Arizona Chickens

[smjacob]

SO the missing chickens...

The first one we never found and have no idea what happened. The second one I found and assume that she somehow got out of the coop and the dog killed her. I have since reinforced the cage and made sure no one can get out. The first one either also got out and the dog completely ate her or, some hawk or something got her since there has been no sign of that one.

Sooo that's what happened. I feel really bad for those birds.

Shaun

 

[Americanaluv]

It has been raining, snowing, and hailing today. We live in Northeast Arizona, elevation 6,600 feet, and new to raising chickens. My husband is building a coop and I am wondering if he needs to fully enclose it? He has the bottom covered with sheet metal and the rest with chicken wire. It gets warm here, but it can also be very windy and chilly at night ...I am thinking he needs to make a fully enclosed coop (he's not quite done with it).

I really wanted to say hi, as I am sure there is a topic for this on BYC! I'll try to post some pics soon. We have two roosters, about two months old and seven chicks, about thee weeks old. I am thinking we will have to give one of the roosters away :-( ... they are so cute, both Ameraucana. I hold them (at night) and scratch their necks. They seem really smart as well and very cooperative when it's time to put them in their cage at night. We are currently housing our clucky family in our round house.

We have been doing well, only one of the female chicks died. The rest look healthy and hardy. Hope everyone else is doing great!

 

[tofuranch]

Quote:

I live in Northern AZ too..the weather today stinks. We have had rain and snow too

I would enclose the sides for winter time---some years you get a lot of snow , it won't get to hot in there in the summer

 

[Mahonri]

From the Great BW Ameraucana Hatch

Some pics of the almost 2 week old chicks

BWA X BBL Polish

Group minus 2

Splash roo?

BWA X SF ... ? Velociraptor??

 

[Enjaytoo]

Welcome Americanaluv and Chickentales!!

AZNessa~ So sorry about Kevin....it's painful to lose a special one

Mahonri~ Good lookin' chicks!

ADC and LareePQG~ Sorry to hear of the sneezing, mites and BF...Gads, that sounds like alot of work and hopefully all the chickies will recover uneventfully!

This weekend was very "poultry productive"......DBF made me an attached nest box for my shipping crate coop. It works great, all out of cull lumber from HD and its functional and looks good too! Today he made a grow out shelter too out of scrap/cull lumber; the man is on my awesome list right about now!

However, yesterday as he was crammed inside the shipping crate, attaching another roosting pole, BumbleBee (4 month old blue mottled cochin) pecked his eye!!

Contact lens went flyin', he was yelling......I couldnt help fun laugh though, it was pretty funny hearing all that cussin' inside a shipping crate

 

[redrocketrooster]

I have the sweetest but the DUMBEST dog I have ever met. I love my little Charlie girl but she gave me a heart attack today. She tried (and sort of succeeded) in jumping the 5 foot pool gate, landed wrong and is now limping. It's a minor limp and I'm certain she's fine but as routine she's going to our Vet on Tuesday. Dosed her with doggy pain killers her sister was given when she broke her elbow.

These dogs eat money! I SWEAR!

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
Hi and welcome to the thread!

I am going to say, yes, that you do need to have some place that is closed in for your winters up there. Chickens can be pretty hardy, but their combs and wattles are subject to frost bite. I have some family in Winslow. Are you far from there? Is your weather similar? It is definitely cold there in the winter. Too cold for chickens to be outside without shelter. My vote is to fully enclose with room to roam outside.
Hope that helps.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

aaaawwwww Mahonri those are so adorable! I have leghorn/polish crosses. One came out black, one almost completely white, and the third has little spots of black on her here and there like a dalmation! lol

WELLL GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE!

 

[smjacob]

I will post more pictures soon. A lot of my friends who are not chicken folk have been asking me to do a blog about my experiences getting chickens so I am working on that now. If you want to see it for some reason (half of the posts are the things i put up here) then take a look at http://smjacob.posterous.com/

Again for you guys its the same old stuff you see here but it gives an account of what I am doing. I think you will get the full story anyway but just wanted to point that out for some reason

Shaun

 

[smjacob]

So today I added a dust bath for the chickens and a cacium supliment for the hens of my group to help with their egg production. Its been a busy day but I did take some photos when I was making sure the chickens were in their pen for nightime. http://www.flickr.com/photos/smjacob/sets/72157623981056918/