Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

Any AZ chicken people out there? I am looking for some advice on raising chicks in the desert. I'm in Mesa. Does it get too hot out here? I have four 20 day old chicks, 3 Buff Orps and 1 leghorn. Do we need to do anything special here

What date is this?

 

[City farm]

My girls are venerable to wild birds, you said worm them with punkpin and sunflower seeds... How often and do you get them from a feed store? What should I expect, if anything, when I give it to them? I had heard of ashes someplace in my memory for dust baths, can't remember enough to put rhyme to it. Please explain the use of ashes in dust paths? Also, the source of ashes? Is there an ash I should not use? Spraying legs with WD-40? Is that a preventative? Again please explain. (Learning is a hobby, usually useless information).
I like to go with natural remedies first. After all, it all comes down to chemicals in foods that have been isolated then synthesized. And that is a whole not her subject.

We do use the ashes from our fireplace. Only the wood. Not any plastic plates. I also put diatomaceous earth., Foodgrade in their food & also in they're bending area. We have heard that WD-40 is great on so many things. If I were to use any oil it would be coconut oil. We have read that if you do use oil on their legs it does help with certain mites.? Never had a problem yet. So possibly coconut oil would be a good use in the future. Being a newbie, you might need to get more information from people that have been doing this longer. But diatomaceous earth, foodgrade, is good for worms parasites etc.

 

[City farm]

Any AZ chicken people out there? I am looking for some advice on raising chicks in the desert. I'm in Mesa. Does it get too hot out here? I have four 20 day old chicks, 3 Buff Orps and 1 leghorn. Do we need to do anything special here

Oh 1-30-08.. Wow, For some reason after I hit the reply button I saw the date. It's a bit like the Twilight zone.

 

[Fuzzybird]

I can't remember if to keep pasty butt from happening do you add to the chick feed ground oats or ground wheat? I have been addinf something and no problem with my serama chicks but need more and I have nothing to tell me what it is. I do have rememberance problems.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

My girls are venerable to wild birds, you said worm them with punkpin and sunflower seeds... How often and do you get them from a feed store? What should I expect, if anything, when I give it to them? I had heard of ashes someplace in my memory for dust baths, can't remember enough to put rhyme to it. Please explain the use of ashes in dust paths? Also, the source of ashes? Is there an ash I should not use? Spraying legs with WD-40? Is that a preventative? Again please explain. (Learning is a hobby, usually useless information).

I like to go with natural remedies first. After all, it all comes down to chemicals in foods that have been isolated then synthesized. And that is a whole not her subject.

Yes, my run & coop is under a big shady tree that houses a lot of wild birds.  I'm thinking that is the cause.  I had been giving them jalepeno & cayanne pepper seeds with their scratch.  After the first incident of worms before Halloween, I installed a poop tray & change the papers frequently.  They free-range in the backyard most of the day.  They have a treadle feeder & I made a water with nipples in a homedepot bucket, so the wild birds won't share with them. 

Well, I got my gloves & mask on and checked out the poor dead girl and there is an egg in her shoot. I didn't feel any impacted crop but I did feed them pieces of roast beef, carrots, peppers & apples yesterday.  So, it's possible a fatty piece of  beef chocked her. 

For us, they are pets and it's been a learning experience for the kids & I.

For me to, they are pets, with a bonus. When done laying will retire to fertilizing and trimming weeds. I have wanted chickens for 50 yrs.

I have 6 I wonder is 8 is to many? I would still love to find a nice Wyandotte, not over 8 weeks old that has been handled. As I was working on the chicken wire securing their pen, they kept getting on my lap to see what I was doing, when I was working on the bottom rail, they of course thought I had something good to eat. I'm so enjoying them.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

In suburbia, we lost one of three girls last night for no apparent reason. She was found fallen off her perch. The other two girls were screaming this morning; hubby thought just because they wanted out. No indication that anything got her and they were locked up tight last night. The Temp got only down to 37. I was retreating them for worms (with Wazine) and they had their second dose six days ago. But otherwise, I believe they were perfectly heatlhy and not even Two years old. No sneazing lately. I just can't imagine why. No tears from my lil 6 yo even tho it was her girl.

But what in the world do I do with her now? Do we just put her in the trash bin?

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I'd call Dabne tortoise and Cecil silver blue. Neither is perfectly correct, but reasonably close. And no, neither is a recognized variety should anyone ask.

Thanks Sonoran. They are such beautiful boys.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have out of habit watching their poop. Is the typical bird worm big enough to see move in their poop? Mites were hard enough to spot when I was young, I have been so busy with my projects that I have not yet started a mite program. If ash would help, I got ash. My Grandmother feed use 1/2 piece of burnt toast every meal, to absorb toxins in our food. She also sent away for a light gray tan hard cube she would brake up into powder and put a little in her tea. I tasted it once, it tasted like dirt or clay, as to my memory. She was a very interesting lady.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

What a beautiful day here in Tempe.. We have a neighbor that had a dead pinion tree. 1) lucky for us for our fires 2) there was green parts, & boy do the girls love it in their run-hen house. 3) the great smell..
Also we put the ashes from the last few nights fire in with the needles.. Does anyone else do that?
Mama hen Chris I would live to take your Roos. If I already did not have one I would.. Do they fight when you introduce another ??
Sorry noodle girl for your loss..

They get along well with each other. I have LF hens and they stay away from them when I let them out in the yard together. They do have their own coop with their sister. The three get along well. Dabney and some of my LF have had their squabbles but then they go their separate ways. They are good boys and just need a good forever home, hopefully together. Dabney is the Alpha for sure.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I can't remember if to keep pasty butt from happening do you add to the chick feed ground oats or ground wheat? I have been addinf something and no problem with my serama chicks but need more and I have nothing to tell me what it is. I do have rememberance problems.

I read to give the chicks warm water instead of cold (helps aid in digestion) and add ACV to it. One of my chicks had pasty butt and after trying the warm water and acv, it was gone in a day or two.