post #386 of 21447
6/1/10
Suggestions to the lady in Florida about the heat tolerance of the Icelandic chickens and the new lucky winner in San Diego. We have learned through experience, and know for a fact, that all chickens can be in danger when the temperature is 90 and above. We have a large area and provide 4 large fans when it is that hot in the summer. Trees providing shade do wonders.
For the lady in San Diego with her chicken coop project which looks great, we suggest opaque corrugated plastic roof to reduce heat radiation. It took us some time to realize how much heat radiated from our metal roof. Our coop was like an oven on hot and sunny days here in So. California. One day I touched the roof and it was burning hot. We promtly replaced it with the opaque plastic material resulting in much less, or hardly any, heat radiation.
Best of luck to all of you. It is great to see your enthusiasm and care you all show. And thanks to you Mary for a job well done.
Sigrid
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- Location: Northern CA
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Sigrid, did you see the pictures of my teenagers that I posted here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=351052&p=2 ? They are getting so big and so brave! The cockerels are beginning to vie for top position so we have a lot of flared hackles and chest bumping. We let them out of the small run to be with the rest of the flock but they soon found areas where they could escape under the wrought iron fence, It is all I am allowed to have across the back of my property due to it being a flood zone for Cripple Creek. I have netting to keep them in but these little buggers found out how to slide under it. So yesterday we started installing a hardware cloth barrier across the bottom with an apron out behind our property line, staked into the ground. I am going to try to get it done today so they can get out for awhile. I think in that pen I have six males and six females. The little guys that I hatched from eggs I got through a breeder recommended by Cathy L. are three weeks old now. It doesn't look like there will be as many blues in that group but there are some interesting oranges coming out. Everyday they make me happy just looking at them.
Enjoy Iceland and thanks for the advice regarding heat and chickens. Good stuff.
Mary
It sounds like the same conditions and allowances I make for my other chickens would work for the Icelandics. My girls have a lot of shade, extra water for drinking and wading in, a fan in the coop to keep the air circulating. I also change out the windows and solid doors with hardware cloth replacements.
Good to know Sigrid, thank you!
