Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

southerndesert, great to see you back!

Flower and Demosthine, I'll be sending good thoughts for fast recoveries your way too.

Ivytwilight, I'm glad to see you back with new chicks and a new coop! Great use of that "trash."

 

[kacklinkelly]

Hi All, just checking in... Still have chickens and all is well in Morristown.

So glad to see you again. Have thought of you and your family many times. You've been missed.

 

[MagicChicken]

On Tuesday my main rooster lost all his tail feathers in an attack by an unknown critter. I figured it wasn't a hungry coyote because whoever it was had plenty of opportunity to grab another bird and no birds were missing. Just the poor rooster's tail.

Today I heard a major ruckus coming from the back yard. It sounded like an egg song on steroids, with the entire flock chiming in. All four roosters were competing for loudest alarm call. The main rooster had rounded up all the hens and the six cockerels and herded them under a tree in a far corner of the yard where they don't usually venture. Odd. A quick head count assured me all were present and accounted for. I looked around and didn't see anything, but the roosters in the bachelor pad were still carrying on. So were the birds in the breeding pens. I still couldn't see what they were upset about, so I opened the hoop coop door and stepped in. Found a dog staring at me across the coop, standing halfway through the pop door, with a snout full of grey feathers. Grey is good, my chickens are black. At least he wasn't eating a chicken.

When he saw me he pulled out of the pop door and took off THROUGH the fence. The remesh fence has 6" square openings. The dog was a large, goofy-looking Rottweiler type puppy. I cannot believe he squeezed through the pop door, let alone that 6" square fence opening. I was throwing rocks at him as he ran, but I wasn't able to connect. He'll try to come back.

Checked inside the coop again and discovered a dead, gnawed on mourning dove, which accounts for the grey feathers. Disposed of the poor dove. Then I reinforced the fence with smaller mesh wire. Tomorrow I will spread cholla joints along the fenceline to discourage digging under. Maybe it will slow him down enough he goes elsewhere to have fun.

Once again the chickens are safe, and my main rooster is a hero for protecting the hens. He is a keeper.

 

[tadaen sylverma]

Greetings Arizona folk. I am here at the suggestion of someone from Tucson here in another thread. So many posts will take forever to run through them. Can anyone suggest a good local breeder around Tucson for a couple silver wyandottes and a few barred rocks. Also will be looking for a rooster to "take care of the ladies" so to speak. If none of the above anything that is good meat & egg production would be splendid. I will bookmark this thread and try to keep up with it as I don't get out much (extremely shy in real life but obviously not online). Look forward to hearing from people, in particular those in Tucson directly.

 

[maryhysong]

Greetings Arizona folk. I am here at the suggestion of someone from Tucson here in another thread. So many posts will take forever to run through them. Can anyone suggest a good local breeder around Tucson for a couple silver wyandottes and a few barred rocks. Also will be looking for a rooster to "take care of the ladies" so to speak. If none of the above anything that is good meat & egg production would be splendid. I will bookmark this thread and try to keep up with it as I don't get out much (extremely shy in real life but obviously not online). Look forward to hearing from people, in particular those in Tucson directly.

Check with Marcia Lincoln; I know she has excellent barred rocks along with some other breeds; not sure about wyandottes tho
http://featheredreptilesfarm.weebly.com/

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Hi All, just checking in... Still have chickens and all is well in Morristown.

Hey Southern. Glad to see you back on here. You were missed.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

On Tuesday my main rooster lost all his tail feathers in an attack by an unknown critter. I figured it wasn't a hungry coyote because whoever it was had plenty of opportunity to grab another bird and no birds were missing. Just the poor rooster's tail.

Today I heard a major ruckus coming from the back yard. It sounded like an egg song on steroids, with the entire flock chiming in. All four roosters were competing for loudest alarm call. The main rooster had rounded up all the hens and the six cockerels and herded them under a tree in a far corner of the yard where they don't usually venture. Odd. A quick head count assured me all were present and accounted for. I looked around and didn't see anything, but the roosters in the bachelor pad were still carrying on. So were the birds in the breeding pens. I still couldn't see what they were upset about, so I opened the hoop coop door and stepped in. Found a dog staring at me across the coop, standing halfway through the pop door, with a snout full of grey feathers. Grey is good, my chickens are black. At least he wasn't eating a chicken.

When he saw me he pulled out of the pop door and took off THROUGH the fence. The remesh fence has 6" square openings. The dog was a large, goofy-looking Rottweiler type puppy. I cannot believe he squeezed through the pop door, let alone that 6" square fence opening. I was throwing rocks at him as he ran, but I wasn't able to connect. He'll try to come back.

Checked inside the coop again and discovered a dead, gnawed on mourning dove, which accounts for the grey feathers. Disposed of the poor dove. Then I reinforced the fence with smaller mesh wire. Tomorrow I will spread cholla joints along the fenceline to discourage digging under. Maybe it will slow him down enough he goes elsewhere to have fun.

Once again the chickens are safe, and my main rooster is a hero for protecting the hens. He is a keeper.

My schnauzer likes to trap doves in the chicken coop and eat them. She leaves the chickens alone, but she sure loves those doves.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

There was a party of 4
waiting for dinner tonight. They left hungry.



Not chicken related but this is what carried a casket today at the cemetery. You never know what you will see at work.
Once someone had a stormtrooper at their memorial service.

 

[southerndesert]

Hey Southern. Glad to see you back on here. You were missed.

Thank you....

 

[southerndesert]

So glad to see you again. Have thought of you and your family many times. You've been missed.

Thank you and we are doing well now and have pretty much gotten back on track.... Cheers, Bill