Arizona Chickens

[mom-to-5]

My 29 week old Turken, Gerdy, appears to be possibly going broody. Yesterday she sat in the nesting box till 2pm, then went out and ranges and roosted with the rest of the girls. Today though she has only come off the nest twice for about 15 minutes each time...plus she growled at me this morning as I was cleaning the coop (which is very uncharacteristic of her). While I wasn't expecting anyone to go broody so soon I would like to increase my flock!
There were two wooden eggs in desperate nesting boxes which she somehow put under her and I left her egg from today under her.

I was thinking that if she stayed on the nest for a couple days it would be safe to put fertile eggs under her...but I would prefer to get them locally.
Is there anyone in the valley, I'm in Mesa, that would have fertile eggs for welsummer, Delaware, legbar, leghorn, silkies or barred rocks just in case my girl decides to stick with it?

 

[chicksindespair]

ARE YOU SURE?, DURING THE WAR WORLD 2, THE DEEP DEPRESSION IT WAS CALLED THE VICTORY GARDEN, PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO RAISE CHICKENS AND GARDENS DUE TO THE BAD DEPRESSION AND WAS ALLOWED ONLY 2 CHICKEN PER OCCUPANT AND ROOSTER WERE NOT ALLOWED,

 

[FeatherPugs]

ARE YOU SURE?, DURING THE WAR WORLD 2, THE DEEP DEPRESSION IT WAS CALLED THE VICTORY GARDEN, PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO RAISE CHICKENS AND GARDENS DUE TO THE BAD DEPRESSION AND WAS ALLOWED ONLY 2 CHICKEN PER OCCUPANT AND ROOSTER WERE NOT ALLOWED,

Is this what you are talking about......seems it was encouraged - not constitutionalized - during war times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Chickens are definitely not mentioned in the Constitution; it is extremely difficult to change the it, and a right to own 2 hens per occupant, but not roosters is far more specific than any other rights that are guaranteed. For that matter, back then I doubt there were many zoning or city ordinances that forbade having chickens; having chickens, even in town, was a pretty common occurrence.

 

[a little chiken]

My 29 week old Turken, Gerdy, appears to be possibly going broody. Yesterday she sat in the nesting box till 2pm, then went out and ranges and roosted with the rest of the girls. Today though she has only come off the nest twice for about 15 minutes each time...plus she growled at me this morning as I was cleaning the coop (which is very uncharacteristic of her). While I wasn't expecting anyone to go broody so soon I would like to increase my flock!
There were two wooden eggs in desperate nesting boxes which she somehow put under her and I left her egg from today under her.

I was thinking that if she stayed on the nest for a couple days it would be safe to put fertile eggs under her...but I would prefer to get them locally.
Is there anyone in the valley, I'm in Mesa, that would have fertile eggs for welsummer, Delaware, legbar, leghorn, silkies or barred rocks just in case my girl decides to stick with it?

wow she seems young to go broody but I have heard Turkens like to go broody. I absolutely love my Turken/Ameraucana cross and cannot wait to see if they lay the colored eggs or not.

I wish you luck and hope you find eggs to hatch out. Happy Hatching lil Turken.

 

[kpgoldstar]

Thank you so much, good info if I decide to do cornish x. I have read the FF thread but its a bit overwhelming. I have only ever fed dry crumble and scratch mix with fresh vegetables when i have them.

lol Chickens are smart. They love to eat too. I appreciate all the advice and I think I am going to try the FF. Thank you all so much.

I use those office/desk organizers you can get at any hardware store for about $2. I have and engraving store so I fashioned a holder out of scrap acrylic and the feeder slides right in. Makes it easy to fill at feeding time.





I love FF and will never go back to dry. Since I never go anywhere it works for me. I have babysitters for short trips but if I had to be gone for an extended period I would have to leave dry like pipemum does. I am a frequent visitor on one of the ff threads. Any questions just ask away!

 

[a little chiken]

I use those office/desk organizers you can get at any hardware store for about $2. I have and engraving store so I fashioned a holder out of scrap acrylic and the feeder slides right in. Makes it easy to fill at feeding time.





