EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[BantyChooks]

You might try a tarp. Even if your run is too large, you can probably fasten one side to the fence & the opposite side can be supported by tent poles or held in place at ground level by being fastened at the grommets to cinder blocks, or with the blocks on top of the tarp's edge.

Assuming you can't get block ice, you could try putting all the ice your fridge will make into a large bowl & let a fan blow across it. That should cool a small area, anyway; more than you have now.

They're free range, at least for now. I'll try that for the penned birds---thanks.

Hey peeps. Wow it's been awhile. I'm still alive and kicking though. Currently chicken free as I had to cull my flock because of illness. But I'm getting ready to move out of the city and onto some acreage so I can start over and have plenty of space to have all the hens and roosters I want. ^_^ I hope all of you are doing well.

Long time no see! Sorry about losing your flock.

 

[Saris]

Long time no see! Sorry about losing your flock.

It's alright. Probably for the best, I've had some health issues pop up for myself (Rheumatoid Disease) and for my family (MIL has stage 4 lung cancer, son has been diagnosed with high functioning autism) so it's actually okay that I had to cull them when I did, otherwise they would've ended up neglected. But things are looking better, and we're trying to stay positive and focus on the important things.

 

[kwhites634]

They're free range, at least for now. I'll try that for the penned birds---thanks.


Long time no see! Sorry about losing your flock.

I know they have access to about a bazillion trees back there. Trees usually equate to shade in some degree. Any natural water, preferably flowing?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have a problem. There's a heat wave coming through here that's the worst one I've seen in years, possibly ever in the whole time I've lived here. Daytime highs are into the 90s Fahrenheit for possibly three days in a row, and a few of those nights have a low of mid-60s. Then it's high 80's for a while after that. I suspect I am going to have very unhappy chickens, and I'd like to not lose any. They start looking bad at about 84*F (one starts panting at 70*F) and this is almost ten degrees over that with no break overnight. How does everyone else keep them alive? I have pools for the ducks that I'll try and put in a shady area, and put shade boards over individual pens in an attempt to keep the direct sun off. Anything else? They've never gone for cold stuff before, like the ice pops with corn I saw someone make once, but I might try it because this weather looks just crazy. I think I remember Kristen talking about a misting system or something but I can't do that.

I wish it was winter. My air conditioner isn't heavy duty enough for this stuff.

Bummer Bubbles-- sigh. Our heat index was just 106F. But my critters are acclimated to warm weather. I have no advice except maybe vitamins and electrolytes in their water.

 

[kwhites634]

It's alright. Probably for the best, I've had some health issues pop up for myself (Rheumatoid Disease) and for my family (MIL has stage 4 lung cancer, son has been diagnosed with high functioning autism) so it's actually okay that I had to cull them when I did, otherwise they would've ended up neglected. But things are looking better, and we're trying to stay positive and focus on the important things.

The good side is that now you have the chance to design the chicken facility of your dreams, and soon the space to implement it.

 

[BantyChooks]

I know they have access to about a bazillion trees back there. Trees usually equate to shade in some degree. Any natural water, preferably flowing?

A bazillion is right. There's a seasonal stream behind the coop, but I doubt it'll last long in 90* weather. There's also a real stream, but them finding that would result in more deaths than the heat. It's pretty fast. One area they spend time in is old pine growth mixed with a young stand that gives nice and even cover. Still, shade only goes so far to cut down on the temperature.

I'm also a tad worried about the goats. Their enclosure isn't ventilated for this weather. Maybe I'll put them in the chicken run (shaded during some times of day) since the chooks aren't using it.

So I guess the battle plan at this point is ample water, shade, pens moved to shady areas, and monitoring them carefully. If I see any in distress I'll bring them into the basement, which is 60* year round. I'm not sure if I have a sprinkler, and I don't feel like buying one, but I'll rummage through the shed/basement and see if there's one I've forgotten about.

How do you people deal with this on a regular basis??

 

[BantyChooks]

View attachment 1448067 Bummer Bubbles-- sigh. Our heat index was just 106F. But my critters are acclimated to warm weather. I have no advice except maybe vitamins and electrolytes in their water.
View attachment 1448072

That's nuts. I think I have a few packets of that, but it only covers a gallon of water and my critters use about 3--4 gallons daily in normal temperatures. Still, some is better than none, I guess.

I might just bring the quail inside, seeing as when it got up to 84*F two weeks ago they looked half dead already. When I tried keeping quail in 2014, one escaped and the one left succumbed to heat stroke---in a shaded cage, with plenty of water, on an 85*F day. So, they don't seem like the hardiest of critters. They'll go back out when it's in the 60s--70s again.

 

[BantyChooks]

This is an older picture, but you can get the drift of how my coops are set up from it. The cleared area gets full sun almost all day. To the left of the coop is the run, and there's an alleyway between it and the forest that I can take a wheelbarrow down. That stays shaded almost all day. If I put the duck pools there, maybe I can keep them from being hot enough to make duck soup with.

 

[kwhites634]

A bazillion is right. There's a seasonal stream behind the coop, but I doubt it'll last long in 90* weather. There's also a real stream, but them finding that would result in more deaths than the heat. It's pretty fast. One area they spend time in is old pine growth mixed with a young stand that gives nice and even cover. Still, shade only goes so far to cut down on the temperature.

I'm also a tad worried about the goats. Their enclosure isn't ventilated for this weather. Maybe I'll put them in the chicken run (shaded during some times of day) since the chooks aren't using it.

So I guess the battle plan at this point is ample water, shade, pens moved to shady areas, and monitoring them carefully. If I see any in distress I'll bring them into the basement, which is 60* year round. I'm not sure if I have a sprinkler, and I don't feel like buying one, but I'll rummage through the shed/basement and see if there's one I've forgotten about.

How do you people deal with this on a regular basis??

Our stock is born to it; makes a huge difference.

How many hackles would stand on end if a quiet little pool suddenly appeared in that creek? All it would take is some judicious rearranging of some decent-sized rocks, and filling in with smaller stones or debris to form a little dam. How big is the stream?

 

[BantyChooks]

Our stock is born to it; makes a huge difference.

How many hackles would stand on end if a quiet little pool suddenly appeared in that creek? All it would take is some judicious rearranging of some decent-sized rocks, and filling in with smaller stones or debris to form a little dam. How big is the stream?

I've thought of it, actually, but never got around to it. I'm sure if I inquired with the high and mighty there'd be flap about it, but nobody cares if nobody asks. It's seasonal---it dries up in late summer, and is big enough for ducks to swim in in spring. Maybe 5' wide, 1' deep at max?