First Post - I live in Arizona

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CoolKids said:
I live in Cottonwood, Arizona. I don't have chickens, but my next-door neighbor's do, and their coop is on an area that's about 6'x12' between their garage and my backyard fence, so I get to enjoy them too. They have 4 hens and a little rooster, and when I say a little rooster, I mean he's half the size of the hens, but he's got a big crow for a little guy. I love the sound of a rooster crowing. I feel bad for the little guy sometimes because the ladies give him a hard time.
My neighbors have 3 kids and are on a tight budget, so I asked them if I could help out with the cost of what they needed for keeping chickens, and they graciously said yes. I had a little extra money, so I bought them a 4'x8' chicken coop from San Tan Valley Coops and added a 4'x8' run so they'd have lots of space to wander around. I've had so much fun getting them all set up to live their best lives. I got them hemp bedding for the coop, nesting pads, nesting herbs, a good quality pellet food, and a variety of bug and herb treats. I made the ladies a dust bath in a big tub, and I made sure their coop had some boredom busters hanging in it. I got them a good quality automatic feeder and waterer so their food and water would be clean and off the coop floor. I really did a lot of research so I could make sure they had everything that was recommended by the experts. I also got a kid's book about taking care of chickens for my neighbor's 5 year old daughter. My neighbor told me the hens' eggs are twice the size of what they were since they started eating the food I've been getting for them. That was really nice to hear.
Now that the hot weather is soon to come, I intend to make them some frozen molds with fruits in them. I read a thread on here that said they keep an ice block in the coop for the chickens and that they stand on it to cool off. I would love any advice on other things I can do to make sure the little flock stays healthy and happy. I did give my neighbor a couple of first aid items to keep on hand, just in case. I got a bottle VetRx, some electrolytes, some Vetericyn spray, and I can't remember what else. The two red hens have no feathers on part of their necks, and one also has a bare spot on one side if her upper chest. It's better than it was but I'd really love to see all their feathers grow in and no more bald spots. Can anyone give me some good advice for how to help their feathers grow in? I would appreciate any advice offered here. Thank you.
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Shade and misters are going to be your friends come summer. Blue plastic kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it (can be a small one with only a few birds) where they can walk in and cool their feet. Plus cold treats like the ice pops you're talking about and watermelon. A fan to circulate air in the coop at night and you've got the bases covered.

Welcome aboard from Mesa. :)
 
Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies! I always check in the "What's New" section as well at the top of this page. This way I can read how I may have a similar question or help give some advice.
 
azurbanclucker said:
Shade and misters are going to be your friends come summer. Blue plastic kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it (can be a small one with only a few birds) where they can walk in and cool their feet. Plus cold treats like the ice pops you're talking about and watermelon. A fan to circulate air in the coop at night and you've got the bases covered.

Welcome aboard from Mesa. :)
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Thanks for the advice. I'm going to start shopping for misters and a kiddie pool.😊
 
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azurbanclucker said:
Shade and misters are going to be your friends come summer. Blue plastic kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it (can be a small one with only a few birds) where they can walk in and cool their feet. Plus cold treats like the ice pops you're talking about and watermelon. A fan to circulate air in the coop at night and you've got the bases covered.

Welcome aboard from Mesa. :)
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I got a blue plastic pool for my chickens and they don’t step foot in it. And I know they were hot because they were walking around with their wings/shoulders away from their bodies, I’m assuming to create airflow. Do you know of any tricks to get them to try it out? My husband tried putting one of them in the pool and she just jumped out right away. Or is it just something that they have to figure out for themselves?
 
Georgia chicken owner said:
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I got a blue plastic pool for my chickens and they don’t step foot in it. And I know they were hot because they were walking around with their wings/shoulders away from their bodies, I’m assuming to create airflow. Do you know of any tricks to get them to try it out? My husband tried putting one of them in the pool and she just jumped out right away. Or is it just something that they have to figure out for themselves?
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How much water did you put in? Only need a few inches. Sometimes putting a couple of stones or pavers in helps as well. We throw treats like watermelon, lettuce, bits of carrot and other veg in as well, kind of a floating salad. You might try that and see if it entices them in, but otherwise it's a waiting game. They'll figure it out.
 

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