Arizona Chickens

[chicksurreal]

@Bobby Basham - Keep the 8x8 and ditch the 8x6. My DH said to build 8x8 and I said that would be too much room so he built it 8x6. NOW I'm swallowing those words and sweet talking my DH into trying to "add on" to the coop - I know......I know. Live and learn - now I'm passing it on!!

Lol!

I'm just the opposite, I always try to add on more than is necessary. You never know when you might need more space! our newest coop is 8x16 ( for 27 chicks + one roo), a little bit large, but we might get more chickens, someday...

 

[Bobby Basham]

Yeehaa! You look like you.. A soon to be farmer..

Girl, I came from the FARM.

I can remember back in the late 50's/early 60's, we live on about a 60 acre farm way out in the boonies. We had goats, chickens, cows, goats, pigs. I was only about 5-7 years at the time, but every year, we had that yearly slaughtering (oh, for the politically correct.."Processing"), and I was there. Pappa (my grandpa...Bishop Ollie Whiteside) would come out to our farm, shoot those big boars right between the eyes, squirming around in circles like the were one of the three stooges), they were then held up on big hooks and split down the middle, entrails and blood...the works into a big canning tub. Some of the attendees would actually grab a cup and drink the warm blood. YUK! All the meat was shared.

We would then go to Pappa's house ( he had at least 70 acres) and did the same "processing". His hogs were huge,at least 1,100 pounds.We again shared all the meat.

My dad drove coal truck during the day and farmed in the evening. We had hay, oats, wheat, corn etc. We had the combines, haybaylers, cornpickers, the works. Meanwhile, Mamma out in the backyard ringing chickens' necks. Us small kids screamed and shot up the trees like squirrels, watching those headless hens flopping around the yard. Seven kids with a gap, three of us younger ones under 9 years old, Four older ones were teenagers over 16 years old. I come from an old family, my dad passed a few years ago at 89, and my mom is still hanging in there and will be 94 in December.

I would actually sit at the kitchen table while my mom (my buddy) plucked the chickens (after boiled(?) and spread on newspaper). She pulled out all the innards, unlaid eggs. I must have been about 7 years old at the time, and we discussed the chicken. Its purpose and what it provided for us. Didn't bother me for a hot minute, because that was our meal for the evening.

I can't talk too much about the FARM, because I have extremely fond childhood memories about it, and it makes me cry every time someone mentions it. Meanwhile, my older teenage siblings were going through all the 60's prejudice and racism that I was totally clueless about, being a child at the time.

It's water under the bridge now, but I think my dad sold all that property for about $9,000 back in the early 60's before he built that sprawling ranch house in 1965.

Sorry for another essay, but I came from the FARM. I may look the part of a city slicker, wearing all kinds of pinstripe suits, fancy ties and expensive Georgio Brutini shoes (and, Lord, I have quite the wardrobe for the red carpet), I'm just a down-to-earth guy who's got life issues like everbody else.

Ooh, I didn't mean to take it this far...DId I share to much information? --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I got help! Thank you @desertmarcy and @AZChkGoddess!

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

Unbelievable! one of the jungle fowl just started laying, she is the pretty one.. Just went BROODY!! This is now as of 2014 the 7th hen that has gone broody.. Got to be kidding me.. She is wild, & freaked out when I went to look under her.. I added today's eggs to her.. Oh boy here we go again!!

In the last 3 years I have had exactly ONE hen go broody. ONE.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Hey Bobby, I too, am looking at retiring in a few more years. I just bought a new house, but cut a deal with the previous owner to make accelerated payments, and pay it off in 5 years. That is my timeline.
I spent 17 years paying a ruinous amount of child support, and in that 17 years, I learned to live on practically no income. Once the house is paid for, I'm a free agent.
I could easily live on Social Security (if there's any left), but, even without SS, I am working NOW to become as self-sufficient as possible. With my chickens and eggs, and greenhouse with fish tanks and veggies, eating won't be a problem. I also do some woodworking, carpentry, and gun smithing on the side, that can provide some folding money for the inevitable emergency expenses. I also do a little gemstone cutting, but those all get ratholed for a rainy day.

So. Back to your chicken run. I noticed in one of your drawings, you made your screen roof panels hinged. Why is that?

Cyborg,

You're a man of many talents. That's great that you can get accelerated payments. I just bought my house in August, 2008. Basically, I have my $1,050 house payment and utilities. The down fall on that is that I have to pay back that $7,500 first-time buyer incentive @$500/year for fifteen years. It changed shortly after that where folks don't have to repay it.

Been driving the same Isuzu sport hombre for 14 years, no credit card debt (for the time being). If I can hang in there until October, 2016, I'll be be 61 and will hit 62 the following August...11 months before SS (if any) kicks in.

