Arizona Chickens

[countrygirl74]

Hello from Northern Arizona!! I had found this thread once before a while back but just "re-found" it and would like to join in here!

Spent the day putting extra straw in both our chicken and duck houses - also fed the chickens a bowl of nice warm oatmeal before closing them in for the night. Supposed to snow tonight! Tomorrow night is going to drop to 10! Brrrrr...

My ducks are crazy - they choose to just sleep outside in the open most of the time and are all frosted over in the mornings when I go out.

Good weather to snuggle up with a blanket, a book, and some hot cocoa!


Just to introduce our birds... I have 12 chickens that are all about 12 weeks old and 4 ducks that range from 12 to 14 weeks. More info is on my profile page, including a post of all the chickens' baby pics and names.

I look forward to talking with all of you fellow Arizonans!

 

[countrygirl74]

Interesting! I had no idea that it was common in AZ. I would imagine that it would be difficult to keep it from spreading since you'd also have to keep mosquitoes from biting. That stinks that you saw a mosquito last night. I don't think I've seen one in weeks. This summer and early fall they were terrible here for mosquitos.

I noticed several people asking about the black spots on combs, etc. I am curious also. I am pretty certain that it is not fowlpox if it's caused by mosquitoes as my chickens have only been outside for about 1 month. Although we had really bad mosquitoes this past summer, by the time the chicks went outside to stay it was already freezing temperatures at night. They all seem perfectly healthy but most of my chickens also have the little black spots. Hmmmm... something to research I guess.

 

[Mahonri]

All of the tomatoes and most of the geraniums are covered.... it's going to be our routine for the next four nights.

We also have lights underneath the sheets with the tomatoes.

It certainly was a COLD rain this evening.

My back yard is full of lights. Lights under the tomatoes., light in my Laree brooder. Lights in both of my grow out pens... my bedroom doesn't get all the way dark now!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Interesting suggestion Billiam.  I didn't know that AZGF had a mechanism for dealing with urban coyotes.  I did think about traps, but concluded that it would be extremely difficult to get a coyote into a live trap and I'd be too concerned about collateral damage with other types of traps, including my own dog.  Plus, there are so many coyotes here it would be an endless battle.  I do wish I could remove that guilty one though.   I think that my best option is to go back to free ranging only under supervision, as much as I hate limiting the ladies' freedom.

Some coyates will make a snatch and grabe even if you are there. It is opportunity, if one chicken moves to a fringe..... It is Possable to live trap, but very difficult. Again, they are not stupid, and the live traps are quite large and expensive. The one that attacked your girls, will teach others. Everything I think of wouldn't work or impractical. But I just can't stop thinking about trying to come up with a solution. It could happen to any of us.

I have a 5' wall around my yard, I want to put a cinder block footer under the run, I am worried about an animal (coyote) digging under the wall. No one, except my 96 year old mother, thinks coyotes are a threat. All I can do is do what I know is best, they are just not educated on the urben desert facts.

Just had to run out side (9:30 Pm) to secure the cover for my plants. My girls ll came out to see what I was doing. They only stayed out a couple of minutes. They are so net. I had to stop am laugh, they got to gather in a huddle talked it over, got into a line and went back in. I'm not that interesting.

 

[City farm]

Hello from Northern Arizona!! I had found this thread once before a while back but just "re-found" it and would like to join in here!

Spent the day putting extra straw in both our chicken and duck houses - also fed the chickens a bowl of nice warm oatmeal before closing them in for the night. Supposed to snow tonight! Tomorrow night is going to drop to 10! Brrrrr...

My ducks are crazy - they choose to just sleep outside in the open most of the time and are all frosted over in the mornings when I go out.

Good weather to snuggle up with a blanket, a book, and some hot cocoa!


Just to introduce our birds... I have 12 chickens that are all about 12 weeks old and 4 ducks that range from 12 to 14 weeks. More info is on my profile page, including a post of all the chickens' baby pics and names.

I look forward to talking with all of you fellow Arizonans!
Glad you joined in. We love chickens here

 

[City farm]

Some coyates will make a snatch and grabe even if you are there. It is opportunity, if one chicken moves to a fringe..... It is Possable to live trap, but very difficult. Again, they are not stupid, and the live traps are quite large and expensive. The one that attacked your girls, will teach others. Everything I think of wouldn't work or impractical. But I just can't stop thinking about trying to come up with a solution. It could happen to any of us.

I have a 5' wall around my yard, I want to put a cinder block footer under the run, I am worried about an animal (coyote) digging under the wall. No one, except my 96 year old mother, thinks coyotes are a threat. All I can do is do what I know is best, they are just not educated on the urben desert facts.

