Arizona Chickens

[DesertChic]

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!

Two years? That's a long time to wait.

As for the best breeds for out here I will always trumpet the benefits of the Naked Necks. When I started keeping chickens a couple years back I started with Australorps, Barred Rocks and Silkies, all hatchery qualities. All three have done well here, but it wasn't until I switched to Naked Neck Turkens that I knew I'd found my primary focus breed. Not only are they exceptionally hardy and healthy birds, but they're incredibly friendly, feed efficient, and outstanding dual purpose birds who shrug off our excessive heat while other breeds suffer heat stroke and die. Most of my NN hens lay over 200 eggs per year, and they're large to jumbo in size. And don't think you can't get colorful eggs from them. I have NNs that lay blue, green, olive, pink, tinted and brown eggs, and that was BEFORE I started making NN/Easter Egger crosses. I know some people are "turned off" by their appearance, but seriously, once you own them you fall in love and come to see their beauty, and since NNs can be crossed with other breeds you can have a flock of diverse eye candy.

Here's a few of my current favorites from my own flock:

 

[Banaynaychicken]

Hey guys!!

So im looking for a turkey. Age, variety, and sex dont matter. I simply wish to have a beautiful large bird <3

I love the way Slates and Red Bourbons look, but again, not looking for specifics.

I cannot pick up, but I have a safe public drop off place that I can meet at.

Please PM me and let me know if you have a turkey for Rehome/Sale!! ( I only have $20 right now XD)

 

[deserteggs22]

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!

I would recommend Naked Necks, Easter Eggers, and Olive Eggers for sure! I get an egg a day from each and they are super friendly!

 

[simplyscrambled]

We like Easter Eggers! Haven't heard of Olive Eggers, but a couple of EE's we have now lay an olive looking green. Thanks! We just lost a Rhode Island Red that was a great layer, how do they do here?

 

[desertmarcy]

Hey guys!!

So im looking for a turkey. Age, variety, and sex dont matter. I simply wish to have a beautiful large bird <3

I love the way Slates and Red Bourbons look, but again, not looking for specifics.

I cannot pick up, but I have a safe public drop off place that I can meet at.

Please PM me and let me know if you have a turkey for Rehome/Sale!! ( I only have $20 right now XD)

One turkey will be a very unhappy bird. They are flock birds and should be with more of their own kind, just like chickens. I sell my poults for $15 if less than 15 are purchased. I have a lot of adult turkeys for sale but not for $20!!

 

[ejcrist]

We like Easter Eggers! Haven't heard of Olive Eggers, but a couple of EE's we have now lay an olive looking green. Thanks! We just lost a Rhode Island Red that was a great layer, how do they do here?

I heard hatchery RIR's (Production Reds) do well here. I have a trio of SOP Reds but I didn't get them until last fall so they haven't done a summer here in Phoenix yet. The guy I got them from lives in St. Johns which is higher in elevation than Tucson but you'll be at a little higher elevation than me here in Maricopa County just north of Phoenix. I think they'll do fine - I wouldn't have got them if I thought otherwise.

Deal me in on the Naked Necks too. If I had to do it all over again I believe I would've started with them first. Other breeds that do well here in my experience are Plymouth Rocks and Leghorns of course. I'd imagine any of the Mediterranean breeds would do just fine. I wouldn't hesitate to raise any of them even in the warmest climate. I also recently got Marans and Ameraucanas and I heard they do very well here.

Regardless of what breeds you get I'd recommend putting out shallow pans of water for them to wade in when it gets up above 100-105 or so. The water cools them off probably better than anything I've observed. The first time I used them I got four pans for my run containing 25 chickens, and when I came home from work all 25 were crammed in those four pans, so I doubled that so they all had enough room going forward. It really seemed to offer them a good amount of relief. You only need to put them out during the hottest weather, and when the temps start receding I put 'em away for the year. Of course also provide ample shade and make sure your coop has the proper amount of ventilation. I also put out fans for them once in a while. I tried a misting system but they feared it more than anything else so I stopped using it.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

Quote: Actually this makes sense. I have a flock of chickens in a pen right next to my prepared turkey pen, though now that you mention it, It WOULD probably be best to get a few, since the coop is quite large and turkeys need friends!

Hmmm poults you say? I've got a brooder I could dust off and set up for them.

Lemme PM you, this is sounding quite promising ^^

 

[igorsMistress]

Two years? That's a long time to wait. As for the best breeds for out here I will always trumpet the benefits of the Naked Necks. When I started keeping chickens a couple years back I started with Australorps, Barred Rocks and Silkies, all hatchery qualities. All three have done well here, but it wasn't until I switched to Naked Neck Turkens that I knew I'd found my primary focus breed. Not only are they exceptionally hardy and healthy birds, but they're incredibly friendly, feed efficient, and outstanding dual purpose birds who shrug off our excessive heat while other breeds suffer heat stroke and die. Most of my NN hens lay over 200 eggs per year, and they're large to jumbo in size. And don't think you can't get colorful eggs from them. I have NNs that lay blue, green, olive, pink, tinted and brown eggs, and that was BEFORE I started making NN/Easter Egger crosses. I know some people are "turned off" by their appearance, but seriously, once you own them you fall in love and come to see their beauty, and since NNs can be crossed with other breeds you can have a flock of diverse eye candy. Here's a few of my current favorites from my own flock:

DesertChic do you ever sell fertile eggs? I got a NN from a feed store but she passed away. I have been in love since the first time I saw them! If one of the girls goes broody next year I'm looking for NN eggs to hatch. I've looked around some but so far I can only find chicks.

 

[DesertChic]

DesertChic do you ever sell fertile eggs? I got a NN from a feed store but she passed away. I have been in love since the first time I saw them!
If one of the girls goes broody next year I'm looking for NN eggs to hatch. I've looked around some but so far I can only find chicks.

As a matter of fact, I do. I always have fertile NN eggs as my primary NN rooster, Heisenberg, is housed with and ranges with the flocks year-round. I just took down another breeding pen after fulfilling several orders for hatching eggs and will be rearranging the birds in another breeding pen to accommodate my Silver Grey Dorking flock that's reaching POL. Just let me know when you're ready for eggs and what you may be looking for (color, egg color, etc.) and I can set up breeding pens according to your goals. Oh....and you might want to check out the Naked Neck Turken thread here on the BYC. We spend a lot of time posting photos and bragging about our birds.

This is Heisenberg, my primary breeder:


Both the white + barred cockerel and the red barred cockerel from my previous post will be retained as breeders as well, and I also have hens and pullets that carry the barred gene. I'm also working on creating mottled NNs, most of which will carry the blue egg gene.

 

[nicollee]

For me this is a very sad request...
We hatched some eggs November 19, and as eggs tend to do some of the hatched chicks (surprise) are roosters...
Roberto is Svart Hona mix,(no idea what), The hen that hatched with him is full black Svart Hona, but his coloring means he is not
He is friendly, and sweet.
We have tried boxing, and a homemade crow collar, neither have satisfied the neighbors.
So I ask if anyone would be willing to take him and give him a happy life.
I have promised him that I will do everything in my power to not allow him to be cooked. but I am running out of options.