Arizona Chickens

[MaddBaggins]

If she is already having issues, keep her inside. Yes, extreme change isn;t really good, but 118 is also very much NOT good. In my experience chickens dislike the taste of electrolytes intended for them, and they will avoid drinking the water to which they have been added. Gatorade works just equally well, and they will actually drink it. There are a lot of things that can cause lethargy, b ut the heat is certainly one. Since you only have 4 birds, I would recommend that you bring them ALL inside where it is cooler for the next few days.

My birds have no problem with the Durvet electrolytes I put in their water. I mix it a tad weak though.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Now, there's a fine line between excessive and necessary. I think we are truly doing our state a disservice by xeroscaping. Yes, most grass areas like you mentioned are entirely improperly maintained, but they can be improved upon with better holistic management. It would be very much of a culture shock to Arizona, though, to see a herd of sheep (is it a herd?) or goats grazing through the parks every six months.

Watch this video from Ted Talks, featuring Alan Savory. He is talking about this very subject and how we need to expand are holistic management in order to save the planet from becoming an arid desert. It's not increasing our water consumption, but is in fact saving it, all while turning desert to grasslands. While you're watching it, think back to ancient times and the traditional shepherds. I think it makes perfect sense. It also falls in line with the ideals of Polyface Farms and Joel Salatin.

I'll give that a look later on.
Finally, some of the local golf courses have gone to reclaimed water, but there is still so much waste.

 

[cbnovick]

The shock of that could kill her.

Now if she is truly having a heat stroke, you do need to rapidly cool her down, and the risk is greater that the heat stroke will kill her than the shock, but it does not sound like the bird had a heat stoke, just is not handling the heat (or something else) very well. Keeping her inside in a more reasonable environment is much preferable.

"cool" water not 'cold'......I have done this many times and it has worked well each time.

 

[itsredcandy]

It's been a terrible 2 weeks for me and birds. I lost my beautiful BO. I had a broody hen that I wanted to get chicks for. cbnovick and pastrymama were kind enough to share some rare birds with me. I had gotten sulmtalers and brahmas from pastrymama and some blue and brown Orpingtons from cbnovick. I had 5 of the orpingtons for my brood, day old cute fuzzy butts. The night I got them home I waited until the sun went down and it was dark, I transfered broody hen from nest to brooder and put the chicks under her. She wouldn't have it and started pecking at them. I moved her back to the nest and the chicks into the garage. Next morning I go out and realize I didn't shut the brooder. I have a board that seperated two sides of the brooder and I have quail growing out on the other side. Well the board fell down and I had 12 quail on the loose. I found 2 that had met their demise with my cat. I found many running around the yard and caught them. The neighbor called me and informed me that 2 of my quail were in her back yard. I was able to get them as well. A few days later I found another in the yard and then a week later another. I fixed the board in the brooder with a screw and put the chicks with my broody hen. She seemed to except them this time. No pecking. She just ate and drank and would sit. They crawled under and over her and she seemed happy. That afternoon I went to my grandmothers for 3 hours. When I got home I check on the birds. She killed three, leaving me one brown Orpington and one blue. I pulled her out and put her back with the hens. Those two are doing good. My broody, she's still broody. I kick her out of the nest every time I go out there. She really makes me mad. Then, 2 days ago, as I feeding the pullets (hopefully) in the grow out pen I realize one of the sulmtalers is just laying there not interested in the food as the others are going nuts over feeding time. I pick her up and her crop is full and hard. I brought her in and was able to get her crop emptied. I put her in my indoor brooder under a light that keeps the brooder about 85. She dried out from the crop emptying and was drinking water on her own. She was standing and no longer limp. She had been so much smaller than the others her age. Well she passed that evening. I did an autopsy and found the her gizzard was packed full of food and very expanded. There was no bile in her gizzard, not sure if there is suppose to be. I was very extended and full, just packed with grass and food.

Just a sad backyard bird raising month.

