Arizona Chickens

[Papas Chickens]

Mediterranean Gecko - if you have outside lights, turn them on at night & you'll see them gathered around the light waiting for bugs. The skin on their feet allow them to climb most surfaces.

I stay away from WWSas I don't agree with their practices on some of their ruminants. Also, I have enough critters here to entertain me.

Its not a Mediterranean Gecko it is a Sub Species of a Tuscon Banded Gecko I see them on my property all the time.

I hope everyone survived this last storm. My new berms held. Glad I reinforced them after the last big storm, didn't have to relocate any chickens this time.
Don't know who to blame but I put 16 eggs in the bator with all this talk here, didn't want to be left out! That's my story & I'm stickin to it!

 

[Papas Chickens]

No, that is a Western Banded Gecko. Specifically the Tucson Banded Gecko. Pattern is quite different from the Mediterranean Gecko, which is not native to the U.S. but has established itself in small pockets across the west. The Banded Gecko has smooth skin whereas the Med. Gecko has bumps called tubercles on its back. Also the Western Banded Gecko prefers to stay on the ground under cover whereas the Mediterranean climbs walls more and as @ChuskaMtns
 says will eat bugs attracted to outdoor lights. Nice that they have separate habitats so the Mediterranean Gecko is really not competing with our native gecko.

I love Tuscon Banded Geckos I had three breeding pairs that I caught on my property and captive breed them for about five years I released the babies that were about a month old back into my yard, I think I released about 200 babies into my yard in those five years I see them all the time when I move my wood pile.

 

[Papas Chickens]

So this morning I wake up hearing this terrable screeching/baby crying sound coming from my chicken coop. So I get up and go out there at 6 am to see whats going on I get to the coop and I hear it again. So I go inside the coop and bam it goes off again right next to my head so I look over and its my 11 week old Plymouth Barred Rock Roo crowing. I was like WTH it wasnt my 14 week old Roos but the 11 week old I was expecting to hear my older ones crow before him lol, he sounds so funny lol.

 

[desertmarcy]

I think turkeys are a lot more fun than chickens, although dumber. I was working in the yard this morning and every now and again I would gobble at them and they would answer back before I finished. Neighbors probably think I'm an idiot.

I disagree. Turkeys are quite different from chickens, but not dumber. I have belonged to the Rare Heritage Turkey group on Yahoo for many years and faithfully read every post. Many of the members there keep turkeys as pets and also free range them and report the most amazing things their turkeys have done. I regret that my situation is such that I can't free range the birds and so I miss out on a lot of interesting behavior.

 

[moms3cuties]

Good morning everyone! I caught Wilma(Our Buff) in the act of laying her second egg. Thank goodness she uses the nesting boxes. Betty(Our Barred Rock) still won't use them and she has been laying for a month. Any suggestions?

does Betty and Wilma free range? Or do you have them in the cage? My chickens free range, so I use some ceramic or wooden eggs in the areas of the grass I want them to lay. And usually they want to lay where all the eggs are. So you may try this. Usually there are a buck or so, an egg. Some of the BYC online advertiser's may have some available or you could check a local feed store.

 

[ckaffer85]

does Betty and Wilma free range? Or do you have them in the cage? My chickens free range, so I use some ceramic or wooden eggs in the areas of the grass I want them to lay. And usually they want to lay where all the eggs are. So you may try this. Usually there are a buck or so, an egg. Some of the BYC online advertiser's may have some available or you could check a local feed store.

We let them out for most of the day when we are home and every evening. However, they aren't full time free rangers. And just an update after I sent my last message I went to check the boxes and both of the girls used them!!! Thanks goodness!

 

[moms3cuties]

does Betty and Wilma free range? Or do you have them in the cage? My chickens free range, so I use some ceramic or wooden eggs in the areas of the grass I want them to lay. And usually they want to lay where all the eggs are. So you may try this. Usually there are a buck or so, an egg. Some of the BYC online advertiser's may have some available or you could check a local feed store.

We let them out for most of the day when we are home and every evening. However, they aren't full time free rangers. And just an update after I sent my last message I went to check the boxes and both of the girls used them!!! Thanks goodness!

good that's wonderful to hear, but I still highly recommend having a fake Egg or 2, so they know where to keep on laying. I have 8 hens, that are currently laying and seven of them lay in the exact same spot where the ceramic eggs are, lol and I have three Nests for them.

 

[Stynch]

Careful...this Arizona thread is all over the place. Before you know it, you will have goats, an aquaponics system, greenhouse, guineas, peafowl, miniature horses, milk cow, alpacas, how about an emu or ostrich

We've done the ostrich thing - what a neat experience (that I don't want to revisit). My DH has been reading up on aquaponics, thinking that since our soil is crap, maybe we can garden without any!

 

[Stynch]

My first real job was hauling tractors and equipment all over Texas. The owner of the company had Emu and I was basically his do all guy so they were my job too. Only the bad stuff like Med Checks and Vaccines. Lol I love any animal. There was an emu the other day on CL but I didn't like the price. I have to build a couple of shelters in 2 different paddocks before that. It's getting cooler though. I got a lot of work done this morning. It was beautiful out.
Problem is once I hear how cool they are, I want in.

.
Beautiful

Keep in mind that you can't have just one emu! Seriously, this has nothing to do with chicken (or emu) math - they are social creatures and need to have a friend of the same species.

 

[ckaffer85]

good that's wonderful to hear, but I still highly recommend having a fake Egg or 2, so they know where to keep on laying. I have 8 hens, that are currently laying and seven of them lay in the exact same spot where the ceramic eggs are, lol and I have three Nests for them.

Thanks! We've been using golfballs for fake eggs. We recently added a few Easter eggs I found laying around. I wounded if that had anything to do with it.:/