Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

Thank you! Hopefully I’ll have them installed by this afternoon. Did you place them around the run or anywhere specific?

Did you get one put up?

 

[Chikibabymom]

Did you get one put up?

Yes! We bought a portable mister that Lowe’s had available since their regular ones were sold out, but it’s working great and really made a difference in the temperature.

 

[springvalley123]

Did you get one put up?

I also got a mister from Lowe's. I set it up a bit ago with one nozzle near the nestboxes, and one near the roost. I tried a third nozzle at the end near the hose, but it was too much. It's wonderful to have the mister nozzles 6 ft high instead of about 28 inches high from the little stand I was using. I think the pen will be much dryer.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yes! We bought a portable mister that Lowe’s had available since their regular ones were sold out, but it’s working great and really made a difference in the temperature.

Yes, they do.

I also got a mister from Lowe's. I set it up a bit ago with one nozzle near the nestboxes, and one near the roost. I tried a third nozzle at the end near the hose, but it was too much. It's wonderful to have the mister nozzles 6 ft high instead of about 28 inches high from the little stand I was using. I think the pen will be much dryer.

That's the good thing about these, you can put them where you need them at, and adjust them too.

 

[CaroleW]

Minorca update... she is doing much better, but looks pretty rough...I think she will survive just fine. I'm still keeping her separate for a while so she doesn't get picked on.

A couple days later another Minorca ended up with same head wounds but much worse. I have them both together recuperating now and both I think will survive.

I just want to share the following with you because we all learn from each other and I think all this is my error in changing feed type (same company - Olsens brand - just different form)...here are my thoughts/observations...

I think Roger must have got to them and then other hens got to them to pile on as chickens are prone to do to an injured flock member. I think they are all "hangry" because I switched thier food to crumble/pellets mix instead of just crumbles and they hadn't been eating much. I started giving them wetted-down pellets and they seem to really go for that so hoping this hangry bunch is getting over this!

I was also waiting to see that they are over this so I could integrate the new NN into Rogers's egg laying flock. So hope to start that in next few days, also working on major work deadline so this may slip again.

My DH also fixed the second part of the fenced run in case it is a predator. There are many fires close by just over the hills in wild areas of Paulden so good to shore up in case predators escape fires and head this way.

And planning how I might evacuate all these flocks if it came to it. I have enough crates to keep all roos separate, Polish separate and then 2 injured separate, then the rest all go in back of truck all together with camper shell. Dogs with me in cab and GO.

 

[springvalley123]

A couple days later another Minorca ended up with same head wounds but much worse. I have them both together recuperating now and both I think will survive.

I just want to share the following with you because we all learn from each other and I think all this is my error in changing feed type (same company - Olsens brand - just different form)...here are my thoughts/observations...

I think Roger must have got to them and then other hens got to them to pile on as chickens are prone to do to an injured flock member. I think they are all "hangry" because I switched thier food to crumble/pellets mix instead of just crumbles and they hadn't been eating much. I started giving them wetted-down pellets and they seem to really go for that so hoping this hangry bunch is getting over this!

I was also waiting to see that they are over this so I could integrate the new NN into Rogers's egg laying flock. So hope to start that in next few days, also working on major work deadline so this may slip again.

My DH also fixed the second part of the fenced run in case it is a predator. There are many fires close by just over the hills in wild areas of Paulden so good to shore up in case predators escape fires and head this way.

And planning how I might evacuate all these flocks if it came to it. I have enough crates to keep all roos separate, Polish separate and then 2 injured separate, then the rest all go in back of truck all together with camper shell. Dogs with me in cab and GO.

thank you so much for sharing, who would've thought of the food (pellets vs crumble) being a possible culprit? but it helps the rest of us learn and understand the types of observations and problem solving it takes. thanks also for the reminder about predators being displaced by the fires. I hope I never have to evac the chickens but if I can catch them there are enough crates for the 5 plus the cat.

 

[BlueBaby]

A couple days later another Minorca ended up with same head wounds but much worse. I have them both together recuperating now and both I think will survive.

I just want to share the following with you because we all learn from each other and I think all this is my error in changing feed type (same company - Olsens brand - just different form)...here are my thoughts/observations...

I think Roger must have got to them and then other hens got to them to pile on as chickens are prone to do to an injured flock member. I think they are all "hangry" because I switched thier food to crumble/pellets mix instead of just crumbles and they hadn't been eating much. I started giving them wetted-down pellets and they seem to really go for that so hoping this hangry bunch is getting over this!

I was also waiting to see that they are over this so I could integrate the new NN into Rogers's egg laying flock. So hope to start that in next few days, also working on major work deadline so this may slip again.

My DH also fixed the second part of the fenced run in case it is a predator. There are many fires close by just over the hills in wild areas of Paulden so good to shore up in case predators escape fires and head this way.

And planning how I might evacuate all these flocks if it came to it. I have enough crates to keep all roos separate, Polish separate and then 2 injured separate, then the rest all go in back of truck all together with camper shell. Dogs with me in cab and GO.

I hope that thing's will work out for you and that the fire's won't come close enough for you to have to evacuate. Do you have a plan on a place to go in case you do?

 

[CaroleW]

I hope that thing's will work out for you and that the fire's won't come close enough for you to have to evacuate. Do you have a plan on a place to go in case you do?

I guess I'd just head to Mesa and try to keep 39 chickens in the backyard there- only about 25 over the limit...LOL... I don't really think I'd be able to catch them all but would set a timer and try. I don't expect to have to evacuate, but I have to at least make a plan and set things up to make it easier if it comes to it. I'm sure I could camp out for a day at a livestock evac area if I had to.

I just see a lot of smoke over the hills right now so it makes you think. My boss in Sedona is getting all the smoke because the wind is blowing towards the east and there are closer fires in addition to this one over that way.

 

[BlueBaby]

I guess I'd just head to Mesa and try to keep 39 chickens in the backyard there- only about 25 over the limit...LOL... I don't really think I'd be able to catch them all but would set a timer and try. I don't expect to have to evacuate, but I have to at least make a plan and set things up to make it easier if it comes to it. I'm sure I could camp out for a day at a livestock evac area if I had to.

View attachment 2728989I just see a lot of smoke over the hills right now so it makes you think. My boss in Sedona is getting all the smoke because the wind is blowing towards the east and there are closer fires in addition to this one over that way.

Maybe you could also cut down any brush on your property that could fuel a fire?

 

[CaroleW]

Maybe you could also cut down any brush on your property that could fuel a fire?

We've cut all the dead trees this past winter already. There's not much growing now. If we cut the few weeds they would dry out and be more fuel than if they were standing green. I don't think it will get here anyway and if it does wouldn't be homeless we'd just sweat it out in Mesa. Many would be in worse positions that we are.