I'm gonna look for ways to make some extra income when retiring. There are alot of kids (I think hundreds) in this neighborhood, and I can go back to giving piano lessons. With two pianos and a Hammond in the house, I can surely generate some income there. I also know how to work on vintage electronics, turntables, tape decks and the like. I could probably open up a small stand and sell all my extra eggs and sell some of my scratch homemade bread and rolls.

My other extra income comes from being a church organist/choir director at different churches for 46 years. That's an extra $800/month for me to play with, pay ahead on bills etc.

Okay, back to the hinged roof. Since the run is only 5-feet tall, it would be nice to be able to lift the sections and stand up straight while working in there. Oh, being hinged, I will install some locks (maybe the old fashing sliding type) on the underside to keep anyone from lifting it up and torment the girls. I'm finding water bottles, food styrofoam containers, big rocks the size of soft balls (they had to be thrown in because I raked out every rock in this back yard and threw them in the garbage), ketchup/mustard/Taco Bell sauce packages in my back yard.

Some young ***** thugs throwing all their fast food scraps in my back yard while their cruising the neighborhood. No telling what they'd do if they saw some vulnerable hens out in a run and decided to jump the pathetic 5-ft wall separating neighbors and the street.. I don't want to come home and find something masacre like those frat brats that "rented" a turkey for their party and tortured it to death, breaking its wing etc. You can read about that in UPC Press.


I have a very big heart, giving the shirt off my back but I also have a mean streak. I see some of you have issues with transportation and I would be willing to help a few folks transport some chickens in my funky little truck to get them to their destination. I've seen your posts, bad transmission/clutch and other issues, can't afford the gasoline etc. I think that may be another, or rather an extention, calling on my life, helping folks and expecting nothing in return. IT JUST FEELS GOOD TO GIVE!

Dealing with that mean streak issue, a big pet pieve with me is disrespectful youth. I have no problem buying a gun and taking out any trespassers on my property, young or old. If your unruly juvenile is out tagging the neighborhood with a bunch of his immature buddies, messing with people's livestock, teasing pets and wreaking whatever havock in the neighborhood, they're fair game to me. Nobody likes to be violated, and I will not tolerate it. You can weep over little Johnny's casket all you want, but, you as a parent, should have been monitoring his behavior more closely and with whom he associates.

Sorry that I sound so harsh and strayed completely off-topic here, and I apologize. These self-serving, enabled, spoiled youth just bite my butt big time, and think that the world owes them. That's a completely different topic that doesn't belong on this board. --BB.

 

[moms3cuties]

Yeah that is different.. @moms3cuties has one with a spur. I wonder about that? Any crowing yet?

no he seems to be very comfortable next to me But doesnt let me pet him down the middle or submit like the hens do but he stays real close to me since I started taking care of his feet from before.Sooo as of Now. ..NO CROWING. .but he has big Spurs! !! isn't he a pretty Maran!

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Hey everyone. Been a while since I have been on. Finally got internet connected.

Just wanted to show you all the new chick in town:

Carena Elizabeth arrived on September 8th at 2:10 am. She arrived with the big storm.


Look at that hair!!




Big Brother Cooper, Jon, Cara and baby sister Carena
Family photo before leaving the hospital tonight

 

[Sill]

I have sweet potatoes that have been growing in my front yard flower bed for about 12 years now. And they've spread everywhere. I would [ThinkI] that they would be safe for chickens because I'll eat leaves steamed and they taste sweet and are yummer tasting than spinage to me!

...occasionally I will dig up some s sweet potatoes or I think they might be yams. Cuz they're lighter in color and I will eat some cooked on the stove or in my crock pot!

The sweet potato cutting I got from you is growing like a weed! All I did was stick it in the ground and water it every day.

Here are my Moringa trees. I had to move them out of my covered garden yesterday because they were hitting the top wire. Hopefully they are big enough now the packrats will not mess with them.

Awesome trees! Remember to save seeds from your best tasting moringa tree to grow the next generation.

question, then why do my one sweet potato on my west side of the yard that's from 12 years ago and then my other one thats from maybe 6 years ago are different in color the one from 6 years ago is more orange in it tastes sweeter and the other from 12 years ago is lighter colored more yellow in the flesh. Are they two different types of sweet potatoes? From what I've heard over the years at the Farmers Markets?? Thanks in advance!

As others have said there are a lot of sweet potato varieties. My absolute favorite is the Japanese purple variety but I can't seem to find and seed potatoes of them.

Quote:

We are loosing our lemon tree in the front yard, I wonder if it could be from those creepy things?? I will have to look..

