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Hello everyone, I used to be on here years ago but cant remember my login from before so now I have to start all over
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I currently do not have chickens but looking into getting them again. I miss having them.

Anyway, great to be back.
 
Okay, I'm just gonna put this out there....You'all just haven't lived until you watch a 32 oz Buff Silkie screaming and chasing a big ole' 7 lb rooster around a half acre of property for trying to mate with her when she's feeling broody. LMAO!!! Funniest moment of the week for me!
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I am so dang sick of the heat!! I have toted frozen water bottles, fed frozen treats and high protein and yes those girls are hanging in there but the mommy rooster is fading fast in the heat!! Maybe its a little stress related as my DH has a shoulder replacement in Tucson on Tuesday and I learned last Thursday there is a mass on my adrenal gland - which is probably cancer again. I need to get my DH at least 6 weeks post-op before I can have surgery to remove the adrenal. Yes it will be a fun time - so the heat needs to go!! Off to the chicken yard to check on the cluckers and to sit in the mister to try to destress and plan, plan, plan!! Stay well and safe friends - its now 107 in the shade on my front porch and not quite 1pm!!
 
We are about the same here, Feather. I stopped using the frozen bottles and am running the misting system from about noon to 3pm.
The kiddie pool under one of the heads seems to be the favored spot. The sand gets a little damp and is in the shade so a crowd gathers there as soon as they hear the mister come on. Raw sunflower seeds and fresh greens in the morning then cold fresh fruit at around 5 pm both seem to keep them pretty happy and healthy for now. I try to give them just enough to get their appetites fired up because they nearly always hit the feeders vigorously after each session.
As anxious as we are to see our first eggs, on the other hand we are kind of glad no one has started yet. This being our first go round at chicken ranching, a lot of what we are doing is a combination of the wealth of info here at BYC, common sense and instinct.
Dealing with a Spring hatch, then raise then in the searing summer heat as our first attempt has forced us to do be somewhat more vigilant in attempting to keep them alive than those who deal with a more temperate climate.
We hope to be in a position to take on a fall hatch next year so we can which we would prefer to continue with in the future.
Any thoughts on the pros/cons of Spring vs Fall hatching in the SW would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
desertrocks said:
We are about the same here, Feather. I stopped using the frozen bottles and am running the misting system from about noon to 3pm.
The kiddie pool under one of the heads seems to be the favored spot. The sand gets a little damp and is in the shade so a crowd gathers there as soon as they hear the mister come on. Raw sunflower seeds and fresh greens in the morning then cold fresh fruit at around 5 pm both seem to keep them pretty happy and healthy for now. I try to give them just enough to get their appetites fired up because they nearly always hit the feeders vigorously after each session.
As anxious as we are to see our first eggs, on the other hand we are kind of glad no one has started yet. This being our first go round at chicken ranching, a lot of what we are doing is a combination of the wealth of info here at BYC, common sense and instinct.
Dealing with a Spring hatch, then raise then in the searing summer heat as our first attempt has forced us to do be somewhat more vigilant in attempting to keep them alive than those who deal with a more temperate climate.
We hope to be in a position to take on a fall hatch next year so we can which we would prefer to continue with in the future.
Any thoughts on the pros/cons of Spring vs Fall hatching in the SW would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

The heat has been horrible for me this year and has me seriously thinking about getting out of poultry. Tried of being stuck here with no break.

I have never been able to hatch in the fall because #1 I haven't thinned out the birds I've hatched in the winter through spring enough to have room to set up breeding pens
#2 I'm usually tired from the heat of summer and need a break and not ready to start in to hatching again so soon. BUT I think fall hatching is a good idea because, as you said, they will mature before summer heat hits. Also, the snakes will not be active, so you won't have to worry about them eating the chicks. Depending on the breed and how long it takes them to come into lay, fall hatched chicks may be ready to lay in spring when they naturally will lay better. Spring hatched chicks, you may not get many eggs until the following spring if they are a breed that is sensitive to the shorter day length. Then again, if you want to hatch in the fall, the birds may not be laying as well then due to molting and the shortening day length. So you may need to put them on supplemental lights to keep them laying but I wouldn't do that until after their molt. You will have to provide more supplemental heat for fall hatched chicks if you want to put them outside young, so that can be a disadvantage. I usually start hatching in January after I've had a break, had time to thin out birds, and after the holidays are over. I process turkeys for people for the holidays and that keeps me busy enough. If you are hatching to sell chicks, I've found people don't buy poultry as much during the holiday season. These are some of my thoughts.
 

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