Arizona Chickens

[Bob's Henhouse]

NoSkiveez, i thought moving some into the big coop would have helped with the pile up problem, but apparently not enough. Im going to put a 150 watt bulb on the other end of the brooder/swingset tonight, and staple cardboard around it for insulation. Hopefully that will take care of it. Sorry you lost chicks too. It sucks.

Thanks AZBootsie.

 

[squeakyballs]

Tonight
Becoming mostly clear. Lows 19 to 24

 

[NoSkiveez]

I was just out to check on them and no one was piled up. I'm hoping this works. I completely wrapped the trellace to the big coop (my brooder room is in the big coop) with more wooly uhaul blankets. When I just was out there an hour ago it was warmer in there than outside of the coop. I'm sure they will all appreciate that. I'm debating on if I should have hubby bring one more light home on his way home from work.

 

[5pinkarrows]

Bob, the cardboard is a good idea. We do a lot of work in a neighborhood close to here just across the border. Those people have dirt floors and most of the houses are probably not as nice as your chicken coop. They use cardboard for insulation, too. Last winter they had a child die in the neighborhood. Many of them have no electicity, so no heat lamp there. I got to have a small part in bringing an awful lot of blankets, gloves, and hats over this winter. All of this worry with my chickens has kind of convicted me. I need to be concerned about my friends over there instead of my chickens.

I hope everyone is having a fun night! I got to be home with my kids after getting a new vehicle. What a blessing! Now I don't have to listen to my kids whine about not having any room. I haven't been this excited about a vehicle since 1996.

Mahonri and others, how is the hatch coming along? I will have to look for that thread. How exciting!

 

[ca]

Quote:
Pratts in Glendale has quite the selection. I was there a week before Christmas.

Quote:
Heat tolerant birds are: Cubalayas, Minorcas, Anconas, Catalanas, and Fayoumis. Nacked Necks do well also but they are a matter of taste and supposedly Penedesencas also but they are not very available.

All but the Minorcas are probably hard to get here.

Welcome to the AZ thread!

I am now wondering if I should have gotten birds that do well with the cold (brr, 25 degrees here).

 

[ca]

Quote:
DM,
This is great! I probably would put the bucket up a little higher. I use the same nipples on a long PVC pipe. It is slanted so I have various heights and the birds are not as crowded when they drink. The PVC pipe is attached to a bucket like yours... No messy water dish to clean

.
Really like the feeder with the cover. I need to do that soon. Right now I am putting the finishing touches on my new nestbox condos. (why is there no smiley with a hammer? I am constantly upgrading the coop... I could really use that

)

 

[ca]

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

May your chickens prosper and their eggs be plentyful. And of course blessings for the families including pets and house plants as well

!

I am really sorry for everybody that lost chickens recently due to this awfull cold spell!

I sooo hope it is soon over and we can get back to normal.
Like the chickens run around constantly looking for something good to pick up I fell like runnig around like a chicken constantly looking to fix this and that for them. I really had no idea these feathery things were so "demanding".

 

[chillmiller]

good morning arizona i am very interested to know how your hatches are doing if you partook in the hatchalong

 

[pastrymama]

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Ca,

you're right, i had no clue either how much time having chickens would take out of my life. but i still enjoy it. i wish i had the handy skills to redo my coop, but fortunately for my husband, i don't. so until i can convince him to make it twice it's size or get my brother to do it, i am stuck with the 14 birds i have, give or take a few

i just sold my two possessed RIRs and i am replacing them with 2 buff cochins and hopefully a buff brahma. those birds are just nuts! one of them tried to fly across my pool about a month ago with her wings clipped. she fell in of course. i think she is part dodo bird. they lay beautiful huge eggs, but they flap in my face and are just well, RIRs. so i am super eggcited about the cochins and having broodies to stick eggs under since i don't have a bator nor do i have time to raise chicks since i have 3 kiddos to raise as it is who are more demanding than the chickens wanting scratch. no where to quarantine them....any ideas?

i so hope no one lost any birds last night. so far we are doing ok here. i woke up to about 22 degrees, but my coop is completely enclosed with windows that shut except for one and a few vents.

Bob, let me know how last night went. my garage is open if you need it until this passes.

 

[dewey]

Quote:
Pratt's and Stock Shop carry them year round. A few days ago the Stock Shop's polish crested chicks tempted me almost beyond resistance.

In all our years here in the low desert we never lost any to the heat or cold, still, with the fluctuating fall/winter temps I've fussed

more over these few fall chicks than all other birds combined. The layers had access to roofed, 3-sides-open coops and temps sometimes were in the teens. The new year chicks were kept in large plywood brooders with circular inserts. I'm beginning to wonder why we never lost any to the elements.