Arizona Chickens

[Mikey D]

Quote: Nekton MSA for the soft shell layer. (I may have already told you this.)
You have but please don't let that stop you!

I'm probably going to ask you again when I get back to AZ!

 

[AZBootsie]

Hi AZ peeps, I hope you don't mind a Michigander sticking her head in for a moment -- this came to me via some Border Collie groups I'm a part of, but any and all help would be appreciated. There are a couple dogs missing in the Wilcox AZ area, following a tragic car accident near mile marker 351 on I-10 today. One dog was killed in the crash, three captured and in the hospital and these two are at large. They belong to an agility trainer who was also with them in the accident. There are search parties out, but I thought if any of you are in the area you might keep your eyes peeled.

I hope they are found!!!

 

[AZBootsie]

Come home from work and our broody EE has a chick! I can't believe it.....it's been so hot/dry that nothing has been developing or hatching lately.

Do you think we're ok to leave her outside with the chick in this heat, or should we bring the chick inside and brood her ourselves?? I'm worried about the heat and access to water. Mama is just inside the coop so others are free to come/go and I'm worried about the chick getting squished or needing fluids sooner than normal.

I really don't wanna do a house broody again - that was such a nasty stinky mess last time. What do you all think??

Mine have been fine outside with momma. I do have a little chick waterer that I keep filled for them. I am always afraid that they will try to drink out of the big water tubs and drown. The Ameraucana and Rock coops have been doing fine with the chicks. A WM with my Layer flock is broody ATM and not sure if I will leave those chicks in the coop. My layers are a mixed mess of all different breeds and that pen has more commotion and drama than the others. Mom and chicks may have to be moved if any hatch.

Congratulations on the baby!!! It's so fun (and much easier) when mom raises them.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

so I have been incredibley ill these last two weeks. I just found out today that I had what mikey had a while back when he was so sick. I didnt realize that he was so contagious just through the computer. I am excited at the prospect of not spending so much time in the bathroom. It was pretty scarey the first week, the second week was just annoying. I am also getting a rescued baby gosling tomarrow from a lady that does wildlife rescue. Some one found it in there back yard and no one claimed it. Does anyone know anything about them. The only knowledge I have of them is when I was 12 and my piano teacher had them and they were mean and would chase us around the yard. She had at least 10 of them and they would all gang up on you and i would get stuck in the trees until someone would come and rescue me!

 

[Fuzzybird]

I can't speak for Danyell, only for myself. I am not sure on gender of either. Look at combs (or post photos), and feel the distance between their pubic bones. Larger, looser spacing indicated female (room to lay eggs). Tighter, firmer spacing indicates male (no need to expand to let an egg through).

The one bird is indeed very LOUD. The other looks like maybe blue spots?

A fair amount of my breeding is experimental--what happens IF... So, I have some unusual pairings, and once I have some data to report, I will do so on the club website. I do have some more normal pairings.

There are really two types of breeding to whites. The first is breeding to a white that came from a paint breeding, and the second is breeding to a typical white that did not come from paint breeding. I'd have to go back and look at what people have reported from the first of these, but these birds are almost certainly dominant white. The second type of breeding to white brings recessive white into the mix, and I don't really think that is a good plan. It is a lot like blindly grabbing a can from your pantry and adding it to your stew. Might work really well (can of carrots added to a beef stew), and might be a disaster if it happens to be blueberry pie filling and a curry stew. And with a different bird, it is like an entirely different unknown can that you are adding. The unknown genes that you added can come back to haunt you in a generation or two, and you will also start getting some recessive whites out of your paint breedings.

Those who have bred paint to paint have overall not been very happy with the results. Pigment holes on feet and in eyes are more common and abundant, and type also seems to be affected. Those who have bred to black seem overall much happier with their offspring.

But does the black or white chicken have to have both parents the same color? Iwill get close up pictures of their heads tomorrow. Also I noticed that Cotton has a very small bit of black on her head! I never saw that before! She gives me black chicks all the time! I wonder??? I will take a close up picture of her also.
How do you know if you have a dominate or recessive white?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

so I have been incredibley ill these last two weeks. I just found out today that I had what mikey had a while back when he was so sick. I didnt realize that he was so contagious just through the computer. I am excited at the prospect of not spending so much time in the bathroom. It was pretty scarey the first week, the second week was just annoying. I am also getting a rescued baby gosling tomarrow from a lady that does wildlife rescue. Some one found it in there back yard and no one claimed it. Does anyone know anything about them. The only knowledge I have of them is when I was 12 and my piano teacher had them and they were mean and would chase us around the yard. She had at least 10 of them and they would all gang up on you and i would get stuck in the trees until someone would come and rescue me!

Hope you are all better very soon. I've heard of computer viruses, but this is simply ridiculous...I thought they infected computers, not people!

Any idea of the breed of the gosling? Some breeds are sweeter (or less so) than others, and being raised by a human can have a fairly strong affect. Geese bond VERY strongly. My gosel gets chick starter and thinks he is a chicken. He is much, much much larger than his clutchmates: barred rock and silkie chicks. They are all about a month old.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Not sure what you mean in your first question. Are you asking about the parents of the bird you want to breed to a paint?
lack feathers, not many, but more
Recessive white is not very leaky, but an occasional black feather happens. If you show, pluck it. I've noticed that as they get older, they tend to get more black feathers. Not many, but more. Talking old birds here.

Assume recessive white (in silkies and a few other breeds) unless it is from a paint breeding, then assume dominant.

 

[itsredcandy]

Not sure what girl is laying the chalky white/tan eggs but both of them were double yolked. I ate the deformed egg (which I broke the yolk) and two of the double yolks for dinner last night. They tasted fantastic!

Would that be considered 5 eggs or 3? or 4? My nutritionist may throw a fit when he finds out I had 5 eggs for dinner. hahaha

 

[Puffycheeks]

Quote: Chicken genetics are pretty complicated compared to many other animals, and all the genes carried in a bird go into determining what it looks like.

I totally second that!! I have been reading about Genetics trying to absorb a little basic knowledge and every time I think I understand something, the next bit of info I read blows everything.

Don't have a clue how this little guy happened. I had a Wheaten Ameraucana Roo over a Wheaten/Salmon ish colored EE. Guess that EE was harboring some odd ball genes.


BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[Puffycheeks]

Egg-citing day. My EE, Olivia, squatted this morning.

What a surprise as my older hen didn't squat until 26 weeks. Olivia is 17 weeks old. Her comb was pink this morning when I sat with the girls and when I got home from work it was much redder and larger. Now the waiting game to see what color her eggs will be.!

Olivia at 2 days old


Olivia at 16 weeks old


2 days


16 weeks

Just a guess but, It looks possible that she may have had some wyandotte somewhere in her family history!