Arizona Chickens

[5pinkarrows]

Quote:
Yes! Psalm 127:3! But since we have all girls, our arrows are pink.

I am glad someone got the reference.

 

[5pinkarrows]

Laree-- I LOVED your polar bear! I am so impressed!

pdx2phx-- Those eggs are soooo tiny! We decided that if we get a dozen, we might have an omelet. They are just so stinkin' cute, though!

Constance-- What an adventure for your poor chicks! It sounds like they are in good hands now. We need pics and a list of what you got!

turkeybreeder-- Sorry your family gives you a hard time. Sometimes you have to stick up for yourself. My mother still hasn't met my 2 year old yet. I just finally got sick of it. Once you get to that point, it is kind of liberating. I hope you can get there. There is no confidence booster like deciding not to take the crap anymore.

Yesterday, I was at PetSmart buying some treats and things for our new bunny. I caved and bought MEALWORMS!!! I can't believe it. I really don't like icky things. I only got 50. So now what? The lady told me to put a slice of potato in every day for them to get water. I wet a bite of cornbread instead. Is that okay? I am going to put them in one of those plastic shoe box size boxes. Do I need to poke holes in it? The lady there said that you can't keep them outside. Really??? How long does it take for them to turn into beetles, and what do I do with them?

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

I don't know how rural y'all are, but I'm pretty sure you can hunt ravens with no bag limit in AZ. Now that I know what stinkers they are, I might just have to find out what "eating crow" is all about

 

[tofuranch]

Quote:
So sorry

I really doubt it was ravens--there are SO many other predators it could have been. Get that roof patched, but keep the remaining babies inside protective cages until the repair is complete.

I am sure it was ravens, everyday they catch birds and sit on the side of my horse trough and strip off feathers and drop dead bird tissue into the trough, I have sat and watched them qith my binoculars. I have a nesting pair in my yard, plus they are all over the place around here.
I am endlessly cleaning their messes out of my trough. YUK!!

We have ravens like crazy in Chino Valley...they are nasty

Sorry about your losses, I am glad that the silkies took charge. I tell everyone up here that we have LOTS of AIR predators up here....we have owls at my house that come out at night. They are really cool, I have really re enforced my coops on top and have been lucky so far that I haven't lots anything

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Quote:
You feed them to your chickens!

Potato is fine but an apple core or banana peel works just as well. It doesn't have to be changed every day, just when it dries out. A shoebox should work fine for 50 bugs - they don't fly or climb much, so you can be generous with air holes on top. When they turn to adults "depends" but they're getting close when they're about 1" long and plumped up.

My flock loves them, live or recently deceased

ETA They do better at warmish room temps, in my experience, but I fried a whole colony at the farmers market one time, so I'd vote for an out of the way spot indoors. Mine are in a seven drawer Sterilite storage thingy in the kitchen. Waugh are you using for bedding? Mine get wheat bran, 50# at the feed store, but I've heard you can use unmedicated chicken feed as well.

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
I am sure it was ravens, everyday they catch birds and sit on the side of my horse trough and strip off feathers and drop dead bird tissue into the trough, I have sat and watched them with my binoculars. I have a nesting pair in my yard, plus they are all over the place around here.
I am endlessly cleaning their messes out of my trough. YUK!!

We have ravens like crazy in Chino Valley...they are nasty

Sorry about your losses, I am glad that the silkies took charge. I tell everyone up here that we have LOTS of AIR predators up here....we have owls at my house that come out at night. They are really cool, I have really re enforced my coops on top and have been lucky so far that I haven't lots anything

Gretchen we enjoy all our chickens but the original silkies we got from you are our very favorites. I'm supposed to get my van out of the shop today or tomorrow so I will be making an appointment with you very soon to came have a look at what silkies you have available. I do not care if they are pet quality, they have proven they are healthy and smart. The biggest one takes care of all the chicks in the coop, she alerts them to any suspected dangers and they all run straight to her and when she is not playing mother-to-all she sits next to me and eats out of my hand. How can you not love that!

Here is a photo of the worlds sweetest chicken (in our eyes) she/he is no where near grown. Thanks Gretchen

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Ravens are among the MANY species of birds protected by the Migratory Birds Treaty Act, so I strongly caution you to NOT consider hunting or shooting them. Hefty fines ($$$$$) and jail time would not be much fun.

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
Ravens are among the MANY species of birds protected by the Migratory Birds Treaty Act, so I strongly caution you to NOT consider hunting or shooting them. Hefty fines ($$$$$) and jail time would not be much fun.

Exactly what i researched but tell you the truth they are so hard on all other breeds of birds I do not understand why they are protected. I saw one knock another small bird out of the air this morning. I noticed when I first moved to AZ how few birds species there are here compared to everywhere else I have lived, now I know why!

 

[tofuranch]

Quote:
We have ravens like crazy in Chino Valley...they are nasty

Sorry about your losses, I am glad that the silkies took charge. I tell everyone up here that we have LOTS of AIR predators up here....we have owls at my house that come out at night. They are really cool, I have really re enforced my coops on top and have been lucky so far that I haven't lots anything

Gretchen we enjoy all our chickens but the original silkies we got from you are our very favorites. I'm supposed to get my van out of the shop today or tomorrow so I will be making an appointment with you very soon to came have a look at what silkies you have available. I do not care if they are pet quality, they have proven they are healthy and smart. The biggest one takes care of all the chicks in the coop, she alerts them to any suspected dangers and they all run straight to her and when she is not playing mother-to-all she sits next to me and eats out of my hand. How can you not love that!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/83023_booful.jpg

Here is a photo of the worlds sweetest chicken (in our eyes) she/he is no where near grown. Thanks Gretchen

she is so pretty....you take such great photos. I have a hard time getting good ones.

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
Gretchen we enjoy all our chickens but the original silkies we got from you are our very favorites. I'm supposed to get my van out of the shop today or tomorrow so I will be making an appointment with you very soon to came have a look at what silkies you have available. I do not care if they are pet quality, they have proven they are healthy and smart. The biggest one takes care of all the chicks in the coop, she alerts them to any suspected dangers and they all run straight to her and when she is not playing mother-to-all she sits next to me and eats out of my hand. How can you not love that!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/83023_booful.jpg

Here is a photo of the worlds sweetest chicken (in our eyes) she/he is no where near grown. Thanks Gretchen

she is so pretty....you take such great photos. I have a hard time getting good ones.

I can bring my camera when I come and I will take some photos of your babies for you. It helps to have two people to do it, a chick wrangler and a photographer.