Hello from Waddell, Az (near Phoenix)

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RuthKohler

RuthKohler

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Jun 1, 2015
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We a variety of chickens. 15 total. RIR, EE, Leg horns, Sex Link, barred rocks. The oldest girls are about 15 months, youngest about 7 months. We free range during the day. I have a couple questions.

We have 2 roosters - one leghorn, one RIR. The leghorn is obviously the alpha male. He does the crowing and mating. The RIR is the same age, but very timid- no crowing, and pretty skittish. They are both about 7 months. Normal for one to be dominate?

The 2 EE get broody about every 6 weeks. We've use the broody buster found on this site multiple times. Now with roosters we thought we'd try to let them hatch. They sit for a few days (together in the same box) then they seem to push the eggs out. They always want to be in the same box! We have 8 boxes. I've tried putting them in separate boxes with eggs for each, but they end up in the same box. Im not sure if they try to move the eggs, or if they just knock them out. So.....should i let them sit, or continue to break them (they are in broody buster now)?

Since the flock free ranges, sometimes they find other places to lay. It's like a constant Easter egg hunt. I usually keep them locked in the coop and run area for a couple days to encourage them to lay in the coop. It helps, but wondering if theres another way. With the weather heating up, i don't like leaving them cooped. Ideas?

And lastly- for those in the desert southwest, tips for the summer? We lost 2 to heat last year.

Thanks! And so glad to be hear. I've learned a lot from this site.

Ruth
 
Hi :welcome Ruth

Glad you could join the flock! Yes it seems normal for one to be more dominant than the other. I would just keep an eye on them though incase they do fight. Sometimes even though they have and are living quite happy together does not mean that a fight may not start over girls. Especially as the more timid one grows up and finds his feet.

Please do drop by this broody hen thread for help with your girls ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ody-hen-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread I have read before that hens that sit together can sometimes fight over the chicks when they hatch.

You can stop by the "Where am I where are you" section for your state thread. I'm sure there will be other members from you state that can help you with summer.

Enjoy BYC :frow
 
With an alpha rooster around, the lower ranked ones usually will not crow or try to mate in his presence. He would probably beat them well. Your RIR . old may eventually grow a pair and decide to challenge the alpha. I've heard that RIR roosters tend to be aggressive, so maybe that will come out some day.

As to your broodies, all I would suggest is keeping them apart if they want to pretend they are broody. Seems like they want to out do each other and it has nothing to do with wanting to be a broody. Obviously they are not zealously guarding their eggs
 
Welcome to BYC!

We get plenty of heat and humidity here in FL too so I know what that's like. We do things like spray their run down a few times a day, that really helps. Provide extra sources of water (coop, run, and their outside area). I give them a few cooler treats a couple times a day (watermelon, cucumbers, etc.). We put up a tarp in their open area for extra shade and the run has shade cloth over it.

Some members have misting systems set up. Others use wading pools (I did that too but they won't go in it...it's more like a giant water bowl for them). There are a lot of ideas on BYC for keeping your chickens cool, try using the search box in the upper left corner to find others.

Nice to have you here and good luck with your flock!
 
Welcome, Ruth. So glad you have joined us.


Of your concerns, I have experience only with heat and high humidity here in Georgia.

@NorthFLChick has already given you great advice.

I use a retractable shade on the morningside of my coop/run, trees and roof provide noon to evening shade. An outdoor fan really helps, my hens love to sit and enjoy the breeze. Our humidity is too high to use the mister feature, but AZ I think is drier?

I tried placing ice and ice in plastic bottles in my water fount, but when the temps are really high it does not last long enough.

Mine love a pan of water with ice cubes and torn up lettuce. They bob for the lettuce and drink the cool water. But the ice does melt quite fast.
I also give ice cold watermelon or canalope at the hottest part of the day.
Tried frozen scrambled egg muffins - egg and water frozen in muffin pans. They loved those, but the iced water lettuce is easier and they like it better.

Other than a quick trip to give cold juicy treats around 1 pm, we leave ours alone until late afternoon so they will not get too excited and hot. ( but mine are really spoiled gals and try to beg attention and treats constantly :)

The only heat exhaustion I have had was surprisingly when the temp was only around 90 but was a dramatic change from cooler weather. Set her in front of a fan, splashed her with water and she was fine after that.
 
sunflour said:
I tried placing ice and ice in plastic bottles in my water fount, but when the temps are really high it does not last long enough.
Click to expand...
Sunflour,

I tried that last summer and the poor girls were SCARED of the frozen bottles, lol! Wouldn't go anywhere near them which totally defeated the purpose. I have read where some people set out frozen bottles and their chickens will sit around them (guess they have braver birds than I do).

And that was a good reminder about not getting them excited in the heat of the day.
 

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