Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

This is going to be my last post on this thread. Why? Because I love my chickens dearly....and I have had them murdered brutally by some other dudes pet dog. I AM NOT GOING TO HOLD MY TONGUE ANYMORE FOR FEAR OF "OFFENDING" DOG OWNERS!!!! I can't STAND IT when people post about how their own pet dogs murders their chickens...and then cage the chickens to make sure it doesn't happen again. Why not cage the dog? It was the dog who killed, not the chicken!!!! Consider it animal cruelty to cage a dog? Well, then why don't you consider it animal cruelty to cage a chicken? I cannot stand double standards! Post after post of dogs killing chickens, and people seem to not care enough to make sure the dog NEVER does it again (getting rid of it). I know this post will draw heat, but you know what? I DON'T CARE! I am SICK of a chicken being the VICTIM (MURDERED! and the dog wasn't even hungry..it killed for PLEASURE!!!) and then getting caged. As if the chicken had suffered enough?!?!?! All the while, the dog gets to run free..not caged. Makes me angry!!!!!! How about "COOP" up the dogs? HUH?!?!?! The chickens did NOTHING WRONG!!!!

Did something new happen to your birds or was this post directed at GREG BOAM and his shih-tzus?

 

[GrannysRoost]

I don't think Nova lost more chickens this time, I believe she was venting at an earlier post that mentioned losing a chicken to a dog

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

So Saturday I took out the railing (the one I was using to let the little ones escape from the big ones & they were using as a roost)

• and the shelf (that I put in for the Oxine humidifier)

• and put in another branch roost - figuring that with two of them totaling around 12 feet, they would all ave plenty of space.

I check up on them that evening and idiot is still broody in the nest box, 9 of them are on the new roost (wing to wing I might add.)

and Meow is alone on the old roost. (Meow is the smallest of the older girls who got picked on and turned mean)

I had a talk with Meow (in my best teacher's voice) and told her that if she would play nice and not be so mean, the other chickens would probably roost with her.

I'm not sure but I don't think she cared.

Averaging 5 - 6 eggs from the eleven of them. Sure wish it would cool off...

8 PM they're in the coop panting their little beaks off.

Big changes in the coop! Out of curiosity, how is the new roost positioned relative to the first? (higher, lower, same?). So, does Meow get picked on much now that she became mean? I'm always interested in these kinds of flock dynamics.

What's with broody hens in this heat anyway? Crazy birds.

 

[Di Gibbs]

I hate when people let their dogs loose and they come in our yard. We had some wild dogs (not sure who's they were) tear open the back of the chukar pen and kill one and let 15 loose, yes just for fun. My hubby put a hot wire around it and so far, so good. I have added these solar red blinking lights on the chicken coop and that is working, I hope forever that it works.

Sorry for your loss.

Hugs,
Di

 

[Billiam]

I guess I'm lucky or a good owner (pat self on back). I have a beagle and biscon/poodle that get along just fine with the girls. I did catch the biscon/poodle tearing feathers out of one of the girls when they were first put outside. He seemed to be playing with her more than trying to kill her. I took care of him and he and the beagle haven't tried anything since. I let them out with the chickens for hours at a time with no issues. They all seem to hang out together under trees or wondering the yard. Kind of funny.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Don't go Nova! As was said the owners not the dogs are to blame. We have tried to take action to keep the standard poodles from getting out of the back yard but after we seen how determined they are to get out after the chickens and turkeys we found a good home for the worse killer, a home with out fowl but a big yard and lots of love. The digger dog is the mother Louise, which after her puppies are gone will be looking for a new home for her as well.
Not all dogs want to get the chickens. Our farm dog Darcy is being trained very well to leave them alone and my two whippets wouldn't even think of going for the birds or the goats we own.
I am sorry if you lost more birds. We all want you to stay!

WElcome Greg! I like your tampoline coop!

 

[AZBootsie]

Just got some new birds. I had 2 australorps, ones died from heat I think (it was 117 the day it died) the other got out of the coop and one of my little shih-tzus got it. Sad I know. Since then i have changed things around, by making a new enclosure using an old trampoline and adding a mister to keep them cool during the sumer. They say australorps are good heat birds but i think theres a limit. if you live in phoenix i think you need some sort of cool down devise.

Hey Greg!!

Hmmmm..........wipe your shoes looks like you stepped in something.

I hope you stick around, this is usually a very supportive group. Great pictures, keep them coming!!
I am sorry you lost a chicken. You have a very creative set-up, I love it!! I would just keep an eye on the naked neck. Some Chickens stop laying for a bit with change.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: The new roost is several inches higher than the first. I'd like to put one up at head height for Freaky but have to watch where the droppings will land (because I don't think she will).

Both are about a foot from the wall. The first one went in so low to provide for much smaller chickens.

First roost:




New roost (still green)




Chicken wash! - the blue curly thing in the back is a $10 Homer mister - they all love it!




Meow is picked on a bit less as she has gotten bigger - but she is still lower on the order than any of the first 7. I have seen her peck at one of the big girls when there is food to be had though.

Now that Freaky (App Spitz) and Fluffy (Silkie/cochin cross) have started laying they are standing up for themselves a bit more. They are both at the bottom & get pecked occasionally, but seem to come over to be hand fed more closely. (Close for Fluffy is 8 - 10 feet!)

Freaky will come up to me and take food out of my hand now (and then run like the dickens!) Fluffy will stay out of the perimeter of the feeding frenzy and pick up what she can.

 

[Mikey D]

So you can tell who we're talking about...

Meow - Production Red




Freaky - Appenzeller Spitzhauben





Fuzzy - Silkie / Cochin cross





And my beloved One Dot - Red broiler who is moulting and half re-feathered and sopping wet from the chicken wash




You can't tell from this picture but she is big and fat and huge and happy!

 

[Demosthine]

So, I finally got my wife to soften up a bit. We were talking about our four-month old's reaction to the chicks out at Bootsie's last week and she pipes up "I want to see baby chickies!" Ok, say no more. We were only two miles from the Stock Shop, so a quick left turn and off we went. She thought they were absolutely adorable and wanted to go home with two right then. I wouldn't let her, because we don't have anything ready for them. She saw a beautiful rooster. I think it was a Golden Sex Link. They didn't have any laying hens, of course. But she found a few roosters that she admitted were pretty. After her telling me which ones she liked, I pulled up some more pictures and her choices are the Golden Sex Link, New Hampshire Reds, and liked my idea of the Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Turns out, one of the problems appears to be the feet. She thinks they are kind of freaky and does not like the feathered feet. Now we're headed in the right direction! She even admitted she's "leaning towards getting the chickens." Woohoo!!! Patience is paying off...