Arizona Chickens

[Tracydr]

Why is it all the brown egg layers are big and cold weather hardy? I've been trying to find a smaller chicken from a hotter climate that lays brown eggs. I finally found the Pendenescas, but they're so rare, it will be like looking for a needle in the haystack to actually find any.
I guess the other option would be naked necks. I had some of them but their so large and I was really hoping for a smaller, prettier bird.
Anybody have Barnvelders? How do they do in the heat? I really would like a dark brown egg layer but I don't want a really large chicken. (except my meaties, of course) I just love the size of my leghorns, buttercups and Hamburgs. I'd love to find a dark brown layer along those lines.

 

[pastrymama]

Quote:
Tracy
Why don't you try some Welsummers? I have two and they are not big birds and are supposed to be heat tolerant. And lay a teracota colored egg. The Barnvelders are pretty, but their egg color is not dark at all.

 

[kevs-chickadees]

Quote:
You can find a breeder with pendenescas on ebay, Ive been tempted a few times with that one. I know ebay isn't the first choice to get eggs from but this person seemed to know her stuff. Ive got 2 barnevelders but there only 4 weeks old so cant help you yet with any of those questions.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Tracy
Why don't you try some Welsummers? I have two and they are not big birds and are supposed to be heat tolerant. And lay a teracota colored egg. The Barnvelders are pretty, but their egg color is not dark at all.

I'll have to look at them closer. For some reason, I thought they were larger and more of a cold weather bird. Thanks!

 

[LarryPQ]

My wellies are from the hatchery, so they are smaller. They lay everyday, a little larger than a leghorn, and SASSY.

 

[pastrymama]

Quote:
the wellies are larger than a leghorn or their eggs are larger than a leghorn? i've seen your wellies, and they are cutsie putsie pies! mine are a bit bigger and still young, maybe only 15 weeks or so. but they are still not a big bird. Tracy, i got mine from a breeder in gilbert(she's a 70 year old lady and has some really nice birds). she did have barnvelder show birds, GORGEOUS, but sold them before i got there. she said their egg color stunk.

 

[LarryPQ]

Yes.

No, my wellies are bigger than my leghorn. My leghorn hasn't laid in a year...so....but the wellies' eggs are still small, as they are younger birds.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
Friday is our "date night" too. Unequivocal, non-negotiable date night on Fridays.

If you need help, my son Walter is interested in learning to butcher chickens (and that skill would be very convenient to have around here). I'm not sure I'd have the stomach for it (I'm a pre-processed kinda guy

) but I'd be willing to sit in a corner with my head in my hands while he learned/ helped...

Wow, would he really like to help me butcher four more chickens? I don't have any fancy accessories, but I do keep things very clean and sanitary. I'm waiting for a "coolish" day in the next week or so. Hopefully, a day when my husband isn't around, since he doesn't do chicken butchery well, either. I was just going to do two this week and two next week. Two seems to be my limit in the heat. Takes me about an hour apiece but with two of us, we could certainly go faster!
I slipped up last night and happened to let him see me dunking the feet. He of course had to ask me why I was dunking chicken feet. I should have fibbed a little and told him I was preparing them for the dogs. Without thinking, I told him I was prepping them for stock. I think he nearly lost it. I hope he doesn't realize what foods I put stock in! That stock is just so good and I got 11 pints of stock off the last chicken, plus four meals! At $3.00 a quart for the low sodium, organic stock that I buy from Sprouts, that's a pretty good deal on these chickens! This stock is concentrated, so I will use one pint like I would use the quart from Sprouts!
Mike, are you getting ready for an order soon? I was wondering if you'd like to split a hatchery order? I'd like to get about 12-15 meat chickens near October, when it's cooler and I'm looking for somebody to help fill the box, so that the hatchery doesn't pack it with a bunch of packing peanut roosters.

You probably should go out and buy a lottery ticket. Walter would definitely like to help and in the ensuing conversation Tammy said she would also like to learn.

You might have more help than chickens!

School starts (for the kiddies) next Wednesday (we have been back since Monday) and Tammy said she cannot commit until probably that day as she is at a new school & wants to feel out the situation.

Let me know which evening would be good for you and what type of implements to bring...

Yes I am very interested in splitting a hatchery order. I posted a question in the breeds forum Crev post linkey it seems Crevecoures are not going to be suitable. I'm still looking for a high heat resistant, pet quality, good egg laying breed. With the up-and-coming education I'm also thinking of a couple of meat birds as well.

Thanks for the opportunity!

Mikey

 

[mclevinson]

Well, with the exception of some very limited stapling, or a couple screws, I'm done with the pen. Phew.

 

[azpenguin]

7 eggs in 8 days from the little bantams, so they're hard at work. Now if the big girls would start laying... any time now, though. The Ameracuna is 19 weeks, the Buff Orpington and Black sex-Link are 18 weeks. (The silkie pullet is also 19 weeks. The bantam cochins that are laying are 20.) The BSL is getting really red in the comb, and the BO is starting to redden up some. The Ameracuna is starting to redden a little, but not much. She and the BSL (especially the BSL) have been wandering into the coop a lot lately during the day, and there's black feathers in the next boxes. I figure the BSL will be the first one to start dropping cackleberries.