Arizona Chickens

[SonoranChick]

What do you guys think about sand as the floor in the coop for our climate? The coop will have a dirt floor, but I think I would like to do a layer of pea gravel and then a few inches of sand... I'm in Tucson, in terms of temps.

I've got sand in both the coop and run. I love it for many reasons- it does not mold, it is easy to keep clean, the chickens like to do dirt baths, it is free from the wash behind our house, it dries out quickly if it rains, and the chickens have constant access to grit. The only downside that I've noticed is that it's very cold for their feet in the winter. We don't get too cold here, but there were a few mornings after it froze and they just seemed a little uncomfortable. My chickens honestly prefer alfalfa, but if it rains I have to immediately replace it or it will mold. So I have stuck with sand this year.
Here are some pics, I had hay in the back last year but you get the idea

 

[Geranium]

Or do I just scrape it while it's still inside? I'm a total newb. Sorry.

 

[SonoranChick]

Well the feather patterns keep changing, so I'm not even sure who is who except for Dusty fuzzybutt (the first one hatched, and the one with the least white)
Amelia Airhart (the first one to jump on us, and confronted the Alpha hen)
Spot (at birth had a distinct spot now faded)
and Waffles(my son named it)
Just let me keep believing they are all hens....

I have a Waffles too! My BO, because she is sweet like syrup and her coloring reminded me of it. It's a great name for a chicken

 

[SonoranChick]

Or do I just scrape it while it's still inside? I'm a total newb. Sorry.

Keep your questions coming! My poop boards are scraped outside of the coop because they're pretty messy, and that is where the poop trash can is. I just scrape them right into the can. Last year I composted all of their poop right in the garden and it attracted loads of flies, so this year I got a trash can with a lid and wheels, and once a week it all goes out to the desert to compost out there.

 

[Michelle Guynn]

I found out my hubby loves my chickens just as much as I do or maybe more. I told him tonight that he is a keeper lol. I guess at almost 28 yrs he knows that.

Decided I may enter Emma and Matilda in the Apache county fair.

 

[meetthebubus]

Well how did everyone fair with this latest heat wave? Seems like all is ok!

For 3 days punky soaked her feet in the mud puddle to keep cool, tonight she was limping badly looks like all that soaking was making her bumblefoot finally come out on its own, almost.... so I soaked in Epsom salt bath which she loved and then pulled it out, cleaned and bandaged and put her to roost, poor baby I'll think she'll be better soon...

 

[BlueBaby]

I found out my hubby loves my chickens just as much as I do or maybe more. I told him tonight that he is a keeper lol. I guess at almost 28 yrs he knows that.

Decided I may enter Emma and Matilda in the Apache county fair.

I hope they win if you do!

 

[nicollee]

I found out my hubby loves my chickens just as much as I do or maybe more. I told him tonight that he is a keeper lol.

My husband too

 

[BlueBaby]

My husband too

You know what? When you and your hubby were here to pick up those eggs, a few times when your hubbies face lit up, he sort of reminded me of a younger Robin Williams.

 

[nicollee]

You know what? When you and your hubby were here to pick up those eggs, a few times when your hubbies face lit up, he sort of reminded me of a younger Robin Williams.

He used to have a lot of fun when people told him that.