Consolidated Kansas

[pikeman94]

What a scorcher! We just got back from buying more wading pools and some kitty litter pans to put water in for the chickens. The kids are filling them as I type. We are using ice packs for the bunnies and ice in everyone's water. I wish I could bring them all in the house! The chicks and turkey in the craft room are more comfortable because it's insulated. I have a fan running in there just in case. The ducks seem to be doing just fine at the pond and the younger ones are going back for another try so we'll see how that goes.

It was nice to meet Pikeman94, his cousin and daughter yesterday! They had the grand tour and took one of my sweet speckled Sussex hens home.

Once again, we're dumping the water on the garden. It makes me really thankful we have a well. It never went dry last year so we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best this year.

We're going to go swim today after lunch. It's just so hot there really is nothing else we want to do.

Trish44 so sorry about your Sussex hen. That's just the pits.

I hope everyone's animals make it through this summer -- it's going to be another hot one.

medawinks, that's such a lovely story about Sera and the new chicken! Loved it.

KarenS - It was good to finally meet my chicken benefactor I will wear my chicken hat next time it isn't 100+ degrees outside. So far the new hen is adjusting well. She is hanging out with the other SSX. I think because the new girl (Sumac) is so big she can hold her own with the other hens. I will keep you posted on her progress.

I hope I can get some work done on the new coop this week during the evening. I would really love to get the girls in there by the weekend.

 

[cherwill]

LOL, 78 sounds cool. Last year we kept our AC set to not come on until it is 85. This year we have gone all out and reduced it to 82...

Canning will really heat up the house as it has to run for so long at such a high temperature. I'm considering getting one of those portable plug-in burners so I can run it outside and not heat up the inside of the house as much. Not that I have anything to can this year but next year I plan to have a garden again.
Yay - glad you found it easy to install. I predict you're going to love it. I am still amazed by mine and go down and check it around close time each morning. It is nice not to have to get up and let them out first thing in the morning too.

Well, unfortunately we had to have the cat put to sleep as it was not another UTI but advanced liver disease. The vet gave several possibilities for what could be causing it but in short, there is no cure and even the best case scenario had us medicating him for the rest of his life. We decided with the hot summer coming up and how miserable he is now, not to put him through all of that. The vet did agree that it was a valid decision to make. Poor DD and DS are struggling with it as they were very fond of him (in truth, so was I but age helps with perspective - I've said goodbye to far more pets than they have), but they understand that we gave him a good life and made the decision because we didn't want to see him suffer. They elected to stay with him while the shot was administered and I think it was somewhat reassuring to them to see for themselves how peaceful a passing it is.

I'm so sorry about the cat. It's a tough decision every time. I'm glad the kids were with him. I've been with every one of mine I've had to put to sleep. It's hard, but it somehow helps.

I think I'd be OK with higher temperatures in the house, but DH already has a fit about the 78.

The plug-in burner is a great idea. DH and I were talking a week or so ago about ways to move the canning outside. Neither of us thought of that. We did think, if we ever move into the country, that we'd try to set up a very simple outdoor kitchen.

 

[chicken danz]

I used those misters last year as well. I just looked at one of them yesterday and thought I'd better be hooking one up. We got a couple at Walmart but we had one other one that made a lot finer mist. I can't remember where I got it. I do know it was a lot more expensive but used less water.
I've been busy doing some paper work and writing today. Sure makes time go fast. I just had to take a break from it for awhile. I just went out and put some more water in the brooder house and watered some already scorched plants on the front porch.
Oh KarenS what I wouldn't give for your wonderful porches and shade!
The garden needs watering but I'm afraid it would all evaporate out. My neighbor has been taking a big tank and pumping water from the creek and then watering his garden with it. I'll bet he comes by at least twice a day with that water tank.
I wish I had a pump that was strong enough to pump out of one of these wells here. I tried watering the flower garden last year with the cistern but it is so deep that the water just trickled a tiny bit and used a lot more electricity than it produce water. I don't even know if there is water in these wells or not.
HEchicken I really am sorry about your cat. I just don't know if I could do that to one of my old cats. They've been with me so long. Yet after watching my mother pass I think it would be easier now. Suffering is so much worse than death.

 

[pikeman94]

I finally caved and brought the marans inside from the garage. They were looking a bit listless. As soon as I put them in the basement they perked right back up. I think I will keep them there while the 100+ degree heat continues.

 

[sharol]

I set up one of my cobra misters a couple of weeks ago, and then today I put the other one out. The girls are all clustered around them (now that they finally figured them out). I used them all last summer during that awful July/August heatwave, and it is looking like they will have to work hard this year, too.

 

[HEChicken]

We did think, if we ever move into the country, that we'd try to set up a very simple outdoor kitchen.

How funny - that is DH's goal too!

