Arizona Chickens

[springvalley123]

Let me throw this idea by you. It is also much less ca$h. You make it yourself, and the heating pad is around $16. The one you want is without the automatic timeout.
Here is a link to Blooie's thread writeup. Learn all you need to know there.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

I evaluated in my thinking,,, and the one you are considering with the feathers, I would pass on. I think the feathers make for a dark interior, and if a chick is overheated towards the rear, would have to push her way towards the narrow entrance. JMO

Here is the heating pad that would work for the home made brooder.
Ad is from Walmart
View attachment 3754292

I had probably this same exact model. It has a light on the control so you'll know it's working. I preferred to have a lamp with smaller bulbs than the usual 250 watt, but this heat pad does what the $100 or so brooder plate does for much less. I used about 12/18 inch section of 2/4 fence wire to make a "cage" to put the heat pad on top of, lower in back and higher at the opening.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

That is so creative! I love it. There's always a less expensive way of doing something.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I finally talked talk to someone in the city planning office and it turns out we have a de facto HOA. It calls itself something else but it functions just the same. We had no idea it even existed. This is not a very nice area (old and lots of drug crime). Not the kind of neighborhood you'd expect to have an HOA.

Keeping chickens is fine but the HOA has some bizarre regulations about coops that we're trying to figure out how to work with.

 

[BlueBaby]

I finally talked talk to someone in the city planning office and it turns out we have a de facto HOA. It calls itself something else but it functions just the same. We had no idea it even existed. This is not a very nice area (old and lots of drug crime). Not the kind of neighborhood you'd expect to have an HOA.

Keeping chickens is fine but the HOA has some bizarre regulations about coops that we're trying to figure out how to work with.

There's no way that I would want to live somewhere where there is an HOA. Those places are a dictatorship to me.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I agree. HOAs are evil. When my roommate bought the house in the 1980s there was no HOA. We figured out it was implemented when she was living out of town and renting out the house.

We'd never agree to an HOA if we had known about it. We both loathe them. It was a big surprise especially since its name doesn't indicate anything like that. It's insidious.

Folks, check your community and neighborhood groups and make sure they aren't surreptitiously slipping in something that's an HOA without sounding like one.

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree. HOAs are evil. When my roommate bought the house in the 1980s there was no HOA. It was implemented when she was living out of town and renting out the house.

We'd never agree to an HOA if we had known about it. We both loathe them. It was a big surprise especially since its name doesn't indicate anything like that. It's insidious.

Folks, check your community and neighborhood groups and make sure they aren't surreptitiously slipping in something that's an HOA without sounding like one.

As more houses and people move in until it is no longer a rural area and then rezoning starts. They then vote to be incorporated into a city, then city rules become the new norm.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Exactly. They've imposed "international building codes" on everything from dog houses to sheds. You have to apply for permits, submit architectural drawings (signed by an architect, not something you do yourself), elevation maps, aerial photos, etc. For a dog house.

It also has to conform to some amorphous design style, for which there is no actual definition. If you could see where I live you'd laugh your behind off at that. The houses are virtually all renter-occupied and most are in various states of disrepair. No one gives a wahoo about "style."

Chickens are allowed but the structure regulations are absurd to discourage anyone from building anything. You can have chickens... but not really, because you can't build anything for them to live in. The guy at the planning office said he'd be furious if anyone tried to implement something like this where he lives (he has chickens, too).

Anyway, several of our neighbors have chickens and their coops are nowhere near any of these outlandish standards. I don't know if that's an indication that this ridiculousness isn't enforced or what. My roommate has thrown up her hands at the whole thing.

 

[BlueBaby]

Exactly. They've imposed "international building codes" on everything from dog houses to sheds. You have to apply for permits, submit architectural drawings (signed by an architect, not something you do yourself), elevation maps, aerial photos, etc. For a dog house.

It also has to conform to some amorphous design style, for which there is no actual definition. If you could see where I live you'd laugh your behind off at that. The houses are virtually all renter-occupied and most are in various states of disrepair. No one gives a wahoo about "style."

Chickens are allowed but the structure regulations are absurd to discourage anyone from building anything. You can have chickens... but not really, because you can't build anything for them to live in. The guy at the planning office said he'd be furious if anyone tried to implement something like this where he lives (he has chickens, too).

Anyway, several of our neighbors have chickens and their coops are nowhere near any of these outlandish standards. I don't know if that's an indication that this ridiculousness isn't enforced or what. My roommate has thrown up her hands at the whole thing.

Have those coops been there for years and are therfore grandfathered in?

 

[EmmaDonovan]

We were talking about that. It's possible one was as it looks quite old but the others are much newer. We know one was built within the last three years because it's on our regular dog walking route. It's under a large tree so that might help conceal it somewhat.

 

[springvalley123]

I finally talked talk to someone in the city planning office and it turns out we have a de facto HOA. It calls itself something else but it functions just the same. We had no idea it even existed. This is not a very nice area (old and lots of drug crime). Not the kind of neighborhood you'd expect to have an HOA.

Keeping chickens is fine but the HOA has some bizarre regulations about coops that we're trying to figure out how to work with.

I had an HOA up north, most communities created in this state have them, at least for a while. In cordes lakes, the HOA is defunct. In spring valley, it is alive and well---but whenever someone has a complaint, like noise, weeds, etc, the HOA web site tells them to call the county. in other words, the HOA has no teeth, no ability to lien your property etc. Your roommate should have been given the CC&Rs when she bought the place. You can also look them up through the parcel web site, clicking through to recorded documents for your address (usually).