BYC Café

[ShrekDawg]

I will have plenty of water and the misting system going for the chickens!

That’s a good idea!! I gotta get a listing system. Although usually they’re okay with plenty of shade. It doesn’t really get too hot here. On the really hot days I sometimes take the hose and put my thumb over the end and spray the run/mist the ground. They seem to like that. Well, actually, they all go running into the coop usually but I figure it cools the ground a bit and maybe brings out some bugs and they come right back out after. Sometimes they drink out of the puddles that form too. Or wade in them. Figure maybe it helps. Sometimes I purposely spray them too when I’m doing that. That makes them very upset lol but does cool em off a bit. I also sometimes give them lots of juicy fruit like berries, watermelon, grapes, etc. which they LOVE. Haven’t done that in a while though. And I usually top off their water every day or sometimes let the hose run and completely replace it. They have a 5 gallon bucket so it lasts a while but I like them to have cool, fresh water so I usually top it off daily when it’s really hot or replace it. Sometimes I add ice cubes but usually just the fresh water helps.

Discovered a dead chicken yesterday which I thought was the heat but could have been a reproductive problem as she was almost 4 and heavier than the other girls. Not sure exactly when she died but rigor had already set in so must have been at least the day before and I somehow didn’t notice. :/

Not gonna do a necropsy as I just can’t bear to do it. Probably should but none of the other chickens are sick or anything so I don’t think it was anything contagious. She was an amazing chicken so I just can’t bear to cut her open. Seems so undignified.

Anyway, it’s sad but nothing I can do now other than make sure the other girls are all healthy, safe and taken care of. And start checking everyone every day again maybe even multiple times a day. I actually normally do but these past few days I’ve been so preoccupied with so many other things that it’s a bit hard to keep up with everything. They have quite large food and water containers so sometimes it just slips my mind especially when I get so busy like lately. I feel bad about it but can’t change it now I guess.

 

[ShrekDawg]

And that no AC business sounds absolutely miserable!!! As does 115 degrees!!

 

[room onthebroom]

Have fans at least, I hope. Keep a spray bottle and mist your face and neck while sitting in front of the fan.

We have fans, but soon they'll only be pushing hot air even with ice blocks in front of them. I'm getting older & cant take the heat as well as I used to.

Last summer we had a stretch were it wouldn't get cooler than 93* inside the house. One day I lost it & went on a verbal assault to DH that ended with my demon voice saying, "GET ME AN AIR CONDITIONER NOW!" The poor guy ran outta here like the devil was chasing him. It took him a handful of stores to find a place that still had one of those portable 1 room ac's.

So I do have that in my bedroom. I will only turn it on next month when I feel the pugs lives are in danger, because it hikes my electric bill over $400 a month.

 

[room onthebroom]

I'm sorry about your bird Kdog. Don't beat yourself up by thinking you missed it. Rigor comes & goes in stages. You very easily could have lost her during the night or this morning.

 

[ronott1]

That’s a good idea!! I gotta get a listing system. Although usually they’re okay with plenty of shade. It doesn’t really get too hot here. On the really hot days I sometimes take the hose and put my thumb over the end and spray the run/mist the ground. They seem to like that. Well, actually, they all go running into the coop usually but I figure it cools the ground a bit and maybe brings out some bugs and they come right back out after. Sometimes they drink out of the puddles that form too. Or wade in them. Figure maybe it helps. Sometimes I purposely spray them too when I’m doing that. That makes them very upset lol but does cool em off a bit. I also sometimes give them lots of juicy fruit like berries, watermelon, grapes, etc. which they LOVE. Haven’t done that in a while though. And I usually top off their water every day or sometimes let the hose run and completely replace it. They have a 5 gallon bucket so it lasts a while but I like them to have cool, fresh water so I usually top it off daily when it’s really hot or replace it. Sometimes I add ice cubes but usually just the fresh water helps.

