Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Any AZ chicken people out there? I am looking for some advice on raising chicks in the desert. I'm in Mesa. Does it get too hot out here? I have four 20 day old chicks, 3 Buff Orps and 1 leghorn. Do we need to do anything special here

hello, we are in phoenix. We have 8 ladies. We love our babies, as they are very unique. They know when their daddy is going given then some veggie. My husband has created a chicken play area w mist and the chicken coop was build on a shade area..

So glad that you have joined in... What breeds do you have?

 

[a little chiken]

so in a few hours we will be on our way to Phx. my husband thought his appt was in Tempe but its in Scottsdale off the 101. I am bringing 10 bags of feed from Desert Marcy and the seed box. I am guessing we are going to be weighed down quite a bit going up as that is 500 lbs of feed. thankfully my van is efficient lol. I am excited to meet everyone who is coming. City Farm will message anyone that wants to meet where (what restaurant) we are going to meet at. We are meeting at 3:00 pm.


Ps I also found 6 baby gamblers quail from someone who had a hatching in her yard and the parents abandoned them. I will pick up on my way home tomorrow.

 

[dnx717]

2X4 laid flat, not on edge. A 10" wide pine board with 1/2" square sticks glued every 4 or 5 inches. Make it long enough so the slope is about 30 degrees or less.

 

Wishing I hadn't cut down the 6' 10x2 scrap I had laying around now

So they will roost flat footed on the full side of the 2x4 instead of clutching the narrow side?

 

[maryhysong]

Wishing I hadn't cut down the 6' 10x2 scrap I had laying around now

So they will roost flat footed on the full side of the 2x4 instead of clutching the narrow side?

yes and it seems easier on their feet.

 

[Sill]

but I do not have air and am afraid its too hot to make him travel, what do you think? I talked to my feed stores (3 of them) apparently not so uncommon for people to find quail. they said I have done everything right and I will grind his food down so i make sure he is eating and add bugs and mealworms. I might find some quail in phx to bring home tomorrow night. better to bring them at night in the cool than during the heat of the day.

Remember it's a baby and needs to be warm. Plus being a desert native they are used to the heat.

See I made him a little safe house. He is so tiny!!! Crap this means I will now have quail.

Cute habitat!

hello, we are in phoenix. We have 8 ladies. We love our babies, as they are very unique. They know when their daddy is going given then some veggie. My husband has created a chicken play area w mist and the chicken coop was build on a shade area..

Welcome!

I'm extremely new too. When I first got my chicks and they are the same age as yours, but they face planted and even laid on their side.
was so scared I posted pics to the great people hear for answers. They were just tuckered out.

They are so BIG now. 2 buff orps and 1 Ameruacana. The Amer is the boss. Got a pre fab Hen House from Shoppers, and she scoots the others up to the roost in the evening or when the dog sits to watch. It's still sitting in the family room. Still afraid to put them outside in this heat.

we are looking into the Nipple system for water and to put up some shade screen before we put them out. DH is afraid they are getting spoiled with the AC.

Any suggestions on "when" to put them out? They just have wings and tails now. will no longer fit in the tea cup.....

Welcome! Put them out now, just make sure they have shade, water and cool dirt to scratch down into.

so in a few hours we will be on our way to Phx. my husband thought his appt was in Tempe but its in Scottsdale off the 101. I am bringing 10 bags of feed from Desert Marcy and the seed box. I am guessing we are going to be weighed down quite a bit going up as that is 500 lbs of feed. thankfully my van is efficient lol. I am excited to meet everyone who is coming. City Farm will message anyone that wants to meet where (what restaurant) we are going to meet at. We are meeting at 3:00 pm.


Ps I also found 6 baby gamblers quail from someone who had a hatching in her yard and the parents abandoned them. I will pick up on my way home tomorrow.

And then there were 7... I think you are a quail mom now! I'm happy your little one has it's own covey now.

yes and it seems easier on their feet.

Yes

 

[moms3cuties]

so in a few hours we will be on our way to Phx. my husband thought his appt was in Tempe but its in Scottsdale off the 101. I am bringing 10 bags of feed from Desert Marcy and the seed box. I am guessing we are going to be weighed down quite a bit going up as that is 500 lbs of feed. thankfully my van is efficient lol. I am excited to meet everyone who is coming. City Farm will message anyone that wants to meet where (what restaurant) we are going to meet at. We are meeting at 3:00 pm.  


Ps I also found 6 baby gamblers quail from someone who had a hatching in her yard and the parents abandoned them. I will pick up on my way home tomorrow. 

Sounds good! I'll check out the map for different places near the area City Farm mentioned and .... Thank you!!

 

[moms3cuties]

I'm extremely new too. When I first got my chicks and they are the same age as yours, but they face planted and even laid on their side.
was so scared I posted pics to the great people hear for answers. They were just tuckered out.

They are so BIG now. 2 buff orps and 1 Ameruacana. The Amer is the boss. Got a pre fab Hen House from Shoppers, and she scoots the others up to the roost in the evening or when the dog sits to watch. It's still sitting in the family room. Still afraid to put them outside in this heat.

we are looking into the Nipple system for water and to put up some shade screen before we put them out. DH is afraid they are getting spoiled with the AC.

Any suggestions on "when" to put them out? They just have wings and tails now. will no longer fit in the tea cup.....

hello, we are in phoenix. We have 8 ladies. We love our babies, as they are very unique. They know when their daddy is going given then some veggie. My husband has created a chicken play area w mist and the chicken coop was build on a shade area..

Better roost material: 2" dowels or 2x4 on edge? My coop walls are built, time for final assembly soon. Need to finish designing the roost

Also, what's the best way to make a ramp for the hens? My coop is 3' off the ground.

 

[DesertChickens1]

Slaughtered one of my meat chickens today. I was going to do all of them, but the first one weighed 8lbs after I processed it, and I don't have room in my freezer for 24 pounds of meat

 

[MaddBaggins]

Slaughtered one of my meat chickens today. I was going to do all of them, but the first one weighed 8lbs after I processed it, and I don't have room in my freezer for 24 pounds of meat

Sounds like a good problem to have.


Anyone have any links to good processing videos? Or, better yet, anyone in Tucson going to be processing anytime in the next few months? I'd like to get a handle on it before I need to do it to any of ours.

 

[Stynch]

Better roost material: 2" dowels or 2x4 on edge? My coop walls are built, time for final assembly soon. Need to finish designing the roost

Also, what's the best way to make a ramp for the hens? My coop is 3' off the ground.

Welcome.

We gave our birds options - in the coop, they have a 2x4 and a branch (about 1-1/2" diameter) and in the run they have a dowel and another branch. They use the branch roosts almost exclusively.

Our coop is also elevated. We used a 2x8 and attached 1" wide strips of scrap plywood about 8" apart. It worked great when they were little, and now they fly half-way up and take one or two steps, then fly into the coop!