Arizona Chickens

[houdiniduck]

They look like this close up when they flower.


Sorry I don't have any photos of the trees, but you can google them and find plenty. They would be great for the chicken's run if you grow one up high enough that they can't easily pick all the foliage off. It's easy to keep them trimmed down to easy picking height, or you can let them grow up tall. Its your choice. I will say I did let my oldest tree get too high. It was difficult to harvest leaves which is the main reason to keep one. I'll try to keep it shorter this year.

The birds all will eat it, but some will take a while to develop a taste for it as it can have a strong flavor, sort of a mild horse radish taste. It's milder in younger leaves, open blossoms and dried foliage.

Moringa will grow from seeds or cuttings. I gave away all my cuttings from by big tree, but I'll have more the next time I cut one down. Still waiting to get seeds from any of mine. I get plenty of blossoms, but no seed pods yet.

I wish I knew why! There are moringa seeds in the seed box so when it comes around again near us get some seeds to start. They grow super quick and you'll have a 5 foot plus tree in less than a year.

awesome, looks pretty! Let me know if you get any cuttings and I will keep my eye out for the box!

 

[Tanichca]

Ugh, pipes froze last night. I live in Arizona cause it's supposed to be warm, darnit!

 

[kevs-chickadees]

No snow here in Tempe, but lot's of great neighbors & friend's..No idiots or stupid people to make the police rush.. They rush when some idiot decides to do something that would hinder all of us having a good time. Got to have a designated person..Most of the officers we see are just standing around waiting for a drunkin stuper to pull a stunt. Hope they do stop that person that ruins it for others.. Happy new years chicken folk...

No idiots or stupid people here either, just officers with nothing better to do then try and track down which houses are shooting fireworks. Wouldn't want a fire to start while it's RAINING. Makes as much sense as no burn days, speaking of which is it one today? If so I need to go get some meat to smoke for the next several hours.

 

[desertmarcy]

I haven't made mayo in years and years but the biggest trick is to add to oil almost drop by drop while blending.

You don't have to do it that way if you use an immersion blender. But all ingredients need to be at room temperature.

 

[desertmarcy]

The only hen's laying are the jungle fowl... I have been de- worming the last few months, so we are not eating their egg's.. I made homemade mayonnaise with the duck egg's.. It was just okay.. I had to improvise with the vinegar and lemon.. I'm going to try to make it again, the right way..

Anyone else make homemade mayonnaise ??

YES! We never buy store bought anymore. Don't like the oils (GMO) in store bought. We make ours with olive oil. And of course, fresh eggs!

 

[desertmarcy]

@Sill What do these moringas look like and do you have any available? I take it the chickens like it? I am looking for plant ideas for in the run, I would like to make it prettier than bare dirt for them, but I don't know what to put in there that they wont just destroy.

Nothing

Chickens destroy everything!

 

[desertmarcy]

They look like this close up when they flower.


Sorry I don't have any photos of the trees, but you can google them and find plenty. They would be great for the chicken's run if you grow one up high enough that they can't easily pick all the foliage off. It's easy to keep them trimmed down to easy picking height, or you can let them grow up tall. Its your choice. I will say I did let my oldest tree get too high. It was difficult to harvest leaves which is the main reason to keep one. I'll try to keep it shorter this year.

The birds all will eat it, but some will take a while to develop a taste for it as it can have a strong flavor, sort of a mild horse radish taste. It's milder in younger leaves, open blossoms and dried foliage.

Moringa will grow from seeds or cuttings. I gave away all my cuttings from by big tree, but I'll have more the next time I cut one down. Still waiting to get seeds from any of mine. I get plenty of blossoms, but no seed pods yet.

I wish I knew why! There are moringa seeds in the seed box so when it comes around again near us get some seeds to start. They grow super quick and you'll have a 5 foot plus tree in less than a year.

I cut all mine back a couple of days ago so I could move them into the greenhouse before this last hard freeze. They were too tall to fit before. I have an oil-filled space heater that I run in the greenhouse at night when we get a hard freeze. @Sill maybe you are babying your Moringas too much. Plants will sometimes set seed when stressed, as a survival technique. I got lots of seed pods on mine and they weren't even a year old yet. I don't know if any got big enough to produce viable seed. If the seeds look good, I'll add them to the seed box. I still have the seed box here.

 

[desertmarcy]

Ugh, pipes froze last night. I live in Arizona cause it's supposed to be warm, darnit!

That is too bad, did they break? I have a shut off to the water going to all my poultry pens. Whenever we are supposed to get a hard freeze, I turn off that water right at dusk and drain all the pipes, drain the nipple system, leave the spigots open. Other spigots for yard hoses, I leave on a trickle overnight. I wrapped the main well pipe with heat tape. Took 3 50' extension cords to get out there, but I don't want problems. I learned my lesson from the previous year's hard freezes when I had to repair/replace a whole bunch of brass hose fittings. These hard freezes are a real PITA but at least they knock down the insect populations---flies and grasshoppers, be gone!

 

[flower]

not yet. I got some beautiful eggs from @ChuskaMtns today (shout out girly, it was nice to meet you, sorry I couldn't chat more, work was rough today!) They are golden cuckoo marans, English orpingtons and I forgot the other two. What were they? I am getting a couple more eggs from another guy tomorrow, Buff laced polish (squeeee, my dream chicken) so I will set everything tomorrow after I get the polish eggs. I got the turner in and filled up the water channels to bump the humidity, it was real low. We shall see where it sits later tonight and tomorrow as I had rocks in there last time I checked the temp, so I have to see where the temp goes now that I took out the rocks. (yeah, i know rocks?! they were holding the wire.) I am nervous to the MAX and I haven't even started!



Disregard the tools and catnip, this is the catch all table, brooder table and the office storage dresser... My son should be excited on sunday when he sees the incubator and eggs.

PRETTY EGGS yes incubation can be a nervous proposition but also exciting when you see that first pip ! day 21 causes some folks to loose sleep as they keep getting up to watch the eggs. haha good luck and remember it is a skill learned and there is always another chance.

 

[flower]

Nothing

Chickens destroy everything!

THIS IS DA TROOOTH Not even Iris are safe. If the plant is not to their liking they still scratch around the roots or bulbs and kill the plant.