Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Yeah and what is worse is those are the two buildings I had fans in. I had them on low and I guess it wasn't cool enough. Of course I think all of them died trying to lay an egg in the hot building. The rest of the birds were outside. I sure didn't expect to be dealing with this already this year!!!! I feel like crying. Of all the birds! I guess that is why sometimes there is an advantage to just letting the birds run and cross breed. At least they can find a cooler place to go.
I guess I'll be keeping some of my hatchlings now for myself.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

OH dear! I am just sick. I went out to check on chickens again. I lost 4 big lemon cuckoo orpington hens and my very largest lavender orpington hen. Plus two of my Swedish flower hens. Of course one of them was the prettiest and my favorite. I brought in a SFH that wasn't doing good but she is up and running now in the AC. I also brought in another exhibition orp and she has lost her brain I'm afraid. The eyes are moving but not the body.

OH NO!!!! So sorry Danz

 

[Trish44]

I read it the same way that HeChicken did. I thought they were all older birds. In this weather I would leave the Month old ones out unless the teemperatures dropped down at night. The two week olds I would keep in until they get feathers. Most of my birds stay in the brooder a lot longer than most people brood chicks but that is just because I have to have a place to put them first.
Well the hoop coop is done!!! I have barred rocks in one side and just got the second side completed. I have so many birds I need to separate it's hard to make decisions. I forgot to mention. I killed two snakes here yesterday. It was easier this time. I got them pinned- one with a shovel and one with a paver and called for DH. He managed to put a bullet in both their heads and made quick work of it. (He doesn't like doing it.)
And yes Rooster I was wearing flip flops again!

Yay on the hoop coop! I wish I had my other one done, but I haven't even got the wood yet. Yuk on the snakes.

I also forgot to comment earlier of FF. Actually I am loving the effect of the heat on the fermented feed. It really bubbles and boils. The only caution I can see would be to be sure you stir it at least once a day and if possible wash down the sides of the container. You don't want mold to get started.

I went out earlier today & opened the lid on my FF & it was just boiling away & bubbling in there. I did have to start over about a week ago because mine got moldy. I had to leave the lid cracked open some just to let some air in. I don't want the flies in there, so I don't leave it open much, but I think closing it completely just wasn't good for it. I agree on the stirring. My birds aren't eating nearly as much as they were, probably due to the heat. The layers are still gobbling it down, but the ones in the pens aren't.

OH dear! I am just sick. I went out to check on chickens again. I lost 4 big lemon cuckoo orpington hens and my very largest lavender orpington hen. Plus two of my Swedish flower hens. Of course one of them was the prettiest and my favorite. I brought in a SFH that wasn't doing good but she is up and running now in the AC. I also brought in another exhibition orp and she has lost her brain I'm afraid. The eyes are moving but not the body.

I'm so sorry you lost birds already, this is not a good start to the summer at all. I've got to go out in a bit & check on everybody again. I had to move a different fan closer to the biggest brooder in the garage & move all the birds to one so I could try to cool them off. I put the small fan on top of another brooder & aimed it at the one with the chicks in it. I watched them for awhile & checked on them when I came back a bit ago & they seem much more comfortable now. Some were napping & some were picking around on the floor of the brooder where they dropped food.

I let the turkey hens out today & the one that takes off did it again today, she took off like she was on a mission, so I don't know what that was about. I sure hope she comes back tonight. Her sister always just hangs around the yard & pens, so I don't know why the other one likes to take off like that.

 

[sharol]

This heat was so sudden that they didn't have time to adapt. Mine are really uncomfortable in the coop, and they spent the day in the corner of the run where I have misters for them. The coop was still 90 degrees at 9 (it is 84 outside, and I have a fan pulling air through, so I'm hoping it will cool off for them.

I'm so sorry about the hens.

OH dear! I am just sick. I went out to check on chickens again. I lost 4 big lemon cuckoo orpington hens and my very largest lavender orpington hen. Plus two of my Swedish flower hens. Of course one of them was the prettiest and my favorite. I brought in a SFH that wasn't doing good but she is up and running now in the AC. I also brought in another exhibition orp and she has lost her brain I'm afraid. The eyes are moving but not the body.

 

[HEChicken]

I read it the same way that HeChicken did. I thought they were all older birds.

Oh no, I think I read it the way it was intended, that there is a quantity of 10 birds who are a month old

. I do like to get mine out earlier than most people do though - I guess I just really don't enjoy the brooder stage as much as most, and I've found that chicks enjoy the time outside and are hardier when they are older if I get them out earlier. As Trish44 said, my flock is so used to little ones being added that they barely seem to notice them, so I don't really have any transition issues. Even a batch I hatched in January one year were out full time by the time they were 4 weeks old, and at this time of year when the nights are so warm, I wouldn't hesitate. My last batch of turkeys ended up being off heat at a week old. Honestly, that was an error on my part as I got confused on the date they hatched and thought they were two weeks old. By the time I realized my error, the heat had been off for two days and they weren't showing any signs of distress so I left it off.

