Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

@MagicChicken
He's gorgeous the tail color gives him an edge lol
Does he have a name? His story made him sound like a Mr mighty

I don't usually name my chickens. Usually I go by wing band number. This guy was a broody-hatched bird so he doesn't have a wing band. I like the "Mr. Mighty" name you gave him. He may have a name now...

 

[MagicChicken]

I keep the feeder and water full (partially with ice), but I sometimes make a wet mash mixed with their own hard boiled eggs, pasta, frozen peas and string beans, collards and kale, so they have quite the buffet on occasion.

I'm thinking about making some sort of water feature where they can stand in a gravel water bed while the water recirculates to keep their feets (LOL) and legs cool, throwing in some ice cubes on occasion. Those big box home improvement stores have set ups where you can create your own. All it takes is a little bit of ingenuity and imagination.

Oh Lawd, one more project on the list.

Don't forget the one rule chickens seem to have: always poop in the water

 

[MagicChicken]

Hi all. How's it going?

Our girls aren't liking their fermented feed right now so they're on a soy and corn free layer crumble instead. I also picked up 25 lbs of pigeon light feed at the store today to use as scratch. They don't like the mister so we are running the hose for them instead.
The broody girl must have been fighting to stay in the nest because there was a mess of broken eggs. She's pretty darn grumpy too...stays away from everyone.

I decided I'm going to offer electrolytes every few days this summer to see if they'll help with heat stress. Another member here tried it for their flock and said it seemed to help. Anyone else tried this option?

My birds aren't fond of the misters either. So I only use the misters when the outside temps are over 115. And then only for a few hours during the hottest parts of the day.

The rest of the time my chickens have small wading pools to use. I will hose down sections of the runs periodically during May and June when the humidity is low. After the humidity kicks in I just use the wading pools. The coop/runs can get too stinky if the humidity is up and I go overboard hosing down the runs. My birds have had fewer respiratory issues since I stopped hosing down the runs when the humidity kicks in. The wading pools work just fine.

 

[SonoranChick]

@MagicChicken I've noticed my run also gets stinky when I hose it down, and I am constantly cleaning their poop out so it's not that. It just gets kind of a musky stink. Glad to hear I'm not the only one! I put a frozen ice jug in the nest box today, that helped while they were laying. I also put up a giant blanket along a part of the fence for more shade. I realized at about 4 pm the sun comes in and there are no fully shaded places (but the coop, which they don't seem interested in retreating to) and that's the most miserable part of the day! So now we have a full block of shade all day Cold wading pools and a slow drip ice jug...swamp cooler being set up tomorrow...I hope we make it this summer. They got frozen peas today but were not impressed for some reason. They go crazy for fruit, but turned their beaks up to the peas!

 

[igorsMistress]

I am happy to report our broody girl was out and about first thing this morning and again this afternoon. We are collecting eggs several times a day so hopefully she'll give up.

 

[meetthebubus]

I don't usually name my chickens. Usually I go by wing band number. This guy was a broody-hatched bird so he doesn't have a wing band. I like the "Mr. Mighty" name you gave him. He may have a name now...

That's awesome! His story sounds like that name and he looks like it fits him via his pics!

 

[meetthebubus]

@SonoranChick mine have never liked peas either I think they might not have a good scent frozen maybe? I recently tried steamed carrots that were chilled they like that better than raw carrots and its soft for them to eat
Oh can't forget cold grapes it gets so noisy feeding them grapes bc they are all chatting about it
But grapes you need them to be on sale I try to stock up when they are like 80 cents per lb.



Anyone on here, have you taught any of your chickens their name or done training with them?

 

[FeatherPugs]

I haven't done any training but many of mine "know" their names. I know its silly. Here's what I mean; my DH is in a wheelchair. He loves sitting in the chicken yard talking to the chickens and holding at least one on his knee. Usually it is Maple - she's one of my older girls. I say "Maple go see daddy - he wants to hold you" She then goes to his chair and stands until he can pick her up. She is patient as he's not always smooth picking her up but she always goes to him. He can call her too. Also our NN Lady who loves him dearly. I'll have to look for a pic of him holding one of the girls. Beaming!

 

[FeatherPugs]

How long after the 21 day egg incubation do you usually let momma sit on the egg. I've only had a momma just leave the egg - or push it out - something that is obviously an abandonment. Today is 22/23 - Thinking take the egg away by Sunday?? Thoughts

 

[cactusrota]

How long after the 21 day egg incubation do you usually let momma sit on the egg. I've only had a momma just leave the egg - or push it out - something that is obviously an abandonment. Today is 22/23 - Thinking take the egg away by Sunday?? Thoughts

So far all of my broody hens have had problems with other hens adding to their collection while they are up to stretch and get a drink. Which means within a couple days after the main batch is out and she walks away with her new little fuzzbutts, the rest of the eggs are only partially developed. With this years first broody there were 5 of them. 2 hatched soon enough in the incubator that I was able to sneak them under her and they've grown up with the rest of them. The others hatched much later and have become a part of the batch I incubated on purpose and are growing up with them. These next two broody hens are having the same problem she did, and once they've walked away from the nest with their main brood, I'm gonna have to put the left over eggs in an incubator, too. Or just toss them half developed, but I don't have a cold enough heart to do that...