Arizona Chickens

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SonoranChick said:
I need some help...the girls are fighting over the nest box. They all want to lay in the same box, and if it's occupied, they have no patience & get aggressive. I have placed golf balls in all of the nests, but they are absolutely hell bent on laying in one box only. I can't be out there monitoring every egg that's laid, so what should I do? This just started in the past week. Should I remove the dividers so it's just one giant box? Or block off/ remove the favored nest? They are so stubborn holy cow.
I also have a hen (red star sex link) who is now laying from the roost :barnie sometimes the shell survives the fall, but I'm so sad when I see a perfect egg broken on the floor in the morning. She lays it early morning when it's still dark. This started about a week ago as well. Is she just being lazy and sleeping in with the later sunrise?
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I had eggs dropped from the roost a few times. How old are your birds? Just curious as mine had only been laying a few months when it happened.
I like the idea of taking out the dividers but I suspect there will still be a preferred spot even if you do.
 
I went out there and removed the dividers, they are SO MAD at me...I think I need to "reset" their nest situation and just start over. Now it's just a big private box with hay and golf balls. They are 26 weeks old today and the red star has been laying since week 20, so she is a new layer. She lays the most fabulous big brown eggs.
 
RainForestBird said:
Hi I just moved to Southern (really south, like almost in Mexico) AZ and I had some misters from my old house in Washington that I used in my greenhouse to water plants. They are made by Orbit, but I'm kind of worried that the water here will just clog up the little sprayers-I've been told it is very hard, with a high mineral content. The sprayers have tiny with needle hole size openings to let the water out. I thought they would be nice for my chicken run that is already shaded by one of those portable shade thingees that vendors use at the farmer's market. It doesn't get really hot here because the altitude is over 5500 feet. It rarely gets over 100 during the summer months, although we've had some very warm weather for November and the first part of December. I think the intensity of the sun is worse at the higher altitude because it feels much hotter than it is. Its been in the 60's but my skin is already brown as a berry and I've only been here for 2 weeks. I use sunscreen for what its worth (not much).
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You can just soak the nozzles in vinegar when they start to clog up. What part of WA are you from? I grew up in West Seattle, it's a big difference to down here. I'm at 2900 feet and we get the really hot summers, but it still will drop down into the teens at night during the winter. In the summer I generally only make sure my birds have lots of shade and water sources (kitty litter pans filled with water that they can soak their feet in). Alot of us have found that if you give your birds too many comforts they become weak, and that it's better to simply raise hardy birds. If you read through this thread you'll learn which breeds have been deemed hardy to Arizona weather.
 
@SonoranChick - sounds like the egg from the roost is a young girl who's timing is off a bit. They have to work at that and I'm not even sure giving extra light would help her along to a nest. I have one EE girl (pink eggs!) who is on a 27 hour cycle and she has learned to skip the day when she's kinda in the middle of the night with her timing. I don't know what you use for a nest box but my girls are very good at bugging each other for the box - and it does seem like there's only one box to be in. I use tubs for nests, I don't remember what size they are but just the cheep ones - used to be $4.96 at WM, probably over $5 now - anyhow they work great for me. They are kinda dark inside and easy to clean if necessary. With my girls I just let them be - sometimes it looks like combat but generally settles down as they become better at laying and understanding their body signals. It'll get better, hang in there.
 
:goodpost: hi good to meet you...!:thumbsup i usually go to the tractor supply in Douglas , with friends who shop there once a week , were are you in sierra vista..? or did you say your in Bisbee...??? but hmmm miller feed i dont recall ever going there..? have you tried JEMS feed they have every thing even hay & i get my sprouting barley seed there they have all kinds of sprouting grain seeds there at JEMS feed , but yeah i shop at ace if i need feed in-between my shopping at the Douglas tractor supply but the prices are hi at ace , but since its a few miles from my house, & im not paying to much for gas, so im saving that way ,but the tractor supply in Douglas is closer to bisbee,:highfive:
 
RainForestBird said:
Hi I just moved to Southern (really south, like almost in Mexico) AZ and I had some misters from my old house in Washington that I used in my greenhouse to water plants. They are made by Orbit, but I'm kind of worried that the water here will just clog up the little sprayers-I've been told it is very hard, with a high mineral content. The sprayers have tiny with needle hole size openings to let the water out. I thought they would be nice for my chicken run that is already shaded by one of those portable shade thingees that vendors use at the farmer's market. It doesn't get really hot here because the altitude is over 5500 feet. It rarely gets over 100 during the summer months, although we've had some very warm weather for November and the first part of December. I think the intensity of the sun is worse at the higher altitude because it feels much hotter than it is. Its been in the 60's but my skin is already brown as a berry and I've only been here for 2 weeks. I use sunscreen for what its worth (not much).
Click to expand...

If the temps rarely go over 100 where you are I wouldn't mist them at all. Misting can cause more problems than it solves.

I only use misters when the temps go over 115, and then only for a few hours in the afternoon. (I'm in Tucson. It's much hotter here than where you are.) My birds have lots of shade and ventilation. I do hose down a portion of the run when it gets over 100. I also provide wading basins for them when the temps get over 105 or so.
If your birds come from somewhere else you may lose a few the first year or two. It's not just the heat. Different locations have different pathogens that birds may react to. Cull any bird that gets sick or struggles with the weather. Keep only the strongest birds. If you can breed your own, only breed the strongest birds. After a couple of years your flock will be well adapted to the local conditions.

Public service announcement: Birds pant to cool themselves off. Just because chickens are panting doesn't mean they are seriously heat-stressed. Do not panic if you see your birds panting in the heat, and staying quiet in the shade during the hottest parts of the day. That is what the wild birds are doing, too. Properly acclimated healthy birds with adequate shade, ventilation and water do not need air conditioning. That is all.
 

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