Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

It's best if you are going to plant any trees or shrub's to plant the one's that will actually grow well out in the desert. I love roses and those Peonies, but I also know that they aren't right down here with this heat.

Roses will do well where you live @BlueBaby

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Roses will do well where you live @BlueBaby

Its hot as hell where im at, and im surrounded by rose farms, so they can definitely grow!
Here is my climbing rose garden when its in bloom (summer is the dormant season here, vs winter everywhere else).

 

[Parront]

I did try the whole pellets, but the bottom of my coop has trays that are removable for the litter,and it was So heavy, and the poop just sat on top, and then the pellets would get stuck in the side of the trays making them impossible to move. They have a self feeder and waterer, so i dont have any food or water mess to contend with (thankfully), just poop. I had to experiment w a few things, thankfully this worked, because i was getting tired of buying new stuff

You have a little different situation than a lot of chicken people! These little guys are always scratching in the bedding/litter. I add dry grass clippings for them from the beginning. After the first day when I use an old towel just so that I can see the condition of the poop. They love to get in the pile of clippings and just scratch it all over. Would not be great indoors, though!

 

[City farm]

Doesn't @City farm deal with plant's? Maybe she would know where to get the right one's at?

Oh yes, I have way to many plants. Takes me hours to water but i’s an addiction & relaxing. I grow mostly for food, herbs & plants for making a bouquet herbal tea/infusion. The grapevines do well here in the valley. The flock loves to eat the leaves, it gives them shade in the summer, but dies back

in the winter.

 

[City farm]

Its hot as hell where im at, and im surrounded by rose farms, so they can definitely grow!
Here is my climbing rose garden when its in bloom (summer is the dormant season here, vs winter everywhere else).View attachment 2239810View attachment 2239811View attachment 2239812

I have that same climber, I think it’s joseph’s coat, I’ll take the petals off and give them to the flock for a treat and then let the hips go. I will be adding the hips to the tea blend I make once they are ready for harvest. I have tried to propagate my roses with no success.
love your flowering ground, will you save me some seeds?

 

[City farm]

Dang y’all I keep trying to find time to get on here how y’all been doing? The rains finally hit my area for a few minutes today... we also got rid of 1 of our 3 roosters today... he’s off to his own house with 8 hens of his own... y’all think 10 hens with 2 bantam roosters will be ok? Or should I just get more hens?

Loaded question, get more hens of course. Kidding, yes you should be fine. Will you be doing a hatch from your flock?

 

[drswann]

At that age they should be laying pretty soon. Different breeds get bigger/redder combs and adult feathers at different ages. In general the sex links feather faster so a 15 week old should have enough adult plumage, not to mention they're sex links. Any time I've sold birds on craigslist I put the receipt that showed their hatch date and breed and sex (e.g., all pullets) in the ad, with my address redacted. There should be a fair number of people buying hatchery birds and selling the excess, or go with a more trusted breeder.

I haven't had any problems with hatchery birds, but did get some leghorns that weren't very hardy.

If you get feed store birds (day-olds), you'd have to make sure you got (e.g.) brown sex links, because the yellow chicks could conceivably be white leghorns, or male sex links.

If you mail order, you have to be prepared in case a few arrive dead or die later.

Depending on how big a role the kids are expected to play, you might see if you can find a breeder close enough to you and the kids can help pick out the birds.

I've had a few of the Czech hybrids, and they were pretty calm, especially the amberlink which were developed from that hatchery's ISA browns. In general any mediterranean breed would be pretty jumpy for the kids.

I'd hate to open a package with dead chicks. Probably traumatic for the kids too.

We expect the kids to play a big part in the chickens and other chores. My honey is already devising ways for the kids to earn extra electricity for their devices.

I'm definitely going to looking into local breeders or those within a few hours. I think it's an excellent idea to have the kids pick out their chickens. Thank you for that suggestion!

 

[BlueBaby]

Roses will do well where you live @BlueBaby

Too bad that the peonies won't though, because I like those even better than the roses. They smell so good.

 

[drswann]

You have picked one of my favorites the faverolle! Had a few but that didn’t last long. Thinking a few wild birds got in their run & got our flock sick, I didn’t catch it in time, they died. I researched and wanted to get some but never have. If you do a order let me know, I see your in Mesa, so are we. The leghorn come in brown I think & is also another great layer, however I don’t think they lay as much as they get older & probably don’t live as long as other breeds. I think your like me & want different looking hens.

Never thought about it when choosing, but you're right I do like something a little different.

Keep away from wild birds...check! That must have been very sad.

The Lavender Orpingtons & Faverolle are just so stinking cute! I'll definitely let you know. We'll be up in Williams, but I love the Superstition Mountains so I'll definitely be introducing the kiddos to my favorite mountains. It's still a year or so off for us to move to the land, but I'll keep in touch.

 

[Parront]

I'd hate to open a package with dead chicks. Probably traumatic for the kids too.

We expect the kids to play a big part in the chickens and other chores. My honey is already devising ways for the kids to earn extra electricity for their devices.

I'm definitely going to looking into local breeders or those within a few hours. I think it's an excellent idea to have the kids pick out their chickens. Thank you for that suggestion!

Pretty often those of us who order chicks need to order a box of 20 or 25 from the hatchery. I did that, and some on here have some of my extra chicks. I got them through the first crucial week, and a fellow BYCer in Chino Valley has 9 of them. Knock on wood, I have never gotten a box of dead chicks, but sometimes 1 or 2 in a box are DOA. I think it helps to order the more popular breeds from the hatcheries, the rare breeds seem to be more delicate as chicks. The one I lost from Ideal this last month was a Welsumer, not as common a breed that lays very dark eggs.