Raising Egg Laying Chickens in the Arizona Desert |
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- Today we're giving a comprehensive tutorial on how we raise laying hens in AZ.
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Newbie Arizona chicken owner. Thank you.
Hey Jamie! You're in for quite the ride. Enjoy those eggs!
Backyard chickens was one of my better decisions. I just love them. I am in Phoenix and I have found some good breeds are:
1) white leghorns
2) buff orpingtons
3) golden sexlinks
4) Delaware
5) Rhode island reds
6) americaunas
Those have all been good to me. I am sure that there are others that do well too.
Anyway, I love your videos. I always learn something!
Good to know on the Delwares. We were a little hesitant when we read they are a bigger breed. The white leghorns are just hard to beat!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm They really are hard to beat. If you ever decide to get a rooster I really recommend the Delaware roosters. They are really awesome. Not like the Rhode Island Reds.
@@TheFatTheist Ok, so fingers crossed we actually do have a Delaware rooster in the mix with our new flock!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Have you tried growing fodder for your chickens and livestock? ruclips.net/video/USbjfW6XFPY/видео.html
@@JUSTICEK we haven't tried anything to that extent. It's a bit too labor intensive for us with only one of us on the farm FT right now.
This is one of the best videos I've seen on raising chickens.
Thank you and glad you enjoyed this one Taylor.
When I was raising chickens, I never got them oyster shells. Instead, I used to collect and use the minerals that deposited in the hot water heater. They got all kinds of minerals for free and my hot water heater got cleaned. Win win. Hard shells all the time. We were on spring water.
C S, I LOVE this suggestion! I just cleaned out that water heater about a month ago, but you're absolutely right!
Pasty butt :) thats just quality content i cant get anywhere else. Great vid!
Hey Saj, yeah they get pretty pasty :)
We are homeschoolers and as part of our son's high school electives he will be converting our trampoline frame into a chicken coop and building a back yard garden. Your video provided really great information for us to get started. Would it be OK to start in the next month or two with chicks? You said that fall would be ideal but our schedule just didn't work out that way.
Hey Rachel. First off, YAY FOR HOMESCHOOLERS!!! We homeschooled our son from 7th grade on and wouldn't trade that time for the world. At 25 he's running an IT department and in our opinion that self directed time he spent during his schooling years makes all the difference in his success with work. As for chickens, you would be just fine starting them this Spring. If you're going to order chicks online I would suggest waiting until March to have them shipped. They really struggle with cold and getting a cold front during the Winter time can easily kill your baby chicks if they're coming by mail. Otherwise you'll be fine. Just make sure they have access to standing water (something for them to stand in) during the Summer when we're over 100 degrees and plenty of shade. Also that open coop design we talk about, so they don't crowd into an enclosed coop on hot Summer nights. He's going to have a BLAST!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you!
Rhode Island Red are very productive. My Aunt raises them in Texas and they lay almost everyday for about 7-8 months. Texas is a lot cooler in the winter though so they may still go strong for 10 months here.
Garry, that's good to know. It's our first time with that breed and we're hopeful we can narrow this down to about 4 breeds that produce well and thrive in our environment. Lori really likes egg color variety, so we're shooting for a rotation of 1 brown and 1 white egg layer rotated every 2 years or so. This way we don't have to band any legs as we cull the older flock.
My Rhode Island Reds here in Utah rarely slowed or stopped laying. The only memorable times were due to stress of neighbors dogs and street construction noises.
Gonna be buying land, and starting my own little farm in mohave. So I appreciate your help and knowledge
Hey Jeffrey. Glad to hear you're making that jump to farming. We still hold FT "day jobs" while we get this up and running, but it's well worth the effort. The big advantage to growing in the desert...you have an abundance of sunshine that plants need to thrive!
I've kept colonial barred and Rhode island reds when I lived in the Adirondacks. Ow I'm in the desert and about to keep chickens again. Thank you for this
Glad you found this one useful. Things are little different here from the Adirondacks, but chickens will still thrive with a few tweaks in how you care for them.
love your set up, giving me ideas on updating my cage
Glad you found this one useful Michelle. It's really several things that help us keep the birds alive and happy during the hot summers. As with most things, we're just a little different than most other parts of the country, so we have to tweak things a bit!
This was fantastic, thank you.
Hey David, glad you enjoyed this one. We have had a lot of folks start raising chickens when they see how easy it can be here in the desert.
