeping, no problem. What are you using for a heat source?

 

[Angelray]

hi to all my fellow zonies...

we are in Palominas...near Sierra Vista/Bisbee area....and are planning to start our chicken adventure this spring. Which breeds are successful in our climate. Our goal is to have lots of eggs (like everyone) and a breed that is also good to eat once their laying days are done. I'm open to advice/suggestions and doing lots of research.

Thanks for all the great posts...

 CatieScarlett

I have a mixed flock, and had no troubles with weather. In the heat just provide shade, cool dirt for bathing, plenty of water. On extra hot days they like to stand on frozen water/soda bottles or in a shallow pan of water to keep their feet cool. Feed frozen treats & no scratch (it burns hot in their system). In the winter they need wind protection & in the evening they can use some scratch to keep warm overnight. Make sure their water doesn't freeze & if a bird has a large comb/waddle you can put Vaseline on it to prevent frostbite when its below freezing. I'm no expert, but pride myself on finding good (accurate) info/advise!

Welcome to BYC....its a must have for chicken heads!

 

[kacklinkelly]

I know summer is still a ways away but I want to be prepared as to how to help the chickens through the 110-120 degree weather. Their run is already half covered with shade cloth so they can get out of the direct sun. What else should I do?

Hi Circesfire - I received alot of info from this very thread that helped our girls get through their first summer. Our girls were provided shade by strategically placed tarps, We would spray down their run in the am and pm. We froze a few water bottles that I switched out in the am and pm. I placed one near their nest box and another in the run.(we only have 3 hens) Mine didn't sit on or near them that I noticed. (a tip someone shared about the frozen water bottles is to add some of the wood shavings I use for the bedding. It supposedly helps the water stay frozen longer. I tried it, couldn't tell if it made a difference since I work during the day) Our girls did receive frozen treats like grapes and watermelon and LOVED that. No scratch. We also added extra water sources with frozen water bottles added to them twice daily. Lastly, I used a pan of water and added a brick for the girls to stand on - I did see them use that once in a while. I was worried most about our EE. She started showing signs of wings out and panting when the temps hit close to 85 or 90. I didn't put any of these extra things in place until the temps reached 100+. The breed that seemed to be the hardiest of our girls was the BA. Best of luck.

 

[roostereggs]

Wow...I was so busy with the NYE hatch-a-long that I had a ton of reading to catch up on this thread.

We incubated 33 eggs to hatch on Christmas, and it was a really memorable couple of days for the kids and dh (who doesn't like birds of any kind, but admits he is fascinated...especially with the candling). 29 went into lockdown, and we hatched 19.

21 eggs were shipped from back east, so I am surprised they did as well as they did. We ended up with 8 CCL/SBEL and 5 copper Marans (4 black, 1 blue) from the shipped eggs.

Of our own dozen, we hatched 6...RIR roo over production red, BR, EE, and (maybe) BO. Our favorites are the sweet owl-faced EEs.

We have one coop left, so I am trying to decide what I want to hatch for Easter...I keep going back and forth between an auto sexing (Rhodebars) vs a coop with banties. Dh and I made a great 8x8x5'tall brooder that is in the workshop, so they were just evicted from the box in our guest room last night.

Thank you to whoever said the name of the wood pellets...I went to the tack and feed store and they told me the Terra___ stuff was a shaving, not a pellet so I didn't get it but now I know it is the correct thing to buy!

I have a question about my two week olds...some of them are starting the chest bumping with wings stretched out...is that a rooster only behavior, or do hens ever do that? Just trying to sex some of them.

 

[Angelray]

Wow...I was so busy with the NYE hatch-a-long that I had a ton of reading to catch up on this thread.

We incubated 33 eggs to hatch on Christmas, and it was a really memorable couple of days for the kids and dh (who doesn't like birds of any kind, but admits he is fascinated...especially with the candling). 29 went into lockdown, and we hatched 19.

21 eggs were shipped from back east, so I am surprised they did as well as they did. We ended up with 8 CCL/SBEL and 5 copper Marans (4 black, 1 blue) from the shipped eggs.

Of our own dozen, we hatched 6...RIR roo over production red, BR, EE, and (maybe) BO. Our favorites are the sweet owl-faced EEs.

We have one coop left, so I am trying to decide what I want to hatch for Easter...I keep going back and forth between an auto sexing (Rhodebars) vs a coop with banties. Dh and I made a great 8x8x5'tall brooder that is in the workshop, so they were just evicted from the box in our guest room last night.

Thank you to whoever said the name of the wood pellets...I went to the tack and feed store and they told me the Terra___ stuff was a shaving, not a pellet so I didn't get it but now I know it is the correct thing to buy!

I have a question about my two week olds...some of them are starting the chest bumping with wings stretched out...is that a rooster only behavior, or do hens ever do that? Just trying to sex some of them.

Hens do it too, but keep an eye out for other roo type behavior in combination to that & physical attributes you can usually tell before they crow! I have known every time!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

For years I would watch chickens when I could. Wistfully wish I could have chicken. Then in 2012 I found out I now could have chickens starting opinion 2010.

This is my first experience with Broody Pullet and chicks. I have learned that a bata # 11 in a flock of 12 will attack and hen up to Alpha 1, 2, and 3 to teach them her peeps are not on the menu. I have learned that the 6' X 10' pen will be defended even if she is not in it with her peeps. Now, I have seen everything! A tiny 17 day old chick, will, and just did, stand its ground and pick at A hen. That to me was amassing. They see mom, pick and chase, they are protected, so, when this one found itself several feet from mom, a hen (Lucy) came over picking at the ground, she (I think, has advanced feathers and a brush tail) picked at her. Stood and waited. Nothing happened, it did make Lucy stop and look at her. After 30 sec, the chick turned and ran to mama and the group.

