Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
I think that a lot of us have runs small enough that it is very difficult to install the misters in such a way that the mist doesn't hit something and then condense and drip onto the ground. That's the case in my situation anyway. I only turn them on when it get's 105+. I have to second what AZBootsie said about the problems with perpetually wet soil. When the soil dries out, most of the bad organisms (e.g. coccidiosis) die out. When the soil doesn't dry out for days on end, then you're fostering conditions suitable for all sorts of bad things to proliferate. I usually rely on wet soil and shade to keep the girls cool by rotating irrigation on trees/vines. Last summer when it was so hot I wasn't so good about letting the soil dry in between watering events and I made nearly ideal conditions for fungus. My two BOs got it in their lungs. Just thought I'd share that for all the new desert chicken raisers.

 

[pastrymama]

i use misters as well, but like Gallo, i only turn them on when it hits 100+ and only long enough to get the girls wet and the ground damp. i make sure that it dries between runs. i normally rely on a big swamp cooler that i have the fireman set up in the run. i turn that on in the afternoon when they are put back in the run.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Well Good News! BlueBell was eager to see me this morning! Giving her love churps to me and wanting to come out of the pen. Her crop is still empty but she is eating this and that all over the yard! Gave her some goat grain. She loves that! What ever was making her sick has past for now.

I for one can't afford a mister system but do hose down the coop yards and lightly spray the birds.I really showered Bluebell and I think that help her get through her sickness. May have been just heat and getting old. All the other chickens and turklets are doing very well and growing like weeds.

 

[pdx2phx]

Well Good News! BlueBell was eager to see me this morning! Giving her love churps to me and wanting to come out of the pen. Her crop is still empty but she is eating this and that all over the yard! Gave her some goat grain. She loves that! What ever was making her sick has past for now.

I for one can't afford a mister system but do hose down the coop yards and lightly spray the birds.I really showered Bluebell and I think that help her get through her sickness. May have been just heat and getting old. All the other chickens and turklets are doing very well and growing like weeds.

 

[Mikey D]

Does anyone use misters ?

every day - all day

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: She never wheezed - just a drippy nose.

I checked out the site on AF & END - didn't seem to match the symptoms.

I'm going to keep her inside for one more day & see if her eye looks better.

No eye discharge, just a little bit swollen & she seems to keep it closed more frequently than the right

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: I think a lot of the folks in AZ use them. I put them up because of recommendations on this thread. The only fall back that I can see is you need to keep an eye on the wetness of your run. If it gets soggy and doesn't dry out on a regular basis, it stinks more and can lead to fungus/mildew/mold problems. When I first put them up, I had one going through coop windows....cutting right through the coop. That was a bad idea. Soggy bedding is really nasty. Now they are in a shady area in the run.
Mine free range during the day so I have a shaded area that I put one in. It makes puddles in the dirt/mud (which they drink from) and they go in the shade, stand in the mister & get soggy.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote: I keep one on all day. It is aimed low and makes puddles & I'm OK with that.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
I think that a lot of us have runs small enough that it is very difficult to install the misters in such a way that the mist doesn't hit something and then condense and drip onto the ground. That's the case in my situation anyway. I only turn them on when it get's 105+. I have to second what AZBootsie said about the problems with perpetually wet soil. When the soil dries out, most of the bad organisms (e.g. coccidiosis) die out. When the soil doesn't dry out for days on end, then you're fostering conditions suitable for all sorts of bad things to proliferate. I usually rely on wet soil and shade to keep the girls cool by rotating irrigation on trees/vines. Last summer when it was so hot I wasn't so good about letting the soil dry in between watering events and I made nearly ideal conditions for fungus. My two BOs got it in their lungs. Just thought I'd share that for all the new desert chicken raisers.
Oops - time to move the mister!

 

[Mikey D]

Well Good News! BlueBell was eager to see me this morning! Giving her love churps to me and wanting to come out of the pen. Her crop is still empty but she is eating this and that all over the yard! Gave her some goat grain. She loves that! What ever was making her sick has past for now.

I for one can't afford a mister system but do hose down the coop yards and lightly spray the birds.I really showered Bluebell and I think that help her get through her sickness. May have been just heat and getting old. All the other chickens and turklets are doing very well and growing like weeds.

A single mister that hooks to a garden hose is $10 at Homer - I blocked one of the two heads and it works great.