Arizona Chickens

[Arpey]

Hi Guys, I'm so glad i found this thread! I'm planning on getting a 4-5 chickens for eggs and entertainment. I'm only one person and have only so many people to give eggs to.

Right now, I have a 10'x 12' area of the yard partitioned off and will be building a coop and run there. My plan so far includes a 4'x6' coop, elevated about 2' off the ground for shade. There will be a roost and ramp, as well as 3 nesting boxes. There will be an outdoor roost as well. Since we are talking Phoenix here, do I have to put the nesting boxes in the coop? I could get away with a smaller coop and have more run space if the nesting boxes could be outside. The run will be VERY predator proof, as I have a sneaky dog that thinks all birds are his playthings--Will have buried wire, a wire base covered with sand, and sunscreen overhead.

For the roof, is sun screen enough protection from flying predators? Do I need to worry about hawks in downtown phoenix?

Thanks for the help, everyone! So glad I found the forum!

 

[pimachickens]

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Where did you see pears on there? I was curious about what types they had available and couldn't find them. As for blackberries (I'm pretty sure they're not a tree

), I haven't planted either of those two, but it looks like they are out of the Roseborough anyway, so that just leaves the Brison. I have had very good luck growing blackberries here. Meyer lemons are one of the sweetest of the lemons, and a favorite of both my mom and grandma (and they know citrus, my grandparents still work their many hundred acre citrus orchard in Florida). I have found, though, that a lot of recipes that call for lemons will specifically say "Not Meyer", because it just doesn't have the right acidity. So I guess it depends on what you are going to be doing with them. They make great lemonaid. As for grapes, I have Flame and Thompson planted. They were just planted earlier this year, and haven't produced yet, but grew very well and the heat never seemed to phase them. I haven't ever grown nectarines, so I have no input.

 

[rufus]

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No, I no longer have a rooster. My wife got fed up with his attitude. The guys that take care of my trees and lawn are Zapotec Indians from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. She told them to take the rooster, she never wanted to see him again.

Well, I am afraid that night he had a fatal encounter with some red chili.

Lunch sound good. How much weight have you lost so far? Are you still on the diet?

Rufus

 

[mclevinson]

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AMAZINGLY fast. I planted a 4 ft stick and had an 8 foot tree in 5 months. Top at 3 or 4 feet to produce branches.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

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Caveman- those are not pictures of a coop!!! If I die I want to come back as one of mama hen chris' chickens!!! That coop is cuter and cleaner than my girls bedroom!

 

[Arizonachicken]

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AMAZINGLY fast. I planted a 4 ft stick and had an 8 foot tree in 5 months. Top at 3 or 4 feet to produce branches.

I need more seeds, Meg! I had a little tree growing, but my chickens got it, then it grew back, and, somehow, got broken off at the base!

Do you have more seeds? (and Mikey thinks he has a black thumb!)

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

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Caveman- those are not pictures of a coop!!! If I die I want to come back as one of mama hen chris' chickens!!! That coop is cuter and cleaner than my girls bedroom!

Thanks for the nice compliment. I would take excellent care of you for sure!

 

[noodlegirl]

We got our first egg today!!! Yahoo!!! I'm so excited you'd think it was Christmas!

 

[Arizonachicken]

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[Beckyhsinglsc]

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When we got our first egg my daughter called just about everyone she knew and took hundreds of pictures. OK, so I was involved a little too.

Caveman: Welcome. I replied to your post on VPA too. I'm the BR over there. Here I'm a LH. (Do you know your chicken abbreviations yet?)

Welcome to the other new people that I haven't welcomed yet. I got a little behind and forgot where I left off.