New Mexico

[bumpercarr]

When you say "problems" what do you mean? Panting and airing out their armpits?

Sometimes hot is just hot. Provide them ample shade, cool water, cool damp sand (if you have that in your run), and mine are always appreciative of watermelon and cucumbers (which are high in electrolytes).

Thanks. Yes, the first stage of heat stroke is panting and airing out their wings. Next stage is that they lay down and when you force them to get up they are unstable and weak. Final stage is when their pupils become pinpricks, at that point they have brain damage and probably need to be put down. I try to catch it before they get to the final stage, but even at that I still lost two last week to heat stroke.

I'm doing all that you said other than the cukes, I just picked some so I'll cut them up and give them to them now.

Thanks for the advice, hopefully others can learn from this as well.

 

[CharmCity]

Want to thank everyone that directed us to the NM Poultry Swap today! We were able to rehome our Pekin drakes, pick up a Pekin hen (and less aggressive drake), and even found a gorgeous little runner pullet while we were there. So glad this exists for our community!

 

[FridayYet]

Awesome! You should post some pictures of your new additions when you get a chance.

 

[CharmCity]

Sure thing! These are our new Pekins meeting Smokey; Smokey is on the left, and our new friends are on the right. We planned to introduce them slowly, but they ran to each other before we could intervene and have been inseparable since... hopefully that's a good sign!

And this is our new runner! She's about 4 weeks old, so we're keeping her separate, although she spent a little bit of time with the Pekins this afternoon and did pretty well... just a little more biting from the older birds than I'd hoped to see. She's loudly expressing her displeasure in being isolated, so hoping that she grows quickly and will be ready for unsupervised time within a month or so. Definitely not yet!

 

[FridayYet]

How cute! Your Pekins look like they are best buds already, and your Runner looks like she's smiling and happy to be held!

 

[grannyh]

bumpercarr, thanks for the kind words. I''m not familiar with Brahmas but it seems like I've heard them referred to as gentle giants.. Maybe similar to my Black Langshan....I have 5 hens, all different. 1 Black Langshan, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Mottled Java, 1 Delaware, and 1 Buff Orpington. Surprisingly, at least to me, the 2 blacks seem to do fine in the heat. It's my delaware that holds out her wings in the heat the most. They've all been good layers, although the java has never been accepted as 'one of the crowd'. I lost a beautiful Welsummer (likely to a coyote), and a sweet Speckled Sussex (not sure what happened, but she was found in the geese pool), a Spangled Russian Orloff (we think a racoon got her) and my Silver Lakenvelder roo who was puny from the start and was found dead in the hen house. My daughter brought me a beautiful American roo, but I think I will send him back. He seems to be too much for my 5 and my broody hen wouldn't stay on eggs... I hope your Brahmas are doing better...although I don't believe the heat has lessened!.

 

[bumpercarr]

bumpercarr, thanks for the kind words. I''m not familiar with Brahmas but it seems like I've heard them referred to as gentle giants.. Maybe similar to my Black Langshan....I have 5 hens, all different. 1 Black Langshan, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Mottled Java, 1 Delaware, and 1 Buff Orpington. Surprisingly, at least to me, the 2 blacks seem to do fine in the heat. It's my delaware that holds out her wings in the heat the most. They've all been good layers, although the java has never been accepted as 'one of the crowd'. I lost a beautiful Welsummer (likely to a coyote), and a sweet Speckled Sussex (not sure what happened, but she was found in the geese pool), a Spangled Russian Orloff (we think a racoon got her) and my Silver Lakenvelder roo who was puny from the start and was found dead in the hen house. My daughter brought me a beautiful American roo, but I think I will send him back. He seems to be too much for my 5 and my broody hen wouldn't stay on eggs... I hope your Brahmas are doing better...although I don't believe the heat has lessened!.

I don't remember what the kind words were...but you're welcome. LOL.

As a general rule of thumb, the larger combs help the chickens handle heat (larger blood cooling area), the smaller combs (pea, rose come to mind) help the chickens handle the cold (no frostbite). So, I've chosen a breed that doesn't particularly do well in the heat....but most summers they handle it pretty well. It just seems like we aren't getting a break this year. Maybe I need to move north...LOL.

 

[grannyh]

bumercarr, I didn't know about the comb size and heat/cold tolerance! How interesting! I have sooo much to learn...
Yes, move North for the chickens! Definitely! lol

 

[lanamilo]

I use frozen water bottles to keep the ladies cool. They lay right next to them.

 

[lanamilo]

By the way Long Leash on Life at Eubank and Montgomery in ABQ is now selling Scratch and Peck chicken feed in the store now. I have to feed soy free because of my awful allergy.