New member in Arizona desert.

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lennyharp

lennyharp

Hatching
5 Years
Joined
Apr 6, 2014
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I am excited to join here and learn some more about this chicken part of my permaculture experiment. I have had 4 chickens for a year and am getting 2-4 eggs a day with a few days where I got 6 eggs. I just bought 3 more chicks a month ago. I have been letting the chickens run loose all day and have a workable truce with them and most plants I want to keep. I could not grow Kale in the yard because the birds wanted all I grew. I am about to fence a third of my yard for the chickens and will only let them into the main garden areas for 1-2 hours in evenings. I have started using a compost pile that they can work and they like it. Am also feeding pellets and scratch so they are pretty happy birds. I just built a tractor for the new chicks to live in until they are large enough to mix with the yearlings. Nights now are 55-60 degrees and will just get hotter fast, days are 70-90. So I want advice on how to mix new and old chicks when it is time. Like to study this stuff and also feel inadequate as far as sick chicks goes. I think all is well so far but need to learn in advance what to look for. I again am glad to be here with other Back Yard Chicken owners.
Thanks,
Lennyharp
 
For the best advice on coping with the heat go to "where am I, where are you?" in the social forum

You can then find your state thread and post on it. People in your local will be able to give you tips on how they get their birds thru the heat. I know one person from Phoenix that air conditioned his coop. Even if just kept temps 10 degrees cooler than outside - it would feel much better for the birds.

I'm in the Midwest and occasionally we get to 100+ and HUMID which makes it worse. I never have the air conditioning set lower than 80 - people think that's nuts. But once I come inside, it feels very refreshing. Couldn't afford to keep it lower than that.
 
Alright
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great to have you joining the BYC flock
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BYC has a very useful learning center
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Welcome to BYC!

So glad you could join our community! Mixing birds is easy but it takes some time. And always make sure the new ones you are adding about close to the same size as the older birds so there is less inclination for the larger ones to bully the smaller ones and the smaller ones can defend themselves.

To mix in new birds, keep the new ones in a cage or fenced off area within the flock. Everybody sees, nobody touches. Leave the new birds separated for about 3 weeks. During this time, the original flock will have worked out most of the pecking order from behind the wire and come mixing day, there should be little if any aggression. Of course always intervene if it turns bloody.

As Drumstick Diva has mentioned, you will probably want to chat with others in your state thread to see how they deal with your climate....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/31227/arizona-chickens

Here in New Mexico, I use sand in my coops and runs, even the nest boxes, LOL , that I dig out of nearby arroyos and washes. It is great for hosing down in the summer and keeps the birds incredibly cool during high heat. Here is a link to using sand if you are interested.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

This should get you started. Enjoy your new adventures and welcome to our flock!
 

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