Another great video. So practical and informative. Thank you.
Thanks guys. Figured it was a good time to encourage folks to give this a try and know it's possible here in the valley.
Great information, I just wished our HOA allowed chickens, great Scorpion killers, fertilizers, mulch spreaders and eggs are just another plus. For now we have a chicken figurine in our kitchen but I would love a few real chickens, thanks for sharing.
Yeah, HOA was what I was referring to in regards to not being allowed to raise chickens. With the mess we're in right now I really hope to see that rescinded wherever possible so people can produce a good protein for themselves.
Edge of Nowhere Farm I’m praying too but our HOA in Paradise Valley is a pain in the neck.
@@danielfisch655 I can only imagine.
My goodness! So happy that I found you! We are in Morristown and I'm exploring having a few chickens. Thank you so much!
Hey there neighbor! One of the best parts of being just outside the city is all of your options when it comes to livestock. Chickens are a blast to have around and so important to the life of the farm. There's some work involved, but the benefits far outweigh that!
We are really enjoying being out of the city. We moved here to be closer to our congregation. My husband is the pastor of Morristown Christian Fellowship
@@DawnLeslie That is definitely a VERY good reason to move out of the city. Most folks have to commute from where they live and want to spend their days. Praying the Lord blesses your congregation and your homestead!
Amazing videos, thanks! It would be great if you could talk about the economic aspect as well. Like how much a chick costs to buy, how much you spend on feeding it, how much you sell it for, etc.
Mouad, these are great suggestions. We do need to discuss that more as we get into the production here on the farm. We track all of the expenses in Excel, so it would be easy to share those with everyone. Thank you for the request!
The farm chickens I had were mutts, they layer pretty reliably for over 5 years. Slowed in winter and during molt. In gilbert Az. Red hens always seemed most broody, and grumpy at that! But often didn’t raise babies well. I miss chickens, love them!!
It's amazing how well chickens do in our desert environment. Plenty of water and an open area to cool off and move around is the key. I wish everyone had a chance to keep at least a few, because there are so many wonderful benefits to having them around!
Thank you very informative!!!
Glad you enjoyed this one and found it useful Ruffina!
Nice video. Going to get chicks this year. We are in Phoenix, trying to get as much info on keeping them cool as I can. Appreciate all ideas.
Hey Bridget. We should have a video out in the next week on how we go about keeping the chickens cool here in the desert. Hang in there for that one as it should give you some ideas. We have yet to lose a chicken to the heat in the 3 years we've been raising them here in the valley.
I finished my chicken coop! And this morning I built in a little separate area inside it for the new chickens we just got. Have you ever tried Alohas? I'm interested and once it's safe to travel again I'm going to try to find the lady up there who breeds them. I wish I could get a broody hen out of my girls but none seem interested, even with fake eggs.
Woohoo! Congrats on getting the coop up and running. I haven't heard of Alohas before. You'll have to send us pics if you wind up with a few. As for broody hens, I don't think you can go wrong with black australorps as we have had all but 1 go broody at some point. I also hear the bantam chickens tend to be pretty broody as well.
Great info!
Glad you found this one useful Cathy!
Very informative
Glad you found this one useful Juro!
Awesome video!!
Glad you enjoyed this one Henry!
Howdy - I think you'll find the smaller bodied leghorns will do a lot better in your climate than the big framed chickens you've got in the brooder at the moment. Love your channel...keep the great vids rolling.
Hey Nick. Yeah, we're wondering the same. The Black Australorps have done well for us in the past, so we're hopeful we can get these guys through the summer to start producing. Either way, the leghorns are by far our favorite.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm You've done well to have the success you've had with Australorps. Being a heavy chicken and having black feathering, Australorps struggle here in arid Australia. I think Aussie homesteaders (from hotter regions) need to look to heat-tolerant Mediterranean breeds such as Leghorns, Minorcas, Spanish, Anconas, etc.
@@nickharris9026 I agree. We're trying to find a balance of good, heat tolerant varieties and solid production. We're also trying to rotate 4-5 breeds every 2 years, so we don't need to band any of our chickens when culling (I.E. 2 breeds per round that differ from the prior round so it's easy to determine the older birds). White leghorns are by far the winner so far, so pairing those with a few others is what we're searching for.
Hi from Gilbert AZ. I just picked up 2 black jersey giants.
