Arizona Chickens

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'm feeling so discouraged right now on getting shipping eggs to develop. I'm thinking it would be more cost effective to get chicks.

I'm going to be driving up to Washington to visit my dad in July. Maybe on the way back, hit every breeder of chicks I'm interested and just come back with LIVE chicks of what I want. (big sigh)

My personal opinion is that it is more expensive to get hatching eggs. SOMETIMES you can save...but considering all the costs and percentages, you can EASILY end up with a super expensive bird whose quality is less than desired.

 

[Mahonri]

My personal opinion is that it is more expensive to get hatching eggs. SOMETIMES you can save...but considering all the costs and percentages, you can EASILY end up with a super expensive bird whose quality is less than desired.

AMEN! My feelings exactly... and yet I continue to buy and hatch. Perhaps next year I'll just order pullets from Ideal.

 

[Mahonri]

Anyone interested in a pair of Red Sussex?

The roo is gorgeous, the female seems a tad small but beautiful.

Otherwise, I'll be eating him and putting her in the layer coop.

I just hate to do that where they are so rare and all.

 

[Mahonri]

Best nights sleep I've had in eons!


... and in other news, this evening my son and I (the one who just got home from Hungary) will be at a debate watching session in Mesa and then with others we will be spending some time with Mitt Romney after the debate. I pray he does well.
(If you want to know anything about him, I've spent some time with him.... AND he truly is as conservative as they get!)

Garden should continue to grow well...

1. ​

   
   

   1. Today
   2. 77°F/48°F

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2. ​

   
   

   1. Thursday
   2. 80°F/50°F

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3. ​

   
   

   1. Friday
   2. 79°F/54°F

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I picked some peas yesterday and they were DELICIOUS!


Well, I've got to get ready for work

I'll be back to the thread before we head to Mesa....

 

[Mikey D]

I am having a hard time controlling myself. Someone on CL has some Adult laying hens for sale for $20 and one person has some for $10. I would REALLY like to have another laying hen as I wait for the chicks to mature. I would also like one more Black Australorp and one of those ads has one. I don't think there is any way I could "sneak" one in and my husband not see it. I mean, they are huge and I would be so excited I wouldn't be able to contain myself.

Over the weekend DH got the watering system done with PVC, a bucket and nipples. He also got my teadle feeder done. Training the chicks to use the nipples was very easy. I purchased a mister system off eB for $24. Today I order a compost barrel from the City of Mesa. $5 and they deliver...can't beat that. I also picked up some zucchini plants to grown on the run to provide shade for the summer. Hmm, maybe the zucchini vines would hid a new hen?

My laying hen that I picked up a little over a week ago has only missed two days of laying. For some funny reason I kind of felt like she was free loading those two days.

Moved the three week old chicks into a large dog kennel from their brooder box and out of the coop.

After buying mealworms for $4 for a 100 of them and those being fully consumed in 2 days, I have decided I must start raising my own. I think the small brooder box will be perfect for them. I'll have to hid them someplace so the DH doesn't know I am growing bugs in the house. My 6 week olds decided I am their best friend now and followed me all over the yard today when I let them out of the run to forage and sun. I am out of mealworms but string cheese worked wonders.

That's what I've been saying!

Cheese isl like crack for chickens!

(They also go bonkers for American cheese!)

And for you and anyone else interested, I still have most of a BALE of bran...

 

[Novaleigh]

ew...politics. Those are always dirty.

Speaking of dirt, off I go to water my garden and let my chickens out of their coop

 

[SherrieT]

I'd rather clean coops than deal with politics. Especially here. This is becoming my refuge from the real world.

ew...politics. Those are always dirty.

Speaking of dirt, off I go to water my garden and let my chickens out of their coop

 

[azpenguin]

Well, so much for that flock introduction. One of the bantams we hatched is in a brooder pen now after having been picked bloody. We followed all the introduction rules (quarantine, nearby pen, some free ranging together, and then sharing close but separated quarters) for the last several weeks, but it seems that the bantam EE/cochin mix hen isn't going to play nice. The other chick is still in there, and she seems to be holding up better. I may pull the EE mix out and put her in the pen for a couple of weeks to knock her down a few pegs, but we'll see how the other chick does first.

 

[Novaleigh]

Oh no! Poor little chick. From what I have read, chickens are notoriously cliquish. They also bully any new chickens who are less in number or less in size.

Well, so much for that flock introduction. One of the bantams we hatched is in a brooder pen now after having been picked bloody. We followed all the introduction rules (quarantine, nearby pen, some free ranging together, and then sharing close but separated quarters) for the last several weeks, but it seems that the bantam EE/cochin mix hen isn't going to play nice. The other chick is still in there, and she seems to be holding up better. I may pull the EE mix out and put her in the pen for a couple of weeks to knock her down a few pegs, but we'll see how the other chick does first.

 

[Arizonachicken]

I don't like politics, either...BUT I also REALLY don't like the current establishment. Oh, darn, I've said too much.

Anywho...we're building another coop! Well, my husband is, mostly. I've put in 2 screws so far. I'll post pics wen I get to my computer, can't do it from the iPad. I need an acre...or two. *sigh* and a bigger house...and a nanny...I better stop, this list is getting looooong.