Arizona Chickens

[Geckolady]

Well, everybody's fine! They slept on the ground huddled together, and this morning two of them figured out how to go up the ramp.

The only casualty was Big Ben, yesterday. He scraped his foot on the gravel with all the scratching he did in front of the little invaders.

 

[BlueBaby]

Well, everybody's fine! They slept on the ground huddled together, and this morning two of them figured out how to go up the ramp.

The only casualty was Big Ben, yesterday. He scraped his foot on the gravel with all the scratching he did in front of the little invaders.

That's good that they are figuring out the ramp.

Well, you know how Big Ben is with intruder's coming onto his turf, look what he did about the flapping sheet's on the line.

 

[springvalley123]

Whew! The crowing started at 5:01 am so I ran out there, knowing it wouldn't last very long. It was the orange and black one that had rounded saddle feathers like a hen! So now I figure the barred cockerel will start to crow, and maybe the roadrunner will take a while to start... Then with any luck the next noise will be egg song in a few more months.

 

[BlueBaby]

Whew! The crowing started at 5:01 am so I ran out there, knowing it wouldn't last very long. It was the orange and black one that had rounded saddle feathers like a hen! So now I figure the barred cockerel will start to crow, and maybe the roadrunner will take a while to start... Then with any luck the next noise will be egg song in a few more months.

The next noise might be the girl's trying to get away from all of those boy's.

 

[springvalley123]

The next noise might be the girl's trying to get away from all of those boy's.

so far they've been pretty good. But yes, now that the boys are maturing, could be. I could put them in with the grown hens....

 

[BlueBaby]

so far they've been pretty good. But yes, now that the boys are maturing, could be. I could put them in with the grown hens....

Yes, the older hen's will peck them if they try any funny business with them. I have seen the hen's chase the younger randy boy's before, and it doesn't settle down until the boy's mature enough to start showing the hen's where the food is at and asking nicely for the breeding part.

So far the 2 Bielefelder cockerel's that I have kept aren't having that problem so much. Neither has started to crow yet that I've heard. They have been running in the coop and pen with the 4 big girl's, and 5 more Bielefelder pullet's that are older then they are, and are pretty much staying out of the pecking distance of them. They have to mind their manner's.

 

[Geckolady]

That's good that they are figuring out the ramp.

Well, you know how Big Ben is with intruder's coming onto his turf, look what he did about the flapping sheet's on the line.

The homestead must be defended, and he's just the bird to do it!

It won't be much longer before I'll be listening for crowing, too. Fancy and Bulova are really interested in the chicks. Maybe they'll teach the boys some manners?

They have decided that chicken food in the chicks' area is waaay more interesting than chicken food in their area.

Hope you end up with mostly pullets!

 

[BlueBaby]

The homestead must be defended, and he's just the bird to do it!

It won't be much longer before I'll be listening for crowing, too. Fancy and Bulova are really interested in the chicks. Maybe they'll teach the boys some manners?

They have decided that chicken food in the chicks' area is waaay more interesting than chicken food in their area.

Hope you end up with mostly pullets!

That's chicken's for you. If one has something, they all want it. Left over spaghetti noodles are fun to watch them with, or some old bread that hasn't gone moldy that has been broken up and tossed out to them. Talk about a chicken stampede!

 

[BlueBaby]

For some of you that might be looking for some more shading idea's for your flock, some of these look to be good one's. Shade cloth is good! It block's out some of the sun so that it help's to give shade, and it will also allow air flow to pass through.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas-heat-shade-idea-pics-included.1448970/#post-24104768

 

[springvalley123]

For some of you that might be looking for some more shading idea's for your flock, some of these look to be good one's. Shade cloth is good! It block's out some of the sun so that it help's to give shade, and it will also allow air flow to pass through.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas-heat-shade-idea-pics-included.1448970/#post-24104768

The hoop structures are great! I'd bet that the shade cloth would keep out the rain, at least if they doubled it. Reminds me of my old trampoline arc coop--using the frame of the trampoline to make 2 half-circles, 6 ft apart, with fencing etc, all covered in shade cloth.