Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

 

Bobby,

I was so impressed with your plans for your backyard. I hope you will keep us updated on your construction. I wish you could come design something for me here! Love to hear more about your music background, too.

Cheers,
Jessica

Jessica,

I just work completely from scratch.  I don't know all the in's and out's of design & construction, or the do's and don'ts in building something.  It's very calculating and analytical, on my part, and, for the most part, experimental.  I just sit on the couch with a clipboard and a few markers and ruler  and start drawing.  Any screwups I make during the actual construction can always be modified/corrected  It's not like I'm building a mansion here.

I really get a kick out of the planning/design stage, but when it comes to the actual physical labor.....Well, I am so tired from working two jobs and need to take a few weeks off from work to do this myself. I know for a fact the extreme fatigue comes from my medications that I take for other ailments, and with that comes the depression, noise sensitivity and adrenalin rushes.  I've explained this to my doctor several times, and he says, "start taking some vitamins and you'll feel better."  Huh? They did run a bunch of tests to see if was low testosterome, thyroid and other stuff, to see if anything was out of balance.  They found nothing.

You all don't know how I've been blessed, blessed and blessed, over and over again.  I have a fabulous house (in my eyes), got into it with Zero money down because of a credit score well over 800, decent paying jobs, no credit card debt, for the time being, and no car payments.

Sorry for going so off-topic, but from all the postings I've read in this Forum, there are a bunch of compassionate folks here, and I've read your personal stories, too. Please keep me in your prayers and I may have to go to another doctor to get a second opinion.  I've always been somewhat of a loner, but am very popular and social  in some public circles, but something's wrong when you shut people out of your life.  I haven't talked to my family in a few years, I don't pick up the phone when they call, My Dad and two brothers passed away within the last several years, never went back East to attend their funerals. I'm not going crazy or thinking suicidal thoughts,  I just wanna be left alone, and that's not normal. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky and don't want to be around people, including family, anymore.

Anyhoo, and the beat goes on....Jessica, I had alot of fun just sitting here designing stuff, and I think the plans are final. Basically assemble my lumber list, joists, screws, hardware cloth, etc.  After the deck and run are done, it's on to the Coop Design.  I may look at alot of pics from different websites and come up with an original BobbyB version that works for me.

That won't be the end of it...then I have to decide whether to use some type of drip irrigation for all the planter boxes, deep litter and/or sand, all the interior decorating stuff, tree branches and things to keep the girls entertained during the day, maybe stringing some lighting around the run while I'm out there in the early evening watching chicken TV.

If you want some help in design, I'll gladly hep, err, help...LOL!  Just don't expect something elaborate that would require 50 people to help with a barn raising. My plans are small scale and completely amateur.  At least I can draw something, but the actual construction should be left to someone who really knows what they're doing.

Sorry for the long essay (again) and thank you so much for the Ovation that I received and all that took the time to read my posting. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

B B.. I just emailed you.. You might find it in your spam??

 

[City farm]

Yeah I hear that the Delaware's are friendly, it is so hard to choose between sweetness & egg color!!

I love my Delawares.

they peck at him when he's laying down. Not hard, like grooming. He wanted to get up and get away but I persistently kept him there and let them peck him and figure him out. I figure it's ok for him to deal with a little abuse from them after he killed their siblings as chicks. He is reformed now and has his favorite chickens too. Not all of his favorites like him though lol. Sometimes ill catch him trying to do what he's doing to "Girlfriend" to my little adolescent White Leghorn. She is very flighty but he loves her and tried to get her to interact but she won't. He pesters her for a good bit if I'm not out there to monitor. Lol

(I love taking photos, hope you don't mind)

Are you kidding me. I was born with a phone in one hand & a camera in the other.. Love your photos!!

 

[K9Dave]

We have cats that belong to us and stay around because they are pets, but we also have cats that people have dumped out here  that I feed every night. They are feral, but will eat mice and whatever. I never see them during the day, but when I go out at night they are waiting for their food.

I always put the food in the same place every night and I know they come and eat it. Most cats will come to where the food is. I also have a small water trough that I keep full of water for them when it's dry out. it seems to work pretty well.

Since I posted that I've seen it. Had to go grocery shopping and when I stepped out it ran through the yard next to the house. I came in and told my wife and we saw it again by the chicken coop. Grrr. Coop and run are pretty solid and I've never heard a peep so as long as it stays cool I'll just feed this one little rid bits of treats to make friends and keep it around. I don't like inside cats cause the hair seems to magnetize to my mouth and they are scared of stupid things. Lol. Barn cats are awesome for the job they do.

Are you kidding me. I was born with a phone in one hand & a camera in the other.. Love your photos!!

Thank you. I enjoy taking them and hope to get better as I go along. My iPhone 5 has a real good phone I think. Just the user and situation need some guidance.

Now if I can just get the right time of day for my pics. Shadows really mess you up if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[moms3cuties]

here's a picture of the eggs I got over the last two days......

the eggs on the left are from yesterday(Friday), & the eggs on the right of the metal bar are from today.
...Wow is all I have to say!!:yiipchick

♡"hip hip hooray chickens!"♡

I think my 8 month old black Australorp is starting to lay her eggs ,,including a 5 month old Easter Egger who laid yesterday Her first teeny, olive, skinny egg.

 

[AZKat]

Speaking of cats, a feral cat that my Grandma has been feeding had kittens a couple months ago. She had them on the patio, so my Grandma has been able to handle them and tame the kittens. They need shots and so on, but they are healthy and eating solid food. There are four orange tabbies and one tortoiseshell.
If anyone wants a ca, or knows someone who does, send me a PM.

 

[moms3cuties]

Speaking of cats, a feral cat that my Grandma has been feeding had kittens a couple months ago. She had them on the patio, so my Grandma has been able to handle them and tame the kittens. They need shots and so on, but they are healthy and eating solid food. There are four orange tabbies and one tortoiseshell.
If anyone wants a ca, or knows someone who does, send me a PM.

speaking of which look at my pics below ...

speaking of which I have a few kittens if anybody's interested that I've been handling that have great Purr boxes on them! Lol

 

[moms3cuties]

@City farm
how do I Place the velcro to my four and a half month old Roos? Do I stick the velcro to there feathers and then velcro the remainder on them? Lol

 

[City farm]

@City farm
how do I play the velcro to my four and a half month old Roos? Do I stick the velcro to there feathers and then velcro the remainder on them? Lol

It is easy, the feathers will make there way threw. Don't worry about that.. Just make it tight enough that his beak won't fit. He will try to get it off, after he stops freaking out about it being there.. I would monitor him about 2 hours before bed time.. Here is the video.. Our rooster never sounded like this;

 

[City farm]

here's a picture of the eggs I got over the last two days......

the eggs on the left are from yesterday(Friday), & the eggs on the right of the metal bar are from today.
...Wow is all I have to say!!:yiipchick

♡"hip hip hooray chickens!"♡

I think my 8 month old black Australorp is starting to lay her eggs ,,including a 5 month old Easter Egger who laid yesterday Her first teeny, olive, skinny egg.

Ugh, fabulous.. I hope we have a green layer.. Since we have ducks I have given away our green layers.. Plus all the babies.. I think we are only keeping a few.. So hard to decide.. I'm just tired of doing stuff.. & the ducks are enough work..

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

We went for an early morning hike yesterday on Pontatoc Canyon trail in the Catalinas and ran across this cutie in the middle of the trail. I was filled with joy at the encounter!