Arizona Chickens

[a little chiken]

we have a lot of shade and their dirt bath that i put potting soil into and keep wet. this with a pan of water to stand in is all i do and sometimes cold veggies in the hot part of the day.
I have new chicks and pullets and yearling and they all seem to be doing fine with this method. Over half their coop is shade. I do not personally add misters or artificial cooling. I will add some climbing roses and some grape vines when i put on the new runs that will attach to the coops.

My goats do not get anything but cold fruit and on the hottest days I spray the run down. I do try and wet down one spot all the time so it stays cooler but they cannot have standing water or the does can get mastitis

 

[City farm]

Well, wait, maybe we do want to know?? Any documentary's about that?

OK, keep in mind that tilapia are pretty tough, and will eat just about anything. Most tilapia in China are raised in ditches next to feedlots. Chickens, cows, goats, whatever.
When the feedlot gets too dirty, it is sluiced down with a hose into a drainage ditch, where the tilapia take care of things. When the tilapia grow big enough, they are sold and the money is used to buy more feed for the primary animals. This is why you see many warnings on the web not to eat tilapia. I'm sure there is clean tilapia out there somewhere. Which does your local supermarket sell?

Not sure, now that you asked..probably China. .

 

[kevs-chickadees]

I would avoid any IBC from CL without a positive guarantee of what was shipped in it. Many people will take them to a carwash and hose them out, then tell you it is perfectly safe. Many industrial chemicals are shipped in these things, and the chemicals can permeate the plastic. A tote can legally be used for food only once, then must be disposed (sold to somebody shipping pesticide?)or have the liner replaced. If you're really lucky, it may still have the shipping label stuck on the side.

Very good point, these did come with the food grade sticker on them still and it was very tough to get off. Still not a guarantee though.

 

[MaddBaggins]

OK, Tucson chicken peeps, advice needed!
The chicken run I have been building is done. 650 sq. ft, 75% shade cloth over most of the roof and along the long east wall. Partial shade from roof overhangs on my wood shop. Ground covered with compost and seeded with BOSS, buckwheat, and Bermuda grass. Watered in morning and early afternoon. Perimeter wired with electric fence. 5 oldest chicks already moved in.
Due to desertmarcy's recent loss, I am kind of undecided about cooling methods. I was planning on a portable swamp cooler set up in one corner of the run. The other option is a misting system. The swamp cooler has the advantages of better cooling, and most of the portables have a timer already built in. Misters are cheaper, but I think less effective in a no wind situation, and setting up a timer for it can be a pain. I work nights, so with either option, a timer is a must.
I know the chickens don't particularly like wind or water, but they probably like heatstroke or death even less.
How do all you peeps handle the heat?

I have a mister that gets turned on manually when the last person leaves the house and turned off sometime later. I water some of the ground in the run so they have cool mud to walk in and I switch out their water dispenser for a large concrete saucer that I refill with clean water every morning. Frozen grapes or watermelon for afternoon treat and ice block in the water dish.

The only sun that actually hits the ground in the run is mid afternoon then shade again a couple hours later.

 

[carnivore]

Very good point, these did come with the food grade sticker on them still and it was very tough to get off. Still not a guarantee though.

I think if it still had the label, you're good to go. Anybody shipping something else in it would have changed the label. It's a DOT requirement. It's when there is no label that you gotta question it.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I have a mister that gets turned on manually when the last person leaves the house and turned off sometime later. I water some of the ground in the run so they have cool mud to walk in and I switch out their water dispenser for a large concrete saucer that I refill with clean water every morning. Frozen grapes or watermelon for afternoon treat and ice block in the water dish.

The only sun that actually hits the ground in the run is mid afternoon then shade again a couple hours later.

I put out several "pools" for the girls. I put in water and ice cubes prior to leaving for work. They love it. I have found an egg or two in the pans. I also freeze water with strawberries, frozen peas, blueberries, etc in a bundt pan and they peck away at the frozen treat during the day.

 

[carnivore]

I put out several "pools" for the girls. I put in water and ice cubes prior to leaving for work. They love it. I have found an egg or two in the pans. I also freeze water with strawberries, frozen peas, blueberries, etc in a bundt pan and they peck away at the frozen treat during the day.

Love the fence!

 

[moms3cuties]

Doesn't the clay/terracotta lids get hot on the concrete stone? I had to keep my water bowls on the ground or they got hot like tub water!

 

[Sill]

Careful not to overstock. The main drawback to barrel systems is that they don't give the fish enough room to swim.

@Sill, bluegill is another fish on my wishlist, another is striped bass. Az Game and Fish might disagree!

I can't see why there would be regulations against keeping fish already in our aquafers for our own use. All the fish I've raised (except tilapia, goldfish and koi) I've caught using my AZ fishing license. I'll have to look up the regs on raising game fish for food.

The citrus trees worked? That's interesting, most the info you hear around here says that the citrus roots like to dry out between watering. Of course I know and understand very little about an aquaponics setup so maybe I'm misunderstanding the whole thing.

There is a couple of places hear in the valley selling the food grade totes for just over $100. I picked up 2 of the 275 gallon ones for a rainwater collection system. (unless that is illegal here then I didn't). Craigslist is plastered with their adds.

What's more amazing is the olive tree is growing! They key to growing plants in aquaponics is the water has very high dissolved oxygen. The roots get plenty of O2 and a proper system will not have an anaerobic situation that would cause the roots to rot. Raft grow beds have plants that grow with their roots totally submerged in water 24-7! True not every species is suitable to this type of culture but a surprising number are.

Well, wait, maybe we do want to know?? Any documentary's about that?

I don't know about other places but the two tilapia farms I visited had very dirty stinky water. Lots of floating feces and uneaten food. I can't imagine the fish wouldn't taste bad. I ended up getting my tipapia from the lady that teaches the aquaponics class for Valley Permiculture Alliance. Her fish tanks were clean and the fry were in 80 gallon aquariums so you could see the water wasn't dirty.

I am in Glendale.
When it is very hot, I do set up a mister where the chickens can get into the mist if they want.
I have used a portable evap cooler but they seemed to prefer standing in the bleed-off water to cool their feet to being in the strongly moving air. They do have the run of the yard so will seek out the less hot places. I have lost older chickens during the peak of the summer and I'm sure the heat played a part.

Welcome!

Doesn't the clay/terracotta lids get hot on the concrete stone? I had to keep my water bowls on the ground or they got hot like tub water!

I'm not sure that pan was terracotta. When terracotta is in the shade the water stays cool. Since it soaks up water into the surface and it evaporates it stays amazingly cool in the heat. I use it for my quail to stay cool since they don't have the option of finding cooler ground.

 

[K9Dave]

I've heard that you do have to get. A license to raise the bluegill and such. I wouldn't mind if it isn't too much. What people don't know won't hurt them either. Brim/sunfish whatever are amazing to eat IMO. I love how bright white and flaky the meat is. So who all here has a aquaponics system? I'm jealous because by the time i got a set up going it'll be time to move. I'd like to pick someone's brain on the subject so I can use this time to plan.