Just had to run out side (9:30 Pm) to secure the cover for my plants. My girls ll came out to see what I was doing. They only stayed out a couple of minutes. They are so net. I had to stop am laugh, they got to gather in a huddle talked it over, got into a line and went back in. I'm not that interesting.

Girl, Yes you are Interesting. I love your little stories of the day.
We have gray foxes here in Tempe and Mesa.
They can jump over a five or six foot wall.
"In a single bound"
I believe coyotes can do the same. ?

 

[City farm]

All of the tomatoes and most of the geraniums are covered.... it's going to be our routine for the next four nights.

We also have lights underneath the sheets with the tomatoes.

It certainly was a COLD rain this evening.

My back yard is full  of lights. Lights under the tomatoes., light in my Laree brooder. Lights in both of my grow out pens... my bedroom doesn't get all the way dark now!

Shoot, I wish we would have got more rain here in Tempe. I was at work in Scottsdale all day and just barely enough sprinkles to make the dirt on my car show up

 

[countrygirl74]

Some coyates will make a snatch and grabe even if you are there. It is opportunity, if one chicken moves to a fringe..... It is Possable to live trap, but very difficult. Again, they are not stupid, and the live traps are quite large and expensive. The one that attacked your girls, will teach others. Everything I think of wouldn't work or impractical. But I just can't stop thinking about trying to come up with a solution. It could happen to any of us.

I have a 5' wall around my yard, I want to put a cinder block footer under the run, I am worried about an animal (coyote) digging under the wall. No one, except my 96 year old mother, thinks coyotes are a threat. All I can do is do what I know is best, they are just not educated on the urben desert facts.

Just had to run out side (9:30 Pm) to secure the cover for my plants. My girls ll came out to see what I was doing. They only stayed out a couple of minutes. They are so net.

I had to stop am laugh, they got to gather in a huddle talked it over, got into a line and went back in. I'm not that interesting.

Last week, my mother-in-law called me in tears because she had heard all this ruckus outside with two hens and two roos. She looked out the window and saw one rooster run off one way with a hen and another roo run off in the opposite direction with another hen. She went outside to see a coyote in the middle, apparently deciding which couple to go after. Makes you wonder if they had some sort of strategy, huh? "You take your girl that direction and I'll head in the opposite direction with my chick!"

Even when my mother-in-law ran out, the coyote didn't run away but when she let her big dog out, the coyote finally turned and ran, sailing over a 4-foot fence - probably could have cleared a 5 foot too, the way she said it jumped the other with such ease. That very same day, we moved all the chickens to a more protected area because she was so worried. We were concerned that the coyote would not only be back but more than likely would bring some help.

We only have a 4-foot fence ourselves but we let our dogs into the same area as our chicken coop from dusk to dawn so they can patrol the yard and keep any critters from digging their way into their actual run. We have a fence to keep out the dogs when we want, as our dogs would kill them too, unfortunately. But they don't dig to get them... they would just get them if they were out and could chase them. I only "free-range" when I am outside and can supervise at this time.

LadyKotaDoria, that's funny that your girls would come out and see what's going on. Mine won't come out for nothing once they've gone in for the night.

 

[City farm]

Last week, my mother-in-law called me in tears because she had heard all this ruckus outside with two hens and two roos. She looked out the window and saw one rooster run off one way with a hen and another roo run off in the opposite direction with another hen. She went outside to see a coyote in the middle, apparently deciding which couple to go after. Makes you wonder if they had some sort of strategy, huh? "You take your girl that direction and I'll head in the opposite direction with my chick!"

Even when my mother-in-law ran out, the coyote didn't run away but when she let her big dog out, the coyote finally turned and ran, sailing over a 4-foot fence - probably could have cleared a 5 foot too, the way she said it jumped the other with such ease. That very same day, we moved all the chickens to a more protected area because she was so worried. We were concerned that the coyote would not only be back but more than likely would bring some help.

We only have a 4-foot fence ourselves but we let our dogs into the same area as our chicken coop from dusk to dawn so they can patrol the yard and keep any critters from digging their way into their actual run. We have a fence to keep out the dogs when we want, as our dogs would kill them too, unfortunately. But they don't dig to get them... they would just get them if they were out and could chase them. I only "free-range" when I am outside and can supervise at this time.

LadyKotaDoria, that's funny that your girls would come out and see what's going on. Mine won't come out for nothing once they've gone in for the night.

With a coyote that close to a person is a bit scary. Especially if it has rabies. Who wants to take a chance with that. I might have to invest in the pellet gun for wild rabid dogs.

 

[flower]

countrygirl74 Did you get the official welcome ? if not here it is

and the AZ thread. I am returning to N AZ soon. Esat of Flag is cold enough for me and I do not like to drive in snow.

Small black spots on combs can be from pecking or cold/frost bite.