Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

I just walked out there to check on them. No hen in that nesting box but there were 3 real egg's along with the 2 fake egg's in one of them. No egg's in the dirt corner where they normally have been laying, so I think these are going to help.

 

[BlueBaby]

I bought this kit off of Amazon and my hubby got it done. I took it out there and put some feed in it. The chicken's figured out what it was for right away. I sat the bucket on top of one of those cement block's. All's good! I might have to do up another bucket because the kit only had enough for 4 holes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WHLGS1...?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&tag=backy-20&pldnSite=1

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Ooo, I like that!

 

[BlueBaby]

Ooo, I like that!

I used a white colored bucket that I'm able to see through enough to see where the level of food is at. After I posted that yesterday evening, I ordered another one of those kit's off of Amazon. Hubby can use the same saw that was included with the first one for the bucket, and add that 2nd saw to his tool box. He had a smaller sized one already, so now he will have the 3-inch one too.

 

[Stacaroni]

Do any of you know if there are weeds in the yavapai county area that I should not allow my chicks to eat? Thought they might like to tractor around a bit.

 

[springvalley123]

Do any of you know if there are weeds in the yavapai county area that I should not allow my chicks to eat? Thought they might like to tractor around a bit.

I've been free ranging my birds in the Cordes, Spring Valley, and Black Canyon city areas, and never lost any to poisonous weeds. But, the myth of "if you have chickens you won't have weeds" is a farce--I think that's proof that they avoid the ones that they wouldn't like to eat as well as the ones that are poisonous. What I would not do, is pull up and feed anything to them that you haven't seen adult hens successfully and safely, routinely eat.

 

[Stacaroni]

I've been free ranging my birds in the Cordes, Spring Valley, and Black Canyon city areas, and never lost any to poisonous weeds. But, the myth of "if you have chickens you won't have weeds" is a farce--I think that's proof that they avoid the ones that they wouldn't like to eat as well as the ones that are poisonous. What I would not do, is pull up and feed anything to them that you haven't seen adult hens successfully and safely, routinely eat.

Ah, OK. I don't have any adult hens so we'll stick to grass and dandelions for now.

 

[springvalley123]

Ah, OK. I don't have any adult hens so we'll stick to grass and dandelions for now.

Sounds safe. The other thing I just thought of, is possible exposure--little wild birds could have pooped on the ground where you run the tractor.

 

[Stacaroni]

Sounds safe. The other thing I just thought of, is possible exposure--little wild birds could have pooped on the ground where you run the tractor.

Oh crap. (literally) Yeah... There are tons of wild birds around here.

 

[springvalley123]

Oh crap. (literally) Yeah... There are tons of wild birds around here.

I'm not sure at what age the babies' immune systems are formed enough for them to encounter wild bird poop, but in Black Canyon I let them free range about 4-8 weeks of age with no problems. Here I haven't let my babies free range just because some of them look like they'd fly too well and it's a different neighborhood--I wouldn't want to go door to door trying to catch one of them!