Woohoo!! Watch out, 2 will turn into many more if you're not careful. 😉
CHICKENS IN ARIZONA NEED FOOT BATHS! Chickens cool themselves through their feet! I use kiddy pools.
Sounds like we're on the same page;
ruclips.net/video/DhFX_up0ZHU/видео.html
Great tip about the oyster shell. Do they just peck at it? Do they just instinctively know? Does it need to be crushed? In Baltimore City here, plenty of oyster shells, but never tried to raise a chicken.
Hey Steve, wow Baltimore City. Quite a difference in climate up there, but chickens are chickens when it comes to this. We keep the oyster shells how they come in the bag from the feed store which is partially/mostly crushed. The chickens will peck at them intermittently and they seem to know when they need them. The containers we keep them in are mounted on the pallets next to the feed and it takes a couple of weeks for them to go through the small container they're in. We just fill it as needed. If you've got the space and can legally have them on your property, I say go for it! There are so many advantages to having them (well beyond eggs) if you're able to find the space.
My chickens wouldn’t touch oyster shell so we recycled egg shells from the kitchen. Just rinse, dry, and send through a coffee grinder for a couple seconds then mixed in with their feed. People say they worry about chickens developing a taste for eggs doing that but we never had an issue nor any of my friends with flocks either.
Excellent Video!
Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it. How's the new property coming along?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm We are listing our current home next week, soon as it sells we can start building. Me and mom bought 10 acres and divided it up 3 ways. We are gonna sell off the third parcel to bankroll the farm :)
@@coyotesden sounds like a great plan. Fingers crossed the old home moves quickly so you guys can get your homestead underway!
Great content video.
Thanks Carolle, I'm glad to hear you found this one useful!
People say, "Raising chickens is SO easy." This isn't easy! This is a lot of work, but also, you need a degree in "Raising Chickens!"
Hey Taylor. Yeah, it's not as simple as most folks might believe. Especially when you're dealing with weather extremes (which most of us have on one side of the spectrum or another!).
Awesome video--very helpful! I decided to take the plunge and get a laying hen (buff orpington) for the yard for self sustenance. I plan to have it an indoor brooder for the 1st 4 weeks before moving to the outdoor coop and run but am wondering if it's the wrong time of the year to start. Will it be too cold for them in Winter? Do I need to wait until Spring or provide a heat source outside? Also, do you know where I can find a hatchery or breeder that guarantees the sex of the chick. Tractor Supply is just down the street but they don't guarantee the sex of the chick and I really do not want to end up with a male when the intent is a laying hen. Thanks!
Woohoo!!! You are not going to regret having chickens on your homestead. They are great fertilizer producers, give you a protein source and they're fun to watch! You have a solid plan for the brooder. Once your little one is fully feathered out she can be outside the brooder. Laying hens do just fine with our winters and we typically bring new laying hens onto the farm in the fall to start them out because of that. Summers, as with most other living things here in AZ, are the challenge. There's always a chance you'll wind up with a rooster or two whether you get them from TSC or another online source, but it's part of the territory. Supposedly the Sexlink chickens are the easiest to tell male/female at birth and we've had good success with Golden Sexlink chickens in the past. Either way, we prefer ordering pullets from online hatcheries and so far we've only had 1 out of 45 chicks be a rooster. So how many do you plan on having?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks so much! You inspired me! The sex link look like a great choice to guarantee a female and sound like they are hardy. My HOA is OK on chickens if kept to a small number and treated as pets. I am only planning on getting 2 for my 2 member household and need a quiet docile breed and understand the sex links are on the quieter side. I won't be raising them for meat despite that I eat meat. In fact, I venture these little ones will sway me towards becoming vegetarian. Once the girls are no longer producing eggs, they will be free to live out their retirement in the garden and in will come another 2 chicks so I have no more than 4 at any time. Thanks again for the recommendation. I contacted Pratt's Pets on availability and they may be able to get some sex link chicks soon. Very excited!
@@EnlightenmentGarden you are going to absolutely love having those girls around. Our laying hens on pasture is Lori's happy place these days!
G'day Mate. We have the same heat problem here lost both our roosters and eight hens all in two days of heat this last summer, even with all the good designs and cooling spray. Oh well that's life I spose. Keep safe mate.
Kezza, that sucks man. What is your peak daytime temp in mid-summer? We hit 120+ (farenheit) most years and haven't had that happen to our flock.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm quite often 45c plus, although we also go 50 that week we had a run of 46 and 50 days, plus a hot northerly, friends were looking after homestead whilst we were away for a week.
