Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[ldutch123]

I do have multiple waterers. I also have a fan in the coop with tons of ventilation. I also let a hose run for a while to make a nice mud hole and they just love diggin in it and pecking in the mud lol. It was actually started from the waterer overflowing and they all just loved it lol.

But there are huge bushes in the yard and they hang under them. They have also dug HUGE holes under there which I don't really care cause I was gonna cut that ugly bush down but they seem to love it so much that it will stay!

 

[Beekissed]

someone had asked this in a different thread and never really got an answer, so since you guys are on the subject:

is there such a thing as "too much" panting in the heat? i'm new to chickens, and sometimes here on BYC and some other things i've read, panting is listed as a sign that chickens are "heat stressed". the common sense part of me says that chicken panting is comparable to a dog panting, just a way for the animal to combat the heat and not a sign of imminent doom. here in MO, as in most of the US it seems, we've already been hitting triple digits, with highs all this week from 96-101 my 10-11 week old pullets seem to go in panting mode when it gets to around 93-94 degrees. i assume this is normal? they act pretty much normal other than that, seem to be eating ok etc. i have a raised coop, so they have nothing but shade underneath which is where they typically hang out despite it feeling cooler in the coop to me (i don't have a thermometer inside or outside the coop). i also have a small pen attached to that with a tarp layed over the top of that for additional shade. water is available both underneath and inside the coop. i've also thrown in watermelon (both frozen and thawed) occasionally, which they seemed to enjoy. yesterday i set up a bit of a mist for them to use if they wanted, but they didn't even approach it for the 3 hours i had it running. i haven't dragged a fan out there yet, mostly because i feel like it really shouldn't be necessary. i'm rambling, apologies. bottom line question- is panting really a cause for concern? should i be taking whatever steps i can to get them to stop panting, or is it perfectly normal for them to do so? (again, common sense is telling me it's fine, but being new to chickens i just want to be sure i'm not allowing too much "stress" to my small flock).

edited to add, i have BR's, RIR's, and 1 BO, if that should make any impact on an answer. they all seem to pant at about the same temp.

They are fine and your common sense is in perfect order!

Panting is normal when it's hot and you can't sweat(like dogs or chickens), the excess humidity in the body is released in this manner. You'll also see them holding their wings a little distance away from their body...these birds know what to do in the heat. Providing hydration and shade are all that is necessary on our part. I put a fan in my coop once because I was hot

one sizzling summer...not a chicken stayed inside to enjoy it. End of that little experiment.

For all you newbies with the same questions~guess what? Natural stress is a normal occurrence in the natural world, for both man or beast. If you raise a flock in such a way that they never have to encounter any stress due to climate or environment, you will have a flock that cannot withstand any stress.....and stress is inevitable. One cannot control all the environment around their animals unless they put them into a climate controlled bubble.

Chickens, dogs, cats, etc.....they're tougher than we all want to believe. We want to believe they NEED us to care for their every little discomfort when they quite simply do not. They either get tough or they die but babying them around won't serve them~ or you~ in the long run. Unless you really, really want the stress of a flock, dog, cat, pet that simply MUST have constant tweaking and attention and this makes you feel fulfilled as a human being.

If you don't, let nature weed out the crybabies and wimpy-doos and you will be left with animals that are worthy of your time and effort. Strong, productive and with some longevity of life. Just my $.05...inflation, you know.

 

[ldutch123]

I put the fan in there for the girls that are laying lmao!!! Its pointed at the nest boxes. I just figured its gotta be hot stuffed in there trying to lay an egg lol.

 

[pomchick3]

There is something so comforting and secure about having chickens. Like a pile of firewood before a blizzard they make you feel like you can handle the long run. I find myself much more creative and down to the basics when I have a flock.

 

[MoonAngel12]

Another poop question... I don't pay much attention to the layers poop (it always varies, but they made it to 3 years, so whatever), but I'm looking closely at the chicks a friend brought me just b/c I am paranoid about bringing something nasty into my flock since I have never had outside birds before (they are 5-6 weeks old - BLRW. Currently separated from any other chicks/chickens). Is the mustardy brown stuff always a concern? Or sometimes normal? I think it's only one of them, just not sure which one yet (there are 3 of them). This has probably been answered but I am not making quick time getting through all 375+ pages to find it for myself. I know if I ask in just a thread by itself I will instantly get bombarded with directions on how and what to medicate with which is not necessarily what I am looking for.

I totally agree with whoever suggested that they make a whole sub forum for old timey advice - it would be nice to scroll through and search the headlines for answers!

