Arizona Chickens

[Arizonachicken]

Anyone know of where I can purchase some standard bred buff orpington chicks in Arizona?  I bought some from the feed store but they are smaller than the standard bred.  Looking to increase my flock with the bigger birds.  All the companies and hatcheries won't ship less than 15 birds and I don't need that many now.

Try cbnovik. She has some beauties.

 

[HomeGrownChick]

I'm strickly a buff gal. Love the personality and since we are not raising for meat but eggs, the buffs seem to produce really good. Need more hens since I have quite a few people wanting my eggs, not only in my area but at my church so I'm not able to keep up with the demand. There's a local discount grocers here that buys home grown, home raised eggs, vegetables, etc. and they are wanting more eggs, especially during the winter. Lots of chickens up here quit laying in the cold months but the buffs don't. My buffs lay medium to jumbo sized eggs so looking for the larger birds for the bigger eggs.

I'm also in Northern AZ, live in Oak Creek Canyon, and my ladies have slowed down quite a bit over the winter. We have not only a cold issue, but sunlight is limited during the winter months due to the canyon walls. If you decide to gather a group of us together for an order of Buff pullets, please let me know... I may be willing to go in with you for a few, depending on the timing, etc. You've got me researching the breed and they seem to be wonderful layers and mamas!

 

[kacklinkelly]

...
Speaking of rabbits, our four babies decided to flee the brooder while we were at work. The doe that attacked them last time is behaving themselves. Guess they were reading to run free, too!

Demo- I finally got my rabbits. Just one male and one female for now. Ours are currently living in a hutch outside. They get some free range time in a secure play pen area almost every day. My dog is too interested in them right now. our RIR actually ran after one when we first got them (3 weeks ago). They are now 8 weeks old and boy are they plumping up. The woman who I got them from also gave me a harvested rabbit. It was DELISH. I believe I am going to hold off on any mating until after the summer. I think by the time these are old enough to mate (6 months), it will be right around the time our weather starts really heating up. I'm not confident that I would be able to get kits through the heat of the summer. I am optimistic that I can get these two through and then mate them around October. Seems like a LONG wait. What do you think about my concerns?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

There's nothing you can do to make, or help a hen brood. They're either broody or not. Certain breeds are more broody than others so it's just a matter of waiting and watching. If one of your hens decides to brood, it will probably be when the weather warms and the days grow longer. More when the days get longer. If you can catch them and some other hens laying you can gather the other eggs and put them under your broody hen and she will set on all of them. Must keep the temperature at least 97 degrees plus for eggs to hatch. Also be prepared, not all eggs are fertilized and will not hatch even if you do have a rooster. I have Buff Orpingtons and they are a broody breed. I have to take them off the nest every day and I don't have a rooster yet since mine was killed last fall by dogs. Looking for the big standard bred buffs and not hatchery birds from local feed stores.

Not entirely true. You can leave her eggs in the nest, and she will be more likely to go broody than if you continually remove them, but it won't make her go broody, especially f she is not a breed that goes broody often and easily.

 

[HomeGrownChick]

Not entirely true. You can leave her eggs in the nest, and she will be more likely to go broody than if you continually remove them, but it won't make her go broody, especially f she is not a breed that goes broody often and easily.

My hens are 2 Black Australorps, 2 Ameraucanas, and a Partridge Rock... Any experience or knowledge about any of these breeds broodiness? Does age play a role in this? They were all hatched in March 2013.

They were laying abundantly until winter hit, now I'm not getting any green eggs from my Ameraucanas, but get anywhere from 1-2 per day brown eggs from the other 3. I'm considering adding to my flock this Spring, would love to have a couple of wonderful Mamas to keep the flock growing, so may add either Buffs or Cochins to ensure I have a few good moms.

Also, does anyone have any input regarding mixed breeds? My (unintended) roosters are RIR and Barred Rock... the hens in my flock are not matching breeds... I'm learning as I go, and don't have the heart at this point to send Rhodie and Barnaby the roosters to Camp Freezer. Soooo, thought since they are so "friendly" with the girls, I might as well take a stab at a self-sustaining flock rather than relying on buying pullets. I have far more demand for eggs than I can satisfy, so growing the flock is a viable option.

 

[Demosthine]

Demo- I finally got my rabbits.  Just one male and one female for now.  Ours are currently living in a hutch outside.  They get some free range time in a secure play pen area almost every day.  My dog is too interested in them right now.  our RIR actually ran after one when we first got them (3 weeks ago).  They are now 8 weeks old and boy are they plumping up.  The woman who I got them from also gave me a harvested rabbit.  It was DELISH.  I believe I am going to hold off on any mating until after the summer.  I think by the time these are old enough to mate (6 months), it will be right around the time our weather starts really heating up.  I'm not confident that I would be able to get kits through the heat of the summer.  I am optimistic that I can get these two through and then mate them around October.  Seems like a LONG wait.  What do you think about my concerns?  