Ivyrash, I think you were asking about my chicken yard. It is enclosed in the sense there is a fence all the way around, but it is not enclosed in the sense of a pen, where the top is covered. The fence is 5' and is 2x4 welded wire. The coop sits inside the fence, along with the hoop coop and the other smaller pens. Mid-afternoon everyday I open the gate and let them all out to range over the rest of the property as well. I understand your fear of fox - I had one visit me in July last year and it was devastating. After that I moved my dog's igloo into the chicken yard and they now sleep there at night. They are poultry safe, and their presence seems to deter predators. One of them loves to chase coyotes so has chased off the couple we've actually seen. I know my system wouldn't work for everyone but it works well for me.

OH dear! I am just sick. I went out to check on chickens again. I lost 4 big lemon cuckoo orpington hens and my very largest lavender orpington hen. Plus two of my Swedish flower hens. Of course one of them was the prettiest and my favorite. I brought in a SFH that wasn't doing good but she is up and running now in the AC. I also brought in another exhibition orp and she has lost her brain I'm afraid. The eyes are moving but not the body.

Oh no, how awful. Danz, I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[cherwill]

OH dear! I am just sick. I went out to check on chickens again. I lost 4 big lemon cuckoo orpington hens and my very largest lavender orpington hen. Plus two of my Swedish flower hens. Of course one of them was the prettiest and my favorite. I brought in a SFH that wasn't doing good but she is up and running now in the AC. I also brought in another exhibition orp and she has lost her brain I'm afraid. The eyes are moving but not the body.

Oh no! I'm so sorry; how awful.

 

[Trish44]

Well I lost a hen today too to the heat, one of my favorites, a Speckled Sussex. She was just a beautiful hen & I was so sad about it. She for some reason went between the little pen the turkey poults & ducks are in & the run wire & got stuck in there & I didn't find her till this evening when I was feeding. She was in the direct sun, so she just fried herself there. I have no idea why she would have gotten in there in the first place. She wasn't just any old Speckled Sussex, she & her sister had the nicest markings I have ever seen on birds of their breed, so it was a big loss for me. I will miss her out in the yard every day.

My turkey hen did come back this evening thank goodness, I wish I knew what she's up to when she takes off like that. I watched her this morning when she was leaving & she headed right into the trees over outside of the lagoon & then I lost sight of her. She was kind of making this sound as she went, so I don't know if she has found a wild turkey boyfriend out there somewhere or what. It would seem like if that was the case she would stay with him. I sure hope that's not what's going on.

 

[KuroKitsune]

i have a question...i wanting to order some bantam cochins and i wonder if they'd do ok here in KS as most of the hatcheris i've been on say their very hardy in cold climates but say nothing about how they do in heat. my uncle has one red bantam cochin hen that seems to do fine but i though i would ask here before i order them so i'd know if they'd be ok in this crazy kansas heat.

 

[HEChicken]

Kurokitsune, JosieChick on here has bantam cochins and I think they do just fine in the heat. I have some of her offspring but didn't get them until September of last year so haven't done a summer with them yet, but so far they are doing as well as any of my other birds in the heat. Better in a way because two of the hens are broody right now so they're in the coop in nest boxes instead of out running around getting lots of shade and water. They're not even panting too much though - no more than any of my other broodies.

 

[chicken danz]

I went out later again and checked on birds and had lost one more exhibition orpington hen. It was a VERY expensive day. The Swedish that was still alive got much better and I put her out last night. The big orp that got overheated is still iffy. Surprisingly she is up walking around but I can't get her to eat or drink. Until I am sure she is going to eat and drink I'll keep her in here and watch her.
I never checked the weather during the day, but I checked it about 7:00 PM. It was 101 here then. My thermostat sensor is in the shade too. I know it was much hotter earlier. But watching the weather the indicated it wasn't that hot. I don't know if we were in some hot pocket or not. This is a digital lead and I've checked it consistently over time to be 100% accurate. I suppose I should have thrown the pop bottles back in the freezer but I sure wasn't expecting the heat to be that bad. I have misters but haven't hooked them up yet.
It was much cooler out this morning. I walked out and let those that are allowed out to get out and roam early this morning. I am thinking I might try building a screen type door to put on those two coops to allow more air flow. I hate to have to run those fans on high all the time and it seemed to just blow in more hot air yesterday.
I am glad I have a few left over chicks that I didn't sell when they were young. At least there is a some for a recovery plan for the lemon cuckoos. I'm not sure how many girls I have. It will of course be months before they are up to laying though. I now have 4 lemon cuckoo roos and two hens. Loosing 4 out of that one coop just wiped me out. I had planned to sell or butcher two of the other boys.
I ended up moving my Blue gold partridge brahmas to the second side of the new hoop coop. I was so afraid I would loose them after the heat yesterday cause their tiny little pen was in the sun. I worry about having them even close to other chickens cause I don't want anything to happen to them. I wish I knew which of the younger ones were girls. I think I'd move them out there with them. They're old enough but I have them "protected" in the brooder. Time to build another hoop coop I guess! I am thinking more and more about finding a way to put in a poultry barn of sorts.
I certainly needed to downsize but not in this way!!
Oh one more event. It was just at the edge of darkness and I watched a black snake sliver into one of the chicken coops and right under a sitting hen. Let me tell you getting a good shot on him inside a dark coop with a bunch of chickens sitting wasn't an easy task . I may have a couple holes in the floor!!!

It seems like they are coming out of the woodwork!!!