Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

5 seconds of rain here.

Maybe we will get our share tomorrow?

 

[meetthebubus]

Revisement review on chicken feed

So I was having tons of problems with TSC feed, not stocked and half of the bag just dust, etc.
They I read on here that Dumor is known to some to cause poopy feather butts, etc.

So I run into Cal ranch and they have PLENTY of stocked chicken feed I have my choice from a few kinds so I try country companion .. at first I didn't like the country companion but I went back and bought another bag bc I couldn't find supplies at TSC


Anyhow I've bought at least 8 bags there now and not only is it the cheapest but the crumble is super consistent and there's not crushed feed that is dust

The chickens eat it just fine, the bees leave it alone, and best of all ...poopy butts have stopped being a thing here lol

 

[cavemanrich]

Have you considered using feed in pellet form??? That is all I would ever use. Much less waste, unless you ferment, or wet feed a mash. Except for chicks. (crumble until they grow up)

 

[meetthebubus]

Have you considered using feed in pellet form??? That is all I would ever use. Much less waste, unless you ferment, or wet feed a mash. Except for chicks. (crumble until they grow up)

The chickens don't like the texture ,or shape maybe, of the pellets but this brand is great so far

 

[BlueBaby]

Have you considered using feed in pellet form??? That is all I would ever use. Much less waste, unless you ferment, or wet feed a mash. Except for chicks. (crumble until they grow up)

Yes, and the pellets are better because it's harder for the ant's to make off with the bigger pieces.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yeah! Finally got some of that rain over here, and it's raining right now!

 

[igorsMistress]

@meetthebubus @nicollee @FeatherPugs @BlueBaby @SonoranChick

Thanks ladies, the heat did both of the blue girls in. I've been crying like a baby and feel horrible that they suffered.

Bluebaby I'm done with Aussies as well. I'm down to 7 chickens and that's enough for now. Better for my yard too. When I do replace birds I'm going with Naked Necks from now on. The whole flock.

We have been battling lice here too. So this weekend was all about chickens. Coop is spotless and treated again, chickens have been sprayed again, their daytime hang out was sprayed again, and the doggie door on the coop is keeping everything but chickens out of there which is great. Down to bare floors in there until fall.

Here's the raptor habitrail we have out in the yard for the girls

The small covered spot between house and the shaded area is just a cool spot to stop on their way across the hot ground. The covered thing on the right side has both shade cloth and an old bamboo shade from inside the house on it. I put large feed bowls in there and I put water in them then add ice every couple hours. The water is staying cool in the bowls all day and the girls take turns using them.

I don't know what else I could have done to save my Aussies. I suppose not much, I can't control the weather.

 

[FeatherPugs]

@BlueBaby Gizmo is blonde (really blonde when he was younger) with grey in his tail. That's his teenage feather look right now but I believe he will continue those colors maybe adding a bit of white here and there. He is a handsome boy.

YEA - we got some rain overnight. I haven't been out to the yard yet but I will be in a few minutes - getting my caffeine shot first. When it is damp in the yard I like to really do a big raking - it is so much easier. We'll see soon............

I do agree that the NN are taking the heat much 'easier' than the others and I do have all types of NN to look at. I enjoy the eye candy looks. I have a girl who is barred like a barred rock, I have a very penciled girl who is copper colored - wheaton something cross/maybe Wellington?? Anyhow I do truly enjoy watching them. I can't wait until they start laying to see if any have the green/blue genes come through. Now with the heat my Wellington, Orpingtons and Aussies as well as the few EEs I have left are all okay. They do require more cool feet time than the others but so far so good. More than anything getting my new kids through their first summer is the hardest. After that they know what is coming and what to do to stay cool.
Stay safe, cool and dry - they tell me October is just around the corner!

 

[SonoranChick]

@igorsMistress it looks great back there, all your hard work paid off. I love having a clean coop and run.

I am thankful that I haven't lost any chickens in the heat yet, but I do feel just awful for some of them. A few look miserable and distressed, panting and holding their wings out. If they have to lay an egg it is even worse. Besides misters, ice blocks, and cool pools of water, I don't know what else to do. I almost feel irresponsible for having all these hens in the desert in the summer. I think I might try naked necks whenever the time comes to add to the flock. Seems like every summer someone loses a part of their flock to the weather, but I never hear of NN casualties. I could care less what they look like (I think they're cute, especially the eye candy ones like @FeatherPugs mentioned!) I just want a healthy, happy flock.

It looks like Phoenix will definitely get hit with some storms today! Stay safe everyone! I have to go reattach my shade cloth, it ripped off. Other than that we all survived

 

[meetthebubus]

@SonoranChick one of my shade cloths ripped off too and took a 100ft flight I'll have to buy a new one for that spot, but all my girls are super content this morning no one has even gone to the drink puddles bc it seems like the humidity in the air and cloud coverage is keeping them content, feels cool compared to our recent weather and this whole week is supposed to be the same... under 100 degrees and some rain, clouds... yayyy!


@igorsMistress don't feel guilty sometimes no matter what w4 do it happens
May I suggest.. I have a small building of wood where they hang out during the high sun, best shade for high sun time, then as the sun moves the building shades the side where they can hang out at around 3 pm or so I also personally find the best shade to be those canvas drop cloths I get 4 by 9 and 9 by 12
It keeps out the sun pretty much completely and even stops soft rain from coming in like an umbrella
I didnt fair well with those shade
If you can get a drip container for your mud puddle it keep it wet and cold much longer for their feet
Anyhow you have lots of shade places and I'm sorry this happened



I don't consider us irresponsible I think someone on here (not az thread)
Was critical of me having Orpingtons in the desert but I give them the best treatment possible and they will suffer in any summer weather really, plus I think I rescued them I got them at cal ranch so they were already in az and could of suffered more somewhere else bc we put in more effort as desert chicken owners

Besides those that come here tend to love their feather babies a lot and I'm sure all of our chickens are happy with us