It depends entirely on your environment. My yard is so well suited for animals that I'm not sure I'll ever have a heat problem. We only lost the one Ameracauna last summer and it was during our work day, so we aren't sure of the true circumstances. For me, it is miraculous what the grass yard does for the temperature in the back. Somewhere way back, I did a comparison between the grass in direct sunlight, grass in the shadows and the gravel yard itcs front. If AI remember correctly, it was 117* that day. The sunny grass was 98*, the shaded grass was 87* and the gravel was 125* or something like that...

Edited: See here for that discussion... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/31227/arizona-chickens/37770#post_11529428

My understanding is that summer litters will have longer ears, because that's the main cooling method for rabbits. Otherwise, just like any living creature, don't pamper them and allow them to adjust to nature. They have survived without our cooling methods for hundreds or thousands of years. They grow a different coat of fur for the season and everything. We tend to overthink things, rather than allowing Mother Nature to do her job.

 

[kacklinkelly]

It depends entirely on your environment. My yard is so well suited for animals that I'm not sure I'll ever have a heat problem. We only lost the one Ameracauna last summer and it was during our work day, so we aren't sure of the true circumstances. For me, it is miraculous what the grass yard does for the temperature in the back. Somewhere way back, I did a comparison between the grass in direct sunlight, grass in the shadows and the gravel yard itcs front. If AI remember correctly, it was 117* that day. The sunny grass was 98*, the shaded grass was 87* and the gravel was 125* or something like that.

My understanding is that summer litters will have longer ears, because that's the main cooling method for rabbits. Otherwise, just like any living creature, don't pamper them and allow them to adjust to nature. They have survived without our cooling methods for hundreds or thousands of years. They grow a different coat of fur for the season and everything. We tend to overthink things, rather than allowing Mother Nature to do her job.

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your straight forward way of thinking. I remember the comparison you did. It was really surprising to hear the differences.

 

[maryhysong]

It depends entirely on your environment. My yard is so well suited for animals that I'm not sure I'll ever have a heat problem. We only lost the one Ameracauna last summer and it was during our work day, so we aren't sure of the true circumstances. For me, it is miraculous what the grass yard does for the temperature in the back. Somewhere way back, I did a comparison between the grass in direct sunlight, grass in the shadows and the gravel yard itcs front. If AI remember correctly, it was 117* that day. The sunny grass was 98*, the shaded grass was 87* and the gravel was 125* or something like that...

Edited: See here for that discussion... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/31227/arizona-chickens/37770#post_11529428

My understanding is that summer litters will have longer ears, because that's the main cooling method for rabbits. Otherwise, just like any living creature, don't pamper them and allow them to adjust to nature. They have survived without our cooling methods for hundreds or thousands of years. They grow a different coat of fur for the season and everything. We tend to overthink things, rather than allowing Mother Nature to do her job.

summer bunnies, like summer hatched chicks will not grow as large as fast as those hatched in cooler weather. The heat depresses the appetite and they won't grow nearly as fast. Also in buns their ears can get so long they break over at the base and look like Lops; they never get better looking, either. Of course not a problem if just for meat. The other thing tho is that it is hard for the does to be kindling in the heat. I lost one once because it was about 95 when she was in labor and even ice bottles didn't seem to help. I breed for litters over the winter months only and give them the summer off, but I also do not go out of my way with fans or coolers or anything in the summer.

 

[Demosthine]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your straight forward way of thinking. I remember the comparison you did. It was really surprising to hear the differences.

It's one of the best things that I've learned from Joel Salatin. Let nature do the work. Rotate your crops or plant companion crops, like the natives did with the "three sisters". Corn was planted with beans because the corn stalks provided a sturdy pole to climb. Plant a ground cover crop, like squash also, because it covers the field and prevents weeds. Plus, the legumes add a large amount of nitrogen back in to the soil, while the corn is a large consumer of that nitrogen. Pasture your livestock, rotating from one paddock to another daily just like the shepherds did. Use naturally grazing animals to protect your livestock, like the alpaca they are using in Australia, rather than a livestock guard dog that requires specific feeding. Follow up your grazing paddocks with a sanitizing crew like poultry a few days later, to scatter the livestock patties and eat the developing fly larvae, etc. They'll give you a great supply of eggs every day, too. The list goes on and on.

Our ancestors were significantly more productive than we are today, and yet they had more time to spend doing other things in life. We've fallen way to far away from our roots. I've been studying and working on the calculations for much of this because I'd absolutely love to start a ranch. I think it's where God has pointed me and when the time comes, He'll provide the means to take that step towards helping to heal the Earth one acre at a time.


One other thing to note on the rabbits... A buck can become sterile if he is exposed to temperatures exceeding 85* for an extended period of time. If it's five days or longer, theoretically, the sterility can last for 60-90 days. That's an important thing to keep in mind if you are planning on doing controlled breeding like most do. Again, a natural way for nature to ensure that the litters are only born when their chances to thrive are at a peak.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Demosthine, you my be interested in miniature cattle, from everything I have read they are efferent grazers, easier on the land, and even more friendly. This video is really quite good at pointing out these things.

This is very interesting, food for thought.
[VIDEO]]