New to AZ chickens

[Kaligh]

Hi Guys!

Im new to AZ and I just bought my first house out here. It has a shed that I want to rehab and repurpose into a chicken coop. I just had a few questions about chickens and keeping chickens in AZ

1. is it cheaper to buy and raise chicks or just buy pullets and start there.
2. is it true that it can get to hot for the chickens to lay out here? Thats what I was told.
3. Should I Install a small AC unit to keep the coop cool? if so what temp should I set it at? cause I know from living in CT that it can get to cold for egg laying.
4. I work 5AM to 2PM Its still dark when I leave for work, can I open the coop that early if their pen is fenced in? or is there some sort of auto door opener I can put in to open it for me once the sun comes up?
5. Does anyone have any ideas on where to get Chicks or Pullets in Tucson. Im central. Im hoping to find a place that can sex them as I don't want to deal with roosters and I'm sure my neighbors would hate me if I had a rooster lol.
6. Are there any crafty chicken keepers out here in Tucson that want to come over and help me with my shed project?
7. What are some good heat hearty breeds that lay well/often

Thanks!!!

 

[cavemanrich]

Welcome here. All your questions can be easily answered if you join in to the Arizona thread. I hang out there as well since I have some ties to Arizona. You do not need to start reading all 6000 pages. Read the last 10 pages and you will get a good Idea. Then just post your questions and the peeps there are most friendly and helpful. It is always best to get answers from those that are around/near you. They have things down pact to ALL 7 of your questions.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/arizona-chickens.31227/page-6121#post-19096444

Let me tackle # 4 since I'm kind of good in that department.
Get an automatic pop door. My researched favorite and one that I do own is an Ador 1 $218 delivered to your home.

Here is a link to Ador1. I only recommend it because I like this one. There are others.
https://adorstore.com/products/ador1-automatic-chicken-door
WISHING YOU BEST....

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. It's cheaper to buy chicks but you need to decide if you want to put in the work or not. They're not hard to take care of but they are messy. If you want more friendly birds it's easier to start with chicks, if that's not something you care about (and you just want to get to laying) then pullets might be a better option.

2. Chickens don't handle heat well. Mine start panting at around 85 degrees. Hopefully other people from your area can chime in on how to best handle dry desert heat.