Arizona Chickens

[Happy Novogens]

I'd lose the treats. Are their crops full before roost time? If you take some regular food, and sprinkle/scatter it on the ground, do they devour it like they've been starving? Maybe show some pictures of the bucket feeder--I think @igorsMistress has one, to make sure it should be OK.

Attaching some pics I just took (except for the one titled Sun eve). Thanks for the visual on the crop! I'm so new, I don't have an eye for it to know if a crop is too empty looking.

Henrietta is the one that looks the skinniest to me (crop wise). [They are 4-5 months old.] Maybe you can assess.

Usually chickens do snack enough feed in the evening before roost time. Check their crop to see if it is somewhat full. You can visually see if it is full by looking at the bulge in front,, (slightly to their right). If it seems somewhat empty,, or soft,, then offer them a quantity of feed in an open dish also. They will learn to eat both,, from feeder, and dish. Remember to remove dish with feed for the night. You don't want to attract nighttime unwanted guests, looking for a meal.
You can encourage more eating by offering your chickens grain treats. I can already see some peeps consider doing this to me,,

,, for suggesting scratch grains. I know all about not overdoing it,, and keeping it down to 10%.
(reason,, scratch grains dilute the protein percentage of feed intake of chickens)
If you don't have scratch feed on hand,, get a small bag of wild bird seeds anywhere. They will LUV that as much as scratch.

Thank you! I just went out and put some feed in that tin as seen in photo. A few came out to see what I was doing but only a couple pecked at the food-- ate 1 or 2 pieces. They certainly weren't devouring it like they were starving -- yay!

Hopefully the heat is not throwing off the "experiment" of putting food in the tin, but it isn't too terribly hot today.

 

[igorsMistress]

Attaching some pics I just took (except for the one titled Sun eve). Thanks for the visual on the crop! I'm so new, I don't have an eye for it to know if a crop is too empty looking.

Henrietta is the one that looks the skinniest to me (crop wise). [They are 4-5 months old.] Maybe you can assess.


Thank you! I just went out and put some feed in that tin as seen in photo. A few came out to see what I was doing but only a couple pecked at the food-- ate 1 or 2 pieces. They certainly weren't devouring it like they were starving -- yay!

Hopefully the heat is not throwing off the "experiment" of putting food in the tin, but it isn't too terribly hot today.

Your feeder may be too low to the ground. Mine is on a full sized block,

 

[springvalley123]

I have been searching all over threads & posts about starting chicks outside in hot weather but can't find what I'm looking for. Can I put 6 new chicks outside in a 4x2 foot brooder in AZ when temps are 100°-110° during the day and 90°'s at night? We have a predator proof 5x10 pen with a 3 sided & covered coop we would put the brooder in.

Would I still need a heat source at night? Can they survive the heat during the day in the shade with the outer coop misted down & water with ice cubes? We can provide a very shallow pan with cool water for them to stand in if it would help. Is it possible to do this at this time of year with days old chicks? Please be nice, new to chicks & can raise inside if needed.

I found out the hard way, that the day-olds that arrive from the hatchery, can not handle anything at all warmer than the ideal warmest temp for their age. e.g., 103 is too hot and will kill them. I saw the post by Carole W, that's a great idea for your situation, especially with only 6 chicks. I had 12, so kept them in the bathroom 24/7 for about 4 weeks, until the combination of their age and the outdoor temps was OK. Where I'm at, the highs right now are 98 degrees, and the 103 was fairly unusual btw.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Your feeder may be too low to the ground. Mine is on a full sized block,
View attachment 3208231

I had been wondering about that and even was discussing it with my hubby. I had lowered it at the advice given me on another link when I had it on a full (sideways) block.
This photo might offer size next to the gals. Too low?

 

[igorsMistress]

I had been wondering about that and even was discussing it with my hubby. I had lowered it at the advice given me on another link when I had it on a full (sideways) block.
This photo might offer size next to the gals. Too low?

It took my flock a couple of days to get the hang of it and your girls seem to be doing ok! This is probably a new style of feeder of them and they’ve had a lot of changes. Just put some feed on the rim there a few times a day. Once one gets the hang of it they all will. Such pretty girls!

Also, don’t feed them anything else until you see the food drop. When you do give treats later, you might consider limiting it to about 1 Tbsp per bird each day. This includes scratch. They need the nutrition from their feed and too many treats dilutes that.

 

[Happy Novogens]

It took my flock a couple of days to get the hang of it and your girls seem to be doing ok! This is probably a new style of feeder of them and they’ve had a lot of changes. Just put some feed on the rim there a few times a day. Once one gets the hang of it they all will. Such pretty girls!

Also, don’t feed them anything else until you see the food drop. When you do give treats later, you might consider limiting it to about 1 Tbsp per bird each day. This includes scratch. They need the nutrition from their feed and too many treats dilutes that.

Thank you! That's reassuring.

 

[CaroleW]

Yesterday's field and garden happenings -- Some of these pics will inform you why I almost always wear boots and never wear sandals while doing my rounds...

I know he's a good snake and doing a job, I just don't want to be jumpy if he slithers near my foot and I land in a hole and break an ankle. So boots for me! I have a video of the snake slithering thru the chicken wire. He's just in the run - not in the secure area of the roosts.

 

[CaroleW]

A lot of chick raising advice for the rest of country may be timed wrong for us in AZ- especially Phx metro. In Phoenix (and even up north near Prescott since I have a large greenhouse) I would take advantage of the weather conditions and place a chick order at the shoulders of the hatch season (like first thing and last thing - avoid shipping in summer). We are in one of the few places that can raise chicks better in fall (or even winter) than in spring. Just my opinion.

 

[BlueBaby]

I had been wondering about that and even was discussing it with my hubby. I had lowered it at the advice given me on another link when I had it on a full (sideways) block.
This photo might offer size next to the gals. Too low?

I see that you got one of those Firehouse Sub's pickle bucket's! I love those, and even keep one sitting upside down outside of the run and coop. I use it when cleaning out the coop and run, plus turned upside down I can sit on it to spend time with the flock when it's nicer. I can also use it to collect weed's from the yard to feed to the flock.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yesterday's field and garden happenings -- Some of these pics will inform you why I almost always wear boots and never wear sandals while doing my rounds...
View attachment 3209053View attachment 3209054View attachment 3209055
I know he's a good snake and doing a job, I just don't want to be jumpy if he slithers near my foot and I land in a hole and break an ankle. So boots for me! I have a video of the snake slithering thru the chicken wire. He's just in the run - not in the secure area of the roosts.

Nice looking veggie's! I hope that snake doesn't get in to eat your egg's, or future chick's.