Arizona Chickens

[In2Ice]

I researched a bit and was thinking about an orpington, australorp, silkie, brahma or delaware. any thoughts? I will have a good size yard were they can roam and have a good size home for them too.

Those are all nice laid back breeds.... although Delawares can be comical at times.

An Australorp will be a good layer, silkies are eye candy, Brahmas are calm but they don't lay that well. Orpingtons can lay well if you get a good strain... There is a gal in Goodyear that sells some HUGE BBS Orpingtons and they are beautiful.

I have 2 Easter Eggers and 2 Brahmas. A Light Brahma and a Buff Brahma. Although they mature later because they are a large breed, so far they have been great layers for me. I get on average 6 eggs a week from my Brahmas. Only a couple less eggs a month than from my EE'ers. The EE'ers are great too and they also do ok in the heat. I use misters though and on the really hot days I put an ice block in their coop for them to sit and stand on and around

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I had a chicken as a child and was looking to get a couple or hens now that I am moving into a house. what would you recommend? I want a nice chicken that can withstand the climate in Phoenix. Do you need a permit? Any advice is helpful

Tempe allows up to 5 hens in all single family residential zones. No permit is needed; you do have to keep them in a manner that is not a nuisance.

As for breeds, decide on the characteristics are that are important to you and then we can better direct you to birds that fit your wants. With sufficient shade and always available water, our climate is not as much of an issue as you might think. Open (wire-sided) coops are much better than the enclosed ones you find in climates with more severe winters.

 

[Mikey D]

Howdy folks!

Another swoop today...

Got in touch with the kids yesterday, Walt said the water heater sprung a leak (for 2 days!). He cut holes in the walls before discovering it was the flex pipe on the supply.

Another message from our tenants (next door to us) the fence blew down. The problem is they have dogs...yikes!

The fence is propped back up & Walt said the cluckers ar OK.

I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to going home.

 

[Puffycheeks]

BABY TURKEY IS DOING MUCH BETTER TODAY!!! THANKS

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

HI ALL !!! LOOKING FOR HELP!!! THIS IS VERY AWKWARD. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PHOENIX AREA THAT WOULD WANT TO CARE FOR AN INJURED TURKEY POULT? I THINK IT WILL BE OK WITH A LITTLE TLC BUT RIGHT NOW THE HOSPITAL WARD HERE IS FULL AND I AM REALLY NOT ABLE TO GIVE THIS POOR BABY THE CARE IT NEEDS TO HEAL. iT GOT STEPPED ON BY ONE OF THE HORSES YESTERDAY AND CANT REALLY WALK OR STAND. OTHERWISE HEALTHY AND EATING AND DRINKING AND NOT REALLY PARALYZED BUT NEEDS TO BE KEPT IN A LARGE CRATE OR ? WITH SOME DEEP BEDDING AND KEPT INSIDE WHERE IT CAN BE COOL UNTIL ITS GETS ITS FEET BACK UNDER ITSELF AND BETTER BALANCE. NOT SURE WHERE IT GOT STEPPED ON BUT WITH THE PROPER CARE I THINK IT WILL BE FINE IN NO TIME. I HOPE SOMEONE OUT THERE HAS THE TIME AND SPACE TO HELP THE KID OUT. YOU ARE WELCOME TO KEEP IT IF YOU WANT OR I CAN TAKE IT BACK. I FEEL BAD THAT I HAVE NO ROOM INSIDE TO ACCOMODATE IT RIGHT NOW AND I REALLY DONT WANT TO CONFINE IT OUTSIDE IN THE HEAT. I , OF COURSE WILL TRY MY BEST UNTIL I HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST! THANKS AND I CAN DELIVER IT TO YOU IN PHOENIX . PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING!!! THANKS

Poor Turkey baby. So sorry to hear this. I hope someone can help you out.

 

[Mahonri]

Well, my purebred WHITE Ameraucana rooster has begun to crow and I've yet to see him to be a success with any of the ladies, so I'm going to let him go.

PM me if you are interested. He's gonna be HUGE.

 

[Phottoman]

Hi Phottoman!

I think you're seeing it right. For the past three years I've laid sod down in half of the run right after the first frost when the leaves of the grapevines fall (usually in early Nov.). My girls free range for most of the time, unless we're out of town, in which case they are usually locked up. The grass helps provide something green for them to eat during their confinement. I should note that they otherwise don't spend a whole lot of time inside the run during the winter, when they prefer to move around the yard and hang out in places that are too hot during the summer. So, they don't immediately destroy the grass and it lasts into June. As it heats up in spring, they begin spending the majority of their time inside the run where it is coolest, even though they are free to go anywhere. That's when the grass really starts to take a beating. The wire you see in the pic is a 2' wide X 5' long X 2" deep section of wire left over from the run that helps prevent total destruction of the grass underneath it. It's made from 1" X 2" 14 gauge galvanized wire. As you've deduced, they can't scratch up the roots under the wire so it endures there for a good month or two longer than the unprotected grass. Now as we near the end of July the last of that protected grass is now mostly dead or dying as I've stopped watering it and the grape vines have obscured all sunlight from reaching it. I originally put the wire in there as an experiment and I think I'd recommend it if you had a space that had year-round sun. Mama Hen Chris has a much nicer example of a grass bed protected by wire. She has a wood frame with hardware cloth (maybe vinyl coated?) affixed to the top of it.

I read that there is sod available through Lowes, I don't get to Lowes that often, it's too far away, but I am wondering if they also carry it at Home Depot. If so, I will have to stop and get some.

Of course, this would probably be something that the local news paper would carry as news-worthy. I don't know of ANYONE here in Golden Valley that actually has grass on their property.

I have often told a story about right after I moved here, I am a hobbiest in satellite TV, I have several satellite dishes on our property, three ten footers, (C Band) and several four foot (KU Band) and even several smaller dishes, all pointing in different directions. Right after I got the first several dishes "planted" and working, I had one of those "over the fence" type conversations with a neighbor, who asked what all the dishes were for. Being a smart @$$ I glibly answered "They help me keep in touch with the Mother Ship."

I watched him pull his head down into his shoulders as he backed away from the fence and mutter something about having to "go mow the grass."

There IS NO GRASS in Golden Valley.

Photto

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Thanks for that glimpse into life in Golden Valley. Not much grass here either, in fact, the chicken run is the greenest place in my yard. I got the sod at Home Depot.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You could simply plant grass seed rather than going the sod route if you cannot find sod.

 

[Puffycheeks]

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