Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

I use shade cloth on my run. I chose the type that gives relief from the sun, but will still let the air pass through to help with ventilation. I bought more than one, so I still have a spare if the one that I am getting wears out. My yard is not fenced in, and everything runs through my yard. I don't let my flock free-range though, and my coop and run has held up pretty good to it all. I even have a padlock on my door that you walk into the coop at, and I keep the key in my pocket.

Is the shade cloth dark enough so that my chickens and the next door pit bull can't see each other?

 

[MagicChicken]

Another concern for me would be, for those who don't make their own feed recipes or belong to a co-op that specializes in a balanced grain, what COMMERCIAL layer feeds are you using? Mine are approaching that mark. Purina, Layena...there are multiple choices out there and hope you would share with the rest of us.

I use Nutrena Feather Fixer. For a commercial feed it has been pretty good. Others may have had different experiences with it but my birds are doing pretty well on it. I get it from the feed store on Ajo at Camino Verde and it is always fresh. Tractor Supply has it too, according to their website, but it is more expensive there and I don't know how often they rotate their stock.

Feed store stock rotation is critical. If they don't rotate their stock frequently you wind up with buggy and possibly rancid feed, regardless of who made it. A few bugs are just "added protein." A lot of bugs will significantly degrade the feed quality. And a few bugs can become a lot of bugs in no time at all. If you walk into a feed store and see bugs crawling all over the stacked feed bags, shop elsewhere.

I ordered through the organic feed co-op for a while but it is hard storing 2-3 months worth of feed at a time when you have 50+ chickens and limited storage space. They do have good feed, though.

 

[BlueBaby]

I don’t miss the desert at all. So glad to be back in the trees and green.

When’re you coming to visit? Lol

I don't know when or if I would get over that way. I added 3 more breeds that I will be working with as soon as they finish growing out and start giving me eggs.

 

[MagicChicken]

Is the shade cloth dark enough so that my chickens and the next door pit bull can't see each other?

Even 80% shade cloth will let you see through from the dark shady side looking out. It's harder to see through from the sunny side. But shade cloth on the run is a good idea anyway because the sun can blast in from angles where you don't expect it. You could use shade cloth and if that isn't enough you could put a bamboo fence layer or a redwood lattice layer over it. Or plant a bunch of shrubs on that side. If you plant shrubs that chickens like to eat, they can chomp on any leaves that grow into the run and still screen the area visually.

 

[MagicChicken]

@Bobby Basham Are your chickens outside yet? You might want to get them out there soon before the weather gets much hotter. They are going to need to acclimate.

 

[Bobby Basham]

I use Nutrena Feather Fixer. For a commercial feed it has been pretty good. Others may have had different experiences with it but my birds are doing pretty well on it. I get it from the feed store on Ajo at Camino Verde and it is always fresh. Tractor Supply has it too, according to their website, but it is more expensive there and I don't know how often they rotate their stock.

Feed store stock rotation is critical. If they don't rotate their stock frequently you wind up with buggy and possibly rancid feed, regardless of who made it. A few bugs are just "added protein." A lot of bugs will significantly degrade the feed quality. And a few bugs can become a lot of bugs in no time at all. If you walk into a feed store and see bugs crawling all over the stacked feed bags, shop elsewhere.

I ordered through the organic feed co-op for a while but it is hard storing 2-3 months worth of feed at a time when you have 50+ chickens and limited storage space. They do have good feed, though.

Isn't the Feather Fixer for those going through a molt, or can you keep feeding it long after?

 

[BlueBaby]

Our childhood pets when I was growing up was the bugs we found under rocks and kept in old relish jars with holes poked in the lid.... .. although we did have a cat.

I remember catching a honey bee and putting it in a jar like that when I was young. I thought that the bee would fill up the jar full of honey for me.

 

[BlueBaby]

Is the shade cloth dark enough so that my chickens and the next door pit bull can't see each other?

Bobby, the shade cloth come's in different colors. I used a lighter shade of color that is closer in color to the dirt in my yard.

 

[SonoranChick]

My group seems to be a nervous, noise-sensitive, greedy bunch. They don't like to be touched (except for one) but they like to hang close to me. One day, I accidentally sneezed and passed gas at the same time, and they freaked out.

I just laughed way too hard at this!!

 

[FeatherPugs]

Yep, I laughed real hard at that description @Bobby Basham - with the ugly cancer meds I take for maintenance my digestive process has no "lady like" to it - chickens run for cover!!