Arizona Chickens

[DesertChic]

Hello, everyone. Our local feed store is getting their chicks in sometime this week, and my family was planning on getting a few more. My question with that is, will they be able to be outside in this weather? I'd have asked in a separate thread, but I feel like I'd get a better answer with people that know the weather out here, especially in monsoon season.
It's a blocked in area, fully sheltered from birds, bugs, cats, rain, wind, etc., but it is still outside and stays at about 90 degrees throughout the day. Is that too hot for the chicks to be outside? We wouldn't put the heat lamp on them or anything except possibly at night, but we don't want to get them if it's too hot out for them because we can't bring them inside. Our current chickens were out in the same spot when they were chicks and are now moved into their pens, but that was back in April when it was way cooler.

And good luck if you start your own bloodline of Austra-Whites, @BlueBaby!

Hello, and welcome!
It's hard to say for certain without knowing the precise temps in your area, but I would expect that as long as they have a warm, sheltered area to run to should they get cold and a shady cooler area to run to should they get too hot, putting them outside shouldn't be a problem. When I've allowed my broody hens to hatch out chicks she gets them outside very early, just three days after hatching, but they have Mama to snuggle under should they get cold or nervous. I'm a firm believer that chicks are healthiest when they can get out and play in the dirt earlier in life rather than later.

 

[cactusrota]

Hello, everyone. Our local feed store is getting their chicks in sometime this week, and my family was planning on getting a few more. My question with that is, will they be able to be outside in this weather? I'd have asked in a separate thread, but I feel like I'd get a better answer with people that know the weather out here, especially in monsoon season.
It's a blocked in area, fully sheltered from birds, bugs, cats, rain, wind, etc., but it is still outside and stays at about 90 degrees throughout the day. Is that too hot for the chicks to be outside? We wouldn't put the heat lamp on them or anything except possibly at night, but we don't want to get them if it's too hot out for them because we can't bring them inside. Our current chickens were out in the same spot when they were chicks and are now moved into their pens, but that was back in April when it was way cooler.

And good luck if you start your own bloodline of Austra-Whites, @BlueBaby!

I've done it, though I generally keep them in a tub brooder just for the first week. I just put out a heat lamp with a 60w black light bulb for at night for them to cuddle under, and turn it off during the day. Shade, water, and maybe a spot of wet dirt for cooling their feetsies.

 

[DesertBird]

Never had a rooster crow at doves, and I do get both collared doves and mourning doves around looking for some forgotten tidbits.
On a side note about that, though, I try to keep them away as much as possible. Doves often carry canker/frounce/trich that can't be transmitted to your birds....

Good to know! Do you have any methods to keeping them out? One of them nests in my attic - no matter how much we try to block it up, the little bugger just finds another way in. Somewhat alarming when you're trying to sleep and hear scratching from the corner of your room, though. I've also noticed that every time they come around, my feed bags seem to have little holes in them afterwards. I now store the food in thick plastic buckets raised off the ground by a hook.

 

[DesertBird]

Oh yes! My boys are very aggravated by the doves, but all they do is crow at them and flap their wings. It's my smallest Naked Neck hen who finally chases them away, which is especially funny since she's always been rather shy. She will chase them all around the entire 1/2 acre yard until they finally leave while the rest of the birds just make noise and watch her. (So much for protective roosters. )

What a cutie pie! I let them all out to free range and the boys tried to show their dominance by chasing the doves off, but the doves were just not phased by them so my roo's sulked away.

Hello, and welcome!
It's hard to say for certain without knowing the precise temps in your area, but I would expect that as long as they have a warm, sheltered area to run to should they get cold and a shady cooler area to run to should they get too hot, putting them outside shouldn't be a problem. When I've allowed my broody hens to hatch out chicks she gets them outside very early, just three days after hatching, but they have Mama to snuggle under should they get cold or nervous. I'm a firm believer that chicks are healthiest when they can get out and play in the dirt earlier in life rather than later.

Thank you! And they'd definitely have an entirely shaded area, and I'd probably freeze water bottles and put a towel or two over them at one end of the little pen in case it gets way too hot for them. I'll monitor them very closely to make sure they're doing okay, and adjust if need be. Luckily it's almost cooling down, so I won't have to worry about the little chicks getting too hot during the day.

