Arizona Chickens

[SonoranChick]

My husband just finished putting a gorgeous new roof over the chicken coop...it is made of tinted clear corrugated plastic so it lets a ton of light in! But there is wood high above that so it's not directly in the sun. It is also rain-proof, so we are ready for monsoon season. It looks so much better. I will try to get some pics up later. I put some ice blocks out today and have refilled their pool twice, plus made several mud puddles. We decided to throw a swamp cooler up too, that project is just not complete yet. I decided against waddling back and forth from the garage freezer to the run with heavy ice blocks all summer long due to being pregnant (or lazy?). I'm hoping the swamp cooler can handle those horribly hot days that lie ahead.

 

[meetthebubus]

@igorsMistress actually no, we will put it up this week,

this year we rebuilt the mansion where they retreat to in the heat put up tons of shade including over the mansion so the roof of the mansion and coop do not get direct sun, so the bubus just started retreating to the mansion so the a.c. will go in but my desire is to run it to keep the mansion at a 90 or so, bc I don't want them to be shocked when they go out later

I mostly rely on ice bottles, the drip container that allows them to drink Plus creates a mud puddle for me and misters

When the misters are done they scratch in the moistened sand and take a dirt bath which helps them to

The tons of shade we put up in preparation is helping a ton


I haven't integrated but I believe they are ready I'm just not sure if big ol fat Roo bubu will try to mate with the ee and they arent big enough for that but they can fly away from him and he can barely run lol so...

I have to integrate soon so the little ones can take advantage of the mansion air although their coop is their mansion since they will only sleep on the roof...

 

[meetthebubus]

@SonoranChick consider the drip container to help make your mud puddles to help minimize your work load you aren't lazy you have to protect your health for the little one

 

[meetthebubus]

Here's what the drip container looks like, I like how when I say there's sugar in the water Dina goes for a drink as if she was enticed lol

 

[SonoranChick]

@meetthebubus the drip container is a really good idea, I currently have a large old water pail that has a slow leak in the bottom...it will be perfect for this. They love to dig down into the cool dirt and drink the muddy water. My Delaware actually plays in their pool too, she gets in there and splashes and scratches around so the water goes all over the ground and soaks the sand. And when I refill the pool, like clockwork, the RIR will come running to get a drink from the spout as I pour reminds me of a dog trying to drink from the hose. Too cute. Stay cool tomorrow friends, it will be brutal.

 

[MagicChicken]

Ok I gotta ask...
How do chickens get Samonella? IF they have it, does it pass? how long would they have it or is it permanent
My son just had a MAJOR stomache upset, and the only thing he had different from the rest of us, was eating his eggs sunnyside up...

On another BYC thread several years ago, a poultry inspector from California mentioned that lettuce is one of the main sources of Salmonella in chickens. Just passing this tidbit along. I haven't fact-checked it.

 

[azurbanclucker]

On another BYC thread several years ago, a poultry inspector from California mentioned that lettuce is one of the main sources of Salmonella in chickens. Just passing this tidbit along. I haven't fact-checked it.

Only if it's from Yuma.


...Too soon? I claim innocent by means of growing up there.

 

[BlueBaby]

I noticed a couple of pages back that some have been saying that they are now trying to cure broody hens. I found this video on how to do that, if you do not want your hen to be broody.

 

[nicollee]

Less than a 10th of a percent of salmonella outbreaks occur as a result of consuming home-grown eggs. Salmonella exists naturally in our environment, including our chicken environment. The last thing a hen's body does before laying an egg is to coat it with a natural antibacterial 'film' that prevents salmonella contamination. The reason salmonella infection is so prevalent with store-bought eggs is because they wash this protective coating off, and then spray the eggs with a chemical disinfectant that simply isn't as protective as what Mother Nature created. Additionally, store-bought eggs are weeks to even months old, compared to fresh eggs from your own chicken yard. The longer eggs sit, the greater the risk of bacterial proliferation.

The greatest likelihood of salmonella poisoning from home grown eggs results from poor sanitary conditions (dirty nesting boxes and poopy eggs that aren't cleaned and chilled properly or consumed very quickly), eggs from unhealthy hens in which the bacteria has proliferated and infected the hen's egg production system, consumption of cracked eggs that have not been chilled sufficiently or consumed early enough to avoid bacterial proliferation, and eggs that have not been collected frequently enough in excessively hot and/or hot + humid weather.

My husband and I consume raw eggs on a regular basis and have never had salmonella poisoning from my girls' eggs. Is it possible that the eggs your son ate gave him the green apple quick step? Sure, but as long as your birds are healthy and you practice common sense maintenance, it's not likely.

Thank-you...
so if I understand you... most chickens have it, just not in high enough proportion to be dangerous

 

[DesertChic]

Thank-you...
so if I understand you... most chickens have it, just not in high enough proportion to be dangerous

Correct, just like we humans all have MERSA on our skin, but it's only with diminished health and wellness that the bacteria actually becomes infectious.