Can't blame them, and wouldn't, it was just one of those things
@@kezzatries gotcha.
Great tutorial informative video guys. any reasons why you dont have a rooster ?
The main reason is we didn't need one on the old property as we didn't pasture them. Also, we were closer to neighbors there and they are up before dawn doing their thing. We may consider it on this property if we wind up with a good tempered one out of this new flock.
Thank you wife and I want some egg laying chickens in oro valley area but it’s super hot snd and wanna keep them cool
Definitely need to go for it! They actually do quite well for us here in the desert with a few tweaks from the rest of the country.
Hi Vanessa here 👋I'm in northern AZ and my FREE RANGE flock has "walking dandruff " mites! I have babies in the mail!! SUGGESTIONS ARE VERY APPRECIATED. DE is not working! A car ride a day can keep the broody away
Hey Vanessa. This is a tough one as we haven't had this happen to us....yet! DE would be my first attempt and we keep their designated dust bath area with about 10-20% DE in the mix. I've also been told it can help to have either a metal roosting bar or ensuring you don't have a wooden roosting bar directly attached to wood uprights for their roost. Something about the inability for the mites to travel up to them on the roost past the metal. I'm sorry we can't be a better resource for you on this one.
Take the wooden roost poles out so you don't get blue bugs.Anywhere the wooden roost touches the wood walls blue bugs will breed in the cracks.They are a poultry tick that comes out at night and will suck the blood of your chickens as they sleep.
Hey Reuben. Thanks for the tip on that. What do you suggest using in place of wooden roosting bars? That's the only thing I've seen folks using.
You can use wood as long it doesn't touch any other wood.like if you can it though the chain link.or plastic roost or metal poles.blue bugs live in the cracks of the wood wherever two pieces come together.they don't like to crawl on plastic or metal but if the run gets infested they will.also paint the wood and heavy in the cracks.the plastic nest boxes are good.if you do it now you shouldn't have a problem.Most chicken breeders don't know this.
@@azdogs that makes a lot of sense. now to figure out how to retrofit these bad boys. Thanks for the info and advice!
I am in Southern Arizona about 30mins south of Tucson, unfortunately I live in a HOA
Ugh, that is a bummer. One of many reasons we left the city was to get out from under the regulations that come along with city life. Not being able to grow (or raise) your own food is a basic human right that has been quietly taken away from us.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I am not in a city I am in a small town suburbs
Delawares are natural leaders and great at egg production. By the way, have you considered getting a guard goose?
Guineas are good guards also...just too noisy for me tho.
Good to know on the Delwares, thanks for that info and we have kicked around the idea of a guard goose for the layers. We may give that a shot!
@@desertdanblacksmith1394 I've heard the same with guineas, but a guard goose may be worth trying. Any experience with that here in AZ?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm We have about 20 Ducks....we have kiddie pools for them. Geese are too noisy for me too....lol. Waterfowl supposedly dont need that much water but they sure are happier for having it. The DUcks are the last to sound off alarms. I have to always suggest a good rooster. My main rooster kicked the crap out of a Coopers Hawk....lol
@@desertdanblacksmith1394 we may eventually give ducks a shot, but they seem like a lot more work. We may keep a rooster this time around if we wind up with one out of this flock.
Lots of great information, some of which I hadn't come across in other videos yet. Thanks a bunch, much appreciated!
Maybe weird but to me rather important question... I'm a vegetarian, I'm OK with keeping chickens and eating their eggs. But I only want them for eggs and compost, don't want to slaughter and/or eat the chickens themselves. So once they stop laying eggs, that raises a bit of a dilemma. I don't want to feed animals that don't feed me, I'd have no use for spent chickens, but I also don't want to kill and butcher them. I guess if someone else could turn them into dog food, or even still prepare them for human consumption, then I could live with that.
So my question is - is it common practice to "give away spent chickens", i.e. are there farms or butchers that take (or even buy) no-longer-laying chickens for them to slaughter and sell as meat, even if those chickens were raised by someone else? Or is the load of slaughtering always on the farm that raised the chickens in the first place, i.e. they'd only get sold if already processed by me?
Hey there, glad you enjoyed this one and this is a great question. Typically farmers will process their old laying hens, but not always. Some folks keep them as pets, but it sounds like you have the same homesteader mentality we do in that everyone has a job to do and feeding the farmer is part of that.