I've done it, though I generally keep them in a tub brooder just for the first week. I just put out a heat lamp with a 60w black light bulb for at night for them to cuddle under, and turn it off during the day. Shade, water, and maybe a spot of wet dirt for cooling their feetsies.

I'll probably put mine in a little Rubbermaid tub for a bit, then upgrade it, then possibly again before I put them in their grow-out pen. I'm not sure what the wattage for my heat lamp is, but I'll make sure to check that before putting it too closely on them.

 

[cactusrota]

Good to know! Do you have any methods to keeping them out? One of them nests in my attic - no matter how much we try to block it up, the little bugger just finds another way in. Somewhat alarming when you're trying to sleep and hear scratching from the corner of your room, though. I've also noticed that every time they come around, my feed bags seem to have little holes in them afterwards. I now store the food in thick plastic buckets raised off the ground by a hook.

I haven't really figured anything out yet, other than just chasing them off when they show up. My roosters ignore them so far, unfortunately. Ya, I keep all my food in critter proof containters.. had it in a rubbermaid garbage can, but the lid developed some cracked, and that doesn't keep the rain out, so I just got some new tubs today. Prices were funny. At the Home Despot the 20 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can was $22, or I could get Rubbermaid 18 gallon tubs for $7 each. Hmmm.... I can tell you that the 18 gal tubs hold about a bag and a half or more of feed...

 

[DesertBird]

I haven't really figured anything out yet, other than just chasing them off when they show up. My roosters ignore them so far, unfortunately. Ya, I keep all my food in critter proof containters.. had it in a rubbermaid garbage can, but the lid developed some cracked, and that doesn't keep the rain out, so I just got some new tubs today. Prices were funny. At the Home Despot the 20 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can was $22, or I could get Rubbermaid 18 gallon tubs for $7 each. Hmmm.... I can tell you that the 18 gal tubs hold about a bag and a half or more of feed...

Oooh, I might need to go grab a few if I find some in my area! I have no idea what I'd use them for, but it can't hurt to have a few extra tubs around.

 

[FeatherPugs]

My niece in Tucson said the ACE store on 22nd (?) has birds in now - special breeds, speckled Sussex; lavender Orpingtons; naked necks; splash marans and many, many more. I try to only get new chicks in early spring/late winter months so they begin laying around the time the others molt and I had the feeding of everybody the starter food, etc. BUT geez this store is calling me. Its an hour's drive but I must still sit on my hands!!

 

[BlueBaby]

I haven't really figured anything out yet, other than just chasing them off when they show up. My roosters ignore them so far, unfortunately. Ya, I keep all my food in critter proof containters.. had it in a rubbermaid garbage can, but the lid developed some cracked, and that doesn't keep the rain out, so I just got some new tubs today. Prices were funny. At the Home Despot the 20 gallon Rubbermaid garbage can was $22, or I could get Rubbermaid 18 gallon tubs for $7 each. Hmmm.... I can tell you that the 18 gal tubs hold about a bag and a half or more of feed...

I bought one of those metal garbage cans and the lid to hold my feed in. Nothing is going to get into it, and the lid won't split or deteriorate like plastic does. Not even the mice are going to chew through it. Just make sure that you have the lid all the way down on it, then bugs won't get in there neither.

 

[BlueBaby]

Ok, in two more days, I'll have more of these Australorp chicks due to hatch out. Both of those Austra-white chicks that hatched out are doing good and I will be keeping both of them for another pen. I marked them on the heads so that I'll be able to tell them apart from my Australorps.

 

[MagicChicken]

Being curious about toes doesn't mean the bird will be aggressive. My birds aren't but if I wear new shoes, well they're curious and check them out.
Please give the birds a chance and see what happens. Culling doesn't have to be the first answer for normal behavior.

According to the original poster the bird was starting to bite fingers as well as toes. That is beginning to sound like more than curiosity. Aggression is in the range of "normal" behavior for roosters. But human-directed aggression is something I won't tolerate in my flock. I have learned that lesson the hard way. I haven't had many cockerels stop at toe biting. They either behave respectfully from the start (no toe biting) or they escalate the aggressive behavior over time. There is a genetic component to aggressive behavior and I am weeding out the overly aggressive birds. They are not welcome in my breeding program. Your mileage - and birds - may vary.