Arizona Chickens

[gckiddhouse]

We finally got the mister running smoothly today. We bought it at HD for $10 three years ago. It is still working! We just have to bend the tubing and soak the heads in vinegar and then run the system without the heads to flush it. Works fine. Our expensive copper system on the patio doesn't work nearly as well.

Anyway, we also moved it so that it sprays on the outside of the coop instead of inside. Water is not your friend inside of a chicken coop. DD and I spent a couple of hours out there chipping up the layer of mulching wood chips and chicken poo that hold moisture and don't drain. The ammonia smell was awful!!

There was mold under some of it. If you are raking out the coop and it sounds a little hollow, uh, better get the flat shovel and stat chipping it up. We have had 2 floods in there in the last month from a malfunctioning valve and I am sure that didn't help. I had a feeling that was going on. We don't even use bedding in there, but chips fall out of the boxes. Over time, it is enough to create a layer. Yuk!

So, now the mist sprays out of the coop and the air inside is MUCH cooler than it was when the mist was falling inside. All the chickens actually came back in the coop to be in the cool air. I have always heard that was how they work, but we were stubborn, I guess. No wet ground in the coop and cool chooks. That is a good thing.

Thought I would share.

 

[azpenguin]

Just got home from meeting Constance and her humans. Picked up three birds and brought 'em home. The pullet and the roo next door have already made themselves at home. And the roo we took walked up the ramp and hopped up on the roost. It was great meeting you guys and we'll have to arrange a Tucson meetup sometime! (BTW, Bert is keeping his name, but it's now short for Eggbert

)

 

[pastrymama]

Ok Mahonri, these are for you. Here's little Buckbeak at 3 weeks(last saturday). Took me FOREVER to figure this out since dh is out saving everyone's lives. This chick likes to get wet. It pants so hard I just feel so bad, so I run it under the misters for a minute and ahhhhhhhhh

Happy chick. The blue legs came in after I took these pics. Don't say roo! This one's gonna be a lap chicken. If it's a roo, you may have to take him. The beak is not genetic!

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Shucks. ROO!

And I don't have room for him.....

 

[pastrymama]

Quote:
Shucks. ROO!

And I don't have room for him.....

DARN IT DARN IT DARN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh, the twins will be crushed.......

 

[Brenda Schonig]

How do you know it is a Roo when it is so young?


Quote:
Shucks. ROO!

And I don't have room for him.....

 

[ca]

Quote:
Shucks. ROO!

And I don't have room for him.....


Coloration of the wings? Assume pullets will stay light colored. (I am not an expert in that breed)

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:

Coloration of the wings? Assume pullets will stay light colored. (I am not an expert in that breed)

I think it already has saddle feathers when you look closely at the picture. Maybe that is why? Although not 100% sure that's what it is ... almost looks like the pointy feathers are coming through the wings - who knows!

 

[nurseshelly]

Hey Mahonri,
So, the one that came from the dark brown pullet egg doesn't look like the other FBCMs I've hatched from you, it's more solid black with a little light on the tummy and no feathers on legs. The one that came from the big egg that is supposed to be an olive egger, looks just like the FBCMs I've hatched. Could they have gotten mixed up? The first one was definitely a pullet egg, and the second definitely a full size egg.

I had to help one baby, it got tired at the end of zipping, and then while I was waiting for it, it got a little baked in there, so I helped take the top off when I noticed no more progress after half the day with just a tiny bit left. All good, but didn't think about the egg dripping a little fluid into the egg carton. So, today the baby was glued into the shell and the shell onto the cardboard - OMG! So, baby got a nice long bath under warm water to loosen all of the crud off, it's poor wing was glued to it's side too. He/She got a little electrolyte water to help make her/him feel better. Poor baby! She was happy in the bath since it was nice and warm, but now she's chirping her butt off in the bator because the other chicks don't want to just lay by her while she recovers.

she will be okay!

 

[constance]

Hi everyone, I'm trying to catch up:

Condolences for everyone's losses.

This weather stinks.

TT!, PimaChick, Mclevinson, Gallo, any other people down here: I have mad a scientist costume, will travel! Soap, cheese, and ok, we should probably wait on the beer, it really is too hot for it to ferment correctly anyway.

Gallo: Yep, some of the roos are very cute, most are very sweet, eat out of the hand, come to say hi, ugh. Yes, we will probably take you up on your offer of processing help. Pimachicken, McLevinson, you are welcome to join us. There might be tears.

The cute blue Ameraucana went with AZPenguin yesterday, so he is safe, as is one of the Wyandottes

AZPenguin: It was fun to meet you both, too! I'm sooo glad Eggbert settled in. He is a great, mellow guy. PERFECT NAME! I knew there was a reason the silly "temporary" name stuck from when he was 3 weeks old. We love it, and I can't believe we never though of it! I am supposed to ask: is the "Penguin" part of your username from Linux?

TT!: Would you please come take photos of my roos so they look as cute as yours? My photography skills are lacking, and I don't want to eat them. Your lavender Orps are fabulous!