Arizona Chickens

[Fuzzybird]

I would really doubt that a chicken or any bird type would eat what is not good for them.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:

I know, it is funny! Every time I read about citrus being dangerous to chickens, I always want to post about my fear of deadly grapefruits. The dang things are the size of my kid's head. They're not the size of mine, it's huge.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I would really doubt that a chicken or any bird type would eat what is not good for them.

I tend to agree with that for the most part. Many poisonous things have/are alkaloid compounds that make them bitter and the birds learn to avoid them. I have a couple things in the yard that would kill a bird if ingested in any quantity. I think the danger comes when they don't have much experience with an item, which can happen when birds are usually penned up or an item is relatively rare. For example, one of the very few things that cause me to pause and think are wild mushrooms. They aren't common at all here in Tucson and the surrounding lower elevations but they do pop up when the environmental conditions are right. Most of them probably won't cause any problems, but there are some that wouldn't take but a few bites to cause serious troubles.

It reminds me of a trip I took to the White Mountains and the X-Diamond Ranch outside of Springerville right after 9-11. Overnight most of the cattle on the ranch died. Jumpy officials immediately suspected foul play. But it turned out to be some plant highly toxic to cattle that normally remained dormant and had sprung up in an area they moved the herd into. It was a very sad situation and stuck with me.

 

[MagicChicken]

I would really doubt that a chicken or any bird type would eat what is not good for them.

Tell that to my production red, who scarfed down several styrofoam peanuts that blew into the yard the other day.

Now I know I have to patrol for litter on trash day before letting the chickens out!

 

[Novaleigh]

Yall would not believe what happened this morning!! My son come to our room, crying! He said there was scritching in his ear (his words). He said there feels like something inside his ear! So we tilted his head sideways and poured some of my saline contact solution down his ear canal. SURE ENOUGH!!! A beetle comes crawling out, gasping for air!!

My poor son! He was such a trooper, bless his little heart.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Yall would not believe what happened this morning!! My son come to our room, crying! He said there was scritching in his ear (his words). He said there feels like something inside his ear! So we tilted his head sideways and poured some of my saline contact solution down his ear canal. SURE ENOUGH!!! A beetle comes crawling out, gasping for air!!

My poor son! He was such a trooper, bless his little heart.

Was it a female?!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
They do have a special fondness for styrofoam!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

All the loses! This is one bad summer so far and it not officially summer yet! So much sadness. I love the coyotes and they have their place but this one has gotten use to foul! I wonder if you can set a trap for him? I wonder if a goose would do the trick? I saw several geese at Pratts in Glendale last week.

The coyote would think you had "baked" him a special dinner. A goose might deter some predators, but definitely not a coyote. Geese can be good at scaring small children away.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Yikes! Newbie-to-be here... I came on to ask a few questions and am seeing such sad news (which is generating more questions, too)... So sorry for everyone's losses.

We are preparing to build a coop and get some laying hens in a few months, and I'm going to build a garden at the same time. I want to get rid of the oleander in our yard and replace the one that will be near (or in, not sure which yet) the run with a fruit tree. I know avocados are no good for chickens, but would a citrus tree (lemon or grapefruit probably) be okay there? I don't want to plant anything that will poison them, even though I've seen many people post that they don't worry about their chickens eating poisonous plants. (There is also a mesquite tree growing there which will provide shade -- I'm assuming that's not poisonous to chickens, right?)

Also, since so many of you are having coyote/wildlife problems... Are you in suburbia (like I am) or more out in the open? We have lots of hawks (and a nice light pole where they like to perch and plot their next move, right outside our back wall) and coyotes, foxes, and javelina who come through the neighborhood using the street behind our house to get to the wash, which is about a quarter mile down. Our yard is completely fenced in with a 6 foot block wall -- is that enough to keep the non-flying types out? I'm planning to cover the run with hardware cloth or chicken wire and maybe a tarp or a little bit of roofing to keep some areas shaded and drier (but not sure how necessary that is, since we are in the desert....) and figure the cover will keep the hawks away.

We have lots of ground squirrels in our yard and packrats in and out, so I figure if the wildlife haven't come over the fence for them, would they make the effort for chickens? Or is 6 ft high enough that they can't make it over?

I've been searching around online, and am having trouble finding good info on this stuff, especially the trees/plants so I thought I'd ask here since you all are the most likely to know about both chickens and the climate.... Thanks!

Coyotes will view a six foot fence about the same way as an average size adult human views a 2 or 3 foot fence: quite easy to get over. For the most part chickens have no interest in poisonous plants, but I sure wouldn't plant them in the coop or where they can easily get to them. Not every one of them is smart enough to avoid absolute no-no's such as oleander. I'm not really certain that avocados are actually bad for them. I've heard it both ways. If you give them citrus or other fruit trees, they will adore you. Grape vines are entrely edible, but vigorous enough that once established the birds shouldn't be able to devour the entire plant. The birds will love the mesquite seeds; the permaculture guild periodically provides the opportunity to grind the mesquite seeds into flour.

One thing I COMMONLY see when wiring in the tops of runs is inadequate connection where the wiring meets. Now simply overlapped wire will probably keep out the raptors, but NOT the raccoons or skunks or other animals dangerous to your birds.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:

I know, it is funny! Every time I read about citrus being dangerous to chickens, I always want to post about my fear of deadly grapefruits. The dang things are the size of my kid's head. They're not the size of mine, it's huge.
Are you sure you don't have pummelos? (or is that pumellos?) My chickens absolutely LOVE grapefruit, but I do agree, if one fell on their head it would likely be a health hazard. But eating it? Nah, unless they are on one of those meds that grapefruit affects.