I can't speak for every community, but out here it's pretty easy to find folks who will take your old layers off your hands to process themselves. We even have a customer who wants to buy them processed from us, but would have been willing to take them off our hands alive as well. I think you'd find somebody who was interested, but it might be worth asking around in advance just to be sure.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you for taking the time to answer and explain. Again, much appreciated. :)
I've not started homesteading just yet, but I'll be moving from Germany to the Canary islands (Spanish territory, just off the coast of Marocco) within the next 6 months. I've had my share of tech-focused subscription-based city life, built almost exclusively on money to pay for mass-produced everythings, and I'd like to enter a stage of more independent and self-reliant living in a somewhat more natural and self-determined setting than a rented metropolitan apartment.
So I'm doing what a tech person does, I scour the Web for information ahead of time, just to be prepared and not completely overwhelmed when the time comes. The Canary islands have a weird but mostly hot and dry climate (supporting coffee, aloe vera, cacti, pine trees, deciduous trees, etc.) and a lot of dry soil, but not a lot of fresh water, so your channel in particular is very interesting for me. I had Guava on my list of to-grow fruit, since I like the Guava juice I can buy in stores here ... but now I guess I'll give other fruit a go first. ;)
I remember from someone else's video that "you raise chickens either for eggs or for meat, but if you try both, then you can't use them as layers for long, because nobody likes chicken meat after it's 6-12 months old, so you'll need to process them young and won't get a lot of eggs". Also everyone who raises chickens and makes videos about it either keeps them forever (as pets) or processes them on the own farm. That just sent me wondering if there really isn't anyone who can do something with spent chickens, surely dogs or cats won't mind the age of the bird in their meals.
But good to know there are alternatives to slaughtering myself or keeping pets forever. I figure I won't get chickens before autumn next year, so I'll have some time before then to ask around locally.
Thanks again so much for the valuable input!
@@1b2m wow, that's a heck of a move and we know just how you feel. We were in your shoes about 8 years ago when we first started our own journey for many of the same reasons. I'd love to see pics when you get to your new homestead!
Thinking about getting into chicken raising once we move. Great video. Few questions - Do the eggs they produce need to be stored in the refrigerator? What length of time do they last for? Do you process your hens and chickens or do you send them out to be processed?
Great questions there Roy. You don't need to store unwashed eggs in the fridge. Key there is unwashed. Once they're washed air starts to permeate the inside of the egg and oxidation begins. Unwashed eggs can remain at room temp for up to a few months and refrigerated and unwashed eggs could potentially keep much longer. We process our hens here on the farm along with our broiler chickens usually once they're past their second molt. The "retired" layers are actually quite good in certain recipes. Key there is low and slow when you're cooking them. Coq Au Vin and slow cooker chicken noodle soup are hard to beat!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks for the info. I am so glad I found your channel. Just veggie farming now, but hoping to expand once I get on some land...
@@roywoodruff8161 that's how it all starts Roy. Prior to 2014 we were on a 5,500 sq. ft lot with a tiny backyard in the middle of the city. We had a goal and did everything we could to get here (multiple jobs, no vacations, you name it). Still a long way to go, but it's a step forward each day that gets us where we know we want to be.
How do you keep the chickens cool? I'm on my second run of having chickens, and last time it we SO hard to keep them from panting like crazy in the summer. Suggestions?
Hey Brandy. That's a great question! Besides the things we discussed in this video (open coop, breed, etc) we also keep water dishes with clay bricks that allow them cool their feet during hot days. We also spray the run area down with water in the afternoon to keep them cool. We plan on doing a quick video on the water dish system that we use that shows how we do it, but it's pretty basic. We haven't lost a chicken to the heat yet with these things in place, but they still struggle a bit on those really hot days.
I was thinking of growing moringa trees around the coop bc they are so fast growing or grapes.
best chook pen ever ….. so jealous ..... :D
We figured we might as well make sure we had the space and protection for a nice size flock. That and Lori made it clear that it could not look "junky" which took out anything I would be capable of building. :)
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Very wise, Lori! :)
How does that tarp/fabric on your coop do with strong winds? I'm in SW New Mexico and during the spring the wind is wicked!
Hey Josh. They do ok in the winds, but they only last about 18 months before the sun gets the better of them. Eventually we'll wind up replacing these with those fence slats that mottle the sunlight. At least on the Eastern side that doesn't have the trees growing to shade it.
