Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Morning, if any of you missed the plant sale in Case Grande it was fabulous! Got some neat plants from them.. They have over about 10 acres of just about everything.. I do try to plant so the flock will have greens when I trim stuff back plus any extra leaf debris for the compost.... look at these gems.. the one plant I got that the guy said was a orchid tree.. it has the pink flower and is really like a bush, kinda look’s like a wild tobacco plant.. does anyone know the name?

 

[meetthebubus]

True, true @BlueBaby but those pour shoulders on the NN - they do take it hard! Picked up a bucket full of feathers again tonight. I just told them to finish already!! I heard that big companies have a way of feeding their feed and can make them molt all at once. Mind-bending!

Well according to my research, when the hens slow down about 1 1/2 years to 2 yrs old they send them on a molt , withholding food mostly sending their bodies into a final egg laying stage so then they molt.

They molt extremely bc of this and then send them off to be killed

I'm doing a speech on this tomorrow

The hens arent worthless and i have seen stories and met people on here who have rescued these hens. The before and after pics say it all. They aren't just molting their poor faces are ghost white

 

[FeatherPugs]

@meetthebubus I cannot imagine - putting the pictures out of my mind - just not forgetting. Good luck on your speech.
@City farm I'm not certain it is a Arizona orchid tree - those are trumpet flowers and not orchid flowers. I'm a gonna go looking to see what I can find. Great meeting you and Sill. I should have gotten on of those red fish hook barrel cactus!

 

[SonoranChick]

I went into the coop and run for the first time today since Cora was born I had gone out to give them treats before, but hadn't actually gone in to spend time with them. I have never enjoyed cleaning chicken poo so much lol! They all came around me and some hopped onto my back...I take it as a sign they missed me. I certainly missed them. They look so fabulous after their big molt! Everyone had brand new feathers and no bald patches. I made a deal with my husband that he can hang out with the baby inside for an hour a few times a week so I can spend time with the chickens. It's really important to me that I get my chicken time

 

[DesertChic]

Today is reminding me that I'm really not a "winter" person.

 

[City farm]

@meetthebubus I cannot imagine - putting the pictures out of my mind - just not forgetting. Good luck on your speech.
@City farm I'm not certain it is a Arizona orchid tree - those are trumpet flowers and not orchid flowers. I'm a gonna go looking to see what I can find. Great meeting you and Sill. I should have gotten on of those red fish hook barrel cactus!

Si is the guy that was helping us.. if you do go back there he might remember the Latin name..

 

[lin9]

Hi Everyone-

I am in Tucson. We just became chicken owners in November for my son's 4-H project. So, we haven't had to deal with summer yet, but I worry about how the heat will affect them.

I've heard a lot of people put frozen water bottles out so the chickens can lay against them when they get hot. So, I am planning on giving that a try, as well as, lots of water.

I've also heard that a lot of people put a box fan in the coop to get some air moving. I like the water sprinkler idea, I will have to consider that.

If you come up with any other ideas that work, be sure to let everyone in Arizona know. I've kinda grown fond of these little feathered friends of ours, and would hate to lose any of them.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@City farm Look at the pink trumpet tree or handroanthus see what you think.

 

[igorsMistress]

Today is reminding me that I'm really not a "winter" person.

You and me both!

 

[BlueBaby]

I've been out in the yard yesterday and today with the stirrup hoe cleaning the weeds out that were growing to close to my coop and run. Yesterday it was a bit windy, but today was ok. No time to feel the cold when you keep yourself busy like that! Now it's time for a nice cup of hot coffee and to kick back and relax.