If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can have roosters, you probably won’t think twice about the rampant crowing. You wouldn’t be wrong, either! Most areas that are very rural or zoned agricultural are pretty rooster-friendly, so it would never be an issue that pops up. Though, there are a few circumstances that might require you to keep your boys quiet, let’s see the best way to deal with a roosters crow…. CONTINUE READING
by The Happy Chicken Coop
The winters are rather mild in Phoenix and your birds will be quite comfortable without heat added, as long as they are protected from wind, drafts, and especially rain.
Temperatures rarely drop below freezing in Phoenix, with the usual overnight temperature in the 40s. As long as your birds are kept dry, cool weather is quite welcome, especially after a long summer of brutal heat.
A heavy-weight tarp is a suitable protection from wind, along with ample clean pine shavings (preferred) or straw in the coop and nest boxes. Your birds will huddle together for warmth at night, if you stick your finger deep inside their feathers you’ll see they are toasty warm, even at freezing temps.
Never put a heat lamp in your coop, the risk of fire is far too dangerous. I wouldn’t use a light bulb for heat either. First of all, your birds don’t need it in Phoenix, and second, light is annoying and disruptive to the normalcy of nature.
You will hear other chicken keepers say egg laying is reduced or halted completely in the winter months. That may be so in other parts of the country, but in Phoenix, I never notice much change in frequency. Remember, the key to keeping the egg basket full is defined in two simple words… happy birds.
It’s been a rough summer for our hens here in Phoenix. The temperatures have soared to 117 and averaged around 110 for more than 35 days since June. And… only one day of rain, in the last 4 months.
But my hens are doing great! Why, how? Well, my girls are in a large 10×10 covered pen inside a covered shedrow barn. They have shade tarps on the south, east & west side for protection from the sun. I hang a simple box fan on their pen, and a mist system far enough away to keep the pen dry, but cooler.
Here they are today, the outside temperature is 110, and 108 in the barn, no panting, or holding their wings away from their sides. They are smart enough to find just the right spot where they can catch a cool breeze from the mister, and as you can see, they are resting comfortably. 🙂
TBN Ranch Chicken Keeping Resources 