Arizona Chickens

[maryhysong]

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.

I would suggest either home made or purchased fly traps to help cut the population. Also look closely at them because not all flies are flies

What I mean is there are a lot of small flying insects that resemble house flies and are called hover flies, they don't carry germs like house flies and they are pollenators of a lot of plants.

All flies, bees, wasps, butterflies, ect are drawn to any damp spot when it's so dry, including fresh manure, they are looking for moisture. Also with the weather being so warm you will notice a sudden large population because they are hatching out from where they pupated last fall. If you can get the population down now you will have less later. I have found the permethrin goat shed spray at TSC will kill them; had a huge swarm of house flies congregating at one spot in the yard, went out and sprayed them when it was cool early in the morning and got about 90% of them gone. This spray is recommended for use in poultry houses so won't hurt your chickens.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

First egg Thursday, none over the weekend. Second egg Monday, nothing yesterday. Third egg today! The same small size and color as Monday's egg. This has me pretty convinced that only one of my 4 girls is laying. Pic is taken with the rest of the chickens on my new tea towels (flour sacks). 2nd pic is of the rooster towel. I guess the poor Roos don't warrant having breeds mentioned. The towels are marked Paper Sharks circa 2013 RONI I bet if you are so inclined you can find them! Roostereggs I'm glad you found them on your own! They really are adorable. My mom always called them flour sack towels, but others call them tea towels. Not sure what the difference is. I think they are the same thing, could be generational or regional I suppose. Waiting for daily eggs and from more than one hen!!

as I figure it, flour sack is the cotton weave, A large towel, the large sacks. Cut the flour sack in 2, hime and embroider a design and you have a tea towel. When my grandmother wanted a sack towel, she was drying dishes. The tea towel, we used as a large napkin, across our knees, holding our cup and saucer like so. The napkin was used to blot the corners of the mouth, ware as the tea towel stayed on our knee or lap. Of course this is from old memory, gleaning from association of use, rather then from certainty. My grandmother would hime the flower sacks, in time the printing would disappear. I seam to remember lemon juice being used as a bleaching agent. She did not like bleach because it eat the cloth.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Alright folks, it's the big day. My wife has her knee surgery this morning. Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Have a great day!

my prays are with you, your wife, and mostly with the surgical team; that their hands are guided swift and sure.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

FINALLY! Tea laid her first egg... Took her 9 1/2 months. Now all 4 have laid. All my girls are all grown up... time for MORE CHICKS!

isn't it fun, not only knowing what went into the egg, but who gave it to you. Food - nourishment on the personal side.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Off topic but thought those garden folks may be able to help. We recently purchased a house in Mesa (as-is sale, so unable to ask previous owner), and there is a deciduous tree, still small at only 5 ft tall but it has some bunches of flowers coming in with the new leaves....does anyone know what this tree may be?
I want to plant my potted fig tree there but hate to tear it out if it will be a fruiting tree.
Here are a few pictures of the tree, leaves and incoming flowers.

Any one know? Thank you!!!

. This is my pomegranate tree:

My hand for size comparison.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

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!   

done. :yiipchick

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

 
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??

Good thing you found out there is a glitch some ware so you can fix it.

 

[SunBaked]

I'm not sure about your elevation, but I'll guess it's lower. At low elevations in AZ peas are a winter crop and do best when planted at the end of Aug, beginning of Sept. They'll survive until the heat of May/June. Choose a long vine variety. I like Oregon Sugar Pod II, they'll easily grow 8' long in a season and love to climb up on their own.

I credit our grape vines with keeping our birds alive in the heat of summer--they'd have no shade without them. The birds just love the leaves and we harvest enough grapes to eat and make all the raisins we can eat for the year. By mid summer, the vines are so long, they cover the run entirely and most of the coop. They grow out onto the ground where they're neatly trimmed to tortoise height.

In spring before the vines escape the run:


June-ish, when the vines really start to take off:

Wow, big difference a few months made in the before and after pics. I planted 3 grapevines this week. One of each a Thompson, Flame and Concord. I planted them around my larger aviary and they seem to be taking right off. Each has new leaves popping out already

. I have spent a lot of time staring the poor things down and willing them to hurry up and grow

. One of my neighbors also gave me 2 of his old grape vines that he had stopped watering. I think they are still alive as they weren't dried out completely yet. I have them soaking overnight tonight and will get them in the ground near my other aviary in the morning. I'll take some before pictures so I can compare them once they get growing. I think my peafowl will love them.

Had to drag out the incubators and dust them off. One of my girls laid her first egg of the season the other day. Up to 3 now. Going to be buried in eggs once the rest of the girls get going. I can't wait for the chicks. I should have some different colors this year.

Welcome to all the newcomers

 

[kevs-chickadees]

We tore down our old garden structure to make way for a new Mittleider garden coming in March. Up for grabs is some chicken wire 4' tall and about 25' in length. Also there is some shade cloth but it has some tears in it and has seen better days. Message me if you want it, I'll leave it in the back yard just past the gate in case no one is home. Cross roads are Gilbert and Broadway in Mesa.

Both items have been taken. Thanks

 

[flower]

Hello everyone here in Az. The weather in the north is great right now and conducive to gardening and just being outside. Two and half weeks since shoulder reconstruction and I feel good but restless as my activities are limited. Soon to start Physical Therapy. Yuck but it is part of the package.

The hens are happy and making beautiful eggs again. THE ROOSTER oh HE must think that he is the TESTER FOR POISON control since he is the first to check out any new arrival of food and even water. But at least he is not abusive to the hens. Sure wish some of my older girls could teach him some better table manners.

I've enjoyed reading about everyones birds and backyard gardening and still hope to visit when I am allowed to drive again.