Arizona Chickens

[K9Dave]

yay!!! ok

The holiday will be hard for us to get away from the in laws.

 

[carnivore]

AY, CARAMBA!

After feeding and watering the animals, this morning, I refilled the sump tank in my greenhouse from my "outside" IBC. I then started refilling the outside IBC from the hose. While waiting for it to fill, I watered my plants outside the greenhouse, then did some puttering around inside the greenhouse (us old guys do a lot of puttering!). I then noticed one of my upper growbeds was overflowing. The way I have the plumbing set up, the only way it can overflow is if the drains are plugged. On the south end of the growbed, there are two 2" diameter drains with a 10" standpipe going into the lower growbed. Reaching in through the top, I found the standpipes completely clogged with roots. No matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't pull the roots out. So, I went to the bottom end and pulled the drain lines off, and this is what I pulled out....



I guess tomorrow I should do some more puttering and check the drain pipes on the other upper grow bed!!

 

[desertmarcy]

For those of you new here this is good information on storing eggs.
We keep our out on a counter.. For up to 30 days.We use tongs to collect from the nest, that way
we do not disturb the natural protection of the egg. "The Bloom" protects bacteria from getting in.
Enjoy

http://cleancoops.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=16

I know a lot of people are super careful about handling eggs for hatching, but it is not necessary. I just pick them up, put them in the basket; sometimes in my pocket if I forgot to take the basket out there. I wipe the dust off and anything clinging to them with my hands; if they have poop stuck to them, I rub that off with a wet paper towel, have even been known to wash under water gently. I have marked eggs "washed" out of curiosity to see if they hatch or not, and they hatch....my most recent turkey egg hatch, that just hatched yesterday, every one of the eggs hatched. I had no infertile eggs from the ones I set, either. 7 out of 7 Penciled Palms and 16 out of 16 Bourbon Reds. I believe that hatching success has more to do with the health and compatibility of the parents, if they haven't had the right nutrition all along, their eggs will not hatch as well, and the freshness of the eggs. Yes the bloom does protect the egg, so it is also important to keep your incubator clean if incubating artificially. The bloom does not really come off unless washed.

 

[desertmarcy]

As much as I'd like to claim credit for it, it wasn't my idea and I didn't get the opportunity to try it. I got the idea from @TheGardenCoop and his post on Grazing Frame Plans to Protect Grass for Chickens. He has photos and links to his blog with the original plans on it. I absolutely love the idea and am definitely going to try it when I get new chickens. As soon as I find out I'm keeping my house in the divorce, I'm laying down the chicken pasture blend of grass and letting it establish before I get new pullets or adults to free range.

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There is an iPad and iPhone app, available here. So far, there is not an app for the Android system, unfortunately. I use the Mobile version of the site through my xScope Pro browser and my phone and it works absolutely awesome.

Demosthine, I want to thank you for your tip on using the oregano oil. I bought some of the super strength oil and have been taking it 3 X a day in water. My cough eased up within 2 days and the constant tickle in my lungs (which I think is from Valley Fever but don't really know for sure) is gone! I am a believer! Also, while waiting for the order to come, I had an accident involving an aluminum stepladder--bottom rung broke and shin was sliced down to the white by the top rung, nasty deep 3" cut that hurt like the dickens. I read the oil is good for healing wounds as well, so I am putting it on that. Still hurts some, but the redness around it is receding.

 

[MagicChicken]

One of my hens has been persistently broody for a couple of weeks. If she really wants to sit on that nest she may as well have something to do, so I gave her eggs last night. It's 112 in my yard right now. She is standing up with half the eggs under her and half the eggs uncovered. I suspect the uncovered eggs may be hotter than the ones she is over. It's a random set of eggs so I don't have a big investment in whether or not the hatch is successful. I am curious to see how they do, hatching at this time of year. Betting they hatch early if they hatch at all.

Her sisters are all hanging out under the deck, where the air conditioning leaks out from under the house.

 

[a little chiken]

Demosthine, I want to thank you for your tip on using the oregano oil. I bought some of the super strength oil and have been taking it 3 X a day in water. My cough eased up within 2 days and the constant tickle in my lungs (which I think is from Valley Fever but don't really know for sure) is gone! I am a believer! Also, while waiting for the order to come, I had an accident involving an aluminum stepladder--bottom rung broke and shin was sliced down to the white by the top rung, nasty deep 3" cut that hurt like the dickens. I read the oil is good for healing wounds as well, so I am putting it on that. Still hurts some, but the redness around it is receding.

wow I hope you get better soon. when it rains it pours.

 

[a little chiken]

One of my hens has been persistently broody for a couple of weeks. If she really wants to sit on that nest she may as well have something to do, so I gave her eggs last night. It's 112 in my yard right now. She is standing up with half the eggs under her and half the eggs uncovered. I suspect the uncovered eggs may be hotter than the ones she is over. It's a random set of eggs so I don't have a big investment in whether or not the hatch is successful. I am curious to see how they do, hatching at this time of year. Betting they hatch early if they hatch at all.

Her sisters are all hanging out under the deck, where the air conditioning leaks out from under the house.

I have one hen that just hatched 4 chicks out of 6 fertile eggs. and I have 4 new broody hens. I have water set next to their nest so they always have water available but all are doing fine. Good luck.

 

[a little chiken]

Ok so I have 2 silkies hens and a silkies rooster that are a year old and laying (hens). They are pet quality only. If anyone is interested.

 

[mnabity]

I seriously need to move closer to everyone in this group. You'd think living in a small rural town there would be a lot of ranchers/farmers here. Surprisingly there is very low tolerance for those of us who chose to raise our own food. Even going as far as calling the police because of the crowing from my hens(yep you read that right). I suppose no matter where I go I will run into some people like that. But when the food costs are insanely high and I'm the only one with a full belly who are they going to come to for help? Sorry I just needed to vent to people who understand.

 

[K9Dave]

I seriously need to move closer to everyone in this group. You'd think living in a small rural town there would be a lot of ranchers/farmers here. Surprisingly there is very low tolerance for those of us who chose to raise our own food. Even going as far as calling the police because of the crowing from my hens(yep you read that right). I suppose no matter where I go I will run into some people like that. But when the food costs are insanely high and I'm the only one with a full belly who are they going to come to for help? Sorry I just needed to vent to people who understand.

It's not like that all over. The South especially