Arizona Chickens

[Mama Hen Chris]

Good Morning! Welcome new peeps. Just thought I would share some pics.



Beautiful sky in the backyard

Eliza running from her sisters with her banana


Snack time! Rosie is trying to figure out how to get some.

Serafina

Lorenzo loves to "sing"

Zsa Zsa

 

[chicksurreal]

Awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing!

 

[kpgoldstar]

Hi everyone! I hope no one minds me asking, but would everyone here please go to this website and comment and vote "strongly agree" on SB 1151. Whether you are affect by it or not, I would really appreciate it and so would other chicken lovers that can't raise their own flock in their own backyards. I'm pretty sure anyone that is a resident of AZ, for sure any registered voter in AZ, can get access to the site and vote.

http://www.azvoices.gov/bills/652/SB1151

If you have already been involved in this, thank you!
And thank you in advance for those that do this now for us.

THANK YOU!

I tried and it told me I wasn't registered but I am so I don't know what the problem is??

 

[FeatherPugs]

Awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing!

~~Awesome pics x 2 - Specially that Zsa Zsa

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I still have 10 days to go, BUT I just learned a new word, The “Chickenization”. (Quote)This comes from an article on meatpoultry.com explaining how consolidation in the beef industry has gotten so extreme that just three companies now control more than 70% of the market: JBS 31%, Tyson 21%, and Cargill 21%. Monopoly capitalism in action!


We have talked about this..... There has been a word, name for it coined, as close as I can figure 2008. It is were the chicken, beef, dairy, grain farmer are by definition of contract are SURFS to the COMPANY.

 

[City farm]

Ben gone for a bit, we have all had that flu/virus... Going past a month.. Yuck!!! :

So for all the newbies here in Arizona.

Good news, a friend got married last night at McCormick park golf ranch club last night.. The best marriage vows I have ever heard!!! Hope to a
copy some day.. If anyone needs to get married, that location by the water at sunset was spectacular..!! the view from that angle of
Camelback was breath taking... Plus they did a 20 minute long firework show at the shore. Unbelievable ..

Bad news, our dearest friends Sherri & Sherman died in that plain crash in Telluride Colorado last Sunday.. Just got back from their service..
5 air plains flew over us, 1 flew out of formation for "missing man" in tribute for Sherman.. Amazing service to say the least..
Our family lives in telluride & has aviation connection, so the town is mourning with us..

Chicken news.. My dearest friend found out our hen Cheryl is broody, she wanted the "rarest of rare" eggs from McMurry.. So of course I am
down with just about anything. So we ordered.. First off I will never order eggs from the mail ever again!!!! U.P.S handlers can not read..
The box clearly says, FRAGILE, RUSH, hatching eggs.... They guy is very lucky I was not home to hear my voice... I was so upset to find 6
Eggs completely crushed open.. They had to have thrown the box, & I am not kidding when I say THROWN...
So 1) does anyone think from such hard impact that any of the eggs will form???
2) these eggs were set/switched out with a 12day difference..
Our last girl who sat on the eggs did it for about 1 week after.. Do you think she will go the extra difference ? The other 7 eggs are in the
incubator... 1 must of not been fertile.. either way we will have chicks for her..

Hope to have a Bon fire soon.. will keep ya all posted...

 

[ChickTucson]

I added to my flock today!!

I bought hatchling Barnevelder, Barred Rock and a Buff Brahma! They're adorable.

I'm also raising a Barred Rock, a Buff Brahma and a Buff Orpington for my fiance's boss. They don't want to raise the babies to featherhood, so we are going to do it for them!!

I'm so pleased. I went home and looked up what the Barnevelders look like and they're so gorgeous!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

On post #43260. Long ways to go.

Originally Posted by 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.

Contact Desertmarcy. She has wonderful chickens.

jubilation:Here's a question for anyone. While I've had chickens in the past when I was on the farm in Indiana, I never interacted with any of them because there were so many and they were for meat and eggs. We raised White Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds so no pets or anything like that. My dad frowned on me making pets of the farm animals - cows, chickens, pigs, goats, etc.

Anyway, noticed something interesting yesterday. I had a friend from Washington visit with me yesterday and we went out to see the chickens. Normally when I or my husband go out they all come running toward us and gather around our feet and talk to us. Yesterday they saw us and came running but stopped short when they saw my friend and never did come really close. So, not being a total expert on chicken behavior, the question is did they smelll another person they didn't recognize or did they see another person they didn't recognize? Quite an interesting observation.

They know who they know. They know who has food and not. Trust comes with time. Chickens raise to be petted and to be handle will trust until they learn who not to trust.. Very quickly.

Just talked to my new neighbor the other day. Asked him if I could put in a small chicken coop under my Grapefruit Tree.... he said 'Yes"... but I told him I have to have permission from his wife too! Developing...

I thought you moved and gave up your chicken ways? What happened? Store bought eggs got to you, missed us? I know you missed us!

