Arizona Chickens

[Sill]

Our broody Moma hen "tiny" the smaller jungle fowl hatched out the barnyard mix.. & the 3 French bresse blue or slash from Greenfire farms are pipping!!! So eggciting

I had to do nothing!! Now that's what I am talking about...

Unfortunately, not on that side. I never put one there because it would extend over onto the neighbor's property. I guess I will ask them if they mind. It would only extend over about a foot if I put a 2' wire down. I'm trying to decide what to do in front of some of the turkey pens that are also at risk. I planted 3 grapevines there so I can't easily put a wire apron down. I'd have to cut and fashion it around the base of the vines and of course it would rust faster because I am constantly watering the vines. Other choices are to dig the vines out, they aren't providing enough shade anyway so I have already bought and installed shade cloth. Or I could dig down a trench at the base of the fence and fill with concrete. Not easy either if I have to work around the vines. And I'd have to put up a temporary barrier to keep the turks out of the concrete until it sets, which would only take a day. What do you think, take out the vines? They are really more trouble than they are worth in that spot.

I'm going around looking at all the pens for potential weak spots. I know I have them as dig-unders. The rest of the pens and tops are very secure. I used up the last bit of 4' 1"x2" welded wire roll I had, but it in half, and it was enough to do one side of one turkey pen. About 25'. I have a little left over. Now I'm trying to decide, should I cut my new 6' roll in threes? Or go buy a new roll of 4'? I lose 2" every time I make a cut. Well I don't really lose 2", but there is 2" of sharp prongs on one side after cutting. Since it will eventually all get buried under rocks, I guess that doesn't matter.

I need to do this, I have been blindly going about my work with the birds hoping the piles of rocks and boards and what not I have put against the fence sides that don't have wire skirts will discourage dig unders. And it has until now. I just have a LOT of linear feet of fence here, as you know. So it has been pretty daunting thinking about doing it all. The main poultry house has good skirts on the east side and part of the south, and a 10" piece of metal buried on the other part of the south. The predators don't seem to dig under where they can't see through, so if it is a solid wall, I haven't worried about it.

The other thing I'm wondering about is if it is really necessary to secure the horizontal wire apron down. I clip it to the chain link with hog rings, but it is the outer side I'm wondering about. If I pile a lot of rocks on it, do you think that is enough? I have read some people use landscape "U' shaped wire to secure, but the soil here is so hard and rocky, I think stuff like that would just bend when I try to pound it in. I could use short pieces of rebar but can't bend it over to keep the wire from slipping off. Also it is a trip hazard unless buried. Suggestions?

My sister has the same predators in her area. She used thick wire "U"s pounded into the ground to secure her aprons around her mini goats and chickens, then piled on rocks, gravel and soil. She used hog panels since she had access to them but they are probably over-kill and expensive.

I would move the grape vines if the shade cloth works better there plus if you can put them where they are easier to water and care for it's less work for you.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

If the predators don't dig under where they can't see through, would a 2' high visual barrier help on that side near the neighbor's lot line?

You know, I haven't had any digging where the shade cloth covers the wire in the run or the coop, but we've had a number of digging attempts at other locations. I wonder if the shade cloth is enough of a visual barrier?

I guess I'm thinking the 1" x 2" would also deter packrats from digging in while I'm at it. I have a lot of rocks that I can place on the wire. Too big to lay down on the driveway and too small to be useful for much else.

I did not consider the problem with packrats. I think the rocks on top of wire is good too, seems like a good use for them.


Yes, agreed.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I got my first egg from Croquembouche, my blue copper Marans, today:

 

[desertmarcy]

You know, I haven't had any digging where the shade cloth covers the wire in the run or the coop, but we've had a number of digging attempts at other locations. I wonder if the shade cloth is enough of a visual barrier?

That is a thought. I have one west facing side with shade cloth all the way to the ground. The fence fabric is also buried about 4-6" as well since it was used 7' chain link fabric and I only needed 6'. So maybe I can skip that section, at least for now, and concentrate on others. I decided to go ahead and cut the 6' roll of 1" X 2" welded wire because I already have it and bought it on a whim without any real solid plans in mind

But now I have blisters on my right hand from cutting across 1" at a time to 40'. That is just for the pen side the predator dug under. Yikes, that is 480 cuts plus some to go across. My hands are going to be killing me

Talked with my close neighbor on that side. They are fine with me laying the wire. She has her own problems. Something jumped the fence around their back garden area and ate her melons! Probably deer. They put the fence up to keep javelina out but it won't stop the deer.

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

Have any of you ever hatched a Silkie chick in this color?

It came from my Silkie pen that has a white rooster a black rooster and white blue black and splash hens. I know the white rooster is blue based because he has a blue chest feather. Strange color chick for a BBS pen.

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

That is a thought. I have one west facing side with shade cloth all the way to the ground. The fence fabric is also buried about 4-6" as well since it was used 7' chain link fabric and I only needed 6'. So maybe I can skip that section, at least for now, and concentrate on others. I decided to go ahead and cut the 6' roll of 1" X 2" welded wire because I already have it and bought it on a whim without any real solid plans in mind  But now I have blisters on my right hand from cutting across 1" at a time to 40'. That is just for the pen side the predator dug under. Yikes, that is 480 cuts plus some to go across. My hands are going to be killing me

Talked with my close neighbor on that side. They are fine with me laying the wire. She has her own problems. Something jumped the fence around their back garden area and ate her melons! Probably deer. They put the fence up to keep javelina out but it won't stop the deer.

Marcy I am so sorry you had such a terrible thing happen. What part of town are you in?

 

[Bobby Basham]

I guess I'm thinking the 1" x 2" would also deter packrats from digging in while I'm at it. I have a lot of rocks that I can place on the wire. Too big to lay down on the driveway and too small to be useful for much else.

I did not consider the problem with packrats. I think the rocks on top of wire is good too, seems like a good use for them.

This is just a portion of my fencing all around. I'll extend the hardware cloth outward eventually topped with planter boxes for veggies etc. I also want the top of the run covered, perhaps 2" x 4" would work, but I still want it screened to keep out the wild birds. Overkill again?

I did check the Tractor Supply web site, but don't recall seeing any Tucson stores. Will have to recheck again. Maybe my idea sounds crazy, but using a larger hardware cloth combined with aluminum screening may be cheaper than buying the expensive half-inch hardware cloth alone. Please ignore the measurements for they have changed.

Bobby Basham, Tucson, AZ

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

I got my first egg from Croquembouche, my blue copper Marans, today: Are you sure she laid it? That seems awfully pale for a Maran egg.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

Have any of you ever hatched a Silkie chick in this color?

It came from my Silkie pen that has a white rooster a black rooster and white blue black and splash hens. I know the white rooster is blue based because he has a blue chest feather. Strange color chick for a BBS pen.

Looks like a paint.

 

[desertmarcy]

Marcy I am so sorry you had such a terrible thing happen. What part of town are you in?

I'm near Ina and Silverbell. The Tucson Mts. have a very healthy bobcat population plus there is a big wash that cuts across the back side of my property that connects from Saguaro Nat'l Monument to the Santa Cruz River, a major wildlife corridor. I have had major bobcat kills before (and always caught them) but none since this poultry house has been finished. I suppose it could be something else, but not sure if any of the other predators around here would kill so many and leave them. Coyotes usually kill and take what they want and I don't think we have any neighborhood dogs running loose at night, at least I hope not. Surely they would have been up here before now if so.