Arizona Chickens

[Kaligh]

Hi Guys!!!!

I've been living in AZ for the past year and just got my first place. Hoping maybe I can make friends with local chicken peeps who can help me with getting started with chickens.

Is there any sort of local chicken club in the Central Tucson area that I can join? or any friendly local chicken people who would be willing to help me? I'm more of a hands on person, so I am hoping to get a hand on getting set up and caring for my first flock beyond just what I'm reading in books!

I have a few questions to start!

1. is it cheaper to buy and raise chicks or just buy pullets and start there.
2. is it true that it can get to hot for the chickens to lay out here? Thats what I was told.
3. Should I Install a small AC unit to keep the coop cool? if so what temp should I set it at? cause I know from living in CT that it can get to cold for egg laying.
4. I work 5AM to 2PM Its still dark when I leave for work, can I open the coop that early if their pen is fenced in? or is there some sort of auto door opener I can put in to open it for me once the sun comes up? that isn't to expensive.
5. Does anyone have any ideas on where to get Chicks or Pullets in Tucson. Im central. Im hoping to find a place that can sex them as I don't want to deal with roosters and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I had a rooster lol.
6. Are there any crafty chicken keepers out here in Tucson that want to come over and help me with my shed project?
7. What are some good heat hearty breeds that lay well/often and are friendly?

Thanks! I'm so excited to join everyone

 

[SonoranChick]

Hi Guys!!!!

I've been living in AZ for the past year and just got my first place. Hoping maybe I can make friends with local chicken peeps who can help me with getting started with chickens.

Is there any sort of local chicken club in the Central Tucson area that I can join? or any friendly local chicken people who would be willing to help me? I'm more of a hands on person, so I am hoping to get a hand on getting set up and caring for my first flock beyond just what I'm reading in books!

I have a few questions to start!

1. is it cheaper to buy and raise chicks or just buy pullets and start there.
2. is it true that it can get to hot for the chickens to lay out here? Thats what I was told.
3. Should I Install a small AC unit to keep the coop cool? if so what temp should I set it at? cause I know from living in CT that it can get to cold for egg laying.
4. I work 5AM to 2PM Its still dark when I leave for work, can I open the coop that early if their pen is fenced in? or is there some sort of auto door opener I can put in to open it for me once the sun comes up? that isn't to expensive.
5. Does anyone have any ideas on where to get Chicks or Pullets in Tucson. Im central. Im hoping to find a place that can sex them as I don't want to deal with roosters and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I had a rooster lol.
6. Are there any crafty chicken keepers out here in Tucson that want to come over and help me with my shed project?
7. What are some good heat hearty breeds that lay well/often and are friendly?

Thanks! I'm so excited to join everyone

Hi, welcome to the thread, and congrats on your own place! That's exciting! I am north of Tucson so hopefully I can be of some help to you.
To answer some of your questions, chicks are cheaper but you have to have a brooder, a heat source, and special water/feed dispensers, among other things. Started pullets cost more up front (not much more though), and you have the added bonus of knowing they are definitely females. I, however, prefer to hand raise chicks because that way they will grow up loving you and will be more friendly and less flighty. Years ago we bought some 8-10 week old pullets from a breeder who had not hand raised them, and they were terrified of humans. I could barely clean their coop without terrifying them. If you have the time, hand raise some chicks!
It can get nasty, disgusting, super duper hot in the summer. Our highest temp was 117 and many friends unfortunately lost some of their chickens to heat stroke. This can be prevented! The right breeds, lots of shade, ice, cold snacks, pans of water, misters, even an AC system on the coop!...all of these can help ensure your chickens will make it through the summer, and some will keep laying through the hottest days.
You can open the coop door early in the am before work, or you can get an automatic door. I'm not sure what they cost, but I've seen some online. My girls are off the roost and outside as the sun rises so you may just open the door as you leave for the day, they'll come out as they wake up.
Our local feed store (Triple L) has chicks for sale right now, and I know Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply, Vaqueros feed, they all sell chicks too. They do their best to sex them but I've heard of many mistakes. Sexing chicks is an art form, not a science lol. Online hatcheries have a gaurentee and are usually very accurate (ten out of ten of my chickies are girls!) Check craigslist for pullets but beware of who you're buying from.
As for breeds, I would go with australorpes, Rhode Island reds, leghorns, or naked necks for the heat. Honestly I have yet to meet a chicken breed that I didn't adore so I would ask some others for their opinion & do some research as well
Hope this helps!

 

[Diannastarr]

I'm always going to herald the remarkable Naked Neck Turkens (NNs). They're my primary breed and shrug off heat up to 115* while other birds suffer miserably. They're outstanding for eggs, meat and as pets.

But...since some people struggle with their looks, Australorps, Barred Rocks, and White Leghorns also do very well out here.

But seriously....NNs are gorgeous.
View attachment 1168526

wow such beautiful coloring , such a pretty boy.

 

[meetthebubus]

@Kaligh I have several videos that show what I do, including enclosure and water and air, etc.