Any thoughts on Buff Orpingtons? I raised them a long time ago but may be raising chickens again. They were very docile, even our big rooster. Very nice video.
Great question and that's one of the breeds we have not tried. We've heard mixed reviews on their heat tolerance, but we have a neighbor down the road who raises them and has had no issues. We also have Delawares in the current mix that are doing just fine, so I think they're worth trying. That open coop, plenty of shade and access to water would be critical for them, but that really goes for any breed.
I love this video! But is there a way for you to feed and water them without PVC? Something like glass?
Boy, I'm not sure. The watering cans we use are galvanized steel and they do make feeders that are as well. I haven't seen a glass option that would be large enough for 20+ birds.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I also avoid galvanized steel where possible. For a fence, it's probably fine. But please consider this: "The answer is that zinc coating typically does contains lead. According to a study published in Environmental Engineering Science, some water samples taken from homes with galvanized steel pipes contained lead at levels greater than the action level set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.Dec 6, 2017
Galvanized Plumbing: What is It, and Why Should I Care? | ABC Blog"
@@jennifereverett6298 hmm, did not know that. Thank you for sharing!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm You're welcome!
👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed this one!
Excellent video!!. What do you do with the eggs that get really really hot from the weather and how do you store the eggs? Thank you.
Great questions Abelation. We collect eggs every afternoon and have not had any issues with the eggs as long as they have not been directly in the sun. Once we collect them we put them in the fridge unwashed.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm that's very reassuring because my chickens lay at different times of the day and sometimes when I collect the eggs they are very hot so I boil and feed them to my cockatiels. Good to know.
Your channel is awsome. Thank you for responding!!
@@abelationgorgoro8310 sure thing and glad you're enjoying the content!
What’s the green tarp called on the sides of your coop?
Hey Natalie. That's shade cloth we purchased on Amazon to keep temporary shade on our egg layers until we can get these trees to give them some afternoon shade.
I'm in socal about an hour and a half from the coast, does this still apply? I'm looking at Arizona because I get recommended San Diego, I don't get the caostal breeze, my peppers burn, why about my chickens? Is a meat/egg chicken even worth it? Or do I need to have meat chickens and egg chickens??
Josh, those are great questions. If you're seeing temps in the summer that are regularly above 100 degrees then this would definitely apply to you as well. The key is the evening temps. For us in mid-summer we never get below 90+ degrees, so it's the only time of year that is dangerous for our chickens. Hence the open coop design. If you cool off well in the evening you can probably go with a regular coop.
As for meat vs egg layers, it depends on your goal. We are a working farm and need to balance the desire to regenerate the land with productivity. For us, that means using the best bird for the job. Egg layers don't produce enough meat fast enough to turn a profit and meat birds don't produce many eggs (if at all depending on the breed). If you're not worried about the bottom line you can try a larger egg layer for meat production, but it will be a break even scenario at best from our experience.
Where do you find out if youre allowed to raise chickens and how many you can have? I tried looking in the code but it doesnt say if its permissible or not either. Thanks!
eric, you can call your city and check on the ordinances. I used to live in Chicago and they let you have 4 hens but no rooster. Here , you have to worry about the HOA, if someone complains they will make you stop right away(happened to my neighbor). There are small breeds that are more quiet but those breeds aren't as productive and their eggs are smaller.
Garry is right on with his comment. It's your HOA that would be the issue.
Hey put a swing in about a foot off the ground, they love it. Yeah for real!
That's a great suggestion. It's on our wish list, just need to get to it!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm make one, two bits of rope and a piece of wood, they won't mind that it's rustic, Just pulling y'a leg😁
@@kezzatries so true. Easy to make and it would be fun to watch them swing away...
How do you keep snakes out? I'm in the desert too. Also do you install fencing on the ground so nothing will dig under?
Hey there Michael. I'll link a video here that shows how we protect the enclosure from digging predators;
ruclips.net/video/s6_NeT56u9I/видео.html
As for snakes, we don't worry about those. Chickens are predators for snakes, so unless a rattler gets it's fangs into a chicken (which will kill it), the snakes are the ones to be worried! That's assuming of course you don't have baby chicks in your run.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks, love this channel!
@@Travelingforlife sure thing and glad you're enjoying the content!
Who built your coop?
Hey Nichole. The chain link run was built by Associated Fence. They're a bit pricey, but they do quality work.
