Arizona Chickens

[EmmaDonovan]

Beautiful turkeys!

How do so many people in the Phoenix area free range their birds, and even keep a roofless coop like on Weed 'Em and Reap? I'm amazed. If we did that every Cooper's hawk within 50 miles would come and pick off our birds one at a time and they'd all be gone in a day.

 

[CaroleW]

Beautiful turkeys!

How do so many people in the Phoenix area free range their birds, and even keep a roofless coop like on Weed 'Em and Reap? I'm amazed. If we did that every Cooper's hawk within 50 miles would come and pick off our birds one at a time and they'd all be gone in a day.

I really think each flock keeper has their own circumstances. What works in Phoenix areas for one may not work for another just down the street depending on risk tolerance, how many extra flock members you have and how good your boundaries are fenced or roofed, and what type of security guard you have or don't have. Also if you're very close to wildlife attracting natural areas like river bottoms or undeveloped land in the middle of the city like Rio Salado or washes, canals, zoos, parks, golf courses that are really washes/greenways, etc.

 

[BlueBaby]

I just made my first ebay purchase on some Bielefelder hatching egg's that they say should be here on Nov. 3rd.

I got an email from the seller earlier. If everything goes satisfactory with this breeder, I can always buy some more hatching egg's from him. He said he will drop them off on Saturday at the post office. He also told me the best way to handle shipped egg's after they arrive.

 

[BlueBaby]

I got a tracking number on the egg's, as the shipping label has been made. I'll check for any updates later.

 

[springvalley123]

Today is the community yard sale day and surprise! my next door neighbor had set out 2, big wire pet crates in perfect shape! I finally have a 4 ft long, 32 high, 29.5 inch wide crate! there's another one (I think), that's just a bit smaller than that one.

 

[BlueBaby]

Today is the community yard sale day and surprise! my next door neighbor had set out 2, big wire pet crates in perfect shape! I finally have a 4 ft long, 32 high, 29.5 inch wide crate! there's another one (I think), that's just a bit smaller than that one.

I'm glad that you were able to find something that you could use!

I checked on my tracking number for those egg's, and they are at a sorting facility in West Chicago now, and supposed to be in transit.

 

[Geckolady]

Today I went to the Apache County Poultry Show. I posted plenty of pics here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-apache-county-poultry-show.1498620/

 

[Hamburg]

I just got back from a roadtrip for work down to Tombstone, Tubac and Nogales. My DH texted me while I was gone that the neighbor (right across the small dirt road) lost about 20 ducks to a predator and the goose tried to fight it off. He found a duck head on our property. Thier animals are only behind a 4' high fence and there is a fenceline that runs in the same line as our property line that wildlife will follow (coyote, javelina, etc). Not sure what would be able to rip thru a duck neck, leave it and kill 20 ducks in one night. Our other neighbor also sharing that same property line lost her chicken flock to racoons last year I think. But I don't know that racoons could fight with a goose that well or even rip thru a duck neck let alone 20 duck necks.

We suffered no loss in our flocks. DH says the chicken fortresses held strong (so far).

Coyotes rarely enter enclosed areas and do not kill indiscriminately. Javalina are strict vegetarians and only attack when threatened. I had a problem with a raccoon a couple of years ago. It would reach through the chicken wire at night grab a duck or chicken and pull all the breast meat off the birds. This sounds like classic domestic dogs to me. Even the best behaved fidos can go into a killing frenzy, particularity when they are with one or two of their buddies. They will leave this kind of carnage behind.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Somehow a mouse got inside our house! I thought I'd heard something in the kitchen the last few nights and my housemate saw it last night. I guess it came in looking for warmth and food as the seasons change.

We've set up humane traps all around the kitchen and living room. I was wondering why my allergies and asthma were kicking up! It's spreading allergens all over that will not go away just because we catch and remove the mouse. There had better not be a nest around here somewhere! I sense a big spring cleaning coming up right when I had a camping trip planned for next week. Grrrrr.

 

[BlueBaby]

Somehow a mouse got inside our house! I thought I'd heard something in the kitchen the last few nights and my housemate saw it last night. I guess it came in looking for warmth and food as the seasons change.

We've set up humane traps all around the kitchen and living room. I was wondering why my allergies and asthma were kicking up! It's spreading allergens all over that will not go away just because we catch and remove the mouse. There had better not be a nest around here somewhere! I sense a big spring cleaning coming up right when I had a camping trip planned for next week. Grrrrr.

When you see one around, there are more that you don't see. Mice do come in the house especially when it get's colder. I use those sticky traps, and then dispose of them.

Edit: When the mice get in the coop, the chicken's eat them.