What dose this mean? With a mother they actually grows up to be braver, automatically born higher on the picking order, do to confidence. In the past it has been frightening letting peeps out even at 6 weeks, to join free ranging. At 8 weeks, at 16 weeks the young pullets are not really fully merged in to the flock. I can see why people have said with a mama, peeps as they become pullets are accepted more quickly.

I am so great full I am not working, I am able to observe my girls. If or when I go back to work I am going to have to get cameras to record what they do. Chicken theater is great.

 

[City farm]

 
Hey all. It's been a while. My girls are still doing well. Eleanor is forever dealing with a pendulous crop which is super annoying but we deal with it a day at a time. I do think I'm finally going to fashion a bra for her to hold it up and hope it helps her. Phillie and Onyxia both still lay about 5 eggs a week each which isn't too bad with the cooler weather. Eleanor laid about 5 cream colored eggs but hasn't laid since we had our first night with frost which was over a month ago. Around that time she had a bad case of sour crop, got quarantined and then the temperature dropped pretty significantly. I think it was just too much and she hasn't adjusted back. I also got a few barely speckled eggs back then too which I assume were from Tea. Either that or Phillie or Ony had some fluke spotty eggs instead of their usual solid light brown. I haven't gotten another speckled in about a month so we'll wait until spring and hopefully I start getting some more speckled ones regularly. All the girls are about 8 1/2 months now. 

I ordered 4 chicks through MPC for mid May. A silver laced polish, blue orphington, blue laced red wyandotte and a white silkie. I did list substitutions I'd accept in order to get them on time but crossing my fingers I end up with the 4 I really wanted. I recently won an Ecoglow 20 brooder and am really excited to use that instead of being paranoid about the heat lamp falling in the garage. So that's an update on chicken news. Hope everyone is doing well.

Wow, that's a shame about Eleanor.  For those who don't know...  Since it is believed to be a hereditary trait, personally I would cull her.  Firstly, it's a recurring problem that supposedly only gets worse.  Secondly, it is supposed to be a contributing factor to impacted crop and sour crop once it occurs.  Since the crop muscles don't usually return to normal, the crop becomes inefficient and digestion becomes difficult.  Feeding only softer foods will help this, as anything fiberous will most likely cause problems.  Her not laying could very likely be related to it, too, since it's more difficult for her to get the proper nutrients out of her food sources.  Has she lost weight, too?

I didn't realize MPC allowed you to buy such a small amount of chicks.  The minimum order size is made largely to ensure that there is enough body warmth to maintain the high temperature requirements.  I do see now that they use a heating element for smaller orders, which is a great idea.  I just hadn't realized it!  That's great information to know.  I was really wanting a Silver Laced Wyandotte when I was first getting started, but it didn't work out that way.  Maybe someday...

 
Hey all. It's been a while. My girls are still doing well. Eleanor is forever dealing with a pendulous crop which is super annoying but we deal with it a day at a time. I do think I'm finally going to fashion a bra for her to hold it up and hope it helps her. Phillie and Onyxia both still lay about 5 eggs a week each which isn't too bad with the cooler weather. Eleanor laid about 5 cream colored eggs but hasn't laid since we had our first night with frost which was over a month ago. Around that time she had a bad case of sour crop, got quarantined and then the temperature dropped pretty significantly. I think it was just too much and she hasn't adjusted back. I also got a few barely speckled eggs back then too which I assume were from Tea. Either that or Phillie or Ony had some fluke spotty eggs instead of their usual solid light brown. I haven't gotten another speckled in about a month so we'll wait until spring and hopefully I start getting some more speckled ones regularly. All the girls are about 8 1/2 months now. 

I ordered 4 chicks through MPC for mid May. A silver laced polish, blue orphington, blue laced red wyandotte and a white silkie. I did list substitutions I'd accept in order to get them on time but crossing my fingers I end up with the 4 I really wanted. I recently won an Ecoglow 20 brooder and am really excited to use that instead of being paranoid about the heat lamp falling in the garage. So that's an update on chicken news. Hope everyone is doing well.

Wow, that's a shame about Eleanor.  For those who don't know...  Since it is believed to be a hereditary trait, personally I would cull her.  Firstly, it's a recurring problem that supposedly only gets worse.  Secondly, it is supposed to be a contributing factor to impacted crop and sour crop once it occurs.  Since the crop muscles don't usually return to normal, the crop becomes inefficient and digestion becomes difficult.  Feeding only softer foods will help this, as anything fiberous will most likely cause problems.  Her not laying could very likely be related to it, too, since it's more difficult for her to get the proper nutrients out of her food sources.  Has she lost weight, too?

I didn't realize MPC allowed you to buy such a small amount of chicks.  The minimum order size is made largely to ensure that there is enough body warmth to maintain the high temperature requirements.  I do see now that they use a heating element for smaller orders, which is a great idea.  I just hadn't realized it!  That's great information to know.  I was really wanting a Silver Laced Wyandotte when I was first getting started, but it didn't work out that way.  Maybe someday...

When we order from them we ordered 5. It was the same $ for 15.. If I would f known that I would of ordered 15.. We always havebpeoplethat want chicks..
The next batch will be a few different breeds.. We will be waiting for one of our hens to go Broody.