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

[Melabella]

Hey all, we have hit triple digits recently and I was sort of panicking about how the girls and the meaties would handle the heat.
This is my first summer with backyard chickens. I spoke to the owner of the feed store and he said our chickens should be able
to handle the heat without additional protection until July when it starts getting hot and humid here in AZ, as long as they have shade.

Regardless, I also put the frozen water bottle out in the run. I wrapped it in a t-shirt so they didn't have the ice right next to
their skin. (Probably not necessary -

but I can't help myself some times) No one really seemed to notice it whenever I looked out.
I also gave them frozen watermelon to snack on. the hens devoured it but the meaties didn't touch it.
I placed a frozen peanut butter jar inside their waterer so that when it thawed out, it would mix with their water.
The meaties drank that cold water up in no time. (forgot to mention I added an extra water source as well)
The last thing I have tried is a very large plastic dog bowl with water and a brick in the middle of it.
Someone on youtube posted that his chickens don't particularly like water, but they will stand on the
brick which is cool from the water it soaks up. I have yet to see our hens using that.
What they love best is to sit in the shade on the back porch by the back door. It cracks me up. They
peck at the glass as if to say "hey, it's hot as blazes out here, let us in"

Thanks for all these tips Kelly, i am sort of dreading the summer. I didn't realize where I built the coop and run gets direct sunlight from 1pm till sunset, they are going to be miserable. I am looking for some affordable shade panels. that can get rolled up in the morning. I am going to have to do something! I also worry about the rabbits in that heat as well and have done the frozen water bottles with them too.

 

[Fletch83]

Hey MB, have you looked into using shade fabric? I picked up a roll just in case...here is an example: http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

or http://www.lowes.com/pd_190671-656-...laroo&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=coolaroo&facetInfo

Although there are a few different brands. It's the same stuff you can use for your garden so the sun doesn't kill the plants. I picked up a roll because I thought it might be a good idea to temporarily attach a panel to part of the run for extra shade. I imagine you could use something like that on rabbit hutches too?

I think the frozen water bottles are a great idea...it seems like that works for a lot of people. I have also been making sure to put ice in their waterer, although I'm sure that doesn't last too very long in the heat.

 

[Melabella]

Hey MB, have you looked into using shade fabric? I picked up a roll just in case...here is an example: http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

or http://www.lowes.com/pd_190671-656-...laroo&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=coolaroo&facetInfo

Although there are a few different brands. It's the same stuff you can use for your garden so the sun doesn't kill the plants. I picked up a roll because I thought it might be a good idea to temporarily attach a panel to part of the run for extra shade. I imagine you could use something like that on rabbit hutches too?

I think the frozen water bottles are a great idea...it seems like that works for a lot of people. I have also been making sure to put ice in their waterer, although I'm sure that doesn't last too very long in the heat.

Fletch, you're amazing! Thanks for those links. Do you think air could still pass through? I would hate to have vetilation be affected, although, the other three sides of the run would not have them so it would be fine...

Thanks again!

MB

 

[Fletch83]

No problem! I had questioned the ventilation as well, but my line of thinking was the same as yours - just having one panel on one side shouldn't affect air flow too much. My gardener friends say it really works for their plants (Texas heat can really fry 'em), and it keeps out UV rays.

 

[countrygirl74]

The king snakes and rat snakes are caught and moved or left to wander as long as the eggs aren't bothered. ( I've seen rat snakes take eggs and chicks but never a chicken- my girls would destroy it if it wandered in the run. They're bullies lol) caught a few kings already.

Although I know we have rattlesnakes around here, I've been lucky enough to not see any anywhere near my house EVER - seen them out on hikes, etc. though. Mostly around here we have "bull" or "gopher" snakes and lots of king snakes. I usually have to rescue the king snakes from my dogs and let them go in the field across from our house. The king snakes eat the rattlers, so I am always happy to send them on their merry little way near my house.

On another note.....my rooster now imitates the girls when they do a egg song and now feels like everytime he goes into the coup he should do a egg song because thats what the girls do. Anyone else have this happen? My girls come running to see who's laid and egg and it's Pablo haha

Our roosters join in on the egg songs too - funny thing is that my roosters will also sing the egg song when they see the neighbor's cat rustling through the weeds. Guess they think it makes a good "cat warning" song too. LOL

 

[jyurina]

So bad news...when i went to feed our chickies today and the girls had busted another egg, and as they are due to hatch tomorrow and there was no baby I was concerned so I bit the big one and "gulp" busted one and they are all bad, stinky, green bad eggs

I almost cried. I feel sooo bad for them they have been sitting on them for 20 days

I dont know what happened I think maybe they are just getting to old maybe I mean it took her almost a month to just lay 15. Or she was sleeping on them before she went broody and it was kind of cold so i dont know if them going from warm to cold could of done it or where they were both sittin on them if maybe she couldnt turn them ...I could probably drive myself crazy tryin to figure out what went wrong. Anyways we took all the st put and are going to try once more before we give up and try to get another hen. We were really hoping we could just hatch some because we really cant afford to buy one at this time... Hopefully we will have better luck this time...

