Arizona Chickens

[DesertChic]

Ya know, I only have minimal experience so far with NN, but I really love them and am really leaning towards having them as my mainstay. I did break down and get 3 Mottled Java chicks at the feed store the other day, just to try out. I don't know if I'm gonna keep any of the Barred Rocks I got, we'll see. I love Australorps. And I think I will always have a couple of those, no matter what. Since I'm putting together a new flock, practically from scratch, right now, I'm in the state of mind that i wanna get three of everything... just to try them all out. But no matter what direction my head goes, it always ends up back at NN's!! I wanna do a black NN breeding project (with the red necks) and call it Roadkill Retreat. I'd call it a Ranch but the DH has problems with the word Ranch, not really sure why. I just really like the black plummage with the blue/green sheen. And I've also found that with alot of things, black things tend to hold up to the summer sun here alot better. Just leave a black bucket and a white bucket out in the sun for a couple summers and see which one crumbles first. So a good hardy black NN with a red neck that looks like a Turkey Vulture would be perfect! Thus: Roadkill Retreat.

And then make dark red ones by crossing them with RIR's, and they'd be all red like demon turkey vultures that escaped from hell. Yes, my mind goes weird ways like that.

 

[ejcrist]

Ya know, I only have minimal experience so far with NN, but I really love them and am really leaning towards having them as my mainstay. I did break down and get 3 Mottled Java chicks at the feed store the other day, just to try out. I don't know if I'm gonna keep any of the Barred Rocks I got, we'll see. I love Australorps. And I think I will always have a couple of those, no matter what. Since I'm putting together a new flock, practically from scratch, right now, I'm in the state of mind that i wanna get three of everything... just to try them all out. But no matter what direction my head goes, it always ends up back at NN's!! I wanna do a black NN breeding project (with the red necks) and call it Roadkill Retreat. I'd call it a Ranch but the DH has problems with the word Ranch, not really sure why. I just really like the black plummage with the blue/green sheen. And I've also found that with alot of things, black things tend to hold up to the summer sun here alot better. Just leave a black bucket and a white bucket out in the sun for a couple summers and see which one crumbles first. So a good hardy black NN with a red neck that looks like a Turkey Vulture would be perfect! Thus: Roadkill Retreat.

And then make dark red ones by crossing them with RIR's, and they'd be all red like demon turkey vultures that escaped from hell. Yes, my mind goes weird ways like that.

I like it!

 

[ejcrist]

Anyone here use wing bands? I started using them recently and I think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. They're inexpensive, permanent, you can add other things like your initials on them and barcodes, and the number sets available go way up beyond any number of chickens any of us will have in a lifetime. I've been using the Jiffy 890's. I like them a lot better than the 893's which I found were hit or miss when it came to crimping. The 890's work more like a rivet and I think I only messed up something like two since I started using them. I wish I started using these a long time ago. The birds don't even seem to know you're applying them unlike the plastic leg bands - they always screamed bloody murder when I started wrapping them around their leg. I haven't been applying wing bands until my birds have reached about 15-16 weeks. I know some people apply them to chicks but I think it's easier to apply them correctly when the birds are a little more developed.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

Anyone here use wing bands? I started using them recently and I think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. They're inexpensive, permanent, you can add other things like your initials on them and barcodes, and the number sets available go way up beyond any number of chickens any of us will have in a lifetime. I've been using the Jiffy 890's. I like them a lot better than the 893's which I found were hit or miss when it came to crimping. The 890's work more like a rivet and I think I only messed up something like two since I started using them. I wish I started using these a long time ago. The birds don't even seem to know you're applying them unlike the plastic leg bands - they always screamed bloody murder when I started wrapping them around their leg. I haven't been applying wing bands until my birds have reached about 15-16 weeks. I know some people apply them to chicks but I think it's easier to apply them correctly when the birds are a little more developed.

i've seen it on chicken people (movie greatest film ever) but I was like "Wouldn't that...hurt? er something?"

 

[ejcrist]

When I first read about them in an old book published way back when I thought the same thing. A breeder I know told me it's probably about the same as someone getting a pierced ear since you're only penetrating a flap of skin. The very first time I applied a wing band I was pretty nervous about hurting the bird, and the YouTube videos I saw only showed people applying them to day-old chicks which chirp away all the time so I really couldn't get an idea if it was causing them any stress or not. I've been toe punching chicks out of the hatcher and they chirp for a second when you do it but it's more or less the same thing since you're just making a quick punch in the webbing.

Anyway my Brother-in-Law helps with the banding by holding the bird while I apply the band - works a lot better with two people when the birds are 3-4 months old. If you run your finger along the underside of the wing near the tendon you can easily feel a very thin area, and that is where I start the point on the band - you can feel exactly where the point is located from the underside. Then I support the skin on the lower side with two fingers while I make a quick push with the band from the top side and it pops right through without any resistance hardly at all. No blood or anything and the birds never make a peep. Once through you just rotate it around and crimp and it's all done. It's really quick and easy and the birds don't even seem to know that you did anything. I imagine if you ever removed it for any reason the skin would grow right back since the slit is so small, kinda like an ear piercing would grow back. I've never had a pierced ear so I can't comment on them but I know people that had it done. But anyway that's all there is to it.

I've had many of cases of finding the plastic coiled leg bands laying in the coop/run but never with a wing band. The wing band isn't even visible on a cockerel or pullet - you have to pull the feathers back to see it. That's both good and bad - bad because you have to catch the bird to read the number which is something you don't have to do with plastic numbered leg bands. But the plastic band numbers wear off too which is a pain because then you have to try to figure out which bird it was. Not a problem if you have a dozen but once they number 100+ it's a pain.

 

[tschmaltz722]

Hi! Anyone here in the East Valley selling started pullets? I am looking to add 3 to my backyard flock. We have 4 2-year old hens that are slowing down and just got a new larger coop so I'd love to get a few more.

 

[simplyscrambled]

Well, we're still two years or so away from moving to Tucson, but it's always on my mind!

We hope to have a small flock of 6-8 girls for eggs, and wondering what breeds do well in the heat and climate, and are good layers. We really love Ameraucanas. Anyway, when we get there, we hope to purchase some pullets.

Anyway, is there a 'given' as far as breeds for the area?

Thank you!

 

[cactusrota]

Hi! Anyone here in the East Valley selling started pullets? I am looking to add 3 to my backyard flock. We have 4 2-year old hens that are slowing down and just got a new larger coop so I'd love to get a few more.

There's a few Arizona groups on fb where I've seen lots of ads, Arizona Chicken Raisers is a good place to start. Look for a guy named Jacob Kelly there, I'll bet he can help.

 

[tschmaltz722]

There's a few Arizona groups on fb where I've seen lots of ads, Arizona Chicken Raisers is a good place to start. Look for a guy named Jacob Kelly there, I'll bet he can help.

Thank You! I deactivated Facebook but I'll jump back on to check it out! The things we do for chickens.

 

[cactusrota]

Thank You! I deactivated Facebook but I'll jump back on to check it out! The things we do for chickens.

Ya, I've gotten to a point where just about the only thing I do on fb anymore is follow the poultry, farm, and homesteading groups. At least productive stuff happens there. It doesn't help with chicken math though, Because there always seems to be chicks and extra hens/roos for sale. Expecially if you live the in greater Phoenix area, you could become a hoarder very easily. haha!