Arizona Chickens

[NoSkiveez]

Quote:
We haven't had a weed since we got chickens.
Can you borrow a goat or two?

I think I'm going to get a goat too. I just have to wait until after Christmas to buy one. We have material here to build escape proof pen already, so that's a bonus. We'd be able to stake out during the day. I just wish we had a fenced yard. There have been a lot of loose dogs running in packs lately. I've been seeing them and hearing shots down at the dairy farm consistently.

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

Have a newbie ? here. Since it has been so warm at night the past couple of nights is it okay to turn off the light and just let them sleep in the dark in the coop? The girls were 3 weeks old yesterday and stay in the coop and run full time now. They are 3/4 fully feathered. I didn't know if they would get confused if I have to use the heat and light again if the nights cool off again. I think that by this time next week they will be feathered enough that the cool nights won't matter too much. I just wasn't sure about the light. Do they need it for their own security while they are young or is it just my security! This crazy weather makes it confusing! Too hot during the day and too cool at night!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
I think they should sleep in the dark after the first few days.

At 3 weeks they should have temps of at least 80. It goes down 5 degrees each week until fully feathered.
It looks like Apache Junction isn't getting below 80 at night now so they should be fine but watch for night time temperature drops.
(A red heat bulb doesn't bother them at night and would be better than a bright white.)

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
We haven't had a weed since we got chickens.
Can you borrow a goat or two?

I think I'm going to get a goat too. I just have to wait until after Christmas to buy one. We have material here to build escape proof pen already, so that's a bonus. We'd be able to stake out during the day. I just wish we had a fenced yard. There have been a lot of loose dogs running in packs lately. I've been seeing them and hearing shots down at the dairy farm consistently.

When my daughter's school had a few goats dogs got in the chain link fence and killed them. I'd take the roaming dogs seriously.

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

We're getting our new chicks tomorrow!
My daughter and I can hardly contain our excitement.
I have to say something here because nobody else cares.

We're getting 10. If they are all pullets, we'll keep 4, give 2 to my sister and 4 to my mom who has decided she has to have chickens now.
We are also going to build my mom a cute little coop.
The brooder is all set up and tested for temperature, just waiting for the fuzzy butts.

Mahonri: I can finally see your egg avatar. For the longest time people were talking about it and all I could see was the sunset. Very cool variety!

(3 in a row, I'm on a roll)

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

Quote:
I think they should sleep in the dark after the first few days.

At 3 weeks they should have temps of at least 80. It goes down 5 degrees each week until fully feathered.
It looks like Apache Junction isn't getting below 80 at night now so they should be fine but watch for night time temperature drops.
(A red heat bulb doesn't bother them at night and would be better than a bright white.)

Thanks! I thought I read here somewhere that you were supposed to leave them with a light even after they didn't need the warmth. Must have been seeing things. Tonight it's dark in the coop!

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Quote:
I think they should sleep in the dark after the first few days.

At 3 weeks they should have temps of at least 80. It goes down 5 degrees each week until fully feathered.
It looks like Apache Junction isn't getting below 80 at night now so they should be fine but watch for night time temperature drops.
(A red heat bulb doesn't bother them at night and would be better than a bright white.)

Thanks! I thought I read here somewhere that you were supposed to leave them with a light even after they didn't need the warmth. Must have been seeing things. Tonight it's dark in the coop!

Did you notice I said "I think" they are supposed to have dark at night?

I did some searching here on BYC and there are mixed answers to this question. Some say they should have dark and some say they grow better with light.
Anyone with more experience have an opinion?

 

[NoSkiveez]

Quote:
I think I'm going to get a goat too. I just have to wait until after Christmas to buy one. We have material here to build escape proof pen already, so that's a bonus. We'd be able to stake out during the day. I just wish we had a fenced yard. There have been a lot of loose dogs running in packs lately. I've been seeing them and hearing shots down at the dairy farm consistently.

When my daughter's school had a few goats dogs got in the chain link fence and killed them. I'd take the roaming dogs seriously.

Its 1/2 the reason I keep a gun. When we were living here years ago, we had a dog problem and animal control told me to get a chicken and shoot anything that comes on the property. They also said 'not in the head' and said call them to come pick it up and if it has tags/chip they will fine the owner. The dairy farm is constantly shooting dogs. Heck, I don't even trust my own 6 pound dog!

 

[Bob's Henhouse]

Maggie, I usually keep my chicks in the house in a box with a couple of 100 watt lights for the first few weeks. Too hard for me to keep them safe and at a constant temperature outside. I don't have a brooder as such, just a box. Then I move them outside to a "halfway house", but let them free range with the full grown hens and roosters. They seem to all get along pretty well. At about 3 months or so I move them to the coop and run and keep everyone in for a few days to try and get them used to their new house. When I move them out of the house at 3 or 4 weeks they don't get a light or heat. If they get cold they huddle up.
NoSkiveez, I don't know what to do about your dogs, I worry constantly about the neighbor about 1/4 mile away whose dogs have gotten out twice. Once they killed 11 of my juveniles, and the second time they got 17. I didn't see either event, just the aftermath, but my next door neighbor saw it and described the dogs. This was before I had the "Arizona room" for them to stay in when I was at work. I keep hoping they will return while I'm at home so I can take care of it once and for all. I can understand a coyote taking and eating ONE, but to have dogs kill 10's of them for fun makes me absolutely sick. On top of that we have great horned owls watching them at night, so I'm not able to let them run around after dark.

 

[rufus]

Our solution to the stray dog problem was to work on the owners. Make them want to keep their dogs in their own property. Leave a very dead animal out for them to roll in. Skunk works real good. Fido and Rover cannot resist rolling in dead animals, and hopefully they will make it to their owner's new sofa before their problem is detected.

Now that we live in a neighborhood, we can't do that.

There have been so many people in our neighborhood that have lost their homes. They just walk off and leave their animals. We are tempted to feed them, but then the problem becomes ours.

Right now, there are two pit bulls, one black and one brindle, that are wandering the neighborhood.

Nobody wants to call animal control because we all have our own issues, like illegal chickens, ducks and a few goats, not to mention some illicit gardening. Also, most of the people here are currently "sin papels." (Notice the careful politically correctness Dofnup)

It is only a matter of time until the traffic solves the dog problem. That is sad to say, but that is the way it is.

Kids and dogs, you shouldn't have them if you aren't going to take care of them.

Rufus