Discovered a dead chicken yesterday which I thought was the heat but could have been a reproductive problem as she was almost 4 and heavier than the other girls. Not sure exactly when she died but rigor had already set in so must have been at least the day before and I somehow didn’t notice. :/

Not gonna do a necropsy as I just can’t bear to do it. Probably should but none of the other chickens are sick or anything so I don’t think it was anything contagious. She was an amazing chicken so I just can’t bear to cut her open. Seems so undignified.

Anyway, it’s sad but nothing I can do now other than make sure the other girls are all healthy, safe and taken care of. And start checking everyone every day again maybe even multiple times a day. I actually normally do but these past few days I’ve been so preoccupied with so many other things that it’s a bit hard to keep up with everything. They have quite large food and water containers so sometimes it just slips my mind especially when I get so busy like lately. I feel bad about it but can’t change it now I guess.

I am sorry you lost one!

Chickens will die here if the temps get over 110 without lots of water, shade and the misting system. I lost 3 in one day before using the mist system

 

[Shadrach]

Get an ac, you will be less grumpy.

I don't like air conditioning. I did have a fan a few years ago. I should get another really.
Air conditioning wouldn't work well for me anyway. The door is always open and I'm in and out all day. Tribe 2 have a great spot on the steps leading to the vegetable garden. It's in the shade for most of the day and catches both the prevailing breezes here. I sit there a lot and chat to the chickens.
My house stays reasonably cool; around 75 degrees F at the hottest part of the day. I can improve on that if I put up the outside window blinds during the morning but it's a bit dark then.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm sorry about your bird Kdog. Don't beat yourself up by thinking you missed it. Rigor comes & goes in stages. You very easily could have lost her during the night or this morning.

Thank you! I appreciate that. I didn’t realize it came on stages. I mostly just wonder if I could have saved her if it was the heat or an egg issue and I had noticed. I guess it doesn’t do any good wondering that though.

I am sorry you lost one!

Chickens will die here if the temps get over 110 without lots of water, shade and the misting system. I lost 3 in one day before using the mist system

Thank you Ron! It’s definitely sad but I’m glad it was not one of the chicks.

She was one of my favorites though. Very intelligent and gorgeous. It’s always the favorites it seems. I lost my absolute favorite chicken to a hawk a couple years ago in the fall. That one was the sweetest, friendliest chicken in the world. They never take the mean ones. Always the sweetest, best ones.

And oh wow that is awful! I can’t imagine losing that many in one day! Or at all! I have a small flock so that would be a big chunk of my flock.

 

[ronott1]

Thank you! I appreciate that. I didn’t realize it came on stages. I mostly just wonder if I could have saved her if it was the heat or an egg issue and I had noticed. I guess it doesn’t do any good wondering that though.



Thank you Ron! It’s definitely sad but I’m glad it was not one of the chicks.

She was one of my favorites though. Very intelligent and gorgeous. It’s always the favorites it seems. I lost my absolute favorite chicken to a hawk a couple years ago in the fall. That one was the sweetest, friendliest chicken in the world. They never take the mean ones. Always the sweetest, best ones.

And oh wow that is awful! I can’t imagine losing that many in one day! Or at all! I have a small flock so that would be a big chunk of my flock.

A breeder of Marans in Red bluff lost 15 or so at that time. It was closer to 115 F up there

 

[Shadrach]

For those of you who read my tale of woe regarding the newsworthy mosquito hunt I'm pleased to report that a twist of fate resolved the problem.
Despite my superb finely honed hunting skills this little fecker evaded every swat attempt only to return a few minutes later to suck a bit more blood out of my body.
I discovered that the favorite resting place for all the mosquitoes is in the bathroom. I happened to be having a shave, the mosquito swat close at hand when I heard that familiar zzzzzzztttt. Dropping the razor into the sink and quickly arming myself with the swat I surveyed the well lit walls looking for the little blighter. The walls are gray and plain so even this comparatively small mosquito was easy to spot. It was on the wall about six inches below the wooden beams that support the roof. I gave it my best shot. Whack! but it dived out sideways. What it didn't notice was the spiders web a few inches away and there it was, caught! I jarred it in alcohol and later this week I'll get it under the microscope.

 

[drumstick diva]

Shad are you going to do a necropsy on it?