Arizona Chickens

[carnivore]

I'm getting rid of my ornamental pond and setting up an aquaponics system. I still have one koi to give away. I think it's a female, 9 inches or so in length. I don't remember how old this fish is but she appears to be healthy and a bit on the fat side since she is stealing all the food from my tilapia and goldfish. PM me for more info.

Good for you! Don't do like I did, and plant too many tomatoes. I now have a tomato jungle in my greenhouse, I can't even walk through end to end!


This was 2 or 3 weeks ago, it's much worse now!

 

[a little chiken]

Good for you! Don't do like I did, and plant too many tomatoes. I now have a tomato jungle in my greenhouse, I can't even walk through end to end!


This was 2 or 3 weeks ago, it's much worse now!

do you have an aquaponics system too? I saw Gallo's and I really want one now. any thoughts or advise is appreciated.
biggest one is do I need a greenhouse?

 

[MagicChicken]

It didn't even hit quite 100 here today, and I lost 3 hens, presumably to the heat. That was quite a shock. I don't usually turn the misters on until it gets hotter, and the one pen where 2 died has no mister anyway. The only thing I can think is, it got hot so suddenly. We have had a relatively mild May so far, and just came out of a nice cool spell, then the temp. really soared today.
Last year, I did lose a few birds, but it was when it got up to 110 degrees and had been consistently hot for a month or more. I am just surprised. I lost an Orloff, an olive-egger, and a Rhode Island Red. Not a mark on them or anything wrong, they just keeled over in the late afternoon.

Sorry you lost more birds. That is a bummer. Hope the rest are ok.

It hit 108 at my place this afternoon and NOAA is predicting tomorrow will be warmer than today. (They were only predicting 101 today for my part of town. Yeah, right. 108 it was.)

Nights are staying warmer now, too. That adds to the heat stress.

 

[kpgoldstar]

It didn't even hit quite 100 here today, and I lost 3 hens, presumably to the heat. That was quite a shock. I don't usually turn the misters on until it gets hotter, and the one pen where 2 died has no mister anyway. The only thing I can think is, it got hot so suddenly. We have had a relatively mild May so far, and just came out of a nice cool spell, then the temp. really soared today.
Last year, I did lose a few birds, but it was when it got up to 110 degrees and had been consistently hot for a month or more. I am just surprised. I lost an Orloff, an olive-egger, and a Rhode Island Red. Not a mark on them or anything wrong, they just keeled over in the late afternoon.

Oh No!! I am so sorry. For us we have had a mild spring, but for once a gradual lead up to the heat. Usually it is mild then BAM! it hits us like a brick. Not so this year. This is my first year with chickens and the last 2 days we've been 109. My coop and run have available full shade all day and so far my girls seem to be doing OK.

I spray down the lawn when they get let out to free range after 5. I haven't seen signs of panting or splaying of wings so far. We've had a slight breeze each day too which helps.

 

[Sill]

Sorry everyone who's lost chickens to the heat. Mine have deep shade in their run and the coop is well shaded and ventilated so they haven't looked too heat stressed. Will get some misters up soon. They really love wading in the shallow pans of water I have for them in the shade. They take turns in the water.

I almost lost some quail to a roadrunner today. The door to the cage in my lathe house that I have my extra males in was left ajar after I put fresh water in for them and my two pet doves. I went outside later and thought I was hearing a wild bird flapping but it was my tiny diamond dove trying to fly back up to the cage (I adopted him as a wing-damaged youngster) as I bent to scoop him up I saw two of my quail under the cage, then heard the chickens raising hell. I look out into the yard to see a big *** road runner not ten feet from my main quail cages and it's eyeballing three more loose quail dust bathing under the cages, not a care in the world! Coturnix are not the smartest of domestic fowl! I made the decision to catch the quail under inspection of the roadrunner first so I grabbed my bird net and a broom. I was able to catch one but spooked another who bolted for the other end of the yard. Did I mention my DD's American Bulldog was out with me? He went for the bolting quail so I nabbed his head with the net, then grabbed him by the collar still with one quail in my other hand. (It was a good thing my terriers were not out as they would have gotten that bird and probably all the others too.) I get the dog into the house and quail in hand into the cage then turn around to see what happened to the other two quail in the yard. I didn't see the roadrunner anymore but the one quail is STILL dust bathing and the one that bolted is trying his best to make it back to the covey, probably to continue his dust bathing! I quit trying to use the net since that seemed to be scaring them and just picked them up by hand and put them back with their brothers. The two loose in the lathe house were still there so I was able to catch them too and get them back in with the others. All accounted for and the roadrunner didn't get any.

Lessons learned?

Listen when the chickens are raising hell. They were trying to warn me there was a predator in the yard that didn't belong there. Duh!

