Arizona Chickens

[chicksurreal]

Just trying to provide some perspective. I don't know any old-time poultry folks who get up in the middle of the night to provide warm water for their birds. Feed and water in the evening before the birds go to roost, yes. Feed and water early in the morning, yes. Middle of the night? No. Poultry people in colder climates tend to be more worried about excess humidity in the coops. Many don't even keep food or water in the coop itself, especially at night. It can attract rodents and other critters you don't want to be feeding. You did mention you are new to the poultry world. Don't believe everything you read on BYC. If your chickens are healthy and had access to water before they went to roost, they will not dehydrate if you water them at 7 am (which is before sunrise at this time of year) instead of 3 am. If you are using lights in the coop before sunrise your timing may vary, but that four hour window will not be a problem for a healthy bird.

Granted, I live in AZ, and the coldest it gets in our area is 15 degrees and we don't light the coops for anything but chicks.

That being said, we never put food or water in the coop after the chicks reach the age to roost without light, around 8 weeks or so. They wouldn't be able to see it anyway, and we get up before it's light outside and let them out at the first hint of morning, so they have access to feed and water right away. It's never been a problem that I can see.

 

[moms3cuties]

I have one Ameraucana in quarantine now, she has been acting funny for a while, and yesterday the other chooks were pecking at her. When I came out to visit this morning, she had about a 2" bald area from the pecking, so I removed her from the run and set her up in a cage in my bathroom. She seems pretty calm and peaceful now, any ideas on how long to wait before I reintroduce her to the flock?

..Is she new to your flock?

...My second question is do you have a new rooster that has started to try to mate and be rough with the hens? teenage Roos can be quite rough on hens!

I personally would make sure that she is healed fairly well before I put her back with the flock myself

 

[moms3cuties]

I have a question.

*Am I the only 1 that feeds there chickens late in the evening while their already up on the roosts or in my case in their tree? I brought them some organic sweet potatoes and a few bites of organic grass fed meatloaf! -.-

 

[houdiniduck]

I have a question.

*Am I the only 1 that feeds there chickens late in the evening while their already up on the roosts or in my case in their tree? I brought them some organic sweet potatoes and a few bites of organic grass fed meatloaf! -.-

I feed my Chickens in a bucket. They always have food. They get their treats in the afternoons. What you gave them sound delish!

 

[chicksurreal]

I have a question.

*Am I the only 1 that feeds there chickens late in the evening while their already up on the roosts or in my case in their tree? I brought them some organic sweet potatoes and a few bites of organic grass fed meatloaf! -.-

My chickens go to bed with full crops. I go out at about 5:00 and hang out with them, make sure they have feed (they always do) and give them a few little treats as they go up the ramp to the coop. That might be why I have some who hang around until it's too dark to find a roost. Lol!

 

[moms3cuties]

I have a question.


*Am I the only 1 that feeds there chickens late in the evening while their already up on the roosts or in my case in their tree? I brought them some organic sweet potatoes and a few bites of organic grass fed meatloaf! -.-

My chickens go to bed with full crops. I go out at about 5:00 and hang out with them, make sure they have feed (they always do) and give them a few little treats as they go up the ramp to the coop. That might be why I have some who hang around until it's too dark to find a roost. Lol!

it's sure fun to give them things to eat and I enjoy hanging out with them and I enjoy petting some of them that will let me hold them and stroke or massage their back.

 

[moms3cuties]

I have a question.


*Am I the only 1 that feeds there chickens late in the evening while their already up on the roosts or in my case in their tree? I brought them some organic sweet potatoes and a few bites of organic grass fed meatloaf! -.-

I feed my Chickens in a bucket. They always have food. They get their treats in the afternoons. What you gave them sound delish!

... I wish I had made more because I certainly would have liked to have eaten some more myself, lol.

Now they were already on their tree roosting and I was hand feeding them from a bowl,,
Above my head mind you,,,
an additional snack you know, two or three birds at a time. & I was thinking to myself I must be out of my mind feeding them like this. Who hand feeds their animals or in this case their chickens up in the tree when its almost dark!!

....Well I guess I'm one! =^..^=

 

[houdiniduck]

... I wish I had made more because I certainly would have liked to have eaten some more myself, lol.

Now they were already on their tree roosting and I was hand feeding them from a bowl,,
Above my head mind you,,,
an additional snack you know, two or three birds at a time. & I was thinking to myself I must be out of my mind feeding them like this. Who hand feeds their animals or in this case their chickens up in the tree when its almost dark!!

....Well I guess I'm one! =^..^=

I can totally picture this and it is making me belly laugh.

 

[chicksurreal]

it's sure fun to give them things to eat and I enjoy hanging out with them and I enjoy petting some of them that will let me hold them and stroke or massage their back.

I know! I have to watch myself, they love their treats so much that I have to work to not be an enabler.

I want healthy chickens, so I try to keep a close watch on what they get.

When I go out in the evening I have 4 or 5 of them that want to fly up and roost on my shoulder, it gets a bit hectic with them jostling for position (these are not small chickens). I end up sitting on the ground so they can crawl all over me without the fighting.

I love it, Lol! Can't lie and pretend it's hard for me to take.

 

[chicksurreal]

... I wish I had made more because I certainly would have liked to have eaten some more myself, lol.

Now they were already on their tree roosting and I was hand feeding them from a bowl,,
Above my head mind you,,,
an additional snack you know, two or three birds at a time. & I was thinking to myself I must be out of my mind feeding them like this. Who hand feeds their animals or in this case their chickens up in the tree when its almost dark!!

....Well I guess I'm one! =^..^=

Mine would love to roost in the trees, and try it every night. If we lived in a safer area I'd let them do it, but we have so many predators here, I can't. It sure is fun to watch them in the trees, though. They just naturally want to roost in trees.