Arizona Chickens

[pipemum]

Yes, I read the same thing, which is why they are getting high protein foods such as sunflower seeds and mealworms. It's been a month, maybe 6 weeks, of molt. I hope it doesn't last the 4-6 months that some sources say it can take.

 

[desertmarcy]

If you use corrugated steel roofing make sure you allow for heat to vent at the top. Desertmarcy's setup works so well partly because there is an opening at the peak to let out the heat. I have a sloping metal roof on one coop/run that wasn't designed as well as Desertmarcy's and it traps heat. That coop/run is open on one side and has screened windows in the other sides, but that roof still trapped a lot of heat. It was like a radiator sending heat into the coop/run until I built a frame with a shadecloth cover over the top of it. It's an ugly workaround but it works. I used 3/4" plywood and rolled roofing for the breeding pens. They are much cooler than the metal-roofed structure.

If I had it to do over again, I would have installed some kind of insulation material under the metal roofing.

 

[City farm]

WELL I found the stinker that has been crowing in the morning only and "SHE" is from [@=/u/31570/flower]@flower[/@]

It was Molly. I could not believe it.. She sounds like a chicken getting choked

So you have a crowing hen too?  Or is she really a he?  Sorry about the fighting roosters, I take it Clark Kent kept everyone in line?

Yes he did. And his son junior.. They are just so loud.. Plus our duck's I can only take so much.. Plus our new neighbor can be a bit, well ya know..

 

[City farm]

e e If you love coffee, you understand.

That is a great flavor..

 

[City farm]

I've seen that there are many on BYC that have used and highly recommend the use of Blackjack #57. Has anyone in AZ. used this product to cover their coop and henhouse floors? What did you think? Also I'd like to know what folks in AZ are using for flooring - sand, deep litter method, etc. Thanks!

I have no idea what Blackjack #57 is, but would love to be enlightened. 


I'm new to keeping chickens but decided after doing about a year's worth of research to try deep litter, pine shavings specifically. I filled my brooder with about 4 inches of it and the chicks thrived. Now that they're all in the coop, the litter is about 6 inches deep and I add to it every few weeks as they continue to grow. Again, no health problems at all so far and the chicks seem to really like it. Once I have their run completed, I'll probably coat most of the floor of the run with compost material, which I'll add scraps to on a daily basis, and let them go to town with it, especially during our colder months. Hopefully in about a year's time I'll have some nice compost to use in my garden beds. 

A few on here have told their story about deep litter, the mold can be toxic and deadly to your flock. Along with whoever is cleaning it at the time.. They mentioned how sick they got after.. If I were you I would do more research.

 

[City farm]

 
I use bagged compost in my run, and throw in greenhouse cuttings fairly often. Works great! (P.S., my run is covered with tarps, so is fairly waterproof. What with waterer spillage, and what leaks around the edges of the tarps, it is usually pretty dry. During the summer, I wet it down with a hose every day).

We've been talking about using tarps atop the run. I built the walls of the run to be over 6 feet high, and will be adding a "roof" for shade and protection for aerial predators. We stationed this run on the east side of the house, which gets the least amount of rain, but I'm still worried about the first rain fall. The run is about 1/2 complete with many more hours of work ahead of us, as I just had to design a modular version that could be disassembled and reassembled elsewhere on our property. (I'm starting to think I'm a bit of a masochist.  ) 

We have a shed filled with stuff we haven't looked at for about 10 years that I'm trying to convince my husband into letting me convert into a larger, secure and protected chicken coop for my more mature birds...once I actually have mature birds. I think I'm wearing him down, but until I see things going to donation or the dumpster I won't know for sure. 

I'm also thinking of raising black soldier flies this spring. I really do prefer to feed my birds wholesome, natural foods more indicative of what chickens evolved to eat. (I'm a food snob at heart, I guess.)

The solder fly's did not hatch this month.

 

[DesertChic]

The solder fly's did not hatch this month.

I usually don't see soldier flies around here until the weather warms in the spring. Last year I saw them in December along with an abundance of butterflies, but last year I think the average December temperature was about 80 degrees so it was buggier than usual much earlier. I'm not counting on that this year.

 

[DesertChic]

A few on here have told their story about deep litter, the mold can be toxic and deadly to your flock. Along with whoever is cleaning it at the time.. They mentioned how sick they got after.. If I were you I would do more research.

As I understand it, mold is a result of damp litter. Between the chicken scratching and my turning of the litter on a regular basis I hope to avoid that problem...unless we get a lot of rain. Then I'll probably have to start from scratch.

 

[flower]

WELL I found the stinker that has been crowing in the morning only and "SHE" is from @flower
It was Molly. I could not believe it.. She sounds like a chicken getting choked & not loud at all. At first I thought it was the bielefelder rooster, he is suppose to get as big as a turkey.. I caught the 2 isbar fighting, they both could be roosters.

Their combs were all pecked with some blood spots. I did separate the for the day..
I never had roosters start fighting like this before, & at such a young age.. The flock must miss Clark Kent..

city farm that is really weird As far as I know both hens layer eggs. One layer blue/green and the other olive.

BTW the three hens from the six chicks all lay green eggs. The other three "were" male.

 

[flower]

Yes he did. And his son junior.. They are just so loud.. Plus our duck's I can only take so much.. Plus our new neighbor can be a bit, well ya know..