Arizona Chickens

[Mikey D]

So excited again. My husband started building our coop last night. He's building it opposite of how I wanted it to sit but still in the same location. I want it build to look like a barn red playhouse with a white fenced porch. The porch will be facing the yard instead of the sitting area (as I wanted it) but that's ok. He made a good point, he can build more nesting boxed on the long end, which would be the back of the playhouse rather than the shorter end (the sides). He's got the base floor frame cut and just needs to put that together. He's going to work on it more this weekend. I've told him he's only got a few weeks left before it's time to put the chicks out.

I'm thinking of growing some sort of ivy (grapes, roses, etc) on the run chicken wire. Any suggestions that will grow faster than the chickens can eat it, won't make the chickens sick and will be resilient in the heat/west sun exposure? Has anyone does this?

~Selina

Check out Gallo's coop page!

That guy is a magician!

 

[Mikey D]

Have any of y'all tried raising dubia or other feeder roaches? I have so much fun raising mealworms (yes, go ahead and laugh!) I thought I'd give it a try.

http://www.nyworms.com/roaches.htm is where I'm reading about them. I understand roaches need fairly high heat and humidity. Heat shouldn't be a problem, but humidity might be, given our climate. Looks like Option A is misting the sides of the bin with water every day, and Option B is providing water gel thingys.

Is the idea of raising feeder roaches in Arizona realistic?

Thanks!

Bryan

My son raised roaches to feed to the mice he fed to his snakes.

(She swallowed a spider to catch the fly...)

He did it in a large (Cosco size) plastic pretzel container.

His complaint was they grew and reproduced slowly.

 

[Novaleigh]

I couldn't resist getting some more chicks. Now I am up to 12 little chicks. 3 black sex-links, 3 red sex-links, 4 barred rocks, and 2 blue wyandottes. One thing I have noticed, the black sex-links and barred rocks are laid back and mild mannered. The red sex-links are feisty. And the blue wyandottes are yappy. HAHA!! I love them all!

 

[Novaleigh]

Also went to Home Depot yesterday. Went to the lumber area and then over to the section that Home Depot employees will cut lumber pieces to order. They have a "scraps" box located there for any of the unwanted cut off pieces. The scraps pieces are really fantastic, and cheap! I got a HUGE load of lumber and plywood (had to get a large flat bed cart) to carry all of the pieces. Grand total? $20.00! Going to build a chicken coop with the fine lumber. Just throwing this out there for anyone else needing good lumber to build their coops on the cheep cheep

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Also went to Home Depot yesterday. Went to the lumber area and then over to the section that Home Depot employees will cut lumber pieces to order. They have a "scraps" box located there for any of the unwanted cut off pieces. The scraps pieces are really fantastic, and cheap! I got a HUGE load of lumber and plywood (had to get a large flat bed cart) to carry all of the pieces. Grand total? $20.00! Going to build a chicken coop with the fine lumber. Just throwing this out there for anyone else needing good lumber to build their coops on the cheep cheep

Their oops paint is great too!

 

[Mikey D]

Are you ready???

Today I got these...!!!



AND THIS!!!



Whaoo!!

New peepers and our first egg ever on the same day!!!

Of course One-Dot ignored the nest boxes & did her own thing in front of them.



And my beautiful smiling wife!

!

 

[Mikey D]

itsredcandy - I sent you a PM - your Peepers are here!


(I hope someone out there can tell the difference between ideal 386's & golden sex links)


I still have the organic broiler chick finisher in the feeder so...


I picked up oyster shells today, they only had a 50 lb bag!

If anyone needs oyster shells - I got them too!

 

[SherrieT]

Wow!! That's a heck of a first egg! I think your hen must be an overachiever.

CONGRATS ON EGG AND CHICKS!!!

 

[SherrieT]

Thanks. That is a great idea. I think I'll cruise by there when ever I have to hit that store. A little here and a little there and "Presto!" enough for a coop.

Also went to Home Depot yesterday. Went to the lumber area and then over to the section that Home Depot employees will cut lumber pieces to order. They have a "scraps" box located there for any of the unwanted cut off pieces. The scraps pieces are really fantastic, and cheap! I got a HUGE load of lumber and plywood (had to get a large flat bed cart) to carry all of the pieces. Grand total? $20.00! Going to build a chicken coop with the fine lumber. Just throwing this out there for anyone else needing good lumber to build their coops on the cheep cheep

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Are you ready???

Today I got these...!!!



AND THIS!!!



Whaoo!!

New peepers and our first egg ever on the same day!!!

Of course One-Dot ignored the nest boxes & did her own thing in front of them.



And my beautiful smiling wife!

!

Oh Happy Day Papa!!!

For a second there it looked like your little peepers were very mature for their age to lay that egg!!! LOL Congrats to you all! It is always egg-citing when that first egg comes. Heck, I am egg-cited every day I see eggs in the nest boxes.