Arizona Chickens

[Mama Hen Chris]

could you run a fan for them - moving air always seems cooler

Hey Nancy..nice to see you in AZ

 

[Sheof3Angels]

Quote:
Love it !!! That's so cool that you did that. Great to put some scientific numbers to the debate.

 

[Sheof3Angels]

All the gas stations sell ice blocks in addition to bagged ice. That's what I've been doing this weekend. Sorry if someone else already answered this, I'm 15 pages behind on the thread and trying to catch up...

ChicksOfHazzard - Thank you so much for your post. Still stressing but making it day by day.

 

[Sheof3Angels]

Luckily some very good friends of ours loaned us a smaller (half the size of what we had) freezer til we can get a new one. It has now turned into the "ice for the chickens" freezer. I will be going out today to buy a few blocks of ice just so I can work on my stock pile that I lost. I can NOT believe that at 0300 this morning it was 95 degrees outside already. These poor girls. I feel soo sorry for everyone who has lost chickens so far this summer. Of course this is my first with chickens and first with chickens over the summer. Is this typical for raising Az BYC?

DH and I are going to work on a misting system for the girls today. He found one in his shed that we can re-purpose and use for the chickens coop and run. Some good friends of ours in Buckeye lost one of their chickens a day or two ago and they are putting up a misting system in their coop too. Just hate that these chickens have no relief, not cooling down enough even through the night. Guess we can all only do what we can do.

We were down to 2 eggs yesterday and my EE hasn't laid an egg since she started molting. Collecting eggs as soon as I can just to avoid any boiled eggs due to the heat.

Well the sun is up and the girls are probably wondering where the heck I am. Gotta go tend to my girls before heading off to church.

 

[Chicken Feat]

You've inspired my husband. He's on the way to Home Depot.

I was wondering if your makeshift swamp worked? I had to leave the hose dribbling into the pan to keep the water level up. Other than that mine worked great. The girls have realized their run is way too hot and hanging out in the coop is the cool thing to do. I open the gate to the run, they run over there to see if there's any snacks, then run back to the coop.
Me? I spent too much time outside yesterday and am feeling it today, gonna stay in today, whew the heat can really sneak up on you.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
We ended up using a mister and a fan without the pad and pump. The chickens are hanging out under a big tree with 3 wading tubs and the mist blowing on them. They seem to be doing OK.
Their coop is still pretty hot, but they don't spend much time in there.
I'm from Tucson and I remember when I moved here to the East Valley I thought it wouldn't be much different. I was wrong! It's much worse here.

 

[City farm]

As of last night no chicken deaths... The thermometer said 108' at 2:30, yikes... Turned of the misters..
Yeah, our two broody hens on top of those eggs,.. I might need baby chicks for them..
Anyone have chicks around July 11TH? Just in case...

 

[WestSideChicken]

So glad this is here with so much information! I have never raised chickens before, and have been worried about moving our 4 6 week olds to our coup outside with this record heat... They are getting too big and messy for the indoor rabbit cage they have been living in inside our house. I never thought I would ever have chickens in AZ but the more I read the more exciting it gets. We live in the city of Phoenix, but on the edge of farming communities and have a very large yard. Hoping as long as none of the chicks turn out to be Roos no one will mind them. There is at least 80 feet from every surrounding house and the coup.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: The fake lakes are designated water reservoirs. They serve a very useful purpose. Friday evening at 8 o'clock I left church, less than a mile from my home. My car's outside temperature display read 117. I turned into my neighborhood, which is agricultural, has lots of tall trees and mostly grass yards. The gauge dropped a good 10 degrees as soon as I turned into the neighborhood. Where I live has been agricultural for 1000 years.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Thanks! I do know they hate the electrolytes, the others are drinking it, but they were drinking out of the foot bath most of the day to avoid the flout. I'll give her Gatorade (wonder if they they a flavor preference!? ha!). I poured a bit of the water in her food along with some yogurt and she ate a bit of it. Had some normal looking bowel movements and seemed to perk up a bit for a little while. I was going to put her back out tonight but when I went to get her she was still out of it. I decided to keep her in the bathroom through tomorrow night at the earliest. I'll move the others in too if they look bad. I do plan on putting more ice out and making a swamp cooler out of a box fan and wet towels for tomorrow.

She didn't have any issues prior to this morning. She seemed just fine and as active as the others the past couple weeks in the heat. I am worried something else could be wrong with her, but she has no other symptoms other than lethargy and not drinking. Her crop feels normal, her breathing sounds good and her eyes look clear and alert. She perked up for a little while this afternoon after she had eaten and groomed herself and sat and cuddled on my lap.

Thanks to you all for your advice. I'm happy to have found this thread!

Yes, they have flavour preferences. I had a bird inside for a couple of months due to heat prostration several years ago. I don;t remember which flavours she didn't like (maybe blue?) but she really liked the lighter red and the orange. I dn;t think she cared for original green or fruit punch (dark red). But hat might well vary by bird.