Beginner AZ raising

[chickybobby]

Hi!, From arizona, want to start raising chickens.
Couple questions ( for now)
1.) what sort of coop can provide coolness, comfortability, and easy access for the chickens?
2.) what breeds are quiet, hardy, and friendly?
3.) which online hatcheries are good for ordering pullets? How should one raise them after recieving them?
Thank you!

 

[Michael OShay]

In answer to your questions:
1. A wooden coop with plenty of windows or doors that can be opened for good ventilation, painted white to reflect heat, and located in an area with some shade is the coolest.
2. The quietest and friendliest breeds I've had (not necessarily in this order) are black australorps, buff orpingtons, black silkies, light brahmas, buff Cochins, and black jersey giants. If lay rate is important, the best layers of this group are the black australorps followed by the buff orpingtons.
3. I've ordered chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery, Dunlap hatchery, ideal poultry, and cackle hatchery and have been satisfied with all of them.
4. Either follow the directions provided by the hatchery or click on the learning center icon at the top of the BYC site, or preferably both.
Hope this helps.

 

[Michael OShay]

In answer to your questions:
1. A wooden coop with plenty of windows or doors that can be opened for good ventilation, painted white to reflect heat, and located in an area with some shade is the coolest.
2. The quietest and friendliest breeds I've had (not necessarily in this order) are black australorps, buff orpingtons, black silkies, light brahmas, buff Cochins, and black jersey giants. If lay rate is important, the best layers of this group are the black australorps followed by the buff orpingtons.
3. I've ordered chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery, Dunlap hatchery, ideal poultry, and cackle hatchery and have been satisfied with all of them.
4. Either follow the directions provided by the hatchery or click on the learning center icon at the top of the BYC site, or preferably both.
Hope this helps.

I forgot to add, the black austrlorps are the hardiest of this group. The other large breeds can all take cold well, but the australorps also take heat very well which is important in Arizona where you live.

 

[chickybobby]

@Michael OShay thank you very much the parts on the coop help a lot, in addition are black australorps good with other breeds? Thanks a lot

 

[Michael OShay]

Black australorps are excellent with other breeds although they could be picked on by more aggressive breeds. Certainly they would end up below them in the pecking order. A chicken flock will always organize itself into a pecking order, but if your other breeds are gentle breeds you should have no major problems.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Many in Az have coops with screen sides, not enclosed. I would not use an enclosed coop unless it was air conditioned. Even with doors and windows open it will be too hot (of course if you live in the mountains, that would be different as they do not get the temps that we get in the Phoenix and other lower desert areas). The biggies you want are to provide abundant layered shade, plenty of cool water, misters, fans, etc. Please visit the Arizona thread for local input.

 

[chickybobby]

Thank you , I have looked into and read up on keeping the chickens and coop cool, since I am new to this site, I have a few questions:
1.) what is the difference between a post and a thread?
2.) how can one post?
3.) ( this is a chicken question) between buff orpingtons , wyandottes, ameracaunas , and black australorps( so far australorps seem like a good choice) which breed is quietest, friendliest. + intelligent , most consistent ( in egg laying) and most Hardy?
4.) also does anyone have experience with hatchbawks hatchery?

 

[Michael OShay]

1. A post is an individual message. A thread is a series of connected messages like the one you have started here with your first post.
2. You have already posted and can continue to do so by either clicking on new massage or forum.
3. I have had all four breeds and based on my experience, buff orpingtons & black australorps are the quietest and friendliest. Tha other two breeds are generally friendly as well, but I have occasionally had an agressive Wyandotte, and of course there can always be individual exceptions with any breed. I can't tell any real difference in the intelligence of the 4 breeds. Black australorps are the most consistent egg layers, occasionally laying over 300 per year. All four breeds are very cold hardy, but australorps can take more heat than the others ( consider the temps of the Australian outback where they are commonly raised). I raised black australorps in California's northern Sacramento valley where summer temps commonly reached 117-118 F (123 F once) and they handled the heat just fine.
4. Sorry, I can't help you with hatchbacks hatchery.

 

[chickybobby]

Thank you very much, I am thinking mostly about those breeds and that really helped. Also thank you for the clarification on posts and such