Arizona Chickens

[Hamburg]

My wife grew up in Hatch, and one year was the runner up for Chile Queen. This Southern AZ boy who thought he knew chile has learned a lot since. I am almost despondent these days my stomach can only put up with tiny amount of chile every once in a while. I have not been able to grow chiles here myself. I did talk to a lady with a farm in San Simon a number of years ago. She said she couldn't grow them on her farm till she added calcium to the soil. I thought that was one of the silliest things I had ever heard, since southern Arizona soils and water are loaded with calcium carbonate. This year I had some blossom end rot on my tomato. It is caused by calcium deficiency. Maybe the lady farmer was right. Lucky for us one of the easiest ways to added calcium to soil is to work in egg shells. I am going to try it next spring. may be I can grow some nice big Jims to roast and freeze that I won't be able to eat .Chicken

 

[CaroleW]

@CaroleW has a green house and grow's stuff in it. I wonder if she has tried to grow any of those?

I'm growing all sorts of peppers - Sweet Cubanelle are the most prolific producers so far with Jalapeno Mild, and Big Jim (Hatch type) Chili not far behind. I have a variety of Bell Perpper doing pretty well also - I just cut up a bunch yesterday - we do not have to buy any Peppers, Chilis or Jalapenos, or any tomatoes either.

Once you get pepper/chili seedlings past teenage stage they are surprisingly resilient even compared to tomatoes. They can look wilted and beyond hope and you water them and it's like they were never parched at all.

 

[BlueBaby]

My wife grew up in Hatch, and one year was the runner up for Chile Queen. This Southern AZ boy who thought he knew chile has learned a lot since. I am almost despondent these days my stomach can only put up with tiny amount of chile every once in a while. I have not been able to grow chiles here myself. I did talk to a lady with a farm in San Simon a number of years ago. She said she couldn't grow them on her farm till she added calcium to the soil. I thought that was one of the silliest things I had ever heard, since southern Arizona soils and water are loaded with calcium carbonate. This year I had some blossom end rot on my tomato. It is caused by calcium deficiency. Maybe the lady farmer was right. Lucky for us one of the easiest ways to added calcium to soil is to work in egg shells. I am going to try it next spring. may be I can grow some nice big Jims to roast and freeze that I won't be able to eat .Chicken

Even if you can't eat them yourself, maybe you could still grow some and then barter with someone for something else?

 

[Hamburg]

Molting season is here for some or will be starting anytime now. Here's a link that will tell you 25 different plant protein's that can help the flock with the feather regrowth:

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2014/09/25-sources-of-plant-protein-for-molting.html

For the last year or so I have been buying bags of the small cylindrical alfalfa pellets at the feed store, soaking a couple of handfuls of them in water for a few hours and feed it to my chickens and ducks. I pull their feed containers of lay crumbles out in the afternoon and give them a pan of the alfalfa mush. I sprinkle a little lay crumbles on top, and my birds have been eating it quite well. Cheaper than layer feed, and believe it is good for them. Alfalfa is one of the 25 plant protiens mentioned in the article. This year I have also been feeding armfuls of the pig weed (amaranth) that is like a jungle around my place, free food.

 

[BlueBaby]

For the last year or so I have been buying bags of the small cylindrical alfalfa pellets at the feed store, soaking a couple of handfuls of them in water for a few hours and feed it to my chickens and ducks. I pull their feed containers of lay crumbles out in the afternoon and give them a pan of the alfalfa mush. I sprinkle a little lay crumbles on top, and my birds have been eating it quite well. Cheaper than layer feed, and believe it is good for them. Alfalfa is one of the 25 plant protiens mentioned in the article. This year I have also been feeding armfuls of the pig weed (amaranth) that is like a jungle around my place, free food.

There are ton's of that pigweed around my area that sprung up after the rain. That stuff can grow to 6 or more feet tall, and block the view of oncoming traffic.

 

[CaroleW]

For the last year or so I have been buying bags of the small cylindrical alfalfa pellets at the feed store, soaking a couple of handfuls of them in water for a few hours and feed it to my chickens and ducks. I pull their feed containers of lay crumbles out in the afternoon and give them a pan of the alfalfa mush. I sprinkle a little lay crumbles on top, and my birds have been eating it quite well. Cheaper than layer feed, and believe it is good for them. Alfalfa is one of the 25 plant protiens mentioned in the article. This year I have also been feeding armfuls of the pig weed (amaranth) that is like a jungle around my place, free food.

Yes I was feeding the pigweed/amaranth too - about the only weed beside purslane I have here that is not poisonous to chickens. I've mowed everything now (almost) so just a little left here and there for chickens.

 

[CaroleW]

There are ton's of that pigweed around my area that sprung up after the rain. That stuff can grow to 6 or more feet tall, and block the view of oncoming traffic.

I think that might have been the sunflower look alike when young that your DH said was invasive? I've been looking closely at the differences side by side -- the sunflowers I have are typically a single stem unlike the amaranth/pigweed that has some side branching and the leaves are less pointed (I think? -OR maybe more pointed ...lol - I'm not looking right at them right this second).

 

[Parront]

You might want to try this one for a homemade version of them?

https://thecozycook.com/copycat-red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits/

Those look pretty good!

 

[BlueBaby]

I think that might have been the sunflower look alike when young that your DH said was invasive? I've been looking closely at the differences side by side -- the sunflowers I have are typically a single stem unlike the amaranth/pigweed that has some side branching and the leaves are less pointed (I think? -OR maybe more pointed ...lol - I'm not looking right at them right this second).

No, that was a different plant altogether. This is the pigweed:

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=27466

 

[BlueBaby]

@cavemanrich You will also need to make some dessert. What one of these do you think would be best? It's getting hot again over this way, and there were a few that were looking good to me.:

https://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-...eSEO8XhwSysOVEngEdlBj_3Cd3jKT4TSLkugSUKvzzw==