Arizona Chickens

[rhondita55]

I don't even start looking for eggs until they are at least 6 months old - that way I'm not disappointed!! I have an 8-month-old RSL who, in an average week, lays 3 or 4 fairy eggs and 1 or 2 whole eggs (72-75 grams each!!). The Production Red I got at the same time started laying in late September, and from Oct. 1 until two days ago, never missed a day - 43 days straight!! We did not begrudge her the day off!! LOL

Do they look and act like they are getting ready to lay? Waddles and combs getting darker red, submissive squat when you hover over them, more vocal, etc.....

Just be patient. The first egg will come, and it is really so eggciting!

Guess I'm just excited for that first egg. 1 has a darker red comb & waddle than the others. Haven't seen any squatting. They do look really healthy and very alert, I can't even look at them out the window because they see me and run to that part of the run, then stare at me until I go outside and give them a treat. Very spoiled girls. I want a bigger coop and get a few more chicks, but then I may be swimming in eggs........ I told DH that I would just have to make more cookies for him then........ LOL Plus, we both Love Pickled Eggs.

 

[cyborg]

[quote name="maryhysong" url="/t/31227/arizona-chickens/51720#post_14349

Barn cats; I got two kittens in the summer and they were doing fine living out with the chickens and Giotto but an owl took one and the other was terrified and has become a house cat. I got two more and they are locked into a large kennel at night until they are bigger. But the oldest is a great ratter; I have had a terrible issue with packrats this year and he has probably eaten close to two dozen in the past couple of months. It's been years since I had cats and yes I didn't like that they caught lizards and such, but I was being overun with the rats (which could steal bait and not trip the trap and they don't eat the poison bait blocks, they just put them in their nests). So far he doesn't seem that interested in lizards or songbirds so hope it stays that way.
[/quote]

For pack rats, I always got my rat by using a large rat trap baited with peanut butter and Fritos. They can't just snatch the peanut butter and run, they always try to lick off every last bit. BAD IDEA!

 

[dnx717]

Woohoo!!! We got an egg this morning from a second hen

I've been waiting and watching 4 of my pullets squat every time I go anywhere near them for the last two weeks. I couldn't believe it bc the first hen that laid for us began laying after two days of squatting.

Anyways, we now have two of nine laying and another 3 of them showing those "any day now" signs.

 

[maryhysong]

Quote: I caught a fair number of them by sticking half a date onto the bait holder, but then they seemed to wise up; I've also used peanut butter and apples, peanut butter and bread, but just couldn't catch them fast enough, they could still seem to either steal the bait or somehow trip the trap and come back and eat it But the cat has been doing his job very well; still a few rats but the population is dwindling fast.

 

[aviddamy]

Well, I'm in the process of forming my flock. I have 13- 7 week old broilers which won't be around much longer.4- 5 week old easter egger pullets (I hope), and 12-3 week old Buff Orpingtons, straight run, which will also have to be processed as I can't keep a rooster in town. I might try keeping one if I can get the no crow collar/velcro technique to work and keep him manageable. So after everything I'll probably have 9 -10 hens when I'm done. In Yuma, we are allowed 20 total.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

Short story:

We got the chick back but she is injured!

Long story:
When we went out the first time the hawk was out there, we couldn't find the chick, Amy.  Amy didn't come out when Penguin called them out of hiding and my husband and I looked in all the bushes and under all of the the trees around that area.  All we found were a few BR feathers, one of them mangled.  We both thought the hawk had taken her and come back for another one.  I finally locked Penguin and the other 3 chicks up and gave up looking.  I even went out there a few more times to look over the next couple of hours just to make sure. 
About noon (just before I needed to leave the house) I heard Penguin making lots of noise and looked out there to see the hawk was back and this time she had Amy.  I went running out there.  I was pretty sure Amy was dead, but I didn't want the hawk to have her.  The hawk tried to take off with Amy but couldn't clear the wall and ended up dropping her in the pool.  When I went to fish her out, I saw that she was alive and just floating there looking at me.  I brought her in the house and put her in a box with shavings.  I had to leave and fully expected her to be dead when I returned. She was in shock, her left wing was injured and she couldn't seem to stay upright. When I got home she drank a little water, but wouldn't eat anything.
This morning her condition hasn't changed much except that she is more alert and she ate 6 mealworms  and drank some water.
She can move her wing but acts like she doesn't want to.  She has a hard time staying upright and tends to list to the left. If I move her at all it takes her a few minutes to recover, like it's really painful.
My daughter and I put betadine on the one small abrasion on her wing and looked for other injuries but couldn't find any.

I feel so bad that she was out there hiding the whole time and we didn't find her! 
I know chickens can recover from some pretty bad injuries so I'm hopeful, but not overly optimistic.

Put a heat lamp on her also, it helps when they're injured. Give her some Nutri-Drench also. Keep her isolated & in a quiet place but keep checking on her. I hope she recovers soon, she's eating which is a good sign.
I saw what I thought were 2 doves mating in my grass but it was a little kestrel that took down a dove of the same size as it. They both startled as I turned the corner & the dove got away, save for quite a few feathers. I am surprised the kestrel went after a bird that's the same size as it!

 

[ChuskaMtns]

I'm sure many of you know already but I saw a fb post that My Pet Chicken is taking orders for spring chicks. I was curious & did go to the site, saw that in AZ our minimum for standard birds is 4 & bantams are 6. Prices aren't bad until you tack on shipping but then again, I have paid hgher than that from breeders but I thought hatchery chicks would be lower shipping. Learn something new everyday.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

I'm sure many of you know already but I saw a fb post that My Pet Chicken is taking orders for spring chicks. I was curious & did go to the site, saw that in AZ our minimum for standard birds is 4 & bantams are 6. Prices aren't bad until you tack on shipping but then again, I have paid hgher than that from breeders but I thought hatchery chicks would be lower shipping. Learn something new everyday.

I think MPC has higher shipping costs because they do smaller shipments. I don't think Ideal or McMurray's shipping is that expensive but you have to order a few more.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
Thanks, I'll look for nutri-drench tomorrow. Do most feed stores have it?
She is standing up a little today but leaning against the wall of the box. She still tends to fall to the left. She also ate more mealworms and has now added scrambled eggs and a little bit of her regular grower feed to her diet! (thanks to @moms3cuties for the eggs! my chickens are still on strike)

 

[dnx717]

I got a third chicken laying today!!! That's 3 out of nine. It was one of my barred Hollands so we now have white and brown eggs