 

[meetthebubus]

Also australorps seem to have lots of feathers not to question negatively but how do you think they're tolerant? Seriously, bc sometimes I look at my orps how they suffer, I start to think no chicken belongs in the desert so I like to think of the future and although I love my buffs if there was a chicken that did better I would consider getting them in the future so those that work with them, how do you think they get by in heat? ☺

 

[igorsMistress]

My birds don't have as much fluff as the Orpingtons I've seen.
Regardless of breed, chickens are going to be hot when it's 115 dontcha think? ANY creature for that matter.

 

[SonoranChick]

Also australorps seem to have lots of feathers not to question negatively but how do you think they're tolerant? Seriously, bc sometimes I look at my orps how they suffer, I start to think no chicken belongs in the desert so I like to think of the future and although I love my buffs if there was a chicken that did better I would consider getting them in the future so those that work with them, how do you think they get by in heat? ☺

That's a really good question that I do not have the answer to...I have a BO as well and she's definitely more "fluffy" and feathered than my australorp. I'll try to get some pics of them side by side today for comparison. When I think back to this past summer, they both faired pretty well. The breed that seemed to suffer and pant the most were my leghorns, for whatever reason.

 

[cactusrota]

Hi Guys!!!!

I've been living in AZ for the past year and just got my first place. Hoping maybe I can make friends with local chicken peeps who can help me with getting started with chickens.

Is there any sort of local chicken club in the Central Tucson area that I can join? or any friendly local chicken people who would be willing to help me? I'm more of a hands on person, so I am hoping to get a hand on getting set up and caring for my first flock beyond just what I'm reading in books!

I have a few questions to start!

1. is it cheaper to buy and raise chicks or just buy pullets and start there.
2. is it true that it can get to hot for the chickens to lay out here? Thats what I was told.
3. Should I Install a small AC unit to keep the coop cool? if so what temp should I set it at? cause I know from living in CT that it can get to cold for egg laying.
4. I work 5AM to 2PM Its still dark when I leave for work, can I open the coop that early if their pen is fenced in? or is there some sort of auto door opener I can put in to open it for me once the sun comes up? that isn't to expensive.
5. Does anyone have any ideas on where to get Chicks or Pullets in Tucson. Im central. Im hoping to find a place that can sex them as I don't want to deal with roosters and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I had a rooster lol.
6. Are there any crafty chicken keepers out here in Tucson that want to come over and help me with my shed project?
7. What are some good heat hearty breeds that lay well/often and are friendly?

Thanks! I'm so excited to join everyone

I would agree with most of what everyone else said above, except the AC. I would discourage one, for one simple reason. You can actually make your chickens more sensitive to the heat by making them dependant on the AC. What if it breaks down or there's some random power outage in the middle of July? Suddenly the chickens have to deal with a heat that they've not adapted to and they are actually more likely to suffer heat stroke, than if they'd had the chance to build a toughness to it. Lots of shade, lots of water, including bigger pans and pools they can cool their feet in. And very importantly a well ventiliated coop that's almost more like a screened in porch. Most of the coops you see on the internet are designed with northern climates in mind. The best in this region are at least two full sides of nothing but wire.
https://www.purelypoultry.com/heat-hardy-chickens-c-154_252.html

And I totally back up Naked Necks. Super awesome birds. Mine laid all the way through the summer, they just didn't care.

 

[Bobby Basham]

I would agree with most of what everyone else said above, except the AC. I would discourage one, for one simple reason. You can actually make your chickens more sensitive to the heat by making them dependant on the AC. What if it breaks down or there's some random power outage in the middle of July? Suddenly the chickens have to deal with a heat that they've not adapted to and they are actually more likely to suffer heat stroke, than if they'd had the chance to build a toughness to it. Lots of shade, lots of water, including bigger pans and pools they can cool their feet in. And very importantly a well ventiliated coop that's almost more like a screened in porch. Most of the coops you see on the internet are designed with northern climates in mind. The best in this region are at least two full sides of nothing but wire.
https://www.purelypoultry.com/heat-hardy-chickens-c-154_252.html

And I totally back up Naked Necks. Super awesome birds. Mine laid all the way through the summer, they just didn't care.View attachment 1169210

We are blessed here in Southern Arizona to have such mild winters. When you look at all those coops, they are in nice, lush grass back yards, and they look like they are fortified for more harsh winters than the conditions we have here. It would be nice if the LOCATIONS of these coops were included with those pics. Look at how residential homes are built across the country. New England homes are built differently than homes built in the Southwest. Coops are no different and should be designed for the region in which you live because requirements and conditions vary. --BB

 

[SonoranChick]

@cactusrota that is a really good point about the use of an AC system in the coop. I can't say enough good things about shade, shade and more shade. It really helps since we have a dry heat. Also frozen jugs of water are cheap and the girls have their own little igloo to cool off!
You guys are really making me want some naked necks! I hadn't even thought of them before, I suppose because they are a less conventional breed due to their appearance? I think they're quite adorable personally. I would like to know, from those of you who have them..do the other chickens peck at them more, or bully them, because they have more exposed skin? I know some people are opposed to this but I like to keep a mixed flock and would not want them to be singled out. Maybe I should get a few of them...strength in numbers....agh chicken math strikes again.