Arizona Chickens

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
Hi,
I use sand in the coop instead of shavings. I just buy the playsand in 50# bags and pour them in and spread it so it's about 3 inches deep. Then every day or every other day, I scoop out the poo with a cat littter scoop. They love being able to have sand baths

It's probably easier to compost if you use shavings though, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[mclevinson]

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Ahhhh. So how old are your chicks when you put them with shavings? Our chick looks like she's EATING the shavings, but she tears up paper towles.

Mine went on shavings right away, with a paper towel under for more traction. Then when they were a week old, I went to just shavings. When I started giving treats, I just took a double handful of playsand and poured it in the corner so they could have it if they want it. Oh, we're growing tortoise mix too and the chickens and chicks love it (so do the tortoises) http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=41&products_id=162 It's great because I can pick some sprouts for the little chicks, and cut parts of the plants off for the bigger chickens and the torts.

When is your next batch hatching?

Should start hatching today if all the temp variations dodn't do us in. We lost power for an hour or so midway

. But I think we still have chicks.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[LarryPQ]

I only put mine on paper towels if I am keeping the chicks in the house. Otherwise it is straight to shavings.

 

[stevensonm]

Thx for the feedback everyone. I might do some sand later but they have some grass and they seem to like to pick at that. Can you believe this weather. I was worried about them getting hot now I am worried about the being cold they all did fine through the night weren't even huddling under the lamp this mornign so they seem to be ok.

 

[tightwad]

Quote:
I put mine out in the coop/run 2 weeks ago and they devoured every blade that was in there in a hurry - not that there was that much.

Love, love, love this weather! I'm glad mine have most of their feathers though. I keep the light on even though I'm sure it's warm enough for them. DH is ready for his extension cord back.

 

[turkeybreeder]

Quote:
I put mine out in the coop/run 2 weeks ago and they devoured every blade that was in there in a hurry - not that there was that much.

Love, love, love this weather! I'm glad mine have most of their feathers though. I keep the light on even though I'm sure it's warm enough for them. DH is ready for his extension cord back.

what kind of chickens do you raise

 

[tightwad]

Quote:
I put mine out in the coop/run 2 weeks ago and they devoured every blade that was in there in a hurry - not that there was that much.

Love, love, love this weather! I'm glad mine have most of their feathers though. I keep the light on even though I'm sure it's warm enough for them. DH is ready for his extension cord back.

what kind of chickens do you raise

I have 2 light brahmas and 3 EEs, all 6 weeks old. I'm on a slighly larger suburban lot and they live in a 4 x 16 coop/run. I'll be part-time free-ranging as soon as I get them vaccinated for Marek's, etc. I know, I know, I've put it off long enough.

One of my EEs has a cross beak. On another AZ site the suggestion was a wait-and-see approach on how she would do. She was growing at the same rate as the rest but now looks like she's having a harder time eating. Always seems like she's at the feeder. I just noticed yesterday that the 2 other EEs are pulling at her tail feathers maybe recognizing the weakness. I don't look forward to having to cull her.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Well, I THOUGHT I was done hatching until fall.... but I found a clutch of a dozen chicken and three duck eggs in an open pet carrier. Definitely several hens used it, and I'm reasonably sure they're "hatching fresh" (not "eating fresh"). Set them, as well as the dozen I gathered from the law-abiding hens that day.

I'm a little concerned that if I'm wrong, I could have an eggsplosion on my hands. Or egg on my face, or whatever body part is nearby at the time. I'm going to candle them at 10 days and pull the clears - anything else I should do???

 

[arizonadreamer]

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this is a good question if a hatchery chicken can be a good show chicken
feed stores sell hatchery chickens i did see at the maricopa county fair
show that people took hatchery birds

On the other hand, some of my hatchery Delawares are just UGLY.

Awhhhh, mine are just beautiful...

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
Mine went on shavings right away, with a paper towel under for more traction. Then when they were a week old, I went to just shavings. When I started giving treats, I just took a double handful of playsand and poured it in the corner so they could have it if they want it. Oh, we're growing tortoise mix too and the chickens and chicks love it (so do the tortoises) http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=41&products_id=162 It's great because I can pick some sprouts for the little chicks, and cut parts of the plants off for the bigger chickens and the torts.

When is your next batch hatching?

Should start hatching today if all the temp variations dodn't do us in. We lost power for an hour or so midway

. But I think we still have chicks.
Thanks for the advice!

We had the same power outage, but all of the chicks are still moving around

So I bet yours will be fine! Mine should hatch on Saturday