Arizona Chickens

[City farm]

sad sad news, my quail baby did not make it. . My son is going to be so sad when he comes home today so I will be trying to get my quail eggs incubated. (ty to sil). There are so many wonderful people in our group I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to meet you all.

Sorry about your little quail. I'm hoping you get some hatching from the eggs. Keep us updated.

R.I.P. To my wonderful hen Jesse. She didn't come out of her nesting box today (Which see does a lot) and when I when to bring her out she was passed. We didn't expected to live past two months because of her neurological condition (Seizures) but she was two and a half. She was my first chicken and just like one of my dogs. You'll be missed.

Sorry about your Jesse. So easy to get attached to them.

We call them "Shepinois". I worked a dog for Goodyear or Avondale, can't remember. He was a Shepinois and was like a Chihuahua in steroids. Very nasty dog when on patrol, but the handler said he was just a snuggle little bear when his 2 year old tugged at his ears and such. He had a ton of problems with him such as biting handler during a competition and biting him in the Cheif of Polices office too I think. His name was Boris. He was a Baaaaad little doggy. Handler sent him onto a suspect in a new neighborhood under construction. Saw the dog in plain view, released the dog. The guy dips around a corner and the dog follows handler in trail. Handler gets around the corner to find Boris pulling a guy out from under his truck by his boots. He was working on his truck on a creeper. Lol. No harm done, the dog only got the boot heel.

I'm in Tempe near University and Priest. I've seen grey foxes not half a mile from my home many times. They look just like a cat when you see them at night, except for their giant bushy tail. I think people see them all the time but don't recognize what they really are. My run has netting over it, but it will be replaced by wire eventually. Hoping nothing gets through the netting. I have several neighbors that free range their chickens and don't secure them in coops at night so I think theirs would the first to go, not mine.

Cherry, one of our Leghorn mutts, really outdid herself today. Her normal eggs weight in at 48-50 grams, barely a medium. Today's weighed in at 71 grams, borderline jumbo!! Ouch!!!

Double yolker? Can't wait to hear what they add to the box! I think I've got a hen trying to go broody. She spends over half the day in the nest box, but she does give up and join her sisters cooling off on the damp earth in the heat of the day. If she starts spending too much time in the box I'll have to cage her, somewhere cool.

We always use the quote, that way you will get a email letting you know we added to your quote.. So this is a long one.. Just wanted to say that for the newbies.. We remember trying to figure it all out.. If you start a new one, sometimes the person you are quoting or want to add something to their post, they might not see it.. So with all that said... Sill, Our DF, the Master Gardners, had just had surgery so they will be going threw the box another day.. & had 3 home projects going .. I will keep you posted..

 

[City farm]

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!

 

[City farm]

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

Nancy so love your set up.. I bet planting some trees, moringa would be nice.. They grow fast & are nutritious..

 

[City farm]

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

Yes, saw that.. We don't.. Our neighbors do.. If anyone does go let us know..

 

[girlchick]

Nancy so love your set up.. I bet planting some trees, moringa would be nice.. They grow fast & are nutritious..

Thanks, it's working well so far. I have sand on the pavers and it's easy to sweep up the poos into my scoop/sifter gizmo. We have poplar trees on the west side of the chicken's pen, so they are shaded on the west in the afternoon. I also bought a good sized bouganvilla that I will plant next to the pen, since the drip irrigation is already installed around the gazebo. Hubby put a tomato plant on the south side, just for fun. LOL

 

[girlchick]

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

Oh yeah, I know that it won't work worth a darn when the humidity rises. Can still stir the air around, tho'. LOL

 

[carnivore]

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!

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.

I kind of use a combination of these. I already have a bit of slope, so I have good drainage, with a deep litter of compost and pine shavings. Since my run is roofed over, I get some of those cheap Harbor Freight tarps and staple them to the inside of the rafters. I can live with the humidity, but all the rain is going in the neighbors yard!

 

[a little chiken]

Amybody in Tucson go to the Urban Agriculture meeting last night?
I was a little shocked to find out that selling chicks and bunnies is against the law. I don't sell processed animals, but that's against the law too.
As a matter of fact, I don't sell any of my meat critters, but thought it might be a way to own them legally.
If you were at last nights meeting, did it seems to you that it was basically a re-hashing of last months meeting?

