Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

This is catch up time. Darin, I am still hatching pheasant if your predator gets any more. Sorry you're not feeling better.
On other subjects. Don't give your turkeys cold water. It can kill them. No they don't handle the heat as well. At least provide a fan and air movement for them if they are outside. If you can find one of those misters in the toy or outdoor section at walmart those help a lot.
My chickens are having a hard time. I have noticed that the ones that are free ranging and finding their own shade are doing best. I have every conceivable container in the yard with water in it. Lots and lots of feed pans and water pans scattered here and there. Those that are seeking shade in the buildings, like my layers, are suffering the worst even though I have fans going. I have lost more new chicks than anything. It is impossible to keep the brooder cool enough. I takes very little to overheat those little guys.
I just keep hoping the heat will break.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Ozawakie, so sorry about your birds! Any idea what it is that is killing them? A raccoon?? That is pretty scary about the lake making you so sick! Doesn't make me very confident about what is in these lakes. Doesn't sound like it can be any good. I bet you have caught some bacterial infection from whatever was in there. I hope your Dr gets you started on antibiotics.


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It does sound like turkeys and chickens are a bit different in their care. I was putting ice in his water, but he's too little to free range safely. Not only that, we have a neighbor cat and dog that like to come over and check out what animal delights we might have for their eating. I bought one of those big dog wire crates and have been keeping the turkey inside my house when it hits about 92+ degrees. That is when his wings start to droop and he starts slowing down. He had been doing fine in the heat, and lasting much longer in higher temps. I recall the 4th of July being pretty darned hot and we had no problems. I'm wondering if it's just because it's now day after day of relentless heat and the temps are so much higher now. Whatever it is, he seems a bit more sensitive than he was. Anyway, I'm with you and I am hoping the heat will break soon! I'm getting VERY tired of having a teen aged turkey in my house in the afternoons.

 

[ChooksChick]

Yow! It sounds like you guys are having as hard a time as I am. I moved my whole breeding facility, and the new place faces south with the coops in the treeline on the north end of the area. This means the runs are in a hay field with zero shade. I'll be planting grapes and honeysuckle up the fencing just like I have here at home- this makes a fabulous shade canopy the second year and a windbreak in the winter. I can't say enough about the giant grape leaves- wonderful shade. The fruit is the best part!

I also use malabar spinach- this is edible, grows faster than you can keep up with, and the shade is priceless.

Here and here are some of the ways I keep my birds cool. By far, the most important thing is to make certain they have fresh, clean water multiple times daily. Poor Daren and the lakewater are a wonderful demonstration of the rate at which the bacteria can reproduce when the temps are absolutely ideal for culturing. They can actually double in something like every 20 minutes in this heat in the waterers, and the birds can die from bacteria or from a lack of cool clean water.

I love the frozen treats, and giant bags of frozen veggies from discount markets work great. Corn, berries- big faves. I freeze melons cut in half, grapes, bowls of water, scratch, berries, corn, and kitchen scraps (turn out when solid for an hour of pecking fun!), shallow containers of ice water for walking in, spraying the shrubs they hang out under...and fans, fans, fans!!

THis is tough on them- and they've been at it for more than a week with another week to go. I feel for them. Freeze extra waterers almost full, then top off and put out- this is the best way to keep cold water around for the majority of the afternoon.

Stay cool, kids!

Edited to add: You can also do what I'm doing at the new place: put up tarps and shadecloth in areas that haven't any shade, but be aware they will stay hot unless you have goo air flow and misting or some other evaporation to cool the air. I've been misting and spraying down the tarps and shadecloth to promote cooling through evaporation. This is brutal, Lord. Please allow us some relief soon! Amen!

 

[callducklover20]

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Yes it is a coon

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Thank You


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I tried to pm you but you inbox is full

 

[OzawkieBantams]

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Yes it is a coon

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Thank You


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I tried to pm you but you inbox is full



OOOOOOOOPS !

Michelle was still logged in . All that was from Me

 

[chicken danz]

Regardless of all we do the birds are going to suffer in this prolonged heat unless you have an enormous aviary with complete gardens and climate control. Dream on!
One other suggestion I might add to Renee's is to do all you can to keep the flock calm as possible. You know what upsets your birds so you know what would work the best. In example, separate roosters from each other and the hens. Take measures to keep predators and your neighbors' dogs away if possible. If you don't have shade cloth or grape vines or something over your runs, try tying a tarp over the top. Any cover will reduce the heat by about 10 degrees or more by eliminating the sun. Plant trees. This isn't going to be the last hot summer ever, so any trees or vines or other cover will not only add oxygen to the atmosphere, but help reduce temps in future years.
The sad thing is a hot summer will probably mean a brutal winter.

 

[chicken danz]

Daren,
I just emptied my mail box

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
Now you're just being mean.

I would rather this than winter. Truly.

Absolutely dead-on about planning for future summers, though. This is the time to plan for an easier time in future years. I'm setting up rain-barrels for soaker-hoses for next year. I'll coil them in shallow containers for wading. I haven't running water out at the facility (400' away) so I'll be spraying manually like I am now until I get that amended. It's a pain, but doable. Hauling water isn't the worst I could do. It will be worse in the cold, though.

 

[Katy]

I'm sure everyone has seen this at one time or another but every summer when I get it, it still makes me chuckle.

Dear Diary,
> >
> > Just moved to Kansas! Now this is a state that knows how to live!!
> > Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. It is beautiful. I've
> > finally found my home. I love it here.
> >
> > June 14th:
> > Really heating up. Got to 100 today. Not a problem. Live in an
> > air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see
> > the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshipper.
> >
> > June 30th:
> > Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and
> > rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for me. Another
> > scorcher today, but I love it here.
> >
> > July 10th:
> > The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to
> > this kind of heat? At least, it's kind of windy though. But getting used
> > to the heat is taking longer than I expected.
> >
> > July 15th:
> > Fell asleep by the community pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my
> > body. Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson
> > though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.
> >
> > July 20th:
> > I missed Lomita (my cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning.
> > By the time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up
> > to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon. The car
> > now smells like Kibbles and poops. I learned my lesson though. No more
> > pets in this heat. Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.
> >
> > July 25th:
> > The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot
> > as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman
> > charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.
> >
> > July 30th:
> > Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now, $225,000 house and I
> > can't even go inside. Lomita is the lucky one. Why did I ever come here?
> >
> > Aug. 4th:
> > Its 115 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500
> > and gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid state.
> >
> > Aug. 8th:
> > If another wise a** cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?' I'm going to
> > strangle him. darn heat. By the time I get to work, the radiator is
> > boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!
> >
> > Aug. 9th:
> > Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and when I sat on the
> > seats in the car, I thought my butt was on fire. My skin melted to the
> > seat. I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and
> > ass . . . Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried butt, and baked cat.
> >
> > Aug 10th:
> > The weather report might as well be a darn recording. Hot and sunny. Hot
> > and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do poop for 2 darn months
> > and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever
> > rain in this darn state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth
> > of cactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in
> > this darn heat.
> >
> > Aug. 14th:
> > Welcome to H*LL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead. Forgot to
> > crack the window and blew the darn windshield out of the car. The
> > installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot enough for you
> > today?"
> >
> > My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail. Freaking Kansas.
> > What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?? Will write
> > later to let you know how the trial goes.
> > "
>

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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I Like it.