Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

I must admit my naked neck girls are super sweet and I see them stress less in the heat. I'd love a black and white NN flock. Solid colored chickens but those 2 colors only. That's my eventual goal anyway.

What are your goals with your breeding program?

I'm trying to stay with the lighter colors, so that's why I got the whites. I want to keep some of the White Breese as pure, but with the NN's I want to hopefully develop some that will lay the colored eggs plus have a crest on the head. That's where my Crested Cream Legbar pullet's come in. None of mine will have peacombs. I don't like those.

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm trying to stay with the lighter colors, so that's why I got the whites. I want to keep some of the White Breese as pure, but with the NN's I want to hopefully develop some that will lay the colored eggs plus have a crest on the head. That's where my Crested Cream Legbar pullet's come in.

Pretty cool idea. I hope it works out. Why the lighter colors?

The thing I'm not caring for with the Aussies is all the fluff. It's just too damn hot for all that here.

 

[BlueBaby]

Pretty cool idea. I hope it works out. Why the lighter colors?

The thing I'm not caring for with the Aussies is all the fluff. It's just too damn hot for all that here.

Well, the lighter colors should help reflect the sun better. Isn't that why people tend to wear lighter colored t-shirt's in the summer?

Yes, the Aussies do have lots of fluff. (Too much) I found that out a week ago when I butchered 2 of those 3 roosters. Feather's everywhere. No wonder why they pant so bad when it's hot!

 

[igorsMistress]

Well, the lighter colors should help reflect the sun better. Isn't that why people tend to wear lighter colored t-shirt's in the summer?

Yes, the Aussies do have lots of fluff. (Too much) I found that out a week ago when I butchered 2 of those 3 roosters. Feather's everywhere. No wonder why they pant so bad when it's hot!

Yea, it's crazy. I picked up one of the Aussie girls and was surprised at how light she is. She's all fluffy butt without much substance even though she looks bigger than everyone else. They are pretty though, and follow me around like puppies begging for treats.

I thought it might be light colors due to heat. Totally makes sense to me. By the way, what's your roo like? You said not as loud, but what about temperament?

The RIR who thinks she rules the roost is trying quite hard to act like a rooster. She doesn't allow scratching her wattles or under her beak and is generally Attila the Hen right now.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yea, it's crazy. I picked up one of the Aussie girls and was surprised at how light she is. She's all fluffy butt without much substance even though she looks bigger than everyone else. They are pretty though, and follow me around like puppies begging for treats.

I thought it might be light colors due to heat. Totally makes sense to me. By the way, what's your roo like? You said not as loud, but what about temperament?

The RIR who thinks she rules the roost is trying quite hard to act like a rooster. She doesn't allow scratching her wattles or under her beak and is generally Attila the Hen right now.

Yes, they are lighter than I thought that they would be. They are all feathers. The only Australorp that I kept was my Splash hen of those. The White NN roo is breeding her now. He hasn't tried to bite me or anything, so he's ok for now.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes, they are lighter than I thought that they would be. They are all feathers. The only Australorp that I kept was my Splash hen of those. The White NN roo is breeding her now. He hasn't tried to bite me or anything, so he's ok for now.

So you sold or butchered the rest?

 

[BlueBaby]

So you sold or butchered the rest?

Almost all of my Australorp's were sold to a lady in Durango, Co. She drove down here to buy them from me. She bought both adults and chicks from me, along with hatching eggs. She got a Blue roo and a black roo from me and was planning to breed them in Co. I wouldn't sell her my Splash hen though. I butchered the 2 remaining roo's a week ago. There are still 2 more Blue boy's left here that are almost big enough to butcher unless someone want's them.

 

[igorsMistress]

Almost all of my Australorp's were sold to a lady in Durango, Co. She drove down here to buy them from me. She bought both adults and chicks from me, along with hatching eggs. She got a Blue roo and a black roo from me and was planning to breed them in Co. I wouldn't sell her my Splash hen though. I butchered the 2 remaining roo's a week ago. There are still 2 more Blue boy's left here that are almost big enough to butcher unless someone want's them.

That's great!

 

[cactusrota]

I must admit my naked neck girls are super sweet and I see them stress less in the heat. I'd love a black and white NN flock. Solid colored chickens but those 2 colors only. That's my eventual goal anyway.

What are your goals with your breeding program?

One of my breeding plans for this Fall is to cross all my black NN girls with my Jersey Black Giant roo. To make them bigger! You want in on that? I'll probably end up with some fully feathered, and some single copy Nn's that I won't want to keep....

 

[SonoranChick]

You guys are right about australorps being ultra fluffy. The BO and Aussie have the most feathers of my ten breeds, by far. I have noticed a huge difference in the softness of the australorp, her feathers are downright silky to the touch. It feels like I'm petting soft velvet. She does pant a lot in the afternoon, but that's because she lays her egg around 2pm in the heat. I feel so bad for her and hope she gets on an earlier schedule soon. She is smart though, she'll come out in the middle of "labor", take a quick dip in the pool, then go back to the box.
My red star and brown leghorn seem to have the hardest time in the heat. I can't express how relieved I am that the 3 who went broody decided to snap out of it, I honestly don't think they would have made it in this heat.