Arizona Chickens

[meetthebubus]

@meetthebubus I'm worried too and already prepping for it. Let's hope it's not too brutal.

Are you trying anything new this year? Changing anything from last year?

We fixed the mansion which is their daytime shelter and nest area during the heat days. It's taller, better insulated, and I put shingles on the roof of it, and then a canopy over the fence that is above the mansion and coop to further block the sun from that area. So when the sun passes over the mansion and coop it won't get direct rays hopefully keeping it cooler.

Also bc it's taller it provides more shade in the afternoon on the outside. I also have more canopies in the run area where the sun is blocked out so it's cooler there, and later misters will be provided as it heats up.

I did notice windy days coming which means cooler Temps and chance of rain!
Too bad winter couldn't be cold enough this year.

 

[Jadesun6]

So my egg was a double yolker. Now I can say I saw one. The shell was thin, like store bought eggs thin. When i cracked it open i did it a little too hard and broke one of the yolks. I scrambled it up and feed it to the chicks. Of course they looked at me like it was poison. Finally momma hen told them I wouldn't do that and they all scarfed it down!

 

[BlueBaby]

So my egg was a double yolker. Now I can say I saw one. The shell was thin, like store bought eggs thin. When i cracked it open i did it a little too hard and broke one of the yolks. I scrambled it up and feed it to the chicks. Of course they looked at me like it was poison. Finally momma hen told them I wouldn't do that and they all scarfed it down!
View attachment 1260491

None of my girls have given me a double yolker (at least as yet). I wish they would, but only when I'm not busy trying to hatch them out!

Another baby chick was hatched, and this one is another blue naked neck. Boy, did it ever pop out of that shell fast!

 

[igorsMistress]

We fixed the mansion which is their daytime shelter and nest area during the heat days. It's taller, better insulated, and I put shingles on the roof of it, and then a canopy over the fence that is above the mansion and coop to further block the sun from that area. So when the sun passes over the mansion and coop it won't get direct rays hopefully keeping it cooler.

Also bc it's taller it provides more shade in the afternoon on the outside. I also have more canopies in the run area where the sun is blocked out so it's cooler there, and later misters will be provided as it heats up.

I did notice windy days coming which means cooler Temps and chance of rain!
Too bad winter couldn't be cold enough this year.

It sounds like you've got things pretty well covered. You have lucky chickens!

 

[SonoranChick]

I want to share something cute my white leghorn (Lady) has been doing...she is usually one of the first hens to lay in the morning. I think the sun coming up a bit earlier might have her confused, because for the past week or so, she will go from the roost to her nest, tuck her head under her wing, and fall asleep! She looks like she's laying, but she's just sleeping in She will eventually wake up and lay her egg, but it is so silly to see her in there, in the dark, all tucked in at 7am.

 

[SonoranChick]

@Jadesun6 that double yolker looks delicious! Congrats!

@meetthebubus yes, I am dreading the upcoming summer. Last summer we got away with frozen jugs, misters and shallow pools of water. This year I really want to get a used swamp cooler and I've been thinking of getting an actual baby pool for them. I would only fill it with like 2 inches of water, but that way they can't tip it over or get it as muddy. Some of them (my RIR, Australorp, brown leghorn and Delaware especially) LOVE water. I will take advantage of that during the nasty months.

 

[BlueBaby]

Well, this coming summer I will get to see how well these Naked Neck's hold up to the heat compared to the Australorp's. I'm still going to set thing's up the same way that I have been doing for our high summer temps.

 

[cactusrota]

Honestly I won't be doing anything differently. Shade, lots of water sources, and maybe some mudholes to cool the feet... But thats it. I'm breeding for heat tolerance so any that seem to be suffering too much will be culled or rehomed to someone that WILL baby them.

 

[BlueBaby]

@cactusrota I turned 2 of those nn chicks from the green egg laying hen that you have loose in with the big chickens today. They have the little peacomb like the mother has. I will sell those 2. One is black, and one is blue. I'm keeping that other blue nn one though because it has the single straight comb like my Australorp's have. All of my nn mixed chicks that are to be hatching now will have the single straight combs.

 

[DesertChic]

Well, this coming summer I will get to see how well these Naked Neck's hold up to the heat compared to the Australorp's. I'm still going to set thing's up the same way that I have been doing for our high summer temps.

I think you'll be pleased with the NNs heat tolerance and performance.