Re: Chickens in the desert?

From: Ray Drouillard (cosmicpam2_at_comcast.net)
Date: 09/08/04 

Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 10:50:41 -0400

I have no experience with chickens in hot weather -- except that I have
seen some of ours become distressed when the temperatures approach 90
degrees F or so.

As for chickens in your garden -- well, don't keep them there. Make
sure you can fence them out when necessary. Our birds ate our cabbage
crop, and started working on our corn. I don't think I would let them
go after the tomato bugs because the bugs tend to be high up on the vine
(if it is trellised), so the birds would end up damaging the vine by
trying to get the bugs. Besides that, they love tomatoes. If you put
them in the garden, they'll head straight for anything that's red.

Since your garden is already fenced off, you are in good shape. You
might want to get a small roll of chicken wire so that you can fence off
any portion you want on a temporary basis. You might want to fence them
into your corn patch (before the ears form) for a while to let them get
the weeds, or you might want to fence them out of your tomatoes and
berries,

You can probably get some really good answers in
sci.agriculture.poultry.

Ray Drouillard

"Flatspin" <my_other_mail@cox.net> wrote in message
news:MEE%c.124316$4o.15959@fed1read01...
> Hello all,
>
> I am brand new to the group, came here on the advice of a gardening
> group this morning.
>
> I would like to add 2 or 3 pullets to my yard for garden patrol. I
get
> crickets, tomato hornworms, white flies and spider mites and hope that
a
> few hens could assist with insect control. I'd also love the fresh
> eggs. I grew up with Mallards and eating fresh duck eggs.
>
> My garden is 9'x60' attached to but fenced off from a 20'x60'yard. I
> have a half used rosebed that I can build a coop in and put chicken
wire
> up along. I say the rosebed is only half used as the lemon tree shades
> the other half so heavily, roses really struggle to stay alive in the
shade.
>
> I live in Mesa, AZ so must have something that can handle the heat, as
> high as 115F in the summer. We get relatively mild winters with only
> about two weeks with night temps around freezing. My tomatos, peppers
> and basil often continue producing right through our version of winter
> it's so mild.
>
> Any advice/warnings on variety of bird, hen house design, etc
> appreciated. If anyone knows a good source in the Phoenix area, please
> speak up.
>
> Shawn
> Mesa, AZ

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