(

I am so sorry for you- had the same experience a couple weeks ago. My bantam sat on her eggs for 23 days before I could get to them and candle them-all duds-boooooo. So we are waiting for her to go broody again, fingers crossed that she does better this time. I think mine might have been a temp change since they all seem to have quit around the same time.

 

[jyurina]

Haven't been on for week and look at all the posts-whew! Congrats to all the new egg layers! Sorry for the losses We are getting hot hot hot around here and so far everyone is dealing well and still laying. We finally have enough eggs to not have to buy any! SO eggciting.
Love all the snake pics. We have a pet one and love seeing the wild "helper" snakes. My first experience with chickens was at a school I taught at. We had a resident gopher snake that lived in the backyard and had holes in the aviary and the barnyard where the chickens were. Never lost a chicken or a chick and I doubt it got any eggs but after it got killed by a hawk we lost TONS of eggs to field mice. We went from seeing maybe one mouse a month to clearing 5 out of traps a day. The snakes are awesome.
Funny, icky story. We had a friend over for dinner the other night and we were enjoying the early evening breeze outside and watching the chickens when I saw them eating what looked like a shelless egg. I ran over to see what was the story but could only find a tiny bit of shell. Then a minute later a baby bird fell out of the tree, and the girls rushed over and grabbed it. So they have had additional protein in the form of bird eggs and hatchlings. It was gross and grizly to watch them fight over it-but the fact that we had been waxing poetic about our wonderful chickens to our friend, and she was now slightly green was a little funny. Ah nature red in tooth and claw I guess.

 

[CatSol]

Hi Cat, I've missed you darlin, hope all is well, how's Mom doing?

May I ask what exactly they taught the dogs, to stay away from them, or to attack them? I am sure that sounds like a silly question, but I am sure curious...

Cold here again today, but warming up tomorrow, sounds like too much... supposed to be in the high 80's, maybe I can give the horses a bath so I can get them clipped!

Hi MB...
I miss everyone here too. I have been really busy with Ren Faire. I still have sewing to do and it is last weekend. After that... I will also have less hours at work. Got to find some summer work. Anyway. All is going good here. So far no rattle snakes and mom is doing great. And no... it is a good question.... I think that some people would only look at the snake and think to keep away... but what about all ways of identifying a snake.....
I know some people have issues with the ways that some people train dogs. And there are people that don't care for the shock collar.... but used in the right hands it can be a very valuable tool. This training covered sight, sound and smell. The snake handlers and the trainer set up about 7 different stations. 2 of these had live, muzzled, snakes... some just had skins. Others had different recordings of the rattling of a snake. The first snake is a test.... to see what the dog will do. My Nutmeg went right up to it with no fear and put her nose one it. Well it looked like she did. The trainer starts with the lowest setting for the collar and she is very good at reading the dogs body language. My dog only needed the lowest setting... She learned quick on that... After all the stations, the trainer had noted that my dog still did not seem to back off on sound... so she was worked extra on that to make sure. I have seen a lot of different trainers... I did like this lady.
Yes, it is getting warm out here too. Today is not as bad... but the other week we hand temps in the 100's. I did hose down the run... but when summer really come I am very lucky to have so much good advise that I have found here. I will probably try them all. Thanks everyone...

 

[kdwag]

It was really warm here the last couple of days, upper 80s now today 69 and windy as heck. Forecasting more 80s with humdity for the weekend and into next week BUT by next Thursday, back into the low 60s. Crazy. I like the fabric idea, are we talking about the landscape type fabric that comes in rolls? Do you just staple on the side of the runs or how do you attach it? My coop/run right now are in a shady location but really close to the house and not the best location, so were going to build the newer one some place else, however, I noticed the spot we were thinking would get sun all day. i know i can fabricate some shade around the runs but that coop I think would get really hot....I am making myself nuts. I keep stalling on the project because I just can't decide on the location. Seems like there is something wrong with just about every spot. LOL I do wonder, when it is really hot/humid, do you all close their coops at night? Mine has been in the 80s during the day but cools off at night. When the humidty comes, the nights will be warmer without any lake breezes. I worry about how to keep the coop cooler. worries, worries

 

[Fletch83]

I'm worrying a lot about the heat, too. I usually don't shut the coop at night, but it's attached to the run in a way that makes it secure enough to do so - the whole thing is locked up tight. It's supposed to be 91 tomorrow here! And it's only May

. The humidity isn't helping, my hens were panting when I got home this afternoon but otherwise seem OK. I think that having the coop somewhere that gets plenty of natural shade is absolutely one of the best things to do, but I'm lucky enough to have plenty of tree coverage. I know a lot of people have been using misting systems, hooked up to a hose, and I wonder how well this works or if it makes the run too soggy. Kim, I believe the shade fabric is similar to landscape fabric but not the exact same thing as it is made to shield from UV rays. Any Lowe's or Home Depot should have it, but make sure if you are having someone help you find it they know what you are talking about because the fabrics look very similar...here is an example:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203477...ct-2-_-203477222-_-203477256-_-N#.UZbES7VQG8A

It doesn't seem to come super-cheap which annoys me, but it would be worth it if it worked in this Texas heat.

So I think one of the girls laid a shell-less egg today...there was something odd in their coop that looked like just a flat white egg membrane, no yolk or anything. Is this what a shell-less egg would look like, or are they round and solid?