 

[gardendufus]

Another poop question... I don't pay much attention to the layers poop (it always varies, but they made it to 3 years, so whatever), but I'm looking closely at the chicks a friend brought me just b/c I am paranoid about bringing something nasty into my flock since I have never had outside birds before (they are 5-6 weeks old - BLRW. Currently separated from any other chicks/chickens). Is the mustardy brown stuff always a concern? Or sometimes normal? I think it's only one of them, just not sure which one yet (there are 3 of them). This has probably been answered but I am not making quick time getting through all 375+ pages to find it for myself. I know if I ask in just a thread by itself I will instantly get bombarded with directions on how and what to medicate with which is not necessarily what I am looking for.

I totally agree with whoever suggested that they make a whole sub forum for old timey advice - it would be nice to scroll through and search the headlines for answers!

I know nothing about poop. But in the absence of another answer, I recommend this site (with ugly pictures).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...r-and-lay-some-wisdom-on-us/3770#post_9223095

 

[al6517]

This has probably been answered but I am not making quick time getting through all 375+ pages to find it for myself. I know if I ask in just a thread by itself I will instantly get bombarded with directions on how and what to medicate with which is not necessarily what I am looking for.

I totally agree with whoever suggested that they make a whole sub forum for old timey advice - it would be nice to scroll through and search the headlines for answers!

That color is not always associated with any problems, those of us who have more than a few birds for longer than 45 minutes, see this color every now and then, they won't always be cute little snow capped perfect. My advice would be to watch them for awhile longer, not just the poop but the birds themselfs. You are already thinking this and you would be right, your not sure of the diets before you got them not just feed but any excessive treating. if given some time and you feed properly things should return to normal, but as I mentioned you may see the mustard color from time to time. It's best for me not to give you any adverse advice to freak you out and begin medicating imediately as you are already aware and prudent. Personaly I think your fine for now, just stay vigilant as you have been. I feed white and red milo among other seed grains every now and then for skin conditioning during the summer when their back feathers get brittle from the slight nutrient stresses of laying constantly and this makes a bright mustardly colored poop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Try giving them some red cabbage. The poop has a flourescent blue sheen. I canned beets a few days ago and fed them the cooked skins. You would have sworn they were pooping blood the next morning.

I think Al gave good advise. Watch the birds.

 

[MoonAngel12]

 This has probably been answered but I am not making quick time getting through all 375+ pages to find it for myself. I know if I ask in just a thread by itself I will instantly get bombarded with directions on how and what to medicate with which is not necessarily what I am looking for.

I totally agree with whoever suggested that they make a whole sub forum for old timey advice - it would be nice to scroll through and search the headlines for answers!

That color is not always associated with any problems, those of us who have more than a few birds for longer than 45 minutes, see this color every now and then, they won't always be cute little snow capped perfect. My advice would be to watch them for awhile longer, not just the poop but the birds themselfs. You are already thinking this and you would be right, your not sure of the diets before you got them not just feed but any excessive treating. if given some time and you feed properly things should return to normal, but as I mentioned you may see the mustard color from time to time. It's best for me not to give you any adverse advice to freak you out and begin medicating imediately as you are already aware and prudent. Personaly I think your fine for now, just stay vigilant as you have been. I feed white and red milo among other seed grains every now and then for skin conditioning during the summer when their back feathers get brittle from the slight nutrient stresses of laying constantly and this makes a bright mustardly colored poop.

Awesome! Thanks! Just what i was thinking/ hoping but wanted to make sure. Anything in particular to look out for with them? Normally i wouldn't be thinking this hard but there are so many unknowns paired with some serious issues with an earlier batch of chicks that went unnoticed for far too long (total lack of experience on my part).

 

[rosewolf22002]

Ok I am on page 38. I am going to read it all but I was wondering if someone could tell me the youngest you would put a large group of young keets and chicks in a group of adults? Everyone is under a year old. My oldest 12 were born in Feb. My youngest are 25 chicks and 14 keets born June 6th. I have the youngin's in a brooder that is 6ft by 4ft and open topped. It is 100+ degrees all week. My yard for the larger ones is 18 ft by18ft and they have a 8ft by 8ft coop. I am planning on free ranging as soon as the lil ones are bigger. Oh yes and I have a sprinkler system in the big yard to cool the sand. I am in Texas and the sand can get up 135 degrees in the sun that I have seen. Maybe higher. How old do keets need to be before they can get wet? Thank you! I will go back to reading!