Arizona Chickens

[rufus]

Well, my mother used to mix chili powder into the feed to spur egg production. I don't know if it really worked; maybe the chickens were just ready to start laying again. There is no sure answer about it.

I have eleven hens, and by noon today I had collected six eggs. I am not sure if any have laid since then.

But I have a Buff Orpington hen that has been sitting on some golf balls since about the fifth of this month. I think I managed to pull all of the eggs out from under her. Hopefully, I didn't miss any. Anyway, that means that she is out of production, so I really have only ten working hens.

But one Rhode Island Red is about four years old, so I can consider her now not in the game. Also, the other Rhode Island hen is three years old. She probably is a social security case also.

My Brown Leghorn is my only white egg layer, and she only lays about three times a week. So I have a pretty good idea who I can do without.

I thought I had an egg eater, but upon examining the evidence, I noticed that the remaining shell had cat fur in it. Now, I know who the culprit is. It is my wife's darn cats. I hate them.

Rufus

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I remember last year at this time, I had so many extra eggs that I posted an ad on Craigslist. I gained a few customers, but this year they have to wait for me to collect enough eggs for them.

I also think the extremely hot summer has had an effect on the molt this year. I have a RIR bantam who is going through a molt right now and she is nearly naked. She doesn't have enough feathers on her wings to fly up to the roost in order to snuggle with her two buddies to keep warm. So, I broke out a heat lamp for her. She is slowly, but surely, getting some new feathers. Last year at this time, we took her to the November Poultry show because she looked so good.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Angie

 

[cluckin_crazy]

I am using a light... there is one in the coop, and one attached to the run outside. I try to keep them active until I go to bed around 9, but they give up around 730 or 8. The good news is that my only 2 contributors are the last to go indoors. Once they are in, I just turn the lights off... no use once they've decided they want to be inside.

 

[cluckin_crazy]

I am 92% certain I'm going to make a Welp order for some meaties... anyone interested in any? I will likely get some layers as well. Seems like a waste of an order NOT to

Does anyone use fly predators? I have a fly problem right now... I'm sure it will die down once the days are colder but I wondered if anyone here has used them. I'm tempted to buy some, but it seems like even the minimum order would be excessive... I only have 8 chickens...

 

[ChrystalGail]

Quote:
I've used fly predators, but didn't see much of a difference. Plus, the ants go crazy over them, so it wasn't worth it to me. Good in theory, but unfortunately our ants are determined little buggers.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
DE seems to work well on the flies for me.
I just sprinkle it on the floor of the coop and stir it in. (I use deep litter)

 

[pastrymama]

has anyone here had russian orloffs? i know they are a cold weather type bird and am wondering if they will just up and die in the summer here. they seem to be very hard to find, especially if you don't have a bator(which i don't).

 

[Nuclear Chickens]

I was outside today with my Father-in-Law working on my hot water heater and my BO rooster crowed for the first time. He sounding like a teenage boy with his voice breaking. We both looked at each other and just busted out laughing.

Hopefully this means his 10 coop mates will be laying soon.

 

[rufus]

Well, today I picked eight eggs up from the nests. Out of eleven hens, that is not too bad. One is setting on golf balls, and two are social security hens.

There may be something to that light theory. I live near the freeway, and my backyard is pretty well lit by those orange sodium lights that ADOT put along the roadway about five or six years ago. I also get a lot of incidental light from the billboards and the lights from the dirty book store.

If I go out into the backyard at three in the morning, the chickens come running.

At first, those lights bugged me to no end. But then I realized that they provided a lot of security. I just put some big card boards in the window and went back to bed.

Mahonri, don't be cheap with that chili. Give them enough to get a good result. Also, it would help if we had a control group in the same area that doesn't get the chili powder.

I am not sure where my mother got that idea, but she had a lot of chicken sense. She saved the ashes from the stove for the chickens' dust bath. We fed them all of the old melons, squashes and pumpkins we couldn't use ourselves.

Rufus

 

[Bob's Henhouse]

Pastrymama, Bob is right over there
<---------------------
If you want something incubated, I'd be happy to, usually have one or two running.

NoSkiveez, I lost one of the little peanut guys and a duckling. I think they got trampled.

I found Dales has calf manna in 10, 25, and 50 lb bags. The 50 lb is about $28 they said, think I'll try a bag. The Wallyworld in Anthem has at least 2 of the 25 lb bags for about $14 a bag. They said the computer says they have four, but they have 2 on the shelf.

I'll have whatever lays the big white eggs hatching in another week and a half or so, if anyone wants some. Have about a dozen ducks now, have no idea what I'm going to do with them all!


Nuclear, I've got one doing the same thing. When I heard it today I just busted up laughing.

I use lights too. Usually I leave the one in the coop on 24/7. Sometimes I turn it off hoping they will sleep in and not start crowing so early. Have 3 lights in the Arizona room (run) as well. I usually turn them off when I go to bed and tell everybody to go to bed. When I forget to turn them off I get awakened at about 3:30 to four or five roosters crowing, have to get up, turn off the lights, and they usually go back in the coop for another hour and a half.

If anyone is not getting enough eggs and is actually buying them I'd be happy to sell some, I have too many to store, only because I have too many chickens to count.

I'm in town a minimum of 3 times a week.