Quail, at least mine, are less afraid of me catching them by hand than a scary net trying to "kill" them.

Loose quail want to stay by their covey.

Quail are stupid and will dust bathe even when they are about to become dinner for a roadrunner or a bulldog.

Also, the quail were lucky I had but up a wire barrier to keep the dogs away from the quail poop (evidently a real canine delicacy) as this kept the roadrunner and dog from easily grabbing one of the escapees. I'm sure if the barrier had not been there I would have lost at least one bird, maybe more. Though the barrier is open at the top and slightly on the sides it was enough to foil the roadrunner's dining plans and the dog's chance at a real live play toy.

Anyone know a way to keep roadrunners out of the yard?

I'm sure it will be back!

 

[mnabity]

Good for you! Don't do like I did, and plant too many tomatoes. I now have a tomato jungle in my greenhouse, I can't even walk through end to end! This was 2 or 3 weeks ago, it's much worse now!

I'm so jealous! I love tomatoes and plant them every year but they never get that big!

 

[carnivore]

do you have an aquaponics system too? I saw Gallo's and I really want one now. any thoughts or advise is appreciated. 
biggest one is do I need a greenhouse?

Do a search on this site for "aquaponics", there is a thread where I posted a bunch of pics....wait one....the thread is titled "Does anyone have an aquaponics system". You don't NEED a greenhouse, but it does make it a lot easier, for shade, insect control, evaporation losses, etc. The greenhouse in the pic is NOT an ideal one, but it is 26x12, and I got it off Amazon for just under $400. Once you start looking at prices on greenhouses, you'll realize what a steal that is. I had to put shade cloth over the top a few weeks ago, because the tomato leaves were burning.

 

[carnivore]

I'm so jealous! I love tomatoes and plant them every year but they never get that big!

It's 'cuz they are watered 24/7 with fish poop water!

 

[kpgoldstar]

I have discovered cockroaches!!!! UGH!! Who knew this would be a byproduct of having chickens?? First one I saw was in my guest bath, just a loner that I killed. The big long sewer roach kind. We have never had them before, especially not in my house.

This past week, going out to lock up the girls after dark, I saw a few crawling around in the run area near where I feed. I do FF so they don't scatter it everywhere, but there are still some remnants. I also have watered down the ground so we have moisture where there never was any before. I was a little freaked out when I saw them out there and wondered how on earth the one got into my house!

Last night I put a mouse glue trap outside of the run adjacent to the food trough. We caught about 7 of them!!! EWWWWW! Most were the bronze colored ones but 2 were black. THEN, to top it all off... I fluffed my comforter that we fold onto the floor each night to put back on the bed this morning and there was one inside of that!!!! OMG, I just don't know what to do??? How can there be so many so soon? Where did they come from and how are they getting into my house?

I put another glue trap out tonight, along with a tray of powdered sugar and baking soda. I read a bunch of threads and will also do the glass jar thing with shortening and something sweet in the bottom to see how many I catch. I have been tossing straw in the run so my girls don't have to stand on the hot ground and rocks, but I may have to curb that until I see to what degree my infestation has gotten. I also plan to get some orange guard (??) to spray all around my home entrances. I still just don't know how they are getting in!!

I read DE, cucumbers, etc will also help. Anyone in AZ have any experience with this? Any tired and true remedies to get rid of them for good? So far other than the ones inside I have only seen them at night so the chicks aren't eating or chasing them. I also read about eye worm that they can spread so I'm not planning on letting my girls eat them even after I catch them.

 

[miwin1000]

I tried a small swamp cooler, but they didn't like the wind it put out. I just make sure they have access to cool areas (under the porch is great....they love it there.) and plenty of water and shade. They take care of the rest. No corn or scratch in the hot weather. Cool foods like melons, refrigerated grapes and berries (they LOVE grapes!) I keep stuff in the fridge for them so they can have a cool treat. Even frozen juice cubes in a bowl...mmmm. Apples cut into bite size chunks, any kind of fruit or veggie, but if it's too big, you have to chop it for them. They like citrus too if you cut it open for them. They don't like getting citrus oil from the peels on their beaks. they love ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese, regular grated cheese, sour cream, even plain milk. The calcium is great for the egg shells. and don't forget to grind their egg shells and feed them back. You can just dump it on the ground....they need the grit and the calcium. I hose down the yard once in a while, but not often. mostly just to keep the dust down. I have a trough out in the back that has grey water from the kitchen sink that feeds into there....they love to wade in it. it keeps their feet cool and clean. I don't mist because I have found they don't like to get their feathers wet even when it's scortching hot...i think they steam then (lol). My chickens are allowed anywhere in the yard they want to go, so they find their own cool places. There's plenty out there for them so I don't worry much about it.