Tractor supply now allows 6 chicks minimum to buy.
Wow, didn't realize they had a minimum. Another good option is The Stock Shop in Glendale. We purchased several from them in the past and they're a local feed shop, so it's good to have a local contact.
When is it ok to start feeding chickens scraps and oyster shells?
Hey Josh! We usually start feeding scraps after they leave the brooder. For us that's around 6 weeks old. Assuming you're feeding chick starter to your hens up until around 4 months old (which is typically suggested) they don't actually need anything else. Oyster shells are not necessary until they start laying which is usually around 5-6 months and even then they won't always consume them. That being said, we always have it available in the coop/run area.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you
How quickly In az do you have to grab the eggs in the summer..(in Tucson)
Hey Vinson, that's a great question. We check the boxes twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. There is usually 1 or 2 eggs in the morning and several in the afternoon. We know our chickens usually lay mid-morning through early afternoon, so some of those eggs are in there for several hours. The only issue we've had is on very hot days (over 110) any eggs that are on the ground in the sun are toast by the time we get to them. We had one that was practically hard boiled when we cracked it open! So as long as they're laying in a box, you should be good to just get them sometime the same day.
Hello, could you advise what would prevent us from being able to raise chickens in our back yard? Atleast in mesa from what Ive read its allowed :)
Hey Niki. From what I understand, the only time you'll find regulations against raising chickens is from an HOA. If you don't have an HOA, or your HOA does not have regulations against it, you should be good to go!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thankyou 😊
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm can I ask how much space youd ideally need for 2-4 chickens? And since they are social creatures would they be ok with a small flock like that?
@@nikiballejos4503 2-4 chickens is a great number of birds to start with. The key with chickens here for us is making sure they don't get too hot during the summer months, so you'll want to take that into account when it comes to space. They need plenty of shade, water and air flow (including at night) in order to survive our super hot/dry summer days and nights. As for space, we prefer to keep at least 10 square feet of space per bird in their run area. The coop doesn't need to be nearly that big though. Just enough for them to safely fit into at night. A 10 x 10 space would be just fine for that many birds.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed this one Lou!
how do you guys keep the metal waters from rusting.
I tried them before but they rusted in like a year and a half.
Hey Cody, great question. We've actually gone away from the metal water cans because of both rust and also wear and tear. They don't seem to last very long in our experience and it sounds like you're seeing the same.
Where you bought the shade clothes?
Hey there Ping. We buy these from Amazon. I'll link to them here for you;
amzn.to/3PuVzKi
It's always a good time to bring chicks onto the yard. ;) *joking* lol
I would say Lori agrees...in the literal sense. 😉
never downsize your coop, Chicken math would dictate that if you need to downsize you just need to buy more chickens :P
That math is solid IMO. 😉
wittmann rules
Wittmann does rule Monica!!
Do u think it will profitable to go into small scale poultry project as a sole business? Do u have any idea on meat 🍖 and egg chicken for quick returns on investment?
Hey Juro. On a small scale you can be profitable, but it will not bring in a lot of revenue. Our broiler chickens cost us around $10/bird to raise and we sell them for between $20 and $25 dollars. So we make about $12/bird on average (not counting our labor!). Eggs are a break even business for us. We mainly sell those to offset the costs of feed and to give new customers an inexpensive way to see what it's like to buy from us.
What if your back yard is filled with large gravel?
Hey there Grace. If it's crushed granite (really common in AZ) you'll want to remove that in the area you're going to have chickens. This will radiate too much heat during the summer and is very rough on their feet.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you! Is it okay if we clear the gravel for the coop, but let them free-range, (so to speak) in the rocks? We rent so we cannot remove all the rock.
@@thegoodfight426 ok, gotcha. They should be fine to walk around a bit when it's cooler. They'll let you know if it's too much!
What???? Chickens are fertilizer factories.. I know you guys use chicken tractors to help spread the poo but the eggs are just a plus. LOL
Quite the little producers in both respects!
Ill tell you what :D
These days, they're a no brainer!
Great video, but I don't really like hearing hens referred to repeatedly as "girls." They're hens.
Force of habit on that one Anthony. Lori constantly refers to them as her girls and I do now also.
I agree the “girls” or “ladies” is for fun and I would do the same.
Get a grip!!!
poop on each other?
It does happen from time to time and we have gone back and put all of the bars at the same level to stop that from happening.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm bless you brother