I wanted to go but I have not been feeling well since I got back from Phx. working on finding a new Dr as mine moved again (beginning to wonder if its a personal thing)! I read what is posted via Tucson Clucks and it sounds like a lot of repeated info and not a lot of resolution. The thing is the laws have not been changed or updated or even upheld in so many years that no one knows what is accurate and what is not. It is crazy and hopefully the city council will take this seriously and make decisions that will allow manageable numbers of livestock in town. I wish we would look at some of the larger cities in the mid-west and back east that have recently adopted urban farming laws. It is working and proven and we could use their structure. (imo)

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

I lived in Golden Valley until I was 14 years old. I remember how hot it was but no more so really than phx. I love your coop and I would recommend growing something like Gallo said however I remember everything died that we tried to grow and my mom is an amazing gardener but never when we lived there. The portable cooler might not do what you want as your gazebo is so open. it will run all the time but not sure it will help?? what about shade cloth and misters? Just my thoughts. I will be in G.V. sometime in the next month to pick up a potbellied pig from a friend maybe we can meet when we come?

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.

Gallo del Cielo I remember growing up there and we could never get anything to grow well. rock hard ground so maybe if she lives in a little better area or does a raised bed or something otherwise we never had luck there for 7 years of living there. Most beautiful monsoons in that valley, I miss those but nothing else.

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!

My property is at a downward slant and my coop flooded last year. we walked out in almost knee high water in my yard. I used hay and straw and it was a HUGE mess.!!!!! This year we are deep sanding the coops. I am worried because I have broody mamas and they are do to hatch chicks in the next couple of weeks. the little's would never make it in the deep water so I have to figure out what I am going to do with everyone. (5 broody hens) I like to leave them with the flock because the chicks incorporate faster into the flock and mama hen does not lose her spot in the pecking order. It works for me anyway. may make some areas they can climb up and get off the floor if needed. I know I will be out in some crazy weather come monsoon season to watch my little's.

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

what is that?

Nancy so love your set up.. I bet planting some trees, moringa would be nice.. They grow fast & are nutritious..

I am trying to figure out how to plant them in my duck run as we talked about. can i plant before monsoons hit as that area gets very wet (remember I told you there is a wash through there) or do I wait till after monsoons? I know I need to fence off from my ducks as they grow. I saw some that are 1 ft tall for $5- I was wondering if I should just get those or use the seeds I got. do I plant directly in the ground? ok sry too many questions but you are so knowledgeable about them. also what bushes should I plant in the duck run for them to hide under?? I want bushes that its ok for them to eat and ok to be under some trees.


Yes the seed box is so amazing. so many seeds. It can be a bit overwhelming going through so take your time. I cannot wait to get it back this way. Gallo del Cielo has put so much work into that box and I know others that had it before added a lot too. If anyone needs the rose seed instructions I can post or pm me and I will send you a copy. Mine did not germinate just putting them in the jiffy cups so I will be testing the way the directs suggests by faking winter etc.

I was not able to get my incubator set up yet so I did not get the quail eggs set yet I hope to get one soon. I want to get my son his quail.

 

[a little chiken]

here is the city ordinance as it reads now in Tucson

Here is the ordinance that appears in the Tucson CIty Coe: Sec. 4-8. Sale of animals at swap meets and public property prohibited; sale of baby chickens, ducklings or young rabbits forbidden; exceptions; penalties.
(a) It shall be unlawful to display or offer for sale, trade, gift or other transfer of ownership or to make a sale, trade, gift or otherwise transfer any animal including birds and reptiles on or from any public street, roadway, right-of-way, sidewalk, park or swap meet.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or to give away baby chickens or ducklings under six (6) weeks of age or rabbits under two (2) months of age in less than half- dozen lots as premiums, novelties, prizes, pets or toys, for the promotion of any business, sale, activity or other promotional use.
(c) Exceptions. Subsection (a) shall not prohibit the sale, gift or other transfer of ownership of animals at activities or events that are regulated by other state or county agencies. Subsection (b) shall not be considered to prohibit the sale of display of baby chickens or ducklings or rabbits in proper facilities that comply with the provisions of any sanitary code, or other rules and regulations of the board of health, by breeders and those engaged in the business of selling for commercial breeding and raising purposes. Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not prohibit the use of off-site signs or advertising, to the extent such signs or advertising are otherwise permitted.
(d) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(e) Penalties. A violation of any provision of this section is punishable by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) for any person. Each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.

 

[AZ Turkeys]

Thanks, it's working well so far. I have sand on the pavers and it's easy to sweep up the poos into my scoop/sifter gizmo. We have poplar trees on the west side of the chicken's pen, so they are shaded on the west in the afternoon. I also bought a good sized bouganvilla that I will plant next to the pen, since the drip irrigation is already installed around the gazebo. Hubby put a tomato plant on the south side, just for fun. LOL

Hope you get tomatoes. Hens LOVE green tomatoes LOL. Sounds like a great set up though. Another treat for your girls.. get mulberry tree berries. The berries are very nutritious and hens love them.