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

[CatSol]

Kdwag. So sorry for your lose. It is never easy when a family member passes.

 

[kdwag]

You will all have quite an adjustment to make. I'm so sorry for your loss of such a beloved pet.

To answer your question - no, they don't know enough to go cool off!!! My RIR of the four breeds is the least heat tolerant and the first to start panting and holding her wings out to cool off. A lot of the time they don't go drink water and sit in the shade (like we would!). They keep running around in the sun. You did exactly the right thing, as I learnt to do this past hot summer here. They are better off back in the run to cool off. Heavy panting is the first sign of heat stress, so a good trigger to force them to cool down. I also put up a mister along the roof of their run, and if I turn that on the temperature starts dropping quickly. Once they got used to the noise, they stand under it for a refreshing mist all over. Lovely! On days when a heat wave was predicted, I didn't let them out at all so there was no drama returning them to the coop and run. I found the RIR started heavy panting at about 35C/95F so I kept them in when over that was predicted. We maxxed out at 47C/117F in February, so they spent a few days in the run with the mister on and frozen fruit and veg treats. Much better for them - and less anxiety for the chicken-humans.

Best wishes for your coming summer
Katrina

Oh vey, thanks for that. It was maybe 80 yesterday so that tells me she is not very tolerant of higher temps at all. I love that mister idea, I've gotta figure something out on that. It typically stays in the 80's for us, we do get those 90 plus temps with that wonderful humidity in July/August. WIth all the problems we've had with our dog, the coop project sort of took a back seat. Vet care is so stupid expensive! So, hoping we can get that started soon and then I can install some cooling features, etc.

 

[kdwag]

So I got Clemi down last night and tried to clean the stuck poop on her feathers-- that stuff is like cement. I just kept holding a wet paper towel, drenching wet, on the poop to try and soften it. It wasn't coming off. I tried pulling it, but it was stuck to her feathers like glue. I got it to the point of the feathers separating, etc. and her butt was wet. Can they get that off themselves? Do you ever cut the feathers? She would hold still for just a minute and then she was gone! I noticed my RIR has the same problem, so what the heck. I think it's from them laying on the ground-- There is no way the RIR is going to let me clean her butt-- Always something.

 

[Melabella]

So I got Clemi down last night and tried to clean the stuck poop on her feathers-- that stuff is like cement. I just kept holding a wet paper towel, drenching wet, on the poop to try and soften it. It wasn't coming off. I tried pulling it, but it was stuck to her feathers like glue. I got it to the point of the feathers separating, etc. and her butt was wet. Can they get that off themselves? Do you ever cut the feathers? She would hold still for just a minute and then she was gone! I noticed my RIR has the same problem, so what the heck. I think it's from them laying on the ground-- There is no way the RIR is going to let me clean her butt-- Always something.

I have the same issues, the only way i can get any of them is grabbing off the roost and bringing them into the barn, and that's not the easiest thing. I still wish i had a video of DH and I trying to catch Duke that night.. what a scene. The few times I have done this, I had to cut them off. Didn't look very nice, but it got the job done. I love all these pictures of people soaking their girls bottoms or feet in warm epsom soaks, and the birds just stay there. I don't think my girls would ever do that unless I just held them. I am considering starting to Ferment my feed now that it is warm out. People claim it cuts down on the poopy butt thing. I also think it is a conformational thing, combined with reactions to what we feed them. I notice it more of course after I have fed them fruit. Some of them are built just right, they tuck their bottoms, and defecate, where as when my sloppy girls do it, it seems to plop out, and slides down the horrible gunk getting smeared all the way. It has to get painful pulling on their feathers wouldn't you think?

 

[kdwag]

Definately probably does hurt as it pulls their feathers. I was wondering last night just how people manage to soak their behinds in warm water. LOL Does fermenting feed just mean soaking it in water?

 

[Melabella]

Definately probably does hurt as it pulls their feathers. I was wondering last night just how people manage to soak their behinds in warm water. LOL Does fermenting feed just mean soaking it in water?

oh gosh, that is a loaded question... I think it is a lot easier than I think it is going to be. There are several different ways to ferment their feed, and some people also add whole or sproated grains to it. The fermentation is usually sped up by adding Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother in it. Supposedly a lot healthier, less waste, and they eat less apparently. Here are a couple of helpful links to start learning about it.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

 

[nakstk]

KD sorry to hear about your dog. Sunday night marked the 2nd year since my Ally McBeagle passed away from cancer, I found my self crying off and on that day. She was such a good dog and I am glad she is not suffering anymore. Animals just have a way about them that really touches us so deeply in a way that no human can.

