Arizona Chickens

[pdx2phx]

gckiddhouse, Laree, redrocketrooster et al,

thanks for all the bedding responses. If I had thought about it a little, I wouldn't have put 'cedar' in my message......obviously I wasn't 100% awake yet this morning!

We'll do pine or the pellets...please let me know what you think of the TerraMingo, gckiddhouse - it sure looks like it's going to rain here, but who knows in AZ! We have gravel, and with the koi pond I can see the pine shavings flying around everywhere and making a mess clogging filters, etc ....so the pellets sound good to me at least with that one consideration.

thanks again!

-pdx2phx

 

[smjacob]

So i got me some baby button quail. Will try and take some pictures of them soon. They are definitely cute.

Got Two extra for you redrocketrooster

We will see how many males I got. I tried to only get two but who knows.

Shaun

 

[redrocketrooster]

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YEAH! Go Shaun!

Thanks so much. Plenty of pictures please! I can definitely help sex them.

 

[smjacob]

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Hehe No problem. I will try and get some pictures tomorrow. They are still a little freaked out from the move and kind of panic when i get near with the camera lol.

Shaun

 

[LarryPQ]

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YAY!!!!!!! Congratulations!

 

[Menmyrc]

It's been awhile since I have been on - we've been spending every free minute building the coop. With 6 kids, DH and I just don't seem to have many of those extra minutes in a day!

Anyway, the coop is 16 x 8 with a 24 x 12 attached run. We have attached hardware cloth to the bottom of the coop sandwiched between the framing and the siding (stapled on before the siding went on). This goes down into the ground a few inches then bends out to create a flat apron a couple feet out. I will put soil over it, and add those scalloped concrete edgers, and plant ground cover type flowers. Hopefully, the edgers will help further deter any digging. We will be adding hardware cloth to the chainlink run (made of a couple old dog runs put together) starting part way up the chain link, and going down into the ground like the coop. We have been planning on adding chicken wire to the top to keep out hawks, etc. In the Coop Building forum, the advise is to not use chicken wire because of predators like raccoons and such. I just realized I don't know what predators we have here in AZ!

I know we have coyote, fox, and neighbors dogs. Overhead we have hawks and such. And as nuisances we have ground squirrel/chipmunk things and birds that will try and get the feed. Do I need to worry about stronger wire on the top? Do we have climbing predators that can get through chicken wire at 6' off the ground? I should add that I am not in the city - I'm on a few acres out in the middle of nowhere south of Maricopa.

PS AZKAT Congratulations!

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

AZ Predators:

Bobcats have troubled some folks in Casa Grande and Tucson.
Racoons have not been reported as bothering anyone, but a dead one was seen in Gilbert.
Hawks are seen around.
Cayotees have been troublesome in Phoenix for folks living near greenbelts/river washes.
Javelinas are reported around, but no one has reported problems with them bothering chickens.
Snakes and Skunks get mentioned on occasion, but I am not sure if I read that in AZ or on the general forum.
Outdoor housecats - very few reports, if any at all, of housecats going after full grown chickens.
Tweety birds are a problem just about everywhere in AZ as they eat the chicken feed. They can get through regular chicken wire.

I live near central Mesa and have been free of all but wild birds and housecats.

Edited for spelling/typo.

 

[Menmyrc]

Thanks for the predator info. I have seen coyote and hawks, so I know they can be a problem. If my neighbors keep shooting each others dogs (long story) I might not have to worry about them anymore! I think I will keep with the plan and use the chicken wire.

 

[smjacob]

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Show us some pictures of your coop if you have a second. It sounds cool!!

Shaun

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

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You way underestimate our curiousity! We can, however wait for the final view. It sounds very, very sturdy.