I set up one of my cobra misters a couple of weeks ago, and then today I put the other one out. The girls are all clustered around them (now that they finally figured them out). I used them all last summer during that awful July/August heatwave, and it is looking like they will have to work hard this year, too.

I've never tried anything like that but might have to. I will be passing an Atwoods tomorrow so I might stop and take a look at them. Then I'd need to get a hose here. Although we are mostly moved into the new house, there are a few things we haven't moved yet and hoses is one of them.

So far, while they are panting, none seem overly distressed. They have so much shade around their new house that there are options for being in shade from early morning until by 4pm or so, the entire chicken area is in shade, so I think that helps. I have a well and the spigot is right next to their yard. The water comes out pretty cold so several times a day I fill two gallon milk jugs and replenish their waterers with the cold water. Each waterer holds two gallons so it only takes two trips to the spigot and I'm all set. They cluster around and get a nice cold drink and a few of them stand in the water. Overall they really seem to be coping fine.

My poor Mama Sultan. Her little chicks are being very naughty, as they are the only ones small enough to squeeze out the wire of the chicken yard so guess what they do at every opportunity. Poor Mama would stand on her side and call and call for them but they just completely ignore her. She seems to have mostly given up now and just sits quietly on her side waiting for them.

I'm wondering if birds of the same breed "recognize" one another? I have the Mama Sultan and then accidentally got another Sultan in my batch of Spring chicks who is a boy. He is now about 18 weeks old, while Mama is 15 months old. As soon as he saw her, he latched onto her and now you never see one without the other. What is cute is that since she has chicks in tow, they look like a little family and he even seems to be trying to help her out by taking a parental role as well. Last evening he was out in the yard with the chicks milling around and Mama was nowhere in sight. I finally went to check on her and she was taking a dust bath. Meanwhile, the chicks seemed only too happy to follow their "stepfather" around instead. At 18-weeks he is feeling quite randy and I've seen him mate with Mama on numerous occasions but he has shown no interest in any of the other hens ever since she arrived here. I just found it curious and didn't know if it is because they recognize one another due to being the same breed, or if it is just coincidence that these two bonded.

 

[chicken danz]

I just feel sick. I went out to spray some more cold water for the birds, and found 3 of my beautiful Bantam polish hens dead. Two of them were in the pen and the other was in the house. DH even hung the fan in there for them this morning. I sat it down on the floor to hopefully blow more air on them and put a trash can lid in their run full of water if they want to stand in it. I hooked up two of the misters but because I have so many pens only a few chickens get a chance use it. I sprayed water over most of the birds just so the mist would cool them. My big partridge cochin rooster went down and I brought him in and cooled his feet in the sink. He didn't appreciate it but he was walking when I took him back outside. I don't know if he has the sense to try to cool off or not.
To think this is going to get worse this week just worries me sick.

 

[chicken danz]

Josiechick good luck on the peacock eggs. What the guys all tell me to do is incubate them on their side instead of sitting up straight. I have mine sitting up straight but the incubator they're in turns further side to side than others do. Most people say to put them under a broody hen for at least the first 10 days but not to let them hatch under her. I've also been told to raise them on wire rather than a floor or dirt, due to the fact they are very prone to disease. That part I'm not sure I agree with. They surely can't be worse than turkeys for disease. As long as they have a clean place I think they'd be fine.
I want my peahen to go broody but she has only laid 3 eggs and isn't sitting. I am about ready to go take them and try to get a chicken to hatch them for me. I have 4 ordered eggs left in my incubator and I have no idea if they are fertile or not. The first two weren't. I've got another week or so before they are due to go to the hatcher. I am planning to buy some more the first week of July but I'm trying to hold off until I see what these do.
Good luck on your auction.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh Danz, I'm SO sorry. I'm really worried about this summer - its only June and we potentially still have 90 days or so ahead of us, almost none of which will be significantly cooler. I really worry about the toll it takes on the animals. There are many out there that don't have anyone going to extra measures to keep them cool.

 

[HEChicken]

Hawkeye, thanks for the reminder about the salt museum. I haven't been there yet myself and I think it is something my dad would enjoy. One of the problems is that my parents have been here about 8 times already so have already seen most of the "touristy" things and places of interest. In fact, they weren't originally planning on coming here because they felt there was nothing new to see but asked instead if we could fly somewhere else in the US to vacation with them there. However right about then we told them we had just purchased the new property and they immediately changed their minds and decided to come here after all so they could see it. But that leaves me with two people to entertain for two weeks, who have seen most of what the area has to offer multiple times already. The salt museum is one they've never been to though so that will be one day taken care of.

I am happy to just putter around here all day every day, and have a to-do list a mile long to keep me busy but while they would be happy to help with some projects, for the most part they don't have the investment in getting stuff done that we do, and I don't want to work them too hard, especially due to the heat.