 

[Menmyrc]

They are both Thistle. The darker one is Russian Thistle (Tumbleweed). The lighter one in question is another variety of Thistle. I don't know if they are toxic, but in my limited experience, chickens won't eat anything that could be harmful. Hope that helps. Also, if you want to use herbicide, you'd have to mix the Roundup with Savage (a 2-4D) and a solution of water miracle grow prior to pouring in the products. There's a lot of bad press about Roundup, I'm not too sure about all that, but that's how you kill it if you want to.

Thanks for that - we tried the Roundup in an area where the chickens don't go. Actually I never use/buy Roundup but we take care of a home for some Canadian friends who insist on using Roundup regularly on his yard so we "borrowed" some! The only reason I really want to get rid of it is it has taken over my vegetable garden. My vegetable garden plot is 3,000 square feet and I really, really, really don't want to pull all of them. Especially because they are really hard to pull! I may just have to use the tractor and start discing it up to hopefully disturb them enough to get a handle on them. I bet the chickens will like a 3,000 sq ft dust bath anyway

 

[Menmyrc]

This looks like Wheelscale Saltbush (Atriplex elegans) to me. It's an annual. I've never seen my chickens touch it. I don't think it is poisonous. Best way to get rid of them is manually pull them up and dispose of them before they go to seed. I kind of like that they will actually grow in my scorched-earth yard so I usually leave mine alone unless they're in the garden or close to where I walk a lot. The seeds can be kind of annoying, getting stuck in clothing. http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Atriplex+elegans

I checked the link - that is exactly what it is!!! It even says it can be edible! Not that I'm going to try! Really I just don't want it competing with my vegetable garden plants for water an nutrients. I will say it is pretty cute to see the week old chicks go through them like they are some impressive jungle.

 

[Mikokoke]

Wishing all our chicks and their owners a "cool" day. Try and stay safe and cool today.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I , do/do not agree about Arizona grass lands, if I understand what is being said.

Our deserts as they are today is do to man's impact. Read 1493 by Charles C. Mann and his other books on the subject. We speaks largely of the eastern part of this continent. The Spaniards did their part from the moment they landed. Subject being land, they brought with then in settling Texas long horn. They came in the first place because of the long high endless grassland, stretching north, east, and west without end. It reminded them of Spain. Wealth was cattle, not in coin, more cattle = more wealth. However, it is not the easy to get your cattle to Spain in 1500's -18's. fencing was not nessesary so they muliplyed and eat. The land was grass because there was balance. (Not going into that). Over grassing, slowly turned the land dryer then what is already was. Then, being lonely for home they imported plants for their gardens. Tumble weeds was among them. Seeds blow away and self planted, took the little water there was from the grass, no grass, no cattle, then no Spaniards. Only a handful remaind, by the time people from East moved West. Those that moved West fishihed off the land in a few years to what we see now. Tucson is very interesting. Most of that area was a forest of desrt trees such as Misquite. We cleared the forest in short time, for mining and building the towns. Being a desert tree they grow much slower then other hard woods. There was no chance of it surviving. The wast high grass that covered our Arizona lowlands, quickly grassed away. Seads in larger quantity hitchhiked hear much faster then the wind.

Ofcourse, in this extremely short Synopsis, I skipped 99% of the story.

We have always (at lest for a 1,000) years been classified as a desert (I think that is 9" of rain average). Easy to through off balance.

Many country's do use sheep for cutting grass. The military and our goverment use goats in sensitive areas to maintain a low fire risk. I think it would be good for us to be shocked today by seeing sheep cutting grass on public land. Even better if we eat more mutton and lamb, less corn feed beef. But I'm only one.

PS: Oklahoma still practices the Native Tradition of burning the prairies in taking care of the land.

 

[Billiam]

Pullet or Cockerel? She/He is very bossy and almost protective of the BR at times. Just curious what everyone thinks of my RIR. They should both be about 12 weeks old.

 

[Demosthine]

Pullet or Cockerel? She/He is very bossy and almost protective of the BR at times. Just curious what everyone thinks of my RIR. They should both be about 12 weeks old.

Definitely a cockerel. The hackles, long thick legs, proper upright stance and larger comb all screams "You'll never get an egg out of me!" He reminds me very, very much of my downright beautiful New Hampshire cockerel. Hopefully he's quiet enough for you to keep him.