Arizona Chickens

[SonoranChick]

View attachment 1315473 And Bam! Just like that. 18 weeks +/- a few days.
First eggs for first time chicken farmers.

I have it on good authority that I can call myself a farmer now.

Congrats! That is a nice shape and size for a first timer! Any idea which gal laid it?

 

[BlueBaby]

I was cleaning out their new brooder today and was able to snap a few photos soooo cuuuuute! My husband was not happy about being bombarded with chick photos, though

Also, I filled their feed container this morning, and now it’s bearly empty from them spilling it all over. Any tips on preventing this, or should I just put less in?View attachment 1314757 View attachment 1314760 View attachment 1314762

Is the Splash chick still your hubbies favorite? I forgot what you named them.

 

[BlueBaby]

@igorsMistress Who won that Potluck contest, and when will the recipes be made available? I'm hungry!

 

[cactusrota]

I was cleaning out their new brooder today and was able to snap a few photos soooo cuuuuute! My husband was not happy about being bombarded with chick photos, though

Also, I filled their feed container this morning, and now it’s bearly empty from them spilling it all over. Any tips on preventing this, or should I just put less in?View attachment 1314757 View attachment 1314760 View attachment 1314762

I've done two different things for scratched out food. I either raise the feeder to just below their chin, or just use something high walled like a large dog food bowl and just pour food in that every morning. You can also set the feeder on a large tray like a cookie sheet to catch the food if you want to...

 

[meetthebubus]

@Catwest I gave up keeping most of the feed in any container, i upgraded them to a dish and my process of thinking is the spilled feed will encourage their scratching skills, and the chicks are so much like babies its hard to prevent it like a baby that stilcks their fingers in their food and gets most of it everywhere but in their mouths lol after a certain age in the brooder its hard to prevent imo and they are still too young to take out so i was like oh well, the feed spill i cleaned out that wasn't eaten i gave to our wildlife, but that may be different for you

 

[Salty Skroob]

Congrats! That is a nice shape and size for a first timer! Any idea which gal laid it?

No idea but I suspect one of the RIR (which are likely red sex links) as they have the most developed waddles/combs of the bunch. Working from home today, had the windows open and hoped I'd hear some commotion. But I just checked, another egg just like it was in there. Happened between 7:30 and 11:00.

Couple questions though:
1. How large will these eggs typically be once they've been laying for a while?
2. How long could I expect it to be before the size stabilizes?
3. Should I worry about calcium intake? I just switched them to a layer feed last week.

 

[Catwest]

Is the Splash chick still your hubbies favorite? I forgot what you named them.

I think she is, but he’s so fickle! First, he was calling her Tootsie, but now he wants to name her Daenerys, despite my insistence that she should be Hedwig

The other ones are still looking for their names! We have been slackers. One person suggested naming one Amelia Egghart, but I’m not sure if I want to do literary themed names, or apparently Game of Thrones themed names... so many decisions to make!

 

[Catwest]

@cactusrota & @meetthebubus thanks for those suggestions! I think I may try raising the feeder for now, as I have many pavers and hopefully it will minimize their likelihood of pooping in the food! Though, I would love to encourage their scratching (partly because it’s adorable!), so maybe I will change my mind soon.

 

[nicollee]

Warning.....I am just venting and sad, in a place I hope I will find some understanding.
Last September, after a week of 80degree days, I obtained some fertile eggs for my broody hen to sit on. Two weeks in, the temps spiked again, out of 9 eggs only 2 made it out of the shells alive. The first turned out to be a roo, I'm not allowed in Tempe to have roo's so Jacob Kelly found him a new home. The second, was disabled, my best description is something like cerebral palsy. We have been babying this chicken, a padded cage, objects to help balance on... etc... my husband is very emotionally attached. I have alternately been involved, or concerned for the quality of life issue. We don't eat our chickens, they are our friends and pets. Again, for whatever reason, my husband is very emotionally attached to this chicken.... Yesterday...it started to crow.... uggggggg. Now what?????

 

[meetthebubus]

No idea but I suspect one of the RIR (which are likely red sex links) as they have the most developed waddles/combs of the bunch. Working from home today, had the windows open and hoped I'd hear some commotion. But I just checked, another egg just like it was in there. Happened between 7:30 and 11:00.

Couple questions though:
1. How large will these eggs typically be once they've been laying for a while?
2. How long could I expect it to be before the size stabilizes?
3. Should I worry about calcium intake? I just switched them to a layer feed last week.

1. Depends on the breed several months it takes as the hens get used to laying you can find double yolk, mimi eggs, eggs without the shell but then they'll get it right and you won't find issues

Side note they will get noisy once more lay and they "fight" over their fave box, etc. Right now they aren't sure what's going on when they are young they are pretty quiet about it just wait you'll hear them soon enough lol and that will be with the window closed

3. I like to keep oyster shells on the side the hens know best their calcium needs and if one doesn't get enough from the feed it can cause issues