Arizona Chickens

[BlueBaby]

We are in east mesa. We have australorps, a white leghorn, new hampshire reds, red star which were mareks vaccinated at the factory, and black sex links.

I have a full house right now, and have some that I'm trying to sell myself right now. Maybe one of the other's that might be wanting some will take them off of your hand's.

 

[BlueBaby]

You're too nice pet sitting.. i know it is hard work!!

So far these guys have been pretty easy as house chickens.. the little coop i got is just perfect for the house, since it has removable trays. I really only "work" one morning a week to dump the trays and refill food and water. I guess as much work as it would be w a rabbit in there (although ive done litter boxes for past rabbits). They are super quiet other than the morning egg song. Dust is normal arizona dust.. which is more than ive had in any othee state, but same amount of pre-chicken cleaning. My daughter does use a kitty litter scooper daily tho to scoop poop, but that takes her a couple minutes.

I think Elsa might work in my office with me.. ill have to figure out the logistics!

I don't mind so much about doing the neighbor's dog's and the chicken's over there, but I don't like the goat's.

 

[springvalley123]

So, is it normal for chicken math to begin before you even get chickens? I was planning on starting with 20, but it’s starting to seem like too small a number now. Heh. When my hill gets graded down, I should have enough space for about a 60’x24’ run and plenty of space for my garden. The remaining topography will not allow for any free ranging, unfortunately. 40 or 60 chickens sounds like a better number to me all of the sudden... . Am I crazy?

It's probably a good thing to have the chicken math "attack" before the birds arrive so you'll have a place to put them all once they're out of the brooder. By building something so big, there is more of a risk of "getting it wrong" in some way but your design looked really solid, and so did your grasp of the "whys" that drive the design. As long as you plan for the worst reasonable predators and the flightiest birds you foresee wanting to have, you should do well. Your whole property will probably look much nicer if you build one large structure than if you were to build a small structure here and there. The only thing, is if you wanted to have an area for quarantine, you might still want to have a smaller, separate area on the opposite side of the property, downwind from your established, larger pen.

 

[BigPil]

No you aren't, because if you get them as small chick's some of them will be boy's even if you order them as pullet's only. If the top of your run isn't covered or the fencing for it, then some predator's will still find a way in there.

I am definitely planning Fort Knox!

It's probably a good thing to have the chicken math "attack" before the birds arrive so you'll have a place to put them all once they're out of the brooder. By building something so big, there is more of a risk of "getting it wrong" in some way but your design looked really solid, and so did your grasp of the "whys" that drive the design. As long as you plan for the worst reasonable predators and the flightiest birds you foresee wanting to have, you should do well. Your whole property will probably look much nicer if you build one large structure than if you were to build a small structure here and there. The only thing, is if you wanted to have an area for quarantine, you might still want to have a smaller, separate area on the opposite side of the property, downwind from your established, larger pen.

I was loving the little design I made, but it isn’t exactly practical for my long term chicken plans.

Here is what I have in my head for enough space for layers, breeding/grow out pens and of course, a quarantine area. It will be a solid fence around entire perimeter and am looking into a concrete footer around coop/run perimeter. Still thinking about how to close in pen areas somewhat during winter or strong winds. But it will be all open air coops in the runs... no fully enclosed coops. I just hope I can squeeze the length I want into the area I am having graded the first of the year. My property is really wonky and hilly. 3 acres and not much of it is useable in its current state.

 

[springvalley123]

I am definitely planning Fort Knox!



I was loving the little design I made, but it isn’t exactly practical for my long term chicken plans.

Here is what I have in my head for enough space for layers, breeding/grow out pens and of course, a quarantine area. It will be a solid fence around entire perimeter and am looking into a concrete footer around coop/run perimeter. Still thinking about how to close in pen areas somewhat during winter or strong winds. But it will be all open air coops in the runs... no fully enclosed coops. I just hope I can squeeze the length I want into the area I am having graded the first of the year. My property is really wonky and hilly. 3 acres and not much of it is useable in its current state.
View attachment 2461099

the quarantine area needs to be a distance away, it can't be adjacent to the other birds.

 

[igorsMistress]

This morning Big Ben started crowing, but it sounded strange, like maybe he had a hoarse throat. Then the dogs started nudging me and heading toward the door. I decided to go outside to see what was going on. A neighbor's place is on fire. Hope it doesn't catch the sagebrush on fire and spread. A fire truck just went by.

I hope everyone is ok!

 

[igorsMistress]

So, is it normal for chicken math to begin before you even get chickens? I was planning on starting with 20, but it’s starting to seem like too small a number now. Heh. When my hill gets graded down, I should have enough space for about a 60’x24’ run and plenty of space for my garden. The remaining topography will not allow for any free ranging, unfortunately. 40 or 60 chickens sounds like a better number to me all of the sudden... . Am I crazy?

The more space the better. Not the more chickens the better

 

[BigPil]

the quarantine area needs to be a distance away, it can't be adjacent to the other birds.

This is why I am on BYC! I hadn’t thought that through. While I don’t anticipate having to add new birds to my flock once established, as I plan to breed my meat birds, I can add a real quarantine closer to my house which is about 200 feet from where the flock will be located.

 

[BigPil]

The more space the better. Not the more chickens the better

I will have to make sure that my chicken math doesn’t interfere with space logic.

 

[BlueBaby]

I will have to make sure that my chicken math doesn’t interfere with space logic.

Good idea, or you would soon be able to relate to the old woman who lived in the shoe. For her it was so many children she didn't know what to do.