I love FF and will never go back to dry. Since I never go anywhere it works for me. I have babysitters for short trips but if I had to be gone for an extended period I would have to leave dry like pipemum does. I am a frequent visitor on one of the ff threads. Any questions just ask away!

thank you so much. We started our first FF tonight. I am excited to try something new. I read on another thread that you don't have to wait for the feed to ferment but can feed it wet to get them used to it while it is starting. I did that tonight, fed wet feed from the bucket I am going to make the FF in. The girls attacked it (after about a sec of wth is this mom as the pecked at it) then they dove in like I have kept them from food for years, lol.

I even tried it with my brooding pen. I have chicks with food all over them. It was like a mud wrestling match (except with chick starter). omgosh I laughed so hard. Even the ducklings were running back and forth between the two feeders like they couldn't get enough. Needless to say giving the chickens and ducklings FF has given me another reason to sit outside and watch my birds for hours.

 

[kpgoldstar]

thank you so much. We started our first FF tonight. I am excited to try something new. I read on another thread that you don't have to wait for the feed to ferment but can feed it wet to get them used to it while it is starting. I did that tonight, fed wet feed from the bucket I am going to make the FF in. The girls attacked it (after about a sec of wth is this mom as the pecked at it) then they dove in like I have kept them from food for years, lol.

I even tried it with my brooding pen. I have chicks with food all over them. It was like a mud wrestling match (except with chick starter). omgosh I laughed so hard. Even the ducklings were running back and forth between the two feeders like they couldn't get enough. Needless to say giving the chickens and ducklings FF has given me another reason to sit outside and watch my birds for hours.

Oh that's awesome! Made me laugh for sure! The mud wrestling... I can only imagine! How did you start your FF? I am only using feed and water, no starters or ACV. Been doing it since my girls were chicks and they are 7 months now. And yes, you can feed before the fermentation starts. With our warm temps you should start to see bubbles and smell a little sour in just a couple of days. Keep it like wet grout at first to get a good ferment going then you can start to keep it drier as you go along. I make enough to feed out about 4 days, then when I have one feeding left in the bucket I just add more feed and water and it is ready again by the next day. I don't refresh at every feeding like some do (sourdough starter). I feed a large portion in the AM then a small snack in the afternoon when I get home from work and they are let out to free range.

 

[a little chiken]

Oh that's awesome! Made me laugh for sure! The mud wrestling... I can only imagine! How did you start your FF? I am only using feed and water, no starters or ACV. Been doing it since my girls were chicks and they are 7 months now. And yes, you can feed before the fermentation starts. With our warm temps you should start to see bubbles and smell a little sour in just a couple of days. Keep it like wet grout at first to get a good ferment going then you can start to keep it drier as you go along. I make enough to feed out about 4 days, then when I have one feeding left in the bucket I just add more feed and water and it is ready again by the next day. I don't refresh at every feeding like some do (sourdough starter). I feed a large portion in the AM then a small snack in the afternoon when I get home from work and they are let out to free range.

We just used Nutrena lay crumble for the hens mixed with water and Nutrena chick starter with water for the brooder pen. my husband and I decided (after researching for 2 weeks) that we did not want to use the ACV or any lactose starters. I might add some small amounts of scratch once I get the hang of the FF but that is it. i like your idea of refreshing when it almost runs out. I usually feed after dropping husband and kids off in the am but they are free fed in their feeders so I will just add an afternoon feeding when we get home.
I am so addicted to my birds that I call my favorite Laverne and she runs into my arms as soon as I open the door. Laverne is a spoiled rotton Turken/Ameraucana cross. My son asked if she can become a house chicken...lol. I told him she prefers her own kind but likes to be loved like everyone does.

This is Laverne

 

[kpgoldstar]

Mine probably don't even need the extra afternoon feeding but it has become a habit. They race to the trough, take a few bites then are off and running around the yard eating grass and bugs. They manage to finish the whole thing before they head off to bed of course since they are spoiled rotten little piglets! Mine will never run into my arms. They are sweet girls but seem to only tolerate me handling them as much as I do.
The only thing I've ever added to the FF is some Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and that was during the winter. It helped with volume, adds to the protein content of the feed and the birds loved it. Now that the weather is warmer I don't add it anymore. Whenever I've given scratch they drink water like crazy so I also won't be feeding any of that again until about November.