Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

This is reminding me of a conversation a while back you guys were having about all the warped wood from the big box stores. We went to get some birch last week and it looked like the boards had failed to survive a flood, none of them were straight or flat. It's not even worth the price!

My first order of wood was bought sight unseen. Spent about $800, and they delivered it on a big pallet in my driveway. I think I'm gonna go to the store and pic out the individual pieces, maybe a few more 2x4's to reinforce the roof of my run.

 

[BlueBaby]

here's some pics i took today of them in their brooder, we'll soon move them into a larger brooder..
View attachment 1253637 View attachment 1253641 View attachment 1253644

I think that I see a cockerel in there in the bottom picture.

 

[Diannastarr]

Hello and welcome!

I don't know of anyone breeding Sussex in the area, but I can give you plenty of input regarding good birds to have for this hot desert environment. I will, of course, celebrate the Naked Neck Turkens (and NN hybrids) as most here know it's my primary breed. I honestly believe they handle heat better than any other bird out there, and my top layer produced 250 eggs per year on average for her first two years and so far in her third year has already laid over 200....all X-lg in size.

Additional breeds that do really well out here are Australorps (@BlueBaby breeds gorgeous, healthy ones), Barred Rocks and White Rocks, and Rhode Island Reds. Easter Eggers and Silkies also do well, and many other breeds that might usually struggle in the heat do better here when raised for several generations by local breeders. And, of course, Leghorns and Fayoumis do very well out here, but they are flightier birds than many of us prefer.

I've also been pleasantly surprised by Silver Grey Dorkings, which I took on a year ago as my endangered heritage breed to work with. They've proven much hardier in the heat than I dared hope they'd be and my girls laid very well during the worst of the heat with minimal cooling assistance...just shade, plenty of drinking water, and a small stream of flowing water to stand in or scratch through.

i would add Delawares & road island whites do well here & thanks excellent information for CLINT and all the rest of us as well, i was hoping for a good broody breed of hen, i wounder do you think the Silver Grey Dorkings, would be a good choice for that..?my brooding area is cooler cooled and well ventilated and is quite comfortable for this purpose. it stays around 80 degrees every day i made sure of that and Bisbee is always cooler then most all other parts of AZ with out the extreme colder winters, we usually have nice warm winters here like this year, so which ever broody breed would be best for my main broody girls im sure will be happy here.

 

[BlueBaby]

STOP IT you guys are giving me chickie fever!!! Lol
They are so very CUTE! They look happy & healthy!

And I just sold 2 young blue Australorps to another member here. She told me she will take some pics and keep me updated on them.

 

[SonoranChick]

i would add Delawares & road island whites do well here & thanks excellent information for CLINT and all the rest of us as well, i was hoping for a good broody breed of hen, i wounder do you think the Silver Grey Dorkings, would be a good choice for that..?my brooding area is cooler cooled and well ventilated and is quite comfortable for this purpose. it stays around 80 degrees every day i made sure of that and Bisbee is always cooler then most all other parts of AZ with out the extreme colder winters, we usually have nice warm winters here like this year, so which ever broody breed would be best for my main broody girls im sure will be happy here.

I love my Delaware! She's a total ditz but she handled last summer like a champ. I am waiting until next summer to really see who can tolerate the heat best. Mine were in the brooder until July so we missed those god awful days that were 120 degrees thank goodness. Husband and I are looking on craigslist for a old swamp cooler to throw on the nest box area, because my barred rock likes to sit on her eggs for hours and hours. Does that mean she's gone broody? She's not aggressive, I can pick her up and collect the eggs. But she will sit. all. day. on her nest. I'm worried about next summer.

 

[Diannastarr]

hi @SonoranChick, sorry if i screwed up your name at least i think i did ..? but by 4 am im not the sharpest tool in the shed ..lol.. HA

 

[meetthebubus]

I think that I see a cockerel in there in the bottom picture.

You'll have to be more specific.. I personally think 1 week Olds are too hard to tell it's either first day or a little older although I do admit that with 19 there is a higher possibility for a mistaken roo

We have plans in place just in case and none include freezer camp

 

[SonoranChick]

hi @SonoranChick, sorry if i screwed up your name at least i think i did ..? but by 4 am im not the sharpest tool in the shed ..lol.. HA

I knew what you meant! I'm pickin up what you're puttin down

 

[BlueBaby]

@Zchickens1269 Let me know how those 2 Blue Australorp's settle in for you.

 

[BlueBaby]

I love my Delaware! She's a total ditz but she handled last summer like a champ. I am waiting until next summer to really see who can tolerate the heat best. Mine were in the brooder until July so we missed those god awful days that were 120 degrees thank goodness. Husband and I are looking on craigslist for a old swamp cooler to throw on the nest box area, because my barred rock likes to sit on her eggs for hours and hours. Does that mean she's gone broody? She's not aggressive, I can pick her up and collect the eggs. But she will sit. all. day. on her nest. I'm worried about next summer.

You don't want a broody sitting on a nest during our hottest temps. That's how I lost one of mine this past summer. If they are broody, they will hiss and growl and peck at you when you try to take the eggs. I had to run mine out of the nest to get the eggs, then she would hop right back in there even when no more eggs were there.