Arizona Chickens

[rmafritz]

Welcome to the AZ thread, and to BYC!
We just used some regular wood from Home Depot and lots of wood and metal scraps from refurbishing our house. Like others have noted, shade and ventilation are of upmost importance here. Be sure to keep in mind that chicken wire is just for keeping chickens IN, but it doesn't keep predators out. Some predators, like coyote and kit fox, will dig to get a meal f possible. Your use of hardware cloth is a good idea. In the hottest months, shallow pools of water or mud puddles are good. We have a roof over the run because there wasn't enough shade. Here are some photos of our coop and run, just for an idea. We are working on upgrading the roof over the coop this month, and I'll post more pictures when that is complete! Good luck and feel free to keep the questions coming!

Your run is how is basically how I was planning on doing mine. I can't go over 6.5 ft tall due to the HOA though. Did you just use shade cloth on the sides of your run?

 

[SonoranChick]

The run is enclosed in metal with bamboo fence for shade. You may be okay with just shade cloth if you run is in your backyard. I believe @meetthebubus has netting around the 360 habitat and that has worked well - My entire coop/run is just out in the open desert and the chickens would be some lucky coyote's dinner if I just had shade cloth

 

[BlueBaby]

The run is enclosed in metal with bamboo fence for shade. You may be okay with just shade cloth if you run is in your backyard. I believe @meetthebubus has netting around the 360 habitat and that has worked well - My entire coop/run is just out in the open desert and would the chickens would be some lucky coyote's dinner if I just had shade cloth

I use shade cloth on my run. I chose the type that gives relief from the sun, but will still let the air pass through to help with ventilation. I bought more than one, so I still have a spare if the one that I am getting wears out. My yard is not fenced in, and everything runs through my yard. I don't let my flock free-range though, and my coop and run has held up pretty good to it all. I even have a padlock on my door that you walk into the coop at, and I keep the key in my pocket.

 

[FeatherPugs]

Your run is how is basically how I was planning on doing mine. I can't go over 6.5 ft tall due to the HOA though. Did you just use shade cloth on the sides of your run?

Shade cloth will work just fine. Looks like here it is bamboo you can buy by the roll or recycle someone's shade they threw away! It is a great idea to cover as much as you can - I can tell you about mud! BUT I have a few more chickens than that and a good number of shade trees plus bamboo. I will say my "second" coop is way more airy than my first coop was. I really like them both but the second one is more AZ style and I use tarps when the weather is horrid. Which is not that often - ya know what I mean.....Enjoy your peepers!

 

[MagicChicken]

View attachment 1318443 View attachment 1318444 Y'all do not know how long I've been trying to find this thread and My old friends.

Anyone here remember me? Just found the thread again and haven't done any reading into how everyone is doing.

Hope everyone is doing well here. Love this thread and glad to be back.

Hello from Big Stone Gap, Va.

K9Dave! We've missed you! Hope all is well. Glad you're back!

 

[Bobby Basham]

....grow into a crowing rooster, you mean?

With their luck, probably a mean, feisty RIR that doesn't like kids. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Your run is how is basically how I was planning on doing mine. I can't go over 6.5 ft tall due to the HOA though. Did you just use shade cloth on the sides of your run?

HOA = Home Owners' Assassination. On a serious note, I need a few more pieces of 2x4's for reinforcement. My whole run is pressure treated wood, and upon reading the description, it stated "not for ground contact." I don't recall ever seeing that before. What attracted me to it in the first place is that it won't rot.

Oh well, the damage is already done, and we'll just see how long it lasts. I've also read posts where not to use it inside for roosts, or outside for garden beds because of soil contact. That's strange, because I've seen it used on some gardening shows on PBS.

 

[Tbarr334]

Well I was a day off... At 11:15 am weighing in at 6lbs 2 oz the biggest barred girl has laid her first egg. I was feeding them and all the sudden I heard a loud screach and lots of clucking from her and all the other chickens and there was laying this small egg.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Last year when I was teaching, a student's mother randomly brought in one lone baby chick for the kids to check out. I was so excited, because I had just ordered my little flock from MyPetChicken, and asked, "Do you raise chickens?" The mother laughed and said NO, it's just something fun we got for him for Easter I was so appalled. I wonder what ever happened to that little chick, but part of me doesn't even want to know.

Hmmm...something "fun for Easter." She truly needs a hand upside her head.

You know that kids have the attention span of a fruit fly, and will probably get bored with it by the time it enters that awkward teenage stage (if it lives that long...no telling what they're feeding it, and it has no flock mates).

I'm glad most places have a chick minimum to discourage such purchases to idiots who think they are doing their kids a favor by giving them a lone chick.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Your run is how is basically how I was planning on doing mine. I can't go over 6.5 ft tall due to the HOA though. Did you just use shade cloth on the sides of your run?

I wish I could go that tall, but I think my HOA doesn't want anything protruding about our 5-ft walls, so went the low-boy route. I'm sure I read it correctly before I started investing money in lumber and building. My run is only 5-ft tall, but I'm only about 5'8", so it's no big deal.

My concern now is that a HUGE Pitbull hangs his big head and paws over that section where you see that one column, just above the park bench. It's the back part of my run. There must be some type of planter box on the other side for him to stand on. He constantly barks at anything that moves, including neighbors closing their car doors. He's really a PIA.

My chickens panic at every little noise, even a passing car. I want to put some type of lattice work or such to where they cannot see each other, maybe some climbing plants to conceal them.

He looks a little older with some gray whiskers, but I don't trust him. Stressed hens do not lay well.