Arizona Chickens

[Mikey D]

Yay for onedot! I agree with your homer experience only I would take it a step further. Don't ever buy the cheapest one they carry from any of the box stores. Even the midgrade products have had things taken out and /or replaced to make them cost competitive.

Yeah, I should have known better.

I don't usually do that and I always preach to my students,

"Buy the best quality tool you can afford!"

Practice what you preach Fival!

 

[Mikey D]

HEY!!!

I just noticed that one of the ubiquitous adds on the right side is for the Freedom Ranger Hatchery.

It is the one that says, believe it if you can, Freedom Ranger Hatchery.

Just kidding ... it says specializing in colored, free range chicks or something along those lines...

Do you think the admin of this site vet the vendors that advertise or just take the money & run?

 

[Mikey D]

And now you can see the lurkers! Hi dlayne!

 

[Tracydr]

Hey, I'm here. I've been working a killer temp job the last few weeks. I'm employed by a locums company and cover for different clinics that need a doctor. Right now, I'm working for a federally funded community clinic way over in Glendale, 5 days a week, 9 hours a day, and driving well over an hour each way.
anyway, I'm culling a huge batch of chickens this weekend. Lots of Roos and the remainder of the meaties. I'm super busy.
this new BYC isn't very iPad friendly.
I'll try to catch up with y'all this evening but the new format makes it harder to post.

 

[Tracydr]

You can get those vitamin packets from any of the hatcheries. Most feed stores and online vet supplies like Jeffers will carry them, too. They're cheap and good insurance.
i also like to feed some nutritional yeast as insurance. It's loaded with B-vitamins, especially thiamin and niacin, which sometimes goes bad in chick feed. Especially important with meaties and waterfowl.

 

[Mikey D]

Hey, I'm here. I've been working a killer temp job the last few weeks. I'm employed by a locums company and cover for different clinics that need a doctor. Right now, I'm working for a federally funded community clinic way over in Glendale, 5 days a week, 9 hours a day, and driving well over an hour each way.
anyway, I'm culling a huge batch of chickens this weekend. Lots of Roos and the remainder of the meaties. I'm super busy.
this new BYC isn't very iPad friendly.
I'll try to catch up with y'all this evening but the new format makes it harder to post.

Agreed on the new format thing! I remember talking w/ you about the (then) upcoming clinic job - how are you liking it?

Thanks for the vitamin lead - Imma gonna call superstition & see if they have them - Ice - you gett'n this?

 

[In2Ice]

I am getting it and thank you very much. I just learned last night too about adding a tsp. of raw apple cider vinegar to each quart of water to prevent respiritory and digestive issues. I will check Aden's Hay Oasis and Higley feed to see if they have any of the vitamin supplement packages. For some reason I think I remember seeing them next to the electrolytes at Aden's in Gilbert. I just want to make sure the girls stay healthy and happy. Well, off to finish painting their new coop. I'm trying to get the coop and run done so I can move them out in the next few weeks. They will be 5 weeks this upcoming Thursday. They should be ok in the cold at 7-8 weeks right? I plan on a heat lamp in the coop on a timer to come on at night and off in the morning. The mornings here in Chandler are still getting in the upper 30's.

 

[Mikey D]

I am getting it and thank you very much. I just learned last night too about adding a tsp. of raw apple cider vinegar to each quart of water to prevent respiritory and digestive issues. I will check Aden's Hay Oasis and Higley feed to see if they have any of the vitamin supplement packages. For some reason I think I remember seeing them next to the electrolytes at Aden's in Gilbert. I just want to make sure the girls stay healthy and happy. Well, off to finish painting their new coop. I'm trying to get the coop and run done so I can move them out in the next few weeks. They will be 5 weeks this upcoming Thursday. They should be ok in the cold at 7-8 weeks right? I plan on a heat lamp in the coop on a timer to come on at night and off in the morning. The mornings here in Chandler are still getting in the upper 30's.

Coop Picts please!

 

[Tracydr]

Hey, Ice. They should be more than fine at that age. I wouldn't worry at all once they have most of their normal feathers. Temperatures above freezing are really mild for chickens.
Mikey, the clinic job is nice but the drive is a killer. This was supposed to be my last week but they want me to stay until the 6th of Feb. I'm going to counter, ask them to pay me for a couple of hours driving, instead of just mileage. Otherwise, they'd have to pay somebody else a hotel room, anyway.
Exciting news! I just ordered an EZ Plucker! After Joe and I looked at the material list and plans for the Whizbang plucker, we decided the EZ Plucker was a better deal. I'll try to have some sort of share deal for BYC members to come over and process, maybe we can process together or something. It would be nice to recoup a little of the money and be able to offer such a nice plucker to other members when they have a batch of chickens to process. I've seen testimonials of people saying that they can process and chill a chicken in less than 8 minutes from catching to water bath! It's been taking me an hour per chicken, sometimes more.
This season is nearing it's end but I'm sure I'll be ordering 30-40 more meaties for next winter. Especially if the processing is so much less painful! I'm also considering a turkey or three.

 

[pastrymama]

hey mikey

so, are you gonna take the plunge and order dem fancy french eatin' chickies??????????? i have been pondering it over and over in my mind, 2 of my 3 kiddos say "let's get meaties and we want to help kill them!!!" oh, a bit scary to hear a 5 year old and an 8 year old say that while the other 8 year old starts screaming and crying. will i be raising the next generation of psycopaths? will they fry up the frog next? can you send the control tower over to do the deed and i'll stay in the house and bake cookies or something?