Arizona Chickens

[girlchick]

Hi,
I live in Golden Valley, west of Kingman and it has been HOT! My chickens live in a large gazebo, with a coop inside it. I have put frozen milk jugs in a pan of water, they also have a nipple water bucket. I saw the suggestion for bricks in a mortar tub with water and set one up yesterday. It works! the bricks were actually cold to the touch. I also have a dust bath tub with sand and soil that I wet down in the afternoon. They all (4) get in there and seem to find some relief.

I have a portable swamp cooler coming today. I ordered it from Amazon-free shipping.

I'm trying to keep the temp in the gazebo in the 90's, but it's hard to do, even with sun shade and a mister. So I decided to try the portable cooler. I'll post later when I have it going and monitor the temperature for a couple days.

Nancy in NW AZ

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi,
I live in Golden Valley, west of Kingman and it has been HOT! My chickens live in a large gazebo, with a coop inside it. I have put frozen milk jugs in a pan of water, they also have a nipple water bucket. I saw the suggestion for bricks in a mortar tub with water and set one up yesterday. It works! the bricks were actually cold to the touch. I also have a dust bath tub with sand and soil that I wet down in the afternoon. They all (4) get in there and seem to find some relief.

I have a portable swamp cooler coming today. I ordered it from Amazon-free shipping.

I'm trying to keep the temp in the gazebo in the 90's, but it's hard to do, even with sun shade and a mister. So I decided to try the portable cooler. I'll post later when I have it going and monitor the temperature for a couple days.

Nancy in NW AZ

Hi Nancy, it's good to see you back.

Could you plant a some kind of vine on the south and west sides of your enclosure to help with the shade? Let us know how the portable cooler works for you.

 

[Syl in Tucson]

We gotta get you an iphone

Oh please, K9 Dave. I can't use my Blackberry

 

[carnivore]

Hi,
I live in Golden Valley, west of Kingman and it has been HOT!  My chickens live in a large gazebo, with a coop inside it.  I have put frozen milk jugs in a pan of water, they also have a nipple water bucket.  I saw the suggestion for bricks in a mortar tub with water and set one up yesterday.  It works!  the bricks were actually cold to the touch.  I also have a dust bath tub with sand and soil that I wet down in the afternoon.  They all (4) get in there and seem to find some relief.

 I have a portable swamp cooler coming today.  I ordered it from Amazon-free shipping. 

I'm trying to keep the temp in the gazebo in the 90's, but it's hard to do, even with sun shade and a mister.  So I decided to try the portable cooler.  I'll post later when I have it going and monitor the temperature for a couple days.

Nancy in NW AZ

And keep in mind that a cooler will be practically useless pretty soon when the monsoon starts.

 

[Syl in Tucson]

Question...what do y'all do with your pens during monsoon? Rake out your bedding? Leave it? Throw down sand or gravel?
My pen is gonna be a muddy, slippery mess and I'm NOT looking forward to going in there once the rains start.
Its a new pen, so I actually don't know how bad its gonna be. But I have visions of me slipping and breaking something. Again
Too old for that!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Question...what do y'all do with your pens during monsoon? Rake out your bedding? Leave it? Throw down sand or gravel?
My pen is gonna be a muddy, slippery mess and I'm NOT looking forward to going in there once the rains start.
Its a new pen, so I actually don't know how bad its gonna be. But I have visions of me slipping and breaking something. Again
Too old for that!

I use deep litter (fine pine shavings) in my coop and run and replace it all once a year...right before monsoon season. Deep litter works really well as long as it stays relatively dry, but if it gets really wet it can really smell!

 

[K9Dave]

Oh please, K9 Dave. I can't use my Blackberry

I love my iPhone. It's so user friendly and doesn't lock up like my Android did.

 

[ProvokeLife]

Any one get the tour de coops news letter??? Is any one participating in the festivities?

 

[AZ Turkeys]

Question...what do y'all do with your pens during monsoon? Rake out your bedding? Leave it? Throw down sand or gravel?
My pen is gonna be a muddy, slippery mess and I'm NOT looking forward to going in there once the rains start.
Its a new pen, so I actually don't know how bad its gonna be. But I have visions of me slipping and breaking something. Again
Too old for that!

First, before the monsoon, go in and mound the dirt toward the center so that everything slopes outward. Second, pick a side out of the rain and eaves and put sand down and then pine shavings. Once the shavings are wet, they are easy to rake out.

I have a small ditch about 2 inches deep all around my coop and slope everything off to one side, the "downhill" side of my coop run. A small amount of water won't hurt the hens. Deep muck will cause fungal foot infections and respiratory problems. Make sure there is air flow as even during the monsoons, the ground will dry.

Don't use hay. It will absorb and hold the moisture from not only the rains, but from the humidity in the air. Sand is your friend in rains. And here in Cottonwood, we get some gushers. Plan ahead and your girls will be just fine.

 

[City farm]

Well, I finally made it back.  Never did get the number of that Mack truck that ran over me.  I'm now drowning in chickens.  Six 13 week old chickens in the small yard, four 9 week old chickens in the middle bedroom and 5 year olds out running around.  Did get anther rooster in the small bunch out in the small yard.  He's trying to crow and he sounds like he swallowed a kazoo so we named him Roody Kazoo.  Not as pretty as Henry.  Hope he gets better looking as he gets older.  So I have 10 BOs, 3 BSLs and 2 RSLs.  Named the RSLs Rosie and Rita.  Anyway it's nice to be back in the land of the living.  Not 100% back but getting there.  My husband underwent brain surgery 3 weeks ago for a small tumor and he's going to Phoenix tomorrow for one radiation treatment at the Barrows Institute.  Later this year I'll have eggs coming out my ears.  Already need to give away about 5 dozens.  Hope everyone else has had a good 2 months.

Wooow, hold on girl.. Both of ya all been threw a ton lately.. Agh,
We will be praying that God will provide speedy recovery.. Bless your hearts..