Arizona Chickens

[roostereggs]

We hear LOTS of coyotes out here, but to my knowledge they have left the chickens alone because ours are 3-7 years old. My biggest prey concern is my husband's greyhound. Super high prey drive and FAST! She got a chicken by the neck once when she snuck in a really heavy closed but unlatched gate, and a week-old chick as well when I had the chick across the room from her and wrongly thought she wasn't paying attention...she had been playing with a toy. Both times I easily unclamped her mouth...she has a gentle grip and neither were hurt. But since then I have made changes in MY behaviors and she no longer goes with me on chicken chores, even locked on the other side of the fence. I also know that she could get the hardware cloth off the brooder in the workshop...it would take time but I don't even chance it so she doesn't go in the workshop with me.

I think the hawks and owls are the biggest issue in our neighborhood...people let the younger chickens free range and then they disappear.

 

[FeatherPugs]

Some scary happenings last night. It was about midnight and I was still up, browsing BYC when I heard coyotes. First time since having chickens. We usually hear them in the wash that backs up to houses that are across the street from us. This time it was coming from closer to my backyard and seemed to be about 1/2 block away. I think there were maybe 2 but they were calling for reinforcements pretty loudly. I ran out to the backyard and made some obvious human sounds yelling and banging. They quit howling and moved along. I woke hubby and we fired a single 20 gauge shot in case they were still in hearing range.

Now I am terrified they smelled my coop and know there is something to be had in my yard. I wonder if they will keep coming back every night until they figure out a way to get in. They will need to scale a 6 ft wall which I know they are perfectly capable of. My girls are locked in the roost portion of the coop after dark, so they would need to somehow dig their way into the coop/run and figure out how to chew through the wood to get to them. Hubby seems to think there is no way they can get into the roost portion even if they were somehow able to access the run. I'm just not so sure anymore.

We just put our "littles" outside for the first time last night - my pen is secure - BUT I'm still wary of what could happen should the drive be big enough. We just have to assure we've done our very best and move forward. This pen will only last about three weeks or so - so on to the grow-up pen!!

 

[Stynch]

Since the neighbors all around us have big dogs and horses, I don't think we need to worry about coyotes and such. But, we are on acre lots with few trees and lots of undeveloped areas, so hawks are our big concern. When we decided that the girls needed more room than their 4x12 run (which is hardware cloth secure on all sides and top and bottom), we built them a daytime play area which is welded wire with a camoflage cloth top which not only hides them from the hawks but also provides some extra shade. They spend all day on that side, and at dusk, we secure them for the night in the original run. We have a neighbor with a big old cat that has shown some interest, buy my husband assures me that it can't get into their enclosure. I hope he's right!

 

[City farm]

I have gone back to doing more research on small breed cows. Apparently, there popularity is growing do to mini-farms and self reliance movement. They are 36" to 47" high, there is even high butter fat Jersey, and marble meat Angus. They are breed for grass feeding. I find it exciting. Everything I have read says they are more efficient to feed.
Jersey
Hereford
Lowline Angus

It is primarily down beeding.

A great link
http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...-breed-milk-cows.aspx?PageId=2#ArticleContent

http://www.bigpictureagriculture.com/2011/10/ten-miniature-cattle-breeds-for-your.html

Let's not start the topic of owning a herd...
Or goats...
Or turkeys, please, no, don't do this to us lady...
I can't day dream about another fantastic farm animal..

Last night was a great visit with some fabulous people, especially Arizonachicken... Redrocketrooster almost
made it here for tea out in the garden by the blazing fire.. 2 of my neighbors said they would allow us to
start our Bee Hive colony in their back yard..

That will do for now.. Keep me away from day dreaming about
FARM FRESH cow or goat milk..
So if anyone has any equipment they no longer use please let us know, we would love to start collecting.

 

[Twinklin]

The crop bra I made for Eleanor seems to be working wonderfully to prevent sour crop from her pendulous crop. I have her on normal dry crumbles and free ranging most of the day and haven't had a single issue all week. I did have to remake it so it was wider because with the original one her crop kept working its way around the side of the fabric so it wasn't helping unless I adjusted it several times a day. Now she eats all day and is empty in the morning. She seems to get around in it fine so I'm super pleased. I don't think her crop will ever be normal so she'll have to wear the bra forever but if it gives her a happier life I'm ok with that. Now I just hope she starts getting more nutrients from her food and maybe even starts laying again.

 

[City farm]

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.

Do you mean buff orpington or buff brahma? Or any buff? Our brahma does not seem to lay as many as the orpington.?

 

[City farm]

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.

Nevermind, just saw the answer to the question..

 

[ChickTucson]

Hi there!
I have 2 Welsummers, 2 Iowa Blues, 3 Easter Eggers, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Ancona and 1 Silkie/Cochen mutt hen. They're all hens. Also found an injured pheasant 2 days ago. Trying to find his owner through online classifieds, but no luck. I'm not really sure what to do with him. I know he is not very happy in the 8' -4' pen we are keeping him in. He won't survive on his own. Maybe adopt him out....

Thanks for asking.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

CITY FARM, in my last cow post l stated back to chickens, I figure I already posted to much. If anyone is interested they can PM me. I am really interested in mini cows. The more I read the more I am coming to believe ....... oops! I'm doing it again. Just Me to get me to

 

[City farm]

 
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.

Ahhh, yes a ranch.. someday, ...