Arizona Chickens

[gckiddhouse]

Pretty roos, Laree! I wish I lived on a big farm. I would have lots of roosters. I really like them.

How exactly do create all these lap birds? We love our birds, but really have never had one that wanted to be held. They tolerate it, but don't volunteer. And certainly not the roosters.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

NoSkiveez - I forgot to send congrats on your new chicks. Congrats! Do post pic's when you can.

Laree - Ok, this, as you know, is a low probability, but lets say something changes on my end and a roo works out. What kind of layers and egg color would children of a BA hen and sweet cheeks be? What about a BA hen and FCBM? How is the temperament and noise level of the BA roos?

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Sock - I am seeing more request for sculptures on the show thread. I think you have a new business. By the way, nice picks on the winners. I also appreciated your clear well organized posts explaining the contest parameters etc. That first prize photo is definitely a classic.

What are the BST pages they keep talking about for your grumpy hens?

Also, I would really like to see a close up of one of the grumpy hens faces...if you don't mind.

Holly

 

[AZKat]

Just a heads up, Mesa Feed Barn, at Broadway and Mesa Drive, has a new shipment of chicks in today. Not a huge variety, just the usual back yard flock suspects, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, White Leghorn, Easter Eggers (sold as Ameruacanas) and Black Stars. For the meat raising inclined, they also have Cornish X and Turkey poults. I don't know the breed of the turkeys. They wanted $2.50 per chick. I didn't think to ask which hatchery the chicks came from, but they all looked pretty active and healthy.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
They get their chicks from Ideal or Redwing. I got my chicks at MFB last October and I asked.
Redwing carries Barred Rock, Aseel, Leghorn, Americanas (Easter Egger) so if they have reds and stars they are probably Ideal. (Unless Redwing started carrying them since last October.)

 

[LarryPQ]

Quote:
Sweetcheeks came from a pink egg, and EEs are relyable layers (at least mine are). So those offspring would be LARGE (he's a sturdy roo), and lay pinkish-brown eggs. He is not a lap chicken. I WISH, but he only wants attention from the ladies.

The FCBM/austras would make darkish eggs...I think most marans are medium-production layers, but large-bodied. Fugly Duckling is kinda small, with webbed feet, and a funny body-type. BUT, he's a snuggler. Ender carries him around like a purse. And he's easy to hypnotize.

The BA roos are not yet crowing. They are at that "OMG PEOPLE ARE SCARY" phase. I can pick them up and hold them, but right now they HATE it. The hold still, but haaaaate it. :lol Mine are still kinda small, but very pretty. I should get a new pic. One is "dashing".

What are the BST pages they keep talking about for your grumpy hens?

BYC has an auction system, as well as a Buy Sell Trade forum.

ETA: Sweetcheeks is not a big crower- he is not the head roo. Even when I had him penned with his own girls, he crowed in the morning only--usually as part of the neighborhood roos' morning call/answer. He never did grow out of the baby-crow. It is still an embarassing "Ra-roooooooo" instead of a proper "ra-rara-ra-rooooo".

How exactly do create all these lap birds? We love our birds, but really have never had one that wanted to be held. They tolerate it, but don't volunteer. And certainly not the roosters.

Some of my chicks spent all winter on the kitchen island. Middle of the house, high traffic.

Handled daily by myself, husband, and small children. They also know kids usually have food stuck to themselves, somewhere. So, some of them think nothing of the baby shaking the cage and yelling joyously at them.

The austras were brooded with 4 screaming silkies, so they went outside (under mulitple lamps) by 2 weeks. Not lap chickens.

The FCBM roo is from Mahonri. You'll have to ask him how he turned a roo into a puppy-dog.

I like them all, but I only have space for 2 roos, and Patch ain't going nowhere!

 

[KirstenRichter]

Hi there. Just hatched some really cute chicks! Curious as to when they are okay to start outside a little bit. They are about a week old and I am sure getting bored in their little brooder- they told me so. Also- do I keep them on chick starter for 4 months? What about innoculations for them? Thank you- new with the babies.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Quote:
They can go into a pen outside but not alone or hawks and other things will eat them. Have a heat lamp for them in case they get cold. Once they have their feathers they pretty much don't need a light anymore. Others I am sure will have advice but I only use chick starter for the first 6-8 weeks then I switch to flockraiser (grower) until they lay and then put them on the layer feed. As for inoculations I don't do them after I get them but since you hatched your own maybe someone else here can offer some words of wisdom on that.

 

[Mahonri]

Laree: got the duck... will be sending to Hungary because I doubt it would make it to son before he left Provo.

GC: glad the eggs are doing well, disheartened that there is only one Maran growing for you.

To answer what eggs I have available.

At present:

10 Blue Wheaten Ameraucana X W/Blue Wheaten Ameraucana
2 BWA X GCMaran
2 BWA X Bearded Buff Laced polish
+ whatever is laid tommorrow and any other extras you may want that are laid tommorrow. My BWA roo is over LBLeghorn, PWLeghorn, Ancona, BR, Black Star, CQ, Delaware and Salmon Faverolle.

$30 for the lot (a bit pricey because he is a SQ roo and two of the hens if they had been wearing saddles would be SQ!)

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Wow - this thread is moving fast - no way I'll remember all that I've read.

Sock Puppet - I love your grumpy chickens! - great job!

Carol - The Trader Joe's eggs didn't make it - I bought some new babies from The Feed Barn today, so now I have two happy broodys - each with 6 adopted chicks. I'm a 2nd generation native also - my kids are 3rd generation - my little grandaughter is a 4th generation!

Mahonri - you looked a lot younger than 50 to me (I think that's what you mentioned in your post). Your kids must be keeping you young. I gave my husband his first surprsie party when he turned 50 -- I just turned 44.


I've got way too many chicks now. I know the sexes of almost all of the 6 week olds and I'm hoping to get the extras listed on craigslist soon. I really need to find homes for the definite roos - some Blue Wheaten & Wheaten Ameraucanas and a large Easter Egger roo.