My name is Tom . My wife and I are retired and live just off old Route 66 about 15 miles east of Kingman AZ . We have about an acre and a quarter and already have a hoop style greenhouse that measures 12 X 15 feet . We have had pretty good results from "all the usual suspects" that folks grow . Tomatoes , onions , peppers , zuccini and others . With the current economic climate I really feel a need to enlarge our growing area . Without going into boring detail I have secured the materials needed to construct an area of about 50 X 100 . Our neighbors have 2 horses and spent a year piling the manure in an area which they later enclosed . They have chickens . About 7 or 8 . The chickens did a super job of scratching , digging and preparing the entire area for planting . I carried the manure from another neighbor and piled it up near the area on which I am planning to grow a LOT more things . I am (so far) planning on putting a bunch of chickens in there to more or less "tame" the area for me to plant . If I can place the coop in a strategic way I can allow an area for them on a rotating basis so as to let them roam BUT not interfere with the crop . I am not looking for many exotic crops but just the basics . Corn , onions , carrots , some greens and a couple of others of that ilk . These would be more for sustaining over a period of time if food becomes scarce or just downright too expensive . The chickens will also serve to sustain us with eggs and again when they have outlived their usefulness . There are quite a few of us in this area . Mostly vets from Nam era . Suffice it to say that protecting our crops will be of paramount importance but easily addressed . My research has led me to believe that the JAVA breed will do very well here . We do have some evil heat (we are at 3600 ft.) and a winter that will occasionally bite you . A few inches of snow is not at all uncommon along with a couple of days that will dip to the low 20's . With proper construction and planning I hope to provide our flock with adequate protection from both . Our neighbors supplement the range feed with cracked corn so that looks like the way to go . My neighbors have also been having detailed discussions on how to barter food if it comes to that . There is a lot of hype lately about GOLD . I actually prospect here in AZ abd finding gold is rather fun BUT I don't see gold working very well since it depends on a stable monetary system to return . I can't eat gold and I'm 64 with 65 coming in 3 weeks so my concerns are with the short term . Being rich in 20 years pales in relation to dead in 15 or so . Well , so much for my grand plan . Any suggestions or hints will be greatly appreciated . Tom in Kingman AZ
Congrats and welcome to BYC! I am a first year chicken owner and the people of BYC have been amazingly helpful. I blogged about my chicken adventures and you can find the informative or amusing links on my BYC page. Suggest you think harder about the chicken nutrition. Corn tends to make chickens fat instead of healthy egg layers. The need 16% or more protein. Layer feed is complete nutrition and should be offered in addition to their free range. I treat with Black Oil Sunflower Seed since it has lots of protein. I got my flock for food security with pretty much the same reasoning as you. Wish I had neighbors I could count on....
Thank you for your quick reply . The feed situation will be addressed in great detail . That is one of the reasons for me joining a group with this much experience . I know other folks that not only raise chickens but raise them as 4H projects so there will be a lot of info gotten there . Thanks again . Tom in Kingman AZ
Welcome Tom!! Be sure and check out the AZ thread...you can find it in the index under where are you at...or where are we at...somthing like that. Lots of useful info on raising chickens in the desert.
Hi Tom! Welocome to BYC. I am new here too. I have found ton of useful info on this site. I am in FL and have to keep an eye on my birds in the heat. I read somewhere on here that cracked corn can raise the body temperature of chickens and should not be given in the summer. I am far from an expert but you may want to check into that. I give them cold watermellon as treats to help keep them cool and happy. (No more than every three days unless you want a mess in the coop.) Good luck!
Hi Tom, and welcome to the forum. As you can see by my location I'm in Ohio. I used to hang out in AZ when I was young, have visited cousins there once since, may plan a trip there this spring, depends on how wife's BIL in FL does... cancer. I enjoy gold prospecting and have done a little in AZ but actually find quite a bit of flour gold right here at home. I'm also 64, but do not turn 65 until Sept. Most of the $$$ made in gold prospecting is by selling equipment not by those who prospect. It is an enjoyable hobby none the less. As for investing in gold coins, well lets just say, gold coins are not an investment, they are for the preservation of wealth. Same with any precious metal coin.
Hi there! Nice to meet you. Your setup sounds like it's going to work well and be efficient. As far as your chicken issues go, your main hindrance (other than predators, which are pretty much universal) is going to be the heat. Do your research and try to choose breeds who are able to tolerate the higher temps. As for the survival / preservation mindset, you're definitely not alone..... many folks around here are of the "you can't have too much ammo" persuasion ... (including this household)
