Arizona Chickens

[Brenda Schonig]

I would love to meet up tomorrow but I am giving tours ot the Argitopia Gardens until Noon Tomorrow. Hey if anyone is interested you can come on out and see all the crops that are growing! My plot is #27 if you want to come check them out....

 

[turkeybreeder]

Quote:
where is argitopia gardens

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
Exciting!

We have one out

And two beaks pecking out now and then. I don't know if I'll make coffee, I have a super bad sinus infection - I'll see how I feel in the morning.

 

[5pinkarrows]

I have been very busy for a week, and see I am about FORTY-FIVE pages behind!!!

I don't guess I will be making that up.

We made our little super fast trip to the Phoenix area last week. We actually stayed in Glendale and went to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium. So fun! Glendale is a really nice place. I could totally live up there. I would miss the mountains, but at least I could see them. Plus, when I didn't have illegals coming to my door, or I could take all of my kids for a walk because I could actually push a stroller, or I could go on a bike ride without going either up or down a steep hill, I would get over it. And I loved seeing all of the things growing. We also went to IKEA on the way home. It was my first time. WOW!! I suddenly want to rip out my kitchen and all of my kids' bedrooms. I filled my big shopping bag all the way up and only spent $36.

I really need some advice for our delightful little Japanese Bantams that we got from pdx2phx. We really love these girls, but they are nutty. For a little background, we are the kind of folks that like to recycle. This can also be read this way: we are tightwads and use what we have on hand instead of buying new. Our nesting box in the bantam coop is one of those big rectangular planters. My husband cut a piece of scrap wood to go in the middle to make it into two nests, which we supported with rocks from our yard (see? Crazy cheap). Anyway, we had to remove the divider. These girls are SOOOOO broody! And not only that, all three have to sit in the same nest. We kept going out and seeing 3 tails and only two heads. They were so piled up that one head was always buried. That can't be good in Arizona heat. They would peck us every time we came to steal the eggs. They are so tiny that we could barely feel it, but we got their intention. Anyway, my daughter felt sorry for them and stuck a marans egg (unfertilized) from the other coop under them. They haven't laid since. I took the egg away a few hours later, but it didn't matter. We have to make them go to the yard for free ranging. After about 20 minutes of HUGE poopies from tiny girls and frantic eating and scratching around, they start pacing at the fence and trying to get back to the coop. They have been doing this for almost a week! All to stay day and night on an empty nest. The silkie had to lay her egg on top of the house.

Would it be best to just get them some eggs? I think they would make great mommies. With 3 mommies, the chicks would be very well taken care of. I would be willing to buy some Polish, Marans, and Ameraucana eggs for them to raise. But would it be too hot now? We are about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, but that is still really hot. If I should get eggs, should I get them from the auctions here? Or, if it is a bad time of year, how do I break them of this?

 

[stevensonm]

How many times a day should you turn your eggs in the incubator

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
Three times a day is what most sites say. However, on days I work 12 hours, they only get turned twice, and mine have been fine.

 

[nurseshelly]

Hatching question ... so I have two that have started zipping and stopped. I can see their beaks, and I can tell they are okay for now. They really are not making progress on zipping, just a quarter inch or so since 5am this morning. I know they rest sometimes for quite a while. As long as their beaks are out and they can breathe are they okay? After how many hours would it be good to help? I'm pretty much a let them do it themselves person, but if I know one is alive and would die without help, of course I would help. Last hatch there were two that stalled like this, but only had a beak size hole. I had thought they were resting, but they died. Since they were teeny and the hole was so small, I couldn't see them like I can see these - so I didn't know at what point they were in distress. Obviously I don't want to make the mistake and wait too long this time, but I don't want to be premature either. So, how long do you guys usually wait when they have started zipping and they stall?
Thanks!!!!
LOL I'm leaving for a few hours so I don't just stare at them, maybe they'll be out when I get home!

 

[stevensonm]

Thats what I was wondering about because I work 12 hour days

thx
Shaun

Quote:
Three times a day is what most sites say. However, on days I work 12 hours, they only get turned twice, and mine have been fine.

 

[turkeybreeder]

Quote:
Three times a day is what most sites say. However, on days I work 12 hours, they only get turned twice, and mine have been fine.


shaun you got an incubator also

 

[turkeybreeder]

Quote:
wow you been up since 5am this morning that is early i had to get up at 4 am because a cat try to attack my chickens

my dog kept barking at that cat but it would not leave a neighbor is always having all this food for the wild cats
in the neighborhood and they started last night attacking my chickens