Arizona Chickens

[carnivore]

I love the beetle green sheen on the hen in that next to the last photo  Carnivore, come to the shows and you will see her birds in person

ummm.....how do I find out when and where the shows are?

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

In response to getting chicks from the feed store...
the best thing to do is educate yourself about what the chicks should look like. There are pictures of chicks on some of the hatchery sites and all over the internet (including here on BYC). Some chicks look a lot alike (meaties and leghorns) but there are differences in most.
If you have a smart phone, you can even check what they are telling you while you look at them.

 

[City farm]

For a cool treat for the heat, I chilled a can of fruit cocktail in the fridge. (Del Monte, no sugar added, mostly peaches, pears, cherries, and seedless grapes). Drained it and poured the fruit in a large bowl and took it out to the run. OMG! Have you ever seen 33 chickens try to climb in the same bowl?

 

[City farm]

Looking for some advice.  I started with 10 chicks last August.  They started laying in January and all was fine until about 2 months ago.  1 by 1 they started eating eggs.  I tried to break them but had no luck.  It got to the point where they were eating every laid egg if I wasn't out there fast enough.  I took 9 of them (1 wasn't eating) and put them in my grow out pen and put my new up and comers in the main coop.  Now that they are in the grow out pen they are back to laying plenty of eggs and not eating them.  The grow out pen has no roost or nesting boxes or anything.  I had pretty much convinced myself that they were going to camp freezer but now I don't know what to do.  I think the nesting boxes provided a place for them to sit and be lazy and when they got bored they started pecking eggs and eating them.  The last thing I want to do is introduce this behavior to my new birds which could be laying any day now.

What are you feeding them?

 

[City farm]

Ugh! OK now I have a hen going broody!! What is going on here? Why are we all getting broodies in the heat of summer? Mine are hatchery production reds. I didn't think this was supposed to happen. I have 4 girls all about 8 1/2 months old, pretty regular layers with a little slow down due to the heat. A couple nights ago she decided to sleep in the nest box, I didn't think much of it since the boxes are very close to their roost. Then she started acting weird, strange clucking noises, picking at her food. We are not home all day to observe but we let them out of the run every evening. She has been coming out with her sisters to run around the lawn and have snacks, but then moseys back to the coop and starts sitting. She also comes down to have breakfast when I feed in the morning, but just picks then heads back up there.

Last night I took her off the nest, she does let me do that, and made her play out on the lawn. She stayed for a good 20 minutes then back to the nest. Our coop is in full shade all day but it is still hotter in the nest box than the run. None of my birds have yet to show signs of heat stress for which I am thankful. What is the harm in letting nature take its course and let her be broody without any eggs to sit on, or any chicks to give her? Is it crucial to break her? I know she isn't eating very much and when I picked her up she felt lighter but that could be my worrisome nature.

It is happening to all of us at this time.. It does seem that way with laying eggs, broodies ect.. They must all call eachother & plan it... We let our girls hatch out eggs & be a Moma. Our flock does not hurt the babies.. Even the 4 from @arizonachicken.. Those 4 are on their own & I think they are only 2 weeks old.. Not one of our broodies took them in under their wings.

I hope I didn't cause this broody's thing, lol...

@ City Farm, did any of your hens stop being broody once they saw the chicks?

Our 2nd time Moma said NO to the 10-14 day old chicks.. That is all we could find at the moment.. So she is co-parenting with Fiona & the same old chicks.. Getting day olds for our BCM broody wendsday or thurs..

 

[City farm]

I hope I didn't cause this broody's thing, lol...

@ City Farm, did any of your hens stop being broody once

they saw the chicks?

Poor chickens. I remember when I went broody. Lol. Pestered my husband to no end about wanting a baby. He eventually gave in.
I'm just glad he didn't stick me in a dog cage!

 

[City farm]

I live close to AZ. I go to a lot of shows up there. I raise show quality blue, black, and splash sumatra's I also raise silver spangled hamburg bantams. 

Welcome to BYC! Please post some pics,I've always been interested in the Sumatra.

Yes,
Carnivore, you want a hen or rooster?

 

[City farm]

[COLOR=333333]Welcome to BYC! Please post some pics,I've always been interested in the Sumatra.[/COLOR]

Ok here are a few of my hens and roosters.

Are your Roos sweet??

 

[desertmarcy]

ummm.....how do I find out when and where the shows are?

You could join our local poultry club

Tucson Poultry Pigeon and Fancy Fowl Club. Our next meeting is Sunday June 22.
The Poultry Press lists upcoming shows (subscription). There must be some other lists, I just can't think right now. Our biggest show is the one the club puts on in Nov, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

 

[carnivore]

You could join our local poultry club  Tucson Poultry Pigeon and Fancy Fowl Club. Our next meeting is Sunday June 22.
The Poultry Press lists upcoming shows (subscription). There must be some other lists, I just can't think right now. Our biggest show is the one the club puts on in Nov, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

OK, will go on line and see about the poultry club, would like to check out the June 22 meeting.
@City Farm, no new chickens until I move to a bigger place. Hopefully, that will be soon.
I want some BCM pullets from desertmarcy, and maybe a few each of black Sumatras.
hmmm...and maybe a few black Cochins? I will admit, I am weak!