Arizona Chickens

[AZBootsie]

So excited again. My husband started building our coop last night. He's building it opposite of how I wanted it to sit but still in the same location. I want it build to look like a barn red playhouse with a white fenced porch. The porch will be facing the yard instead of the sitting area (as I wanted it) but that's ok. He made a good point, he can build more nesting boxed on the long end, which would be the back of the playhouse rather than the shorter end (the sides). He's got the base floor frame cut and just needs to put that together. He's going to work on it more this weekend. I've told him he's only got a few weeks left before it's time to put the chicks out.

I'm thinking of growing some sort of ivy (grapes, roses, etc) on the run chicken wire. Any suggestions that will grow faster than the chickens can eat it, won't make the chickens sick and will be resilient in the heat/west sun exposure? Has anyone does this?

~Selina

I am following Gallo's advice and have started grape vines for my pens. Check out his pages. My starts just went in last summer, so they are small. I have them surrounded by chicken wire, but hope to remove it when they get tall enough that the chickens won't destroy them.

Congratulations on starting the coop!! It is exciting!!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

My turkey-incubated Black Australorp eggs are due to hatch tomorrow! Please please please hatch, and please please please let her be a good inter-species foster mother!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Have any of y'all tried raising dubia or other feeder roaches? I have so much fun raising mealworms (yes, go ahead and laugh!) I thought I'd give it a try.

http://www.nyworms.com/roaches.htm is where I'm reading about them. I understand roaches need fairly high heat and humidity. Heat shouldn't be a problem, but humidity might be, given our climate. Looks like Option A is misting the sides of the bin with water every day, and Option B is providing water gel thingys.

Is the idea of raising feeder roaches in Arizona realistic?

Thanks!

Bryan

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Come to the show so that they will all hatch out while you are gone, and you can come home at the end of the day to an incubator full of fluffiness

I'm still accepting entries...

That's when my chicks are hatching

. I'd love to go but doubt if I'd be able to tear myself away from the bator.



Quote:

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I agree about letting the ground dry out. Clean fresh water is probably the best thing any of us can do to avoid disease in our birds.

Studies have shown that occasionally feeding medicated feed to adult birds is useful in preventing coccidiosis in adults. You can think of it as being like a booster shot for a vacination--helps with the immunity.

 

[AZBootsie]

Hey Arpey- Just saw the pic of your coop. It's great. Thank you for posting it. My grow out pen became a bachelor pad leaving a batch of house chicks homeless. I made a coop similar to yours a couple of weeks ago. It is working out great. The chickens favorite spot to hang out and dust is under the hutch and opening the door makes a perfect place to sit, while the juveniles cuddle on my lap.

It isn't totally finished, but here is a pic:



Dar- Just noticed the Hen on the ramp is one of the GCMs I got from you ....I think it is Bertha. Gate between the runs is open for flock integration. I want you to see Rocky and the GCM's Great Granddaughter. I am calling her Calico Kitty, because of her coloring. Maybe her polka dot muffs come from the cuckoo barring?? dunno. She is one mixed up Mutt of a pullet. My favorite from this batch!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

So excited again. My husband started building our coop last night. He's building it opposite of how I wanted it to sit but still in the same location. I want it build to look like a barn red playhouse with a white fenced porch. The porch will be facing the yard instead of the sitting area (as I wanted it) but that's ok. He made a good point, he can build more nesting boxed on the long end, which would be the back of the playhouse rather than the shorter end (the sides). He's got the base floor frame cut and just needs to put that together. He's going to work on it more this weekend. I've told him he's only got a few weeks left before it's time to put the chicks out.

I'm thinking of growing some sort of ivy (grapes, roses, etc) on the run chicken wire. Any suggestions that will grow faster than the chickens can eat it, won't make the chickens sick and will be resilient in the heat/west sun exposure? Has anyone does this?

~Selina

Grapes and roses are good vine choices, although neither grows super fast. For faster growing vines, try various jasmines, bower vine, passion fruit or whatever annuals you can find that appeal to you. For your own sanity, do not plant cats claw. Grapes will grow faster once they are several years old.

 

[Mahonri]

Bootzie! She's beautiful! That Rocky passed on some gorgeous genes.

 

[itsredcandy]

itsredcandy, Post pics of your coop build! I recommend grapes for vining cover and forage. Check out pics of my coop at the link just under my avatar.

azpenquin,

Gallo del cielo, the coop and run are gorgeous. Your feeder baskets gave me a great idea of possibly growing some sort of food vegetation inside the coop and protecting the base of the plant from the chickens. They could just eat it as it grows with out destroying the plant. Maybe I'll do a mixture of roses, grapes and a fast growing annual.

Sonoran Silkies, thanks for the idea of the annuals to get me by this summer and possibly next.


I will take some pictures of the coop build as we go. Hopefully he'll make a lot of progress tonight and Sunday. I will probably help him on Sunday.

Any ideas where the cheapest place is for chicken wire in the Far East Valley? We live on the edge of Queen Creek, Mesa, AJ, Gilbert area. I hadn't thought about critters digging under the coop and run to get in. I'm going to have to let my husband know about that. Do coyotes really jump back walls over 5 feet high? What else is there that would dig?

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

Do coyotes really jump back walls over 5 feet high?

Yes they do!