Arizona Chickens

[FlockEweFarm]

I have a couple of goats and a pack of dogs, and some Keets that are about a week old, and oh...FOUR KIDS! Yes, I am totally insane. I still have some tuning up to do on the pen, but once it is all dialed in, and I can confine my slobbery pack of hounds again, It would be great to have company! You might even leave with an extra Roo??LOL! Looks like I have 7 so far.

 

[manueld64]

Well I am updating. I live in Tempe. Here is my new addition post:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=51331

They are getting big. I have them in like a 5 by 5 by 5 crate style coop I made myself. I am going to try to make the top part look like this one:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=10091-The_Corrolla

Culled lumber from home depot is not too bad for 51 cents a piece. Anyone know of a good cheap place for lumber as well? It is hit or miss at Home Depot sometimes.

My Jack Russell is starting to chill out but likes to rile them up sometimes if I let them loose. He had one in his mouth earlier in the month when I wasn't around. (It got out somehow) and I don't know if he just likes to put them in his mouth or would actually bite one. The one in question had a bit of a toothmark on her leg, but she was still walking around and has since recovered. How do you all teach your dogs to chill with the peeps? The ony guy we bought them from had his dog help him corral them into the coop.

Right now, I have their coop on the north east side of the house. In the morning, they get the sun, but noon and afternoon they are in the shade.

I got about a 1 gallon plastic waterer from Mesa Feed barn. It lasts them a day. They keep scratching dirt into it. Any suggestions on keeping it higher maybe? I think I need a bigger feeder too. I got a small metal one:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/snap_on_feeder.html

I put Purina Start N Grow Medicated in there. I fill it full once i the morning along with the water. Methinks I need to do it after I get home at 4 PM. What do you think? 5 growing ladies.

Other than that, the boys like to capture bugs (poor grasshoppers mainly thanks to A Bug's Life) to feed them. My little girl loves to hold them. But they are holding steady through this week of 110 plus heat. How is everyone else doing?

 

[a2ms4chickens]

Well, our chickens have all been panting and dust bathing.

My hens aren't laying as often as usual, I think because of the heat.

The chicks don't seem to mind the heat, like the hens do.

My DH found a free standing mister yesterday afternoon. He got it working and we had it on for a couple hours. The chickens were not really into it at first, but after an hour or so, they didn't mind it. When I turned it off, not one chicken was panting, so it helped. My DS is home during the day, so he is going to turn it on around 3:00pm (hottest part of the day?) for a couple of hours.

Our chickens are in an enclosed stable, with a dirt floor, so I think the wet sand helps to cool them off. We made a chicken pen outside of the stable, but we want to enclose it to keep out the owls, hawks, etc., befiore letting them have free access.

Our 12 chicks are growing like weeds. Not sure which ones are cockerals, yet, but we will be looking for homes for them. I already have 5 roosters, & 1 possible show cockeral, so I don't think my neighbors will be too happy with more crowing.

That's what's happening at the "HotWing Stables", in Tucson.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

Cube

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with Casa Grande.

To tell you the truth, I'm not all that familiar with Tucson, even though I have lived here for 10 years. I try not to venture too far from home. I did manage to find a couple of feed stores near where I live & work. I thought it might be important, so my chickens get to eat.

Anyway, good luck in finding your feed stores, so you can get lots of chickies!!

 

[kmhfuzzhead]

Hello fellow Arizonians!!!! My name is Kathy and I am new at this whole process.....I have been married to my husband 30 years and have begged to have chickens that entire time .....now that our kids have flown the coop he gave in and we are learning as we go along!
I too live south of Tucson our mailing address is Sahuarita but I actually live in the Sierrita Mtns. in a small community called McGee Ranch!
I have two Sultans and four either Rhode Island Reds or Sex Links...I guess time will tell what they actually are!
I have named them all and painted the coop...even made cartoon pics of my girls and hung them like photo's in the coop.......my kids are sure I have lost it!!! It's all in FUN and truly isn't that what it's all about anyway!!??!
I would post some pics of my silliness but am still trying to find my way around this site and how to do things!!!
Happy 4th of July! Stay Cool!

