Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

I have a black australorp that is mounting other chickens. It looks identical to my other black that I know is laying and it hasnt crow'd or anything. The only thing that makes me think its a roo is the mounting. Twice now I have had 10 egg days (I have 10 chickens). How common is it to lay 2 eggs in one day? Or could my girl just like other girls?

I have an old BA hen that does the same thing to every bird under her in the pecking order. It's pretty normal behavior.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hey all, long time! Hoping for some knowledge. My newly added PBR hen is now an accepted member of the flock. She laid about 4-5 small brown eggs over a week then all of a sudden, she stopped laying all together. Has been about a month without any more eggs.

Secondly, all 4 ladies are refusing to sleep in their coop anymore. They started getting up on my patio table and won't sleep anywhere else. What gives??

It's good to see you back! I would check the roosting area very carefully within the first 20-30 min. of sunset tonight for mites and ticks. Some types of mites and ticks live in crevices around the roosts and come out at dusk to feed on the chickens and this can make them reluctant to go inside. Since they only get on the chickens at roosting time and the entire feeding cycle can be over in an hour or less before hiding again, you may never see them unless you look carefully at the right time. Also, check your birds during the daytime for other types of external parasites.

Have your chickens lived in this coop as adults during the heat of last summer/fall? Do you have lots of ventilation? They can be reluctant to go inside at night if it gets too hot in the coop too. While the days are getting hotter, it doesn't seem like it's hot enough yet to cause this (unless there was not enough ventilation).

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

we are new to the AZ area. We are up in the white mountains, moved here from NY. Right now we have 22 chickens, not sure how many hens/ros, since most are straight run. We are getting ready to hatch more also. I dont think we will raise tukerys here, main reason I cant find any. We raised them in NY along with our chickens.

And welcome to AZ too. We love the White Mountains!

 

[DesertChickens1]

Hi guys! I live down in Avra valley Arizona (avra valley is in marana) always nice to meet other Arizona chickens lovers

 

[Arizona Son]

Hi guys! I live down in Avra valley Arizona (avra valley is in marana) always nice to meet other Arizona chickens lovers

you don't say?

 

[tonkatoy]

Hmm, some breeds have an easier time of it out here but nearly everything suffers in the summer. I've tried the frozen bottle thing but they didnt' care for it. I just recently switched over to nipples on buckets but the older chickens won't have anything to do with it but they young punks (2 months old) love it. Probably the one thing that weighs heavy on my mind, as Rufus said, is the water. I think my bucket solution will allow me to sleep better at night.

 

[DesertChickens1]

you don't say?

oh my gosh someone else in avra valley! Hi! What main road do you live by? I'm on anway by the valley mart

 

[City farm]

Building first coop...

Those of you who use the misting system in your coop, do you have a problem with mold inside? Don't want to fix heat problem just to cause another one.

Also, I want to build a water system with the chicken nipples. Should I put water spouts in coop or just out in the attached run? If I have water nipples in the coop, will the water that the chickens drip cause mold?

I read on one of the other posts that the coops get very humid from the chickens. Will any of the above make that worse? Or is that not a problem in Az since it's so dry?

Thanks!!

So glad you joined in... &.
If our misters drip we put a clay pot under the drip. We can move the misters around in the run, They love to stand in the cool pot.

 

[City farm]

We own a business open M-F. Not home during the day. We get home anywhere between 5:15 and 6:30 every night. Our 4 RIR 6 month old girls get let out to free range when we get home. They started laying about a month ago, it has been over 2 weeks now that all 4 are laying every single day. I can't believe how many days in a row I have gotten 4 eggs.

Today when I fed around 8:30 there was an egg in the nest box. I had laundry and a bunch of indoor chores in store so I didn't check the coop until after noon. There were 2 eggs. Since I was home I decided to let them out around 4:30 and there was not another egg, so I figured this was going to be the first day in a long time that I was only going to get 3 eggs.

Come about 5:30 this evening and Lemon is just acting completely crazy! It was warm today 85+ but not hot, she was storming around the backyard with her wings spread out and her beak wide open. I could not figure out what was wrong with her. She flew up against a shed and nearly knocked herself out. Then she flew up to the top of the coop and was just a nut case pecking at the corners. I thought she was hot so I carried her back to the water that I always put out when they free range. She took a couple sips and was off again. She got behind the shed and couldn't get out from there. I figured she needed to lay an egg, so I rescued her and put her in the nest box. She was having none of it! I could not get her calmed down. She tipped over one of the roost bars, back out of the coop and again she tried to get behind the shed and was tripping all over the place. I was really worried about her behavior especially with the open beak. There was no way she could be over heated. Her sisters were dust bathing in a hole they had dug that I filled with water last night so it was nice and cool. I picked her up and placed her with her sisters and she wanted nothing to do with it.

I was at a loss, but still so worried. Still thinking she needed to lay an egg, I put her in the coop and closed the door. I felt bad since this was her free-range time but I felt it was the best option. She went from nest box to another, back again, down the ramp, asking to get out. I let her out again and she was just as crazy!! Trying to get behind the shed, flying up to areas where she will only get hurt, what is her problem? I locked her back in the coop.

Finally about 15 minutes later, I peeked in and she was sitting in a nest box, relaxed and nibbling on the straw. She laid an egg and didn't do an egg song. I think her effort made up for it.

I'm kind of glad that I'm not home to watch the egg-laying drama. I was beside myself today and am so happy it all worked out for the better.

Oh boy, at least it was not a snake or some other small preditor, animal..

 

[City farm]

Hey all, long time! Hoping for some knowledge. My newly added PBR hen is now an accepted member of the flock. She laid about 4-5 small brown eggs over a week then all of a sudden, she stopped laying all together. Has been about a month without any more eggs.

Secondly, all 4 ladies are refusing to sleep in their coop anymore. They started getting up on my patio table and won't sleep anywhere else. What gives??

Good to hear from you agin..
Maybe she older than you think??? Or just adapting, worms or some other ailment.??
I do not like it either when they do not sleep where we have provided.. Nice coop in all, no on the TOP.