Arizona Chickens

[nurseshelly]

What is bt? I haven't seen any of the buggers on mine yet but I'd like to be prepared. Last year I just cut individual leaves off and stuck them in the sun to squirm and die.

Bt is a bacteria that you spray on the grape leaves. You have to get the entire leaf. When the catipillars hatch, they eat the BT when they eat the leaves and they die. It takes a few days. I spray every week. It's best to spray in the evening because the sunlight breaks it down. Here is one version http://www.saferbrand.com/store/garden-care/5162, I use the liquid version from Lowes (same brand). It only takes a small amount diluted in a spray bottle. At some point a pump sprayer would be much easier. I usually do the undersides of the leaves first, and then the tops. That way you don't have it dripping on you when you are doing the bottom sides. It's safe for the chickens to eat the leaves too.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote: Wow, I just looked at her birds and they are beautiful! I don't think I ever really looked at the Orloffs before. I love the shape of their heads/throats. The blue laced red Wyandottes are amazing too.

 

[pdx2phx]

Ok...

those of you that use Oxine -


What sort of contraption do you use for "misting" or "fogging" ??

I'm looking for specifics (make/model, etc), and can I find it at Home Depot or the like? I have been reading up on Oxine and I don't have a commercial farm/ranch, so am looking for something that will do the trick that is inexpensive, easy to find and simple to operate.

I have had my jug of it for a while now, and have no idea what I'm supposed to use in order to administer it for sniffles and respiratory issues.....

Any help/advice on what to use would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I used a Crane cool mist humidifier. It makes very tiny droplets that hang in the air for a very long time. It was about the cheapest option I could find at the time for an improvised fogger. The real ones are wickedly expensive.

​

​

Eta: This humidifier was actually my daughter's; She loves it. We could only find it online.

 

[pdx2phx]

Gallo...thanks for the suggestion.

It looks good. Did you buy it online or find it on a store? I would love to go get one today, but I've only found them online...

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Gallo...thanks for the suggestion.

It looks good. Did you buy it online or find it on a store? I would love to go get one today, but I've only found them online...

I think they're only sold online; we got that one on Amazon. Bed Bath and Beyond and places like it sold it through their web sites, but not in the stores.

 

[MagicChicken]

Nice job!

I'll bet that shade cloth helps to keep the temps down a lot inside.

Yes, it helps a lot. Last fall the metal roof would get so hot you'd burn your hand if you touched it from inside the coop. It was like a radiator. Now it's warm but not hot even when it's 108 in the shade (that's what my thermometer said the other day and I'm sticking to it).

I'm hoping that extra roof layer will help reduce condensation in the winter, too. Last winter it "rained" inside the coop every morning as the condensation dripped off all the low spots of the corrugated roofing. It always dried out quick, but it was hard to keep the feeder out of the drip area. If the second roof doesn't help with the condensation I'll have to re-design the feeding setup.

Now I'm waiting for the wind to die down so I can put an awning over the new window I cut in the coop and add more shadecloth to the run. Darned wind. Temps are actually reasonable today, but I can't handle the sail-like plywood and shadecloth!

 

[In2Ice]

Nice job!

I'll bet that shade cloth helps to keep the temps down a lot inside.

Yes, it helps a lot. Last fall the metal roof would get so hot you'd burn your hand if you touched it from inside the coop. It was like a radiator. Now it's warm but not hot even when it's 108 in the shade (that's what my thermometer said the other day and I'm sticking to it).

I'm hoping that extra roof layer will help reduce condensation in the winter, too. Last winter it "rained" inside the coop every morning as the condensation dripped off all the low spots of the corrugated roofing. It always dried out quick, but it was hard to keep the feeder out of the drip area. If the second roof doesn't help with the condensation I'll have to re-design the feeding setup.

Now I'm waiting for the wind to die down so I can put an awning over the new window I cut in the coop and add more shadecloth to the run. Darned wind. Temps are actually reasonable today, but I can't handle the sail-like plywood and shadecloth!

Looking GREAT!!!

 

[GoldBarRanch]

Don't know if this will work, but I only took a pic with my cell and posted it in facebook. How inconsiderate of me!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...12885974.83898.100000061335074&type=1&theater

worked for me

 

[GoldBarRanch]

Hey there Arizonians! Gallo gave me the link to this thread. Just dropping in to say hi. I'm in East Tucson.

pull up a chair and hang with us and share your pictures. A word of caution this site is addicting