Arizona Chickens

[pipemum]

The aloha chickens are so, so beautiful. I read some of the blog, and wow, what great work you've done!

I'm so nervous about moving my chicks out to their coop/run this weekend. I'm sure they'll be fine. I've been turning off the lights and heat in the evenings to get them used to night (their chirps are so pathetic that I started to leave a nightlight on and will put a press-on battery light in the coop for them). All the chick rearing advice says to lower the heat week by week till the outside temp is the same as the brooder temp, well, lol...that doesn't work so well this time of year here, does it?

 

[Arizonachicken]

Hi all. I'm new from Scottsdale. We just got 4 chicks that are about a week old. We did research and didn't find any laws about chickens in Scottsdale besides the ordinance listed on BYC stating we could have any number of hens and no roosters. Unfortunately the best spot for our coop and run are along the 6ft block wall that borders our neighbor. Hopefully we won't have any issues with those neighbors. We butt up against Thunderbird Rd so there's always a bit of road noise and if they can deal with that hopefully a few chicken clucks won't be too bad. 

We got a Black Sex Link, a RIR, a Welsummer and an EE. We probably shouldn't have named them yet but their names are Onyxia, Phillie, Tea and Eleanore. Currently they're in a brooder box in the garage and doing well. We're in the process of converting our resin shed into a coop. We're adding more windows with screens for the hot summer and adding all the other necessities. Now we're just praying all 4 chicks are definitely girls. They were all sexed at the hatchery according to the feed store which seemed knowledgeable and well established since the 60s but we had a friend order from "my pet chicken" and out of the 12 females he ordered one was a male. Since the Black Star is definitely a female we really only have to worry about the other 3, I guess. 

Well I just wanted to introduce myself. I'd love to be in contact with any other chicken owners in Scottsdale. Would be nice to know your experiences. Nice to meet you, to all the Arizonans. 

Hi! We're in Scottsdale, too, but down south. Scottsdale doesn't have limits on number of hens or how far from the neighbors the coop has to be, etc. They do say that your chickens can't be "at large" and must be kept clean. As far as roosters, they are classified in with anything that makes 'habitual' noise, like barking dogs, etc. Scottsdale seems to be the least restrictive when it comes to poultry.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Wondered if anyone has tried ZONK IT.. It is for flies???

I tried a one time use bag, I think it was Zonk It. It really stank. The other day I lift the top off my Sports drink. Came back and found flys in it. I am now using sports drinks to trap flys, works great. About an inch in the bottom.

..............
Tues. went to Tucson, got 3 Barred Rocks (straight run) and one pure little Red Sex Link pullet from Desertmarcy What was I thinking? I needed to get at lest 2, she is to old for the peeps, to young and all alone for my girls. The chicks will be fine with the ones Flower will be bring down.

I have enlarged my chicken run for 13 chicks (20 square ft. Min per chicken), On the way home i picked up a Partridge Barred Rock pullet. (Fear of 3 Roos). I still have my original run and coop. Will use that for my new girls until ready to blend in. I can keep only 5 if I hold to my personal preference of 20 sq ft.

I got a lot done yesterday, my trench is almost finished, by basement is 50% dug, door hung, my header is in (except for a 31" spot). Now I have to unload my truck go get some more block, and sack concrete and get back to work. The only change I made is there will be to access to the basement one for the girls from under the porch, and a clean out for me. I'm glade I thought of that now instead of later. I am going to put about 4" of sand in the basement, I think it will be easier to rake clean.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Chickens do fine singly (although you are likely to become their flock), in pairs or trios or in larger groups. I don't think that three would be happier than two, but I also don;t think adding a single bird to a pair is likely to be as much of an issues as it would be to add a single bird to a flock of say six or eight. I would suggest making sure that the new bird is close to the same size or age as the pair you already have, and introducing them to each other in a rather neutral area such as the yard, under your close watch, rather than in the coop. Late afternoon/early evening is a good time for introductions, they can get any pecking order stuf out of the way under your watchful eye, and then go to roost together.

 

[Twinklin]

Hi! We're in Scottsdale, too, but down south. Scottsdale doesn't have limits on number of hens or how far from the neighbors the coop has to be, etc. They do say that your chickens can't be "at large" and must be kept clean. As far as roosters, they are classified in with anything that makes 'habitual' noise, like barking dogs, etc. Scottsdale seems to be the least restrictive when it comes to poultry.

That's wonderful to hear. We never plan on getting a rooster so we won't have to deal with that. We're building an at least 10ftx5ft run attached to the coop where they will be the majority of the day. Original plans are 10x5 but I'm trying to figure out ways to make it a tad bigger so they have about 15 sq ft per chicken. They'll have about 2 hours out in the yard with me while I work on my vegetables and other gardening, then back in the run they go.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The aloha chickens are so, so beautiful. I read some of the blog, and wow, what great work you've done!

I'm so nervous about moving my chicks out to their coop/run this weekend. I'm sure they'll be fine. I've been turning off the lights and heat in the evenings to get them used to night (their chirps are so pathetic that I started to leave a nightlight on and will put a press-on battery light in the coop for them). All the chick rearing advice says to lower the heat week by week till the outside temp is the same as the brooder temp, well, lol...that doesn't work so well this time of year here, does it?

My youngest that are outside (on the porch) have a light on day and night, but there is plenty of room to get away from its heat.

 

[countrygirl74]

I posted this question elsewhere but haven't received a response yet, so thought I would post here too....

