Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[kdwag]

Well it was 91 yesterday and we made it. I felt so bad for them when they were laying, that darn coop was sooo freaking hot and it takes my barred rock forever to lay -- I thought for sure I'd find them dead inside but they made it. I sprayed the run down with water alot and made lots of puddles which they enjoyed. I put ice cubes in their waterer several times throughout the day. i opened both doors of their coop in the evening and managed to get the temp down to 80. I left their door open last night and said a few prayers to the chicken angels. They were just fine this morning. whew. Haven't watched that utube video yet but will. i did freeze a water bottle and will try that. Today is only 80s so hopefully not as hot as yesterday. We need rain !!! Sorry for you Texans. Those tornados in Oklahoma were horrible.

 

[kdwag]

I am so bummed. As of right now I am missing 6 chicks. We had some dogs show up on the property and they scattered into the trees. I am holding out hope that at least most of them are still alive, but until they come home I wont know for sure. We free range so we know this is a risk, but these are my first losses so I am taking it harder than I thought I would. Boo to people who don't keep their animals contained on their own property!

I'm sooo sorry. I hope more find their way home.

 

[Angelicisi]

Upper 80s with super high humidity last few days...my girls were panting pretty bad too (and the real heat hasn't even started yet!) I filled up old milk jugs and froze them. Then set 1 in the run and one out under a tree they snack near. Then I took a sheet and stapled it to the sides of run to make some shade and wet the sheet down. They LOVE it. They have a dust bath and curl up next to ice. 3 of the 4 stopped panting, red hen (sex link I think?) Did not stop panting and stayed pretty hot but near the ice and she did ok, better than without. We have a pool, my red hen sits with me in it now and loves it. She won't take a swim lol but enjoys floating on thestepsw
with me. The others look....but prefer the ice lol

My RIR does the same thing - they are definitely not as heat tolerant as my other breeds. You can try freezing 2-liter bottles or milk jugs and laying them around the run - maybe she will lay next to them. Another cool thing I learned on here was this...

 

[Melabella]

Hi EVERYONE!

Oh my heck, I MUST lose this winter/menopause weight I have gained... I am sweating like a stuffed pig... and the temp says only 83 our, but the humitidy feels like it's 95, and forget doing anything in the sun! I have to RUN to home depot and get that sun shade fabric, and put it up for the flock, they will never survive days that they are in the coop, and I was getting ready to seed the paddocks, and thought I would put them in lock down, but very well can't do that unless I prepare the coop and run with some shade... from noon till sunset, the coop faces west, and the sun is 100 percent shining down, and then, directly into the coop. Guess it's good for the winter, but not the summer....yikes!


Love all the tips for hot weather survival,, A big THANKS to everyone who contributed. Spikes Chooks just saying good bye to it, and we are all getting ready....

Wishing anyone here, and on all of BYC who might be affected by the horrible weather in the midwest, a safe haven from all that is going on. I swear, The Day after Tomorrow was on the other night, and sometimes it feels as if we are only a hop skip and a jump down from the insane weather that the world has been getting. Mother Earth,, one powerful lady!

Be safe all!
MB

 

[nakstk]

We are back to cold rainy weather again. It's 48 degrees right now and nasty rain. My girls are not happy.

Phoebe is STILL being broody. I have no place to put her to break her of it. Hoping she stops this soon. I just keep going and moving her and taking any eggs that have been laid. She has been spending a bit more time out with the rest of the flock before returning to the nest.

I can't believe how close we are to 3000 posts a lot has happened in all our lives in this time. Hope everyone is having a blessed day!







Niki

 

[Fletch83]

Just want to share what a good job my EE's have been doing!

 

[Melabella]

Just want to share what a good job my EE's have been doing!

Beautiful eggs Fletch! they desearve a treat for sure... neat colors too!

 

[Melabella]

We are back to cold rainy weather again. It's 48 degrees right now and nasty rain. My girls are not happy.

Phoebe is STILL being broody. I have no place to put her to break her of it. Hoping she stops this soon. I just keep going and moving her and taking any eggs that have been laid. She has been spending a bit more time out with the rest of the flock before returning to the nest.

I can't believe how close we are to 3000 posts a lot has happened in all our lives in this time. Hope everyone is having a blessed day!







Niki

Keep us posted on Pheobe... I want to learn through you. No one here even remotly interested in being broody,,,I was thinking one of the Black Australorps might,, but no go.

I was keeping my eye on the number of posts too,, It has been a great thing to post while waiting for our girls to lay.. I am so spoiled by all the eggs I get every day, I will be so sad when it stops... Tonight the hot humid weather seems to tail off a bit, the grass is SOOO green from all the rain, I wish it could stay like this. The flock was picking through all the fresh cut grass picking all the fresh bugs. My DH came home from work, and our daughter was making us give marks on her cartwheels and roundoffs.... Horses grazing on that beautiful grass... doesn't get any better than that.

MB

 

[kdwag]

Wish we were getting some of that rain. We haven't had any measurable rainfall this month. The girls are boreeeedddd with the grass,no worms, and they are getting into bigggg trouble with me and the gardens despite all of the chicken proofing. LOL Caught this action yesterday, it was the funniest thing ever. Day before yesterday I couldn't find my barred rock and turned and saw her in my herb garden taking herself a very nice dust bath in a huge hole that she dug. The next day, it was a group event but in the area that I put a bunch of nice dirt and mulch in a while back thinking they'd scratch there. Well, I tried to upload the photo and it just isn't working so have to try again. Today's weather, windy and mid 50s. After 80s and 90s, crazy.

 

[nakstk]

I hate that the 3000th post was me whining about the weather but we are having record low temps and rain right now. I guess this makes up for our record high temps over Easter. My birds are SO UNHAPPY right now. Also my neighbors are re roofing their house and the banging is scaring my girls as well. Oh well they will just have to get used to it. Life does not revolve around them. lol

I will have to take a pic of Phoebe's belly chest area I know they pluck themselves bald for the warmth for the eggs, but she is starting to get a sore from sitting so much. I have been keeping an eye on it for infection and no one else can see it so there is no pecking luckily. But still it's just one more thing to worry about.

Hope everyone has a great day








Niki