Arizona Chickens

[AngBantamLuv]

I know when I was thinking of getting new chicks the feed stores kept saying they were sold out in a couple of hours - this was in March (at beginning of lockdowns and right before it was almost too hot to ship to AZ in my thinking). So I reluctantly ordered them by mail - more than I really needed, and I ended up with 18 survivors out of 27. I chalked it up to shipping stress and I thought I wasn't a good chick mama. Then I got 9 more chicks and another 13 more (both from @Parront - who is the BEST chick mama and more).

As I collected chick raising supplies I met people at feed stores - some thought the chicks wouldn't lay for 2 years - I corrected them --but also pointed out when they should not buy chicks that looked like they had pasty butt for 3 days and they were still in the pen almost dead. So I am both surprised and not surprised to see the glut of overpriced teenage chickens for sale right now.

Then i was REALLY lucky, i got mine the last weekend in April.. it was the last shipment Pratt's was ordering for the season.

I'm so happy with them all. Definitely having bird experience made things easier. The major difference was their food needs, but that was easy to learn.

I guess bantams are just prone to pasty butt.. i had several with it. So i was cleaning poopie butts every couple of hours.. but they all got through it. I wonder how many people are willing to do that though. I hate to think of all the chicks that died not just from cluelessness, but lack of any effort. Dying is one thing, but suffering until that point really sucks.

 

[CaroleW]

Then i was REALLY lucky, i got mine the last weekend in April.. it was the last shipment Pratt's was ordering for the season.

I'm so happy with them all. Definitely having bird experience made things easier. The major difference was their food needs, but that was easy to learn.

I guess bantams are just prone to pasty butt.. i had several with it. So i was cleaning poopie butts every couple of hours.. but they all got through it. I wonder how many people are willing to do that though. I hate to think of all the chicks that died not just from cluelessness, but lack of any effort. Dying is one thing, but suffering until that point really sucks.

I never went back to that feed store (the closest one to me in Mesa). The clerks were too busy taking inventory to care about chicks when I told them they needed do something to at least keep kids from seeing dead chicks.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I never went back to that feed store (the closest one to me in Mesa). The clerks were too busy taking inventory to care about chicks when I told them they needed do something to at least keep kids from seeing dead chicks.

They were all super excited and helpful at the El Mirage store.. even called someone for chicken tech support so we could figure out the silkies!

Unfortunately i think it is a reality of small stores.. hard to keep staff, low pay, too much to do.

But i am so happy and satisfied with my bunch, i will avoid torturing myself with any further bantam bin peeking!!

 

[CaroleW]

I had a Minorca (only 6 months old barely started laying eggs) go broody for about 20 minutes last week. I looked up Minorca and it says they don't go broody and are not good mothers. I just left her alone while I got a basket to collect eggs. The Minorca description is confirmed she got up and left by the time I got back.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I had a Minorca (only 6 months old barely started laying eggs) go broody for about 20 minutes last week. I looked up Minorca and it says they don't go broody and are not good mothers. I just left her alone while I got a basket to collect eggs. The Minorca description is confirmed she got up and left by the time I got back.

Just looked that one up, how beautiful!!! Well i am anticipating lots of broodiness, so hopefully they will like their little nesting house.. it can fit a few of them simultaneously.. but its separate from coop, not sure if they will take to it.

 

[BlueBaby]

My flock got some fresh pumpkin for a treat today, and were pecking away at it like crazy. I gave them the top of the pumpkin that I had cut off. I'm going to cook up the rest of the pumpkin and then mash it up so I can freeze some and then thaw out later to add it to the wet feed later along with some cooked oat's and scrambled egg's.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

My flock got some fresh pumpkin for a treat today, and were pecking away at it like crazy. I gave them the top of the pumpkin that I had cut off. I'm going to cook up the rest of the pumpkin and then mash it up so I can freeze some and then thaw out later to add it to the wet feed later along with some cooked oat's and scrambled egg's.

Oh we have our two big pumpkins! Going to carve them Halloween night and make some mini pumkin cheesecakes! Can't wait to see how the chickens like it!

 

[BlueBaby]

Oh we have our two big pumpkins! Going to carve them Halloween night and make some mini pumkin cheesecakes! Can't wait to see how the chickens like it!

What I'll be cooking up for my flock for later is just plain pumpkin. I won't add any sugar, salt, or spices to it. Pumpkin has a lot of good vitamin's in it, and it will make the egg yolk's look so pretty.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

What I'll be cooking up for my flock for later is just plain pumpkin. I won't add any sugar, salt, or spices to it. Pumpkin has a lot of good vitamin's in it, and it will make the egg yolk's look so pretty.

Oh the cheesecakes are for the humans the chickens will have the raw pumpkin

Im up to 9 eggs!! Nala is laying daily! Still waiting on the other two to get going.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

So I've had one of the big girls out one at a time with the chicks, all of us on the sofa. They seem uninterested and not aggressive at all w the new chicks. I'll keep the intros going for several weeks.