The people I am giving my silkie roo to (he is 7 months old) have 6 two-week-old girls. How old should they be before we can just put them in the coop with my little guy? I don't want to take him there until they can be together because then he would be in a strange home all alone. But not sure if it's a good idea to put him in a strange home and then throw in 6 babies.

I currently have 5 (7-month-old) girls and 3 (7-month-old) roos with 13 pullets ranging in ages from 3 weeks to 8 weeks but didn't know if the silkie roo would hurt the babies without having any big girls there, especially being in a new strange place??? None of the boys bother the little ones at all right now. BUT, I also introduced them for a couple weeks through a fence in their grow out pen and they still have somewhere to retreat if desired. The roos never bother them at all, but of course, the big girls do on occasion.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Just my 2 cents but you should get 2 chicks so they can become buddies. I find that adding one to the already established flock results in lots of pecking the newbie. If you add two, they feel a bit "safer" in numbers.

I only have 2 right now as it is.  So I just am reticent to jump up to 4.  Baby steps.  I do see what you mean, I considered that too.  I know they'll have to establish pecking order and all that.  But I'm mentally preparing for it.  Finger crossed though that it goes pretty smoothly.

Edit:
I do appreciate your advice, by the way.  And I know you're right, that it's better to add them in pairs.  And I know most people have bigger flocks so the difference between one chicken and two isn't a big deal.  I just have a very small number and I'd like to keep it a small number.  I'd like to have 4 maximum, but I really don't want to add them all at once.  I just think 3 chickens would be happier than 2.

Chickens do fine singly (although you are likely to become their flock), in pairs or trios or in larger groups.  I don't think that three would be happier than two, but I also don;t think adding a single bird to a pair is likely to be as much of an issues as it would be to add a single bird to a flock of say six or eight.  I would suggest making sure that the new bird is close to the same size or age as the pair you already have, and introducing them to each other in a rather neutral area such as the yard, under your close watch, rather than in the coop.  Late afternoon/early evening is a good time for introductions, they can get any pecking order stuf out of the way under your watchful eye, and then go to roost together.

I had luck placing them in an in closer next to the coop/run for a couple of days. Then letting them out in the yard, doing the above. Waited until evening, they all went into the coop. Lessened butting my nails, at the squabbling as they settled in. On the 3rd night they had their places worked out, all ended well.

 

[ChicksOfHazzard]

Chickens do fine singly (although you are likely to become their flock), in pairs or trios or in larger groups. I don't think that three would be happier than two, but I also don;t think adding a single bird to a pair is likely to be as much of an issues as it would be to add a single bird to a flock of say six or eight. I would suggest making sure that the new bird is close to the same size or age as the pair you already have, and introducing them to each other in a rather neutral area such as the yard, under your close watch, rather than in the coop. Late afternoon/early evening is a good time for introductions, they can get any pecking order stuf out of the way under your watchful eye, and then go to roost together.

I had luck placing them in an in closer next to the coop/run for a couple of days. Then letting them out in the yard, doing the above. Waited until evening, they all went into the coop. Lessened butting my nails, at the squabbling as they settled in. On the 3rd night they had their places worked out, all ended well.

Thanks guys! I was going to ask advice on introductions, so you guys saved me the effort!

SS, mine are currently 11 weeks. And Daisy is about 4 weeks. So there's a bit of an age difference, but they are both young. And I won't be getting Daisy for probably another week or two, my friend has a farm so they are all fine there right now and so we are waiting until she can tell whether or not they are male or female as I can only have females. So by the time they are introduced they will be about 6 and 13 weeks. Daisy is a bantam anyway though, so she'll already be smaller than the other two. I did check and I've read lots of people have bantams and standards together. And surprisingly, that the bantams aren't always lower on the pecking order since apparently they don't know they are small, lol.

Rosco and Boss Hogg are still pretty young though and have really good temperaments, they're friendly with my dog Nibbler and have been good about meeting new people, kids, etc. So I'm hoping that translates at least somewhat into a new chicken intro. I know it's different because it's their flock politics they need to work out. I have a good feeling about it though, I think it'll be ok. But I'll take the advice of introducing them in the evening outside the coop and letting them free range until bedtime. Rosco and Boss Hogg are religious about bedtime. Even moving into their new coop and being unfamiliar with the new roost, they still promptly went up to roost at sundown.

Honestly though, I can't even tell who the boss is between Rosco and Boss Hogg. Each one has strengths and weaknesses and you'll see them alternating the lead from time to time depending on what they are doing. So it'll be interesting to see their dynamic too after a new chicken is in the mix.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I posted this question elsewhere but haven't received a response yet, so thought I would post here too....

The people I am giving my silkie roo to (he is 7 months old) have 6 two-week-old girls. How old should they be before we can just put them in the coop with my little guy? I don't want to take him there until they can be together because then he would be in a strange home all alone. But not sure if it's a good idea to put him in a strange home and then throw in 6 babies.

I currently have 5 (7-month-old) girls and 3 (7-month-old) roos with 13 pullets ranging in ages from 3 weeks to 8 weeks but didn't know if the silkie roo would hurt the babies without having any big girls there, especially being in a new strange place??? None of the boys bother the little ones at all right now. BUT, I also introduced them for a couple weeks through a fence in their grow out pen and they still have somewhere to retreat if desired. The roos never bother them at all, but of course, the big girls do on occasion.

Older boys often do fine raising babies, but he is kind of at the raging hormone stage, so that might not be such a good idea. You could try a visit and see how he reacts...