Arizona Chickens

[DesertChic]

Here are the pullet's from @MrsFitzDarcy any suggestions for names?


9 week's old! Salmon Faverolle

What a pretty girl! With that gorgeous muff and feathering and that pose....you have to choose something chic. Maybe....Chanel? Zha Zha? Musette? LOL!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

This week is supposed to be very hot. Is there anything that you do for you chickens to cool them off, or just provide plenty of fresh water and shade and hope?

A few inches of cool wading water is essential. Some of them have to be trained to wade, though. They don't realize how great it is until you show them. (hold them in the water until they feel cool)
Moist dirt for them to bathe in helps too.

 

[City farm]

Here are the pullet's from [@=/u/300115/MrsFitzDarcy]@MrsFitzDarcy[/@] any suggestions for names? 9 week's old! Salmon Faverolle

What a pretty girl! With that gorgeous muff and feathering and that pose....you have to choose something chic. Maybe....Chanel? Zha Zha? Musette? LOL!

I like Chanel .. Thanks..

 

[City farm]

Duck brat's

We wer told they are Muscovy's, but not sure? Anyone know?

 

[FeatherPugs]

Ugly HOT this week

- please everyone stay safe.

Here's to safe birds and safe friends.

 

[City farm]

Haven't read the whole thread but here is one on the a person dealing with bird flu
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/990599/destruction-and-disposal-orders-help/150

 

[ChuskaMtns]

Just a word of caution, I would think allowing them to get acclimated to heat would help them. And if the are brought inside, when its real hot, I wonder if that would end up being a detriment to them, & I wonder whether or not they might feel like its a shock to their system to be in the hot weather when it's over a hundred degrees. anybody with more experience the meeting might be able to chime in. @ChuskaMtns @desertmarcy
it's just my thoughts as a pursuing medical student.
Everything else sounds wonderful that your doing!

On a side note, and it's probably just me, I'd like to be super careful and I choose not to purchase any misters at least the ones at Home Depot, due to that they had cancer causing ingredients, if you will .. in their materials. So, I'm using watered down ground areas under trees/shrubs, cool water pools of plant saucers and a baby pool for them or me to help keep them cool this summer; with frozen bottles placed in them, as I've used in the previous summer.

The best thing with the desert heat is to start off with heat hearty breeds like the Egyptian Fayoumi, Easter Eggers, Lakenvelders, Leghorns, Marans, etc. Unless you have a place to send them to that's cooler

I have mostly English Orpingtons, definitely not a heat resistant breed, being heavy and overly feathered but I send mine up to my place up north for the warm months. My Marans for the most part stay down in the valley year round, as do my Easter Eggers and my one remaining AM and they seem to know to stay under the brush, get their feet in the many wading pools I leave around for them, drink water and occasionally sit in front of the fan. I do have livestock fans and do believe in using them, much as we've evolved in using A/C I think if we have a choice to make our animals more comfortable and can afford to do so then absolutely, I'm all for it! I don't use misters though as I'm not wanting them to breath in a lot of moisture, I do use soaker hoses on the ground running among the many bushes and trees. My place in the valley has quite a few large sage and rose bushes, citrus and desert museum palo verde, which I allow to grow with very large skirts to let the chickens get as much shade as possible. I also have lush grass growing throughout the property so I think that contributes to keeping it cooler as well.

In the recent past I have brought in one of my larger cockerels, my English Splash Orpington. He's one that I purchased from Greg Mignot as Old Orchard Farms and Greg has the largest Orpingtons I've seen and that I have. This particular guy was having a rough time when we started hitting around 90 in May, he's 7 months old and already weighs in at 13 lbs, he was struggling with the heat so I brought him in the house. I did put him out in the wee hours of the morning but when it started warming up again I brought him back in. He's now having a grand time up in Navajo County with most of my Orpingtons.

Let's not forget fermented feed! I think they digest it better than dry so I only give my birds strictly fermented during the summer months along with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Welcome to our new peeps!

 

[Papas Chickens]

Howdy Yall im back!!

 

[Papas Chickens]

So I lost my Wyndotte Roo this morning, All my Gueneas and half of my BR's were killed by my brothers stupid standard poodles about 5 months ago. But on a good note my silkies are reproducing well and i have four new turkeys unsure of the breed but it looks like i have one tom and three hens.