So many things can cause the demise of a citrus tree. From what I understand now the palo verde beetle momas tend to lay eggs near trees that are already sick, must taste better? So if your lemon tree is going down hill these are probably down in the soil somewhere...munching away.

im several posts behind but I was going to say maybe someone threw "it" in your yard?
I love those rockers.. I have a fold up metal chairs in my chicken area that I take into the coops, in my duck run and another in my goat pen. I cannot stand for long periods due to my stenosis so I get to sit and visit my babies in between feeding and watering

wow I think I need you to design my Chicken barn!!

where do you get horseradish? yum

man o man I would love to have that bed of sweet potatoes. do you plant pieces of the potato to grow or seeds...I know silly question but I have no idea. I tried regular potato's but did not so well

should be interesting

ah maybe give it food ? I almost lost my almonds to a spider last year. covered the tree in a wed and a residue that almost killed it

You need seed potatoes or potato "slips" which are just cuttings. You can also plant eating potatoes but so many of those are sprayed with chemicals to keep them from sprout before they are eaten it can be hard to find some that will grow. That is why I can't find Japanese purple sweet potatoes to grow, they are all sprayed! If they are sprayed the potatoes will just rot in the ground instead of growing a new plant. Organic potatoes are never sprayed so if you can find a variety you like that is organic you can use them to grow more!

Lol! Wow, what are you feeding them? ;-)

It must be the water?

How cool, can't wait to come & visit.. What a great move.. So far it is @Sill & @moms3cuties plus myself for the processing class? Right..

I'm in!

 

[cyborg]

@Sill Territorial Seed Company in Oregon has the purple sweet potatoes, but they sell them as part of a sweet potato collection, 2 plants each of purple, Beauregard (my fave), and O'Henry, a white fleshed variety. They ship live plants in mid-April or mid-May.

Edited to add: they also have Georgia Jets. Never tried any, but supposed to reach maturity in about 90 days.

 

[Sill]

Hey everyone. Been a while since I have been on. Finally got internet connected.

Just wanted to show you all the new chick in town:

Carena Elizabeth arrived on September 8th at 2:10 am. She arrived with the big storm.


Look at that hair!!




Big Brother Cooper, Jon, Cara and baby sister Carena
Family photo before leaving the hospital tonight

So cute! Congrats!

Cyborg,

You're a man of many talents. That's great that you can get accelerated payments. I just bought my house in August, 2008. Basically, I have my $1,050 house payment and utilities. The down fall on that is that I have to pay back that $7,500 first-time buyer incentive @$500/year for fifteen years. It changed shortly after that where folks don't have to repay it.

Been driving the same Isuzu sport hombre for 14 years, no credit card debt (for the time being). If I can hang in there until October, 2016, I'll be be 61 and will hit 62 the following August...11 months before SS (if any) kicks in.

I'm gonna look for ways to make some extra income when retiring. There are alot of kids (I think hundreds) in this neighborhood, and I can go back to giving piano lessons. With two pianos and a Hammond in the house, I can surely generate some income there. I also know how to work on vintage electronics, turntables, tape decks and the like. I could probably open up a small stand and sell all my extra eggs and sell some of my scratch homemade bread and rolls.

My other extra income comes from being a church organist/choir director at different churches for 46 years. That's an extra $800/month for me to play with, pay ahead on bills etc.

Okay, back to the hinged roof. Since the run is only 5-feet tall, it would be nice to be able to lift the sections and stand up straight while working in there. Oh, being hinged, I will install some locks (maybe the old fashing sliding type) on the underside to keep anyone from lifting it up and torment the girls. I'm finding water bottles, food styrofoam containers, big rocks the size of soft balls (they had to be thrown in because I raked out every rock in this back yard and threw them in the garbage), ketchup/mustard/Taco Bell sauce packages in my back yard.

Some young ***** thugs throwing all their fast food scraps in my back yard while their cruising the neighborhood. No telling what they'd do if they saw some vulnerable hens out in a run and decided to jump the pathetic 5-ft wall separating neighbors and the street.. I don't want to come home and find something masacre like those frat brats that "rented" a turkey for their party and tortured it to death, breaking its wing etc. You can read about that in UPC Press.


I have a very big heart, giving the shirt off my back but I also have a mean streak. I see some of you have issues with transportation and I would be willing to help a few folks transport some chickens in my funky little truck to get them to their destination. I've seen your posts, bad transmission/clutch and other issues, can't afford the gasoline etc. I think that may be another, or rather an extention, calling on my life, helping folks and expecting nothing in return. IT JUST FEELS GOOD TO GIVE!

Dealing with that mean streak issue, a big pet pieve with me is disrespectful youth. I have no problem buying a gun and taking out any trespassers on my property, young or old. If your unruly juvenile is out tagging the neighborhood with a bunch of his immature buddies, messing with people's livestock, teasing pets and wreaking whatever havock in the neighborhood, they're fair game to me. Nobody likes to be violated, and I will not tolerate it. You can weep over little Johnny's casket all you want, but, you as a parent, should have been monitoring his behavior more closely and with whom he associates.

Sorry that I sound so harsh and strayed completely off-topic here, and I apologize. These self-serving, enabled, spoiled youth just bite my butt big time, and think that the world owes them. That's a completely different topic that doesn't belong on this board. --BB.

Yikes! Sorry you keep getting trash thrown in the yard. Definitely need to keep your fowl from being easy targets.