Arizona Chickens

[Junellen]

Any AZ chicken people out there? I am looking for some advice on raising chicks in the desert. I'm in Mesa. Does it get too hot out here? I have four 20 day old chicks, 3 Buff Orps and 1 leghorn. Do we need to do anything special here

I'm in Tucson, and have previously raised chickens in the desert west of Tucson. First off, pick or create a shady spot for their coop and yard. When it gets really hot, we keep ice blocks in their water. You can create cooling spots by cutting the top off of a blue barrel, and drilling several quarter size holes in the bottom, if you lay it on its side and place a block of ice inside toward the center it will create and evaporative cooling spot and they love to stand in the trickle of melting ice. Make sure the coop is well ventilated, we have even created evaporative cooling with box fans and ice blocks, just make sure that the fan isn't blowing directly on the birds. Also our birds have always done better with corn and soy free feeds, it keeps their weight a little lower and they do better in the heat. My chicks are outside already and doing very well, do have a resident hawk however so their yard area is covered. Have fun!! It is not a difficult task, just pay attention to the heat.

 

[BlueBaby]

When Glenn gets back with lunch and I've rested some, I'm going to have him help me take pictures of Runt, Scratch, Walker and Houdini.. Houdini I know is going to be white like Charlie, Walker almost looks like he's going to look like that one roo i have in his coloring. This is the single NN egg I had hatch a couple of hatches ago, the one we talked about BlueBaby. these pictures off of my phone do not do his colors justice.View attachment 2043818View attachment 2043819

This one's a cockerel.

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm in Tucson, and have previously raised chickens in the desert west of Tucson. First off, pick or create a shady spot for their coop and yard. When it gets really hot, we keep ice blocks in their water. You can create cooling spots by cutting the top off of a blue barrel, and drilling several quarter size holes in the bottom, if you lay it on its side and place a block of ice inside toward the center it will create and evaporative cooling spot and they love to stand in the trickle of melting ice. Make sure the coop is well ventilated, we have even created evaporative cooling with box fans and ice blocks, just make sure that the fan isn't blowing directly on the birds. Also our birds have always done better with corn and soy free feeds, it keeps their weight a little lower and they do better in the heat. My chicks are outside already and doing very well, do have a resident hawk however so their yard area is covered. Have fun!! It is not a difficult task, just pay attention to the heat.

Nice to see you popping in here to this thread! Are you still raising poultry?

 

[Junellen]

Nice to see you popping in here to this thread! Are you still raising poultry?

Started up again after a few years in transition. We are now in town so I have become an "urban farmer".

 

[BlueBaby]

Started up again after a few years in transition. We are now in town so I have become an "urban farmer".

An urban farmer is better than not being a farmer at all. At least you know that they don't grow all of the food in the back of the store. What breed's do you have?

 

[igorsMistress]

I wonder why her neck is pink when her face and feet are dark?

Her shanks will be colored like any other chicken and her face has feathers like any other chicken. Her neck and chest will darken to red with sun exposure like a tan on a human.

 

[igorsMistress]

Should have read, cross between a guinea and a NN View attachment 2043767

starri people have mixed so many breeds with Turkens that you'll probably never know the background and where that color comes from. I think your pullet is prettier than this bird pictured by far.

 

[Junellen]

An urban farmer is better than not being a farmer at all. At least you know that they don't grow all of the food in the back of the store. What breed's do you have?

Black Australorps, Austra Whites, EEs and a mixed up chick we have not ben able to identify yet.

 

[Junellen]

starri people have mixed so many breeds with Turkens that you'll probably never know the background and where that color comes from. I think your pullet is prettier than this bird pictured by far.

I think she looks a bit like a Road Runner. The one in the picture is certainly "interesting" looking.

 

[BlueBaby]

Black Australorps, Austra Whites, EEs and a mixed up chick we have not ben able to identify yet.

Do you have a picture of your mixed up one that we can see?