Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[CrazyChookChookLady]

I didn't think about spraying them with the hose. Do they like that? I wouldn't want to stress them out. I think it is going up to 97 (36C) in a couple of hours so maybe then I will get in the run with them and spray us all. I think they will be less stressed if I am in there and we are all getting wet together.

I use the "shower" setting on my nozzle and I only spray them for about 30 seconds to a minute. I don't saturate them, just enough the wet the top feathers or so.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Mine run from the hose and sprinkler. I could just target them with the hose when I go out today whether they like it or not. It is unbearable out there right now.

That's what I do, just a short spray. Enough to wet the top feathers but not enough to saturate them.

 

[Shadrach]

Hattie is Unwell

She was her active self at lunch time today and then she disappeared. I assumed she was hanging in the shade beating the heat. It was 96°F, 35.5°C today. We had dinner outside on the shade deck in the evening. So the crew took up coming around and begging for food. It took me quite a while before I realized Hattie was missing. The littles were especially entertaining with Lucky raiding the dinner table itself and making off with the end of a hot dog roll from my son in law's plate.

Sudney thought that if she got close to my Dad she might get something from him. She was successful!
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Hattie was feeling well enough at lunchtime to pause for a quick sunbathing with Lilly.
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Once I noticed she was missing I quickly located her under the magnolia tree. I called her and she took 2 steps but would not come. So I went to her with a piece of pasta in my hand. She would not eat it.

So I proceeded to check her out. Her craw was full of water. She had not laid an egg today but I could feel nothing in her abdomen. Her posterior had feces in her feathers and as I watched clear liquid was ejected and ran down her bum. When I was done she wandered back to the water dish under the tree. There she remained until nightfall. Not moving. Just standing there.

I am operating as if she has overheated. Right now she is in the spare bedroom in the broody crate with a water dispenser. I am leaving her inside all night. I will check her again in the morning, clean up her bum and see how she is feeling. I am hoping a night in cool air-conditioned environment will bring her back around.

How's Hattie now Bob?

 

[Shadrach]

It got quite warm here today. It was around 32 Centigrade when I was cleaning the coops out.
I had to abandon the mission until later in the day. The heat is bad enough but wearing a dust mask as well is just too much.
The chickens spent most of the day in their favorite shelter spots and this afternoon a lovely breeze blew up the valley.

 

[Ribh]

@BY Bob checking in to see how Hattie is doing today.

 

[Ribh]

Hattie Update

She made no noise overnight. I was actually frightened off what I might find when I opened the door to the spare bedroom.

This is what I found in the morning.

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She had laid an egg overnight. I opened both doors but she was not exceptionally interested in leaving the crate.

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I read to her for a little bit and she finally stood up. Waiting under her was a surprise. A second egg! View attachment 2251846

It was soft shelled.
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Once she stood up, she started grooming herself. That made me feel much better even though she stood there with her tail down.
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After grooming for a bit, we finished her story and she squatted and released the nastiest liquid feces. Then proceeded to lay down. I did not want her laying in it so I scooped her up and decided to put her outside to see what she would do.

As soon as i set her on the deck, she bolted, tail up, straight for the coop. I released everyone else and the whole flock gathered around her. She had a spring in her step and off to chicken about in the cooler morning temperatures.

I believe at this point i am going to write this up to overheating. With the two eggs coming out I feel reasonably certain there is not an egg production issue. That was my worst fear.

I will keeping a sharp eye on her today. This heat wave is supposed to continue through Tuesday. I'm going to have to watch the whole flock closely.

So glad she is doing better.

 

[BY Bob]

How's Hattie now Bob?

Hattie is doing well today, at least as well as can be expected. We just hit 100°F, 37.7°C. I was out to check on everyone maybe an hour ago. I'm freezing some blueberries for them. I hosed everything down around 1 pm. Including Phyllis and Sydney who did not mind a little shower.

It had to be the heat.

I did not realize it but the heat did me in yesterday as well. I was out in it from 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM. It hit me around 10:00 PM last night and I have not been my normal self all day today.

On a positive note. Counting Hattie's crate egg I got 5 eggs today. All in the coop boxes except Phyllis who laid under the run box and Hattie of course.

 

[BY Bob]

It got quite warm here today. It was around 32 Centigrade when I was cleaning the coops out.
I had to abandon the mission until later in the day. The heat is bad enough but wearing a dust mask as well is just too much.
The chickens spent most of the day in their favorite shelter spots and this afternoon a lovely breeze blew up the valley.

Stay safe. The heat can catch you unaware.

 

[MaryJanet]

The heat gets quite bad where I live too. I put a misting system in the henhouse and it works like a big evaporative air conditioner, reducing the temperature by about 10 degrees Celsius, which is quite a lot. It doesn't go through much water, only a couple of litres an hour.

 

[BY Bob]

A Very Special Thank You

To @LozzyR . I read Eve the books this morning. At least 5 times each. She made me keep going over and over again. She just loved them. She pointed at the pictures, helped me yo turn the pages, and just made me keep going and going.

Thank you so much!