 

[kmhfuzzhead]

Okay going to give posting some photo's a try of my coop...have a good laugh on me!!!

IMG]http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll315/kathleengoop/chickcoop040.jpg[/IMG]

Currently because we do live in Arizona and as you all know how warm it is we haven't closed in the front for the time being so that it is cooler for them...now I keep hearing how they like privacy before they will lay so guess we might have to close in a portion for them .....it will be modified before winter though!

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I love your coop!!!

It is too cute. Ours is just an enclosed stable, with a run on the outside. They can't even use their run yet because we need to enclose it. We also need to put a little door in between so they can get out.

I want to get a sign made and hang it on the outside of the chicken pen. My son named it "Hot Wing Stables". We are also going to make a banner that he can hang by his chickens during a show.

Right now, my chickens are laying in a barrel full of hay. We have a nesting box, but they prefer the barrel. I do have shelving to put up for nesting boxes, and I am going to show my DH your nesting boxes. We are going to work on it this weekend, I hope

Your birds look like RIRs. I have 4 12 week RIRs (1 roo and 3 hens), and your girls look like them.

We hatched our own eggs this spring, just for fun (our 1st time). We only have 1 bantam RIR rooster, with 2 bantam RIR hens, 1 BO, 1BR and 1 red sex-link. We ended up with 1 BR (roo?), 2 black sex-links, 3 RIRs, and 4 red sex-links, I think. We will be getting rid of the roos. I already have 5 roosters and 1 cockeral. 4 roosters are in pens as they are my son's show birds.

My son shows birds for 4-H, and we also hatched a silver duckwing OEGB and a Brown-Red Modern game chick. He is hoping to show them next year.

, I do love your coop and I'm sure your girls love it too.
Have fun!!

 

[rebbetzin]

OH I AM SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!! My husband keeps saying it is too hot in Tucson to have chickens! Though at OK Feeds they have chickens in a run all summer! Granted it is shaded.

Is there anyone in Tucson that would let me come and "play" with your chickens until my husband relents to my having my own chickens??

 

[a2ms4chickens]

You would have to bring your husband with you so he can interact with the chickens and chicks. By the time he leaves, he will want some.

Really, it is not so hard in Tucson. They do pant and stand with their wings out, but during the day they take their dust baths to keep cool.

My chickens pen is shaded and get lots of water, of course, they usually stand in the water bowls. We put a free standing mister in their pen trying to cool them off, but they still stood in their bowls. So, yesterday, I put a bigger container in with water, so they could soak their feet, well, they drink from that one. Go figure. I even put the chickens in there so they would know what it is used for, maybe today will be better.
I've also taken a hose and watered down the sand in their pen. They will scratch and dust bathe in the cool sand.

I also give them cut up cold, hard-boiled eggs as a treat. They love it!!

We work during the week, so they are pretty much on their own during the day, and they do fine.

 

[kmhfuzzhead]

Thanks for the thumbs up....in all seriousness we are making improvements all the time ...we are going to make the run a little larger by taking out a side panel and adding fencing that way. we're also gearing up for when the girls start laying so making everything predator proof....but at some point I would love to let them free range but am worried about neighbors dogs and my own he is an Australian Shepherd and already has far to much intrest in them!
The stable sounds like a great idea...and your son is very creative (Great name)I could have used his help when I was trying to name my girls...I cheated and used names I found on the forum!!!!
Good luck with 4-H the County Fair gave me a boost up this year when I again begged to have chickens!!! I came back with pictures and bragged to my husband about them so much by the time my birthday came he just gave in!!! They are wonderful entertainment and have distinct personalitys!!!! I have missed so much!