Welcome new Egg. Chickens are wonderful. Don't give up do to predictor set backs. Coming here first is a good move. Be prepared. Building a secure coop is really no one. The difference between frustration and pain of loss. Keep in mind CHICKEN MATH. You say you want 4 but 4 turns into 8, then 8 then 16... That's chicken math. As for the coop, I wish I just bought a 8x6 or 8X8 wood shed ($400-$800). Fixed it up with roosts. Would have saved me a lot. Have fun, ask away.

Oh, yes you can mix up your flock. Read up on breeds, some are not for the beginner. Silkies and Mayla are not beginner. Both have special requirements. Personally I will go with Silkie over Mayla.

this is a Mayla hen,

THIS IS A PHOTO SHOP PIC OF WHAT THEY SEEM LIKE. they really only get to 30" a few have reached much bigger, not usual. You know what a Silke is.

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I just ordered a full jump style bee suit. I will be needing help next month. Coming out of 12 plus month depression, getting back to getting things done. I need HELP, very brave or foolish, praying for knowledge able help. I am plaining on going in and killing off the bee hive under my shed. I will be turning half the sheds into a chicken coop.


I have been struggling on anting to save the hive, but it will not be Possable. I will spelt the honey with anyone willing to help .... And know how best to go about it. When we cut open the floor, the hive {and bees} will come with it. I want to save the honey. Before it gets hot I think would be best. March will be my last chance. I will be getting my own hive in April. PLEASE! There just has to be some one out there.

The hive is under my shed, it has a 4-5" space, no idea just how big it is, if I will need to take up the entire or just part floor. I thought night might be the best time. Or the best time to try to trap them. No idea how to kill them without killing my nephew's hive. I figure covering it with plastic for a short time, would be best. I want to save the honey... I hope it is Possable.

Any advise from experience?

 

[maryhysong]

Ben gone for a bit, we have all had that flu/virus... Going past a month.. Yuck!!! :

So for all the newbies here in Arizona.

Good news, a friend got married last night at McCormick park golf ranch club last night.. The best marriage vows I have ever heard!!! Hope to a
copy some day.. If anyone needs to get married, that location by the water at sunset was spectacular..!!

the view from that angle of
Camelback was breath taking... Plus they did a 20 minute long firework show at the shore. Unbelievable ..

Bad news, our dearest friends Sherri & Sherman died in that plain crash in Telluride Colorado last Sunday.. Just got back from their service..
5 air plains flew over us, 1 flew out of formation for "missing man" in tribute for Sherman.. Amazing service to say the least..
Our family lives in telluride & has aviation connection, so the town is mourning with us..

Chicken news.. My dearest friend found out our hen Cheryl is broody, she wanted the "rarest of rare" eggs from McMurry.. So of course I am
down with just about anything. So we ordered.. First off I will never order eggs from the mail ever again!!!! U.P.S handlers can not read..
The box clearly says, FRAGILE, RUSH, hatching eggs.... They guy is very lucky I was not home to hear my voice... I was so upset to find 6
Eggs completely crushed open.. They had to have thrown the box, & I am not kidding when I say THROWN...
So 1) does anyone think from such hard impact that any of the eggs will form???
2) these eggs were set/switched out with a 12day difference..
Our last girl who sat on the eggs did it for about 1 week after.. Do you think she will go the extra difference ? The other 7 eggs are in the
incubator... 1 must of not been fertile.. either way we will have chicks for her..

Hope to have a Bon fire soon.. will keep ya all posted...

I have pretty much given up on shipped eggs; one chick from 12 or more eggs seems to be my rate. Others have great luck. I would say set the shipped ones in the incubator where you can hatch them upright and put the others back under the hen.

 

[pipemum]

I was at a race yesterday when my husband texted to say the neighbors scared a coyote off of our shared wall. The woman saw the coyote jump up to the corner and walk along the wall--she has a vested interest in keeping coyotes out of her yard as she has a tiny yappy dog. She shouted and scared it away, but we now know ONE way the coyote is getting into our yard. I'm putting a 2x4 spiked with nails on the corner and along the wall for a lovely surprise. Anyway, chickens are fine. I went over the layer coop and meatie pen again and looked for any possible weakness.

There is such a huge difference now between the cx and the cochin peanuts. My husband asked if the peanuts were sickly! There are way too many birds for the pen, so I'm going to butcher some CX this weekend. They'll be 5 weeks. I'm not sure how much they'll weigh. Bigger than market cornish game hens, for sure, but smaller than 5lbs.

All the birds had a great weekend. Hours out in the garden, pecking grass, dustbathing, running around, getting grubs from the compost, tons of fresh veggies. I did dig a pit as an official dust bathing pit, filled with sand, some garden soil, and DE, but as of yet, they haven't used it.

Oh my gerd, the FLIES HAVE BEEN HORRENDOUS. They are all over my little patch of lawn, and around the coops....though not IN the coops. The buzz is constant. I keep the area clean, so I dunno what is going on. I sprinkled DE everywhere but need a solution that actually works. I've about given up on any supposed benefit of DE. It is in no sense the miracle that many of BYC claim it to be.