Cream Legbars

[dretd]

I'm the same way grannies chickens..I'm real concerned now about survival. Triple digits for the next few days now. They must be miserable until after the sun goes down.

Thanks for tips dretd....some of mine like a wading pool and some don't....

I had no luck with wading pools last year when we had the heat wave and fires. I think the sides were too high or the bottom surface was too slick. Not sure. So I took one of my black feed pans for the horse and tried it out and its only a 4" lip so I think it was easier for them to step in to. Or maybe its the surface which is more rubbery. Either way I had better luck with it.

I hope you all do ok with the heat. I'd much rather have super-cold (minus) - 30 degree stretches than unrelenting over 100 temps.

 

[ChicKat]

I had no luck with wading pools last year when we had the heat wave and fires. I think the sides were too high or the bottom surface was too slick. Not sure. So I took one of my black feed pans for the horse and tried it out and its only a 4" lip so I think it was easier for them to step in to. Or maybe its the surface which is more rubbery. Either way I had better luck with it.

I hope you all do ok with the heat. I'd much rather have super-cold (minus) - 30 degree stretches than unrelenting over 100 temps.

Actually, I call all those things I put water in for them "wading pools" - LOL -- and I do have some of those black things, the ones who wade use them, and also I have kitty littler pans, and old dishpans, and old broiler pans....I guess it looks pretty unsightly - but I figure any of the chickens that wants to get her feet wet--can have her own private pool.

I have a "brilliant" strategy, that will keep them alive, I think, although they won't be happy with it.... I hear that Tomorrow, hotter than today--and I need to be gone..then the next day out of town.... ( See, I was Just thinking today that you can't fight the weather too well for too long before it will get the best of you.) I kind of did this once before when the temps were up to 120 on this one side of the building. I will box them up in a pet carrier and put them indoors in the ranch office....whew, air conditioning. (We do have a couple spots on the ranch that are airconditioned).
They won't be happy chooks...but they also probably won't die of heat exhaustion either.... And I won't be trying to put ice in the water, turn on the sprinklers, turn on the fan (then when they leave that area turn it off) -- They don't do anything but pant all day anyway so, although the different temperature will be a huge change from the outdoor temps, at least at night here it gets in the 70's-80's at night. So I will bundle them in first thing in the morning and let them out a bit at night. (sheesh it will be like those poor battery hens for a couple of days --but they will be in big dog crates....)

 

[1muttsfan]

If you take a plastic jug of water and freeze it, then set it into the footbath, the water will stay cool a little longer.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

If you take a plastic jug of water and freeze it, then set it into the footbath, the water will stay cool a little longer.

X2. When our AC was out for 2 weeks a few years ago in the 105+ heat that's what I did to keep the fish tank cool enough that the fish didn't die.

 

[CountryFriedChicken]

I would like to thank BlackBirds 13 for sending me hatching eggs and I hatched out six pullets!! Now to find cream males Thank you very much Maria... and thank you to Curtis for the lead!!! A great experience all around and I appreciate it.


The two on the far left are partridge cochins belonging to a friend.

 

[ChicKat]

I would like to thank BlackBirds 13 for sending me hatching eggs and I hatched out six pullets!! Now to find cream males

Thank you very much Maria... and thank you to Curtis for the tip on eBay!!! A great experience all around and I appreciate it.


The two on the far left are partridge cochins belonging to a friend.

bravo countryfried!

Males are a dime-a-dozen...(Not really), but I think Greenfire Farms is selling day-old chicks - males $19.00 a piece. Very pretty chicks! Congratulations.

 

[ChicKat]

lonnyandrinda and 1muttsfan,

Thanks for the advice. -- I think the ambient temp will exceed 104 today -- and add in the heat index and it spells death.



A few years ago I posted an article about heat and chickens, I think it was my first Texas summer having chickens -- there is a link here and it is mid-page. Inside it is a link to a University extension article..where I got my info.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/charts-and-quotes

Yep - about the middle of that page and the Extension is North Carolina State.

I would hate to chance loosing one because she isn't one who goes into water -- some of mine do and some don't - and it only takes a very short while for ice to melt here in this heat. Add to that, I will be gone part of the day today, and tonight, and all day tomorrow --etc. There won't be anyone here for them...... ---> an ounce of prevention on my part means the won't be laying dead when I get back. It has been so hard on them lately... and all the panting -their only way to cool off --changes their body chemistry... was that in Gail Damerow's book...anyway it isn't the healthiest and it must be exhausting for them.

 

[KilnChick]

Can anyone identify for me!

 

[1muttsfan]

Chickat, I know some folks set up misters for their birds when the weather is extremely hot - you could run the hose off a timer for it to come on during the hot part of the day. If you do a search, there are several threads that tell you how.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I would like to thank BlackBirds 13 for sending me hatching eggs and I hatched out six pullets!! Now to find cream males

Thank you very much Maria... and thank you to Curtis for the tip on eBay!!! A great experience all around and I appreciate it.


The two on the far left are partridge cochins belonging to a friend.

Yay! Sorry those ones from me got shook up by the post system. But hooray for 6 girls!