Arizona Chickens

[cactusrota]

I'm using deep litter in my coop and love it, but this area is way too large and I have concern about giving the tree all that nutrition. It's only a few years old and it averages 3 feet per year I think. It doesn't need help.

Sand might be my best option, I dunno. Do you get much dust when you clean? I am dubious about straw and hay based on past experience after a lot of rain.

Sand was my first thought, too. The birds will probably dig a couple spots down to the dirt for dust bathing, but overall it would probably be the best option.
If you do decide to go with something plant based, I'd stay away from straw, it will just make a bigger mess of things. Hay would be better, though more expensive. Or maybe woodchips. But the birds will eventually work it all back down to a dust anyways. All my birds are on dirt, but then I live at the end of a dirt road. Dirt is the basis of everything around here. We wash our hands with it. ;-)

 

[BlueBaby]

Yes, it's about that time of year, and if anyone want's to use this as a Christmas greeting to email to someone or whatever, you can. I sometimes make thing's in my PaintShop pro. Click to enlarge.

 

[Bobby Basham]

The 2 AW's that I hatched out ended up both being boys, and they were mean and they weren't even grown yet! They were picking on my Australorp's (even the adult one's), and they killed one of the blue Australorp chicks that was one of their hatch-mates, and started eating it. I sent them to the pond at Tom's, and I will never bring in the AW's again!

Oh my, I hope my three AW girls don't turn out that way. So far, their behavior doesn't stand out from the others since they all squabble on occasion.

 

[BlueBaby]

Oh my, I hope my three AW girls don't turn out that way. So far, their behavior doesn't stand out from the others since they all squabble on occasion.

Maybe it's only the boy AW's that do that then?

 

[Bobby Basham]

Maybe it's only the boy AW's that do that then?

I haven't a clue. It could depend on the strain and temperment of the parent stock. You know those mean genes get passed on.

Then again, you throw a Leghorn into the mix, and no telling what you'll get.

 

[Bobby Basham]

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Hey guys, I need some suggestions. This is the side yard where we have our coop. As you can see I have some rocks to move out. I'm also removing the bushes to a different area in my yard.
I want to put in a grass frame where the shaded area is but I'm not sure what to put over the dirt in the rest of the yard. The whole area is about 20x20 and it gets pretty muddy and slippery when wet.
What would you suggest? Hay, straw? I haven't had a good experience with it but I wasn't the one who did the job. I also want to keep dust down in there.

How about also putting those rocks to use and building a nice bed around the tree, trimmed with some type of bricks as a border? It could save you some hauling.

 

[BlueBaby]

Just had a Black NN/Australorp mix hatch out about an hour ago. Yesterday rather, because it's after midnight now. It has a NN. So, yesterday it was 2 Blue pure Australorps, and 1 Black NN/Australorp mix hatched out.

Out of the NN/Australorp mixes, I am now at a count of 3 on them that do have the NN's on them... 2 Blacks and 1 Blue.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Just had a Black NN/Australorp mix hatch out about an hour ago. Yesterday rather, because it's after midnight now. It has a NN. So, yesterday it was 2 Blue pure Australorps, and 1 Black NN/Australorp mix hatched out.

Out of the NN/Australorp mixes, I am now at a count of 3 on them that do have the NN's on them... 2 Blacks and 1 Blue.

Are you pulling an all-niter for hatching?

 

[BlueBaby]

Are you pulling an all-niter for hatching?

Whoo whooo, me? I'm a night owl anyway's! I'm the flock's night watchwoman!

 

[Bobby Basham]

Whoo whooo, me? I'm a night owl anyway's! I'm the flock's night watchwoman!

Heck, I went to bed at 2:30 and was awake by 3:30. I'm a night owl, too, but it would have been nice to get a couple more hours of sleep.

Well, while I'm up, I might as well check in on the babies. Their water was getting kind of low and I hear them in the bathroom chirping and scratching now at 5:20 now.