Arizona Chickens

[chiengora]

I think I messed up attempting to reply. I'm still getting this board figured out.

 

[chiengora]

I have 3 Ameraucanas and one that was supposed to be the same but has grown up to be buff colored. The folks at the feed store (where I got my chicks) think she might be a light colored Production Red as she lays very large eggs.
One of my other hens has gone broody, been so for a couple of weeks, and this evening I picked up 4 Production Red chicks for her. I have never had a hen raise chicks before so I hope this goes well. As soon as it gets dark and the girls go to sleep, I'll put the chicks under the broody one. (I tried while it was still light and she pecked at them.) The non-broody hens roost on a rail in the back yard so I can close up the hen house with the broody hen and the chicks.

 

[carnivore]

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 had a pretty busy morning, but managed a stop at Home Depot and among other things, I got some of those saucers for big plant pots. These are about 18" diameter, but only about 1 1/2" deep. Filled them with water and put them in the run, then went on to other things. Checking back later, the chickens are ignoring the saucers. They are bellied down in damp compost, standing in front of an electric fan. So much for not liking wind. I am going to try tarps on the roof to cut down some more sun, and keep the compost well watered, and see how it goes. Picked up a bunch of strawberries and raspberries and grapes today, presently freezing into blocks in the freezer.

 

[Annalog]

We have shade cloth over the roof and on the east side of the hen pens; the south side is shaded by the coop, part of the west is shaded by a large shed and the rest is shaded by a large mesquite tree. The rooster pens and shelters are shaded with tarps and trees. All of the pens and the roof of the coop have misters. The coop also has a box fan and a window air conditioner on timers; these are primarily for the hens while sitting on in the nests and for the eggs before we can collect them; these only drop the temperature a little but they help. They also help keep the temperature in the brooder low enough during the day. Two days ago, the young flock tipped over their automatic water dish and went wading. The older flock did that a couple years ago. Frozen fruits and vegetables, ice when it gets hotter. (We have ice when it gets colder as well but then we don't want it. )

 

[chiengora]

Update on introducing chicks to broody hen.
After it got nice and dark out, I tried again. The hen was not growly when I disturbed her this time. I quickly removed the two dummy eggs she was sitting on and tucked the 4 chicks under her. The hen started making soft clucking sounds and the chicks' cheeping settled down quickly. I was out for a bit making sure the chicks wouldn't be able to get out under the coop walls and heard very little sound from the nest box.

 

[chicksurreal]

We bought several sunshades from Home depot that were 6' x 20' and covered the most exposed areas of the run, top and sides. They supposedly cut UV rays and lower the temp by about 15 degrees. Seems to help. We have also been putting frozen fruit out and frozen water bottles in their water to keep it cooler. I'm going to look at setting up fans in the coop and run for them. They free range for hours every day and I water down the areas that the like to hang out in several times a day, they actually come and get me when the dirt dries out. It's funny to watch them dustbathing in those spots. They look so happy kicking moist dirt around.

 

[carnivore]

We bought several sunshades from Home depot that were 6' x 20' and covered the most exposed areas of the run, top and sides. They supposedly cut UV rays and lower the temp by about 15 degrees. Seems to help. We have also been putting frozen fruit out and frozen water bottles in their water to keep it cooler. I'm going to look at setting up fans in the coop and run for them. They free range for hours every day and I water down the areas that the like to hang out in several times a day, they actually come and get me when the dirt dries out. It's funny to watch them dustbathing in those spots. They look so happy kicking moist dirt around.

Does that sunshade look a bit like this?

 

[chicksurreal]

Does that sunshade look a bit like this?

Ours is tan, but they had several different colors to choose from.

 

[AZ Turkeys]

Hens Will Eat anything~!
One of the hens I dispatched tonight had a wood screw inside. When I first opened the abdomen, I noticed a large, hard black clump which at first I thought was a cancerous growth. I immediately thought, ut oh... this guy isn't going to be able to eat this hen. As I completed cleaning, I noticed a hard pointed "thing" just to the left of the lower keel bone. I couldn't push or pull it out. I split the bird, cut out what I thought might be a broken lower rib bone and pulled out a wood screw!! The screw had poked through the lower intestine, imbedded itself through the lower keel and in the process it appeared that at least half of the indigestibles (poop) had solidified inside the hen into one big blob.

Nope don't eat this bird even though the rest of meat was fine and had no ill smells. After 40 years of processing birds, this is the first one I have removed a screw from!

 

[City farm]

Check out Gardenpool.com  Not sure if it's the same people you are talking about but they have a similar set up and are doing the aquapontics systems all over the valley.  I have volunteered on a one of their projects to have the behind the scenes experience.  It was really interesting.  They are always open and inviting to volunteers. Just an FYI 

Will do, field trip...