So Hubby's days off this week were interesting to say the least. He gets Tues and Wed off this week we went to our friends house. He lives 10 miles up the river. It takes about 20 minutes to get to his place from the freeway exit. His place is where were are planting our big garden and where we raise our meat birds. We were up there helping Lee(our friend) add a mud/laundry/shop room to his house. We were framing in a wall, I was laying the boards out and hubby was nailing them with the nail gun. He nailed one but it sounded odd I looked at the board and the nail was angled wrong and it shot through the 2x4 so we were all looking for where the nail went............ 2 inches into my hubbies hand in the webbing between the thumb and index finger on his left hand. He pulled it out before I got a picture of it. Thank God it stayed in the muscle of the thumb it didn't hit any bones or nerves. So I call the Doctors office and they got him an appt with his doc so we didn't have to pay for any ER visits. We were 40 minutes away from the nearest hospital or Doc office. I am so very glad and thankful that it was not any worse that what it was. While I was on the phone with the doc office I heard them back out working on the addition again. Hubby's hand felt good enough that we went back up there the next day to work on it some more. MEN! lol

AND I got to watch a chick hatch out of it's egg

for the first time yesterday. It was so cute and little. I am glad I don't have a roo, I would have chickens comin out my ears

 

[Melabella]

KD sorry to hear about your dog. Sunday night marked the 2nd year since my Ally McBeagle passed away from cancer, I found my self crying off and on that day. She was such a good dog and I am glad she is not suffering anymore. Animals just have a way about them that really touches us so deeply in a way that no human can.

So Hubby's days off this week were interesting to say the least. He gets Tues and Wed off this week we went to our friends house. He lives 10 miles up the river. It takes about 20 minutes to get to his place from the freeway exit. His place is where were are planting our big garden and where we raise our meat birds. We were up there helping Lee(our friend) add a mud/laundry/shop room to his house. We were framing in a wall, I was laying the boards out and hubby was nailing them with the nail gun. He nailed one but it sounded odd I looked at the board and the nail was angled wrong and it shot through the 2x4 so we were all looking for where the nail went............ 2 inches into my hubbies hand in the webbing between the thumb and index finger on his left hand. He pulled it out before I got a picture of it. Thank God it stayed in the muscle of the thumb it didn't hit any bones or nerves. So I call the Doctors office and they got him an appt with his doc so we didn't have to pay for any ER visits. We were 40 minutes away from the nearest hospital or Doc office. I am so very glad and thankful that it was not any worse that what it was. While I was on the phone with the doc office I heard them back out working on the addition again. Hubby's hand felt good enough that we went back up there the next day to work on it some more. MEN! lol

AND I got to watch a chick hatch out of it's egg

for the first time yesterday. It was so cute and little. I am glad I don't have a roo, I would have chickens comin out my ears

Oh my HECK,,, praise the LORD that wasn't worse! THat put the fear in my just reading it! I can't stand when the people I love get hurt... H A T E I T !!!! I watched DH get so many injuries through his career, I used to hate when the phone would ring... so afriad he was in an ambulance racing towards the hospital. I miss watching him compete, but am so glad he retired in sort of one piece! Hope he heals quickly!


I am dying to hatch some chicks...I miss the updates from everyone here who hatched out chicks not long ago.... (hint hint !) I am a bit concerned my new roo isn't getting to all the girls. One thing about Duke, every single egg I cracked open was fertizized,, not so with Clark.... the girls still aren't crazy about him, I've only seen him cover 4 of the 9 girls, so I hope that improves. If I ever do get game to buy a bator, I want to hatch these Ameruacana eggs, and lately they haven't been fertilized... come on Clark.... get the job done!

MB

 

[nakstk]

I am so irritated today. Although for the most part my day went really well. Skyler PR'd in both his events today at his track meet. He threw Javelin 10'2" farther and he jump 2" higher. He has FINALLY cleared 5'6"!!! So proud of him. We had to hurry to Gabe's baseball game in the next town. I got a ride with my FIL and ended up being late to the game. Some of the kids on the team today just had no manners or respect. One kid missed the ball 4 times and they were easy grounders and his Mom kept yelling that it was okay and it was not his fault to the kid. Which it was, he needs to practice more or not ask to play that position. Then I come home to find all of my girls huddled around something under the coop and it was an EGG that had fallen out of the coop and broke open.

Really hoping that didn't start something.

 

[Spikes Chooks]

I am so irritated today. Although for the most part my day went really well. Skyler PR'd in both his events today at his track meet. He threw Javelin 10'2" farther and he jump 2" higher. He has FINALLY cleared 5'6"!!! So proud of him. We had to hurry to Gabe's baseball game in the next town. I got a ride with my FIL and ended up being late to the game. Some of the kids on the team today just had no manners or respect. One kid missed the ball 4 times and they were easy grounders and his Mom kept yelling that it was okay and it was not his fault to the kid. Which it was, he needs to practice more or not ask to play that position. Then I come home to find all of my girls huddled around something under the coop and it was an EGG that had fallen out of the coop and broke open.

Really hoping that didn't start something.

Shoot, some days just start going wrong.... and then head downhill. Best to just look forward to bedtime so you can wake up to a brand new day. At least Skyler gave you something to dance about.

You might be worried someone broke it deliberately? Or that they may have had a taste and thought YUMMMMM......

Most likely to have been an accident - maybe one of them didn't pick up on her internal signs soon enough and got caught short. When mine first started laying I had a few broken (because they laid off the roost, must have been a surprise to everyone!) and also no-shell eggs that glooped everywhere. Yuck!!! I never found they had tried it. Most times the yolk was intact within the white, so not even pecked I sure came across them being very curious about it, so mop up real quick.

If it's like my experience, there's nothing to worry about. It's just such a shame to see the beautiful egg, wasted, after all that waiting we have done. I was going to say "patient waiting" but I know that would be a fib on my part!. Still, you know, tomorrow is another day......

ATB
Katrina