Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

It's soooooo hot
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I had a black cat that would lay on the black driveway when it was this hot. I thought he was nuts. He could not get hot enough.

Éowyn is his opposite. She likes to lay on the cool linoleum in front of the air conditioning vent.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Check it out!

page 5,000!

Congratulations!!! Woohoo!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Hello all!
I have been lurking on this thread now for over a month, trying in vain to read the entire thing from the beginning yet I am still stuck back in 2019…and the world has changed so much since then. So I couldn’t stand it anymore and opened another tab so that I can be in the past and present…I will continue to read all the stories as they are very enjoyable. Thanks, BYB for starting this thread and all the tales and pictures of your beautiful hens!

As you can see from my avatar, chickens are not my only interest. We are actually ‘renting‘ chickens this summer to see if it’s something I want to continue in the future with my own coop and flock someday. I love these little feather butts that I have. I’ve named them all and they all have very distinct personalities. There’s Bock, the Astralorp, she is so sweet and calm and I love her chortling sounds. A freeloader as it turns out she is not laying yet I didn’t want to exchange her (the rental deal promised lots of eggs). Then there is Rebock, a Rhode Island Red-number two in the pecking order with a dominant yet fair beak with the others. Even though she is number two she doesn’t take ANY crap from Cluck, the Barred Rock and leader of the pack. Cluck gets the best eating spot-heck-the best spot anywhere and the dust bath first, if she feels like it. Last of all is little Beaker, an Easter-egger. She lays green eggs (sorry, BYB!) and is very consistent with that. Beaker is super quick, always on the move and an escape artist. She was pecked on mercilessly for her first week yet just took it like a trouper, and now has things figures out. She steals food boldly and is so fast she rarely faces any repercussions for her actions!

So I feel I don’t have a right to be posting here as I may not be around after the summer, yet I have enjoyed reading about everyone’s flock so much that I just wanted to chime in. Right now we are dealing with an unprecedented heat wave, these poor chickens are just toughing it out. I’ve provided extra shade, water and coop ventilation and they are using all their coping skills that nature provided them with for the rest. I know animals are tougher than we think yet there is a limit! So I’m interested to read what others do for their birds in the heat. I have done my research yet real world situations are helpful.

So hello from Alberta, Canada! It’s not supposed to get this hot here, today it was 37* C. some areas of the province are pushing 40*C. We are more used to -30*C (and then some) in the winter!!!

Glad to have you here. And glad you have given the chicken-life a try. How about some pics of your birds?

 

[RoyalChick]

I had a black cat that would lay on the black driveway when it was this hot. I thought he was nuts. He could not get hot enough.

Éowyn is his opposite. She likes to lay on the cool linoleum in front of the air conditioning vent.

Well Éowyn is wearing a very thick fur coat as well as ear muffs and mittens. It makes me faint just thinking about all that fur in this heat!

 

[featherhead007]

I hope my birds make it up in the coop. It’s still 95f outside. (They are all panting with wings open. I have the portable A/C going, but it’s still very hot

Just checked the coop, and all the birds are fine this morning.

 

[Kawi_girl]

Glad to have you here. And glad you have given the chicken-life a try. How about some pics of your birds?

I will see if I can figure out the picture thing!
Thanks to everyone for the welcome.

 

[Marie2020]

Sorry. It turns out I’m allergic to my new med. I’ve had a brutal, intensely itchy rash all over my hands and feet for days. It’s traveling up my arms, too, even though I stopped the medication Saturday. I awake every night in the wee hours of the morning to put them under running water after scratching myself raw. Here are my feet at work today. Notice the puffiness under the rash.
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I had a video appointment with a doc Saturday who agreed I was allergic, told to stop taking it, and said it was fine to continue with over the counter antihistamine. I was taking Benadryl around the clock to help control the itching. I was feeling a bit off and dizzy, as well. Kinda freaked me out. My rash was getting worse, too.

I had planned to take a vacation day Monday to spend time with my daughter. When we were walking the dog on the beach in the morning, I was light headed, had the shakes and tingling extremities… I really needed to sit down. Felt a bit freaked out again… “What if I pass out and she’s stuck here on the beach with a passed out mom and a dog?” She’s 17, but doesn’t drive.

Eventually we drove home and I wrote my doctor’s office. The dizziness/lightheadedness and shakes continued intermittently. I called an advice nurse, wondering if I should go to the ER. Based on my symptoms, she said no, but tried to set up another video call. All the docs were booked.

After that, I heard from a doctor from my doc’s office who said YES, go to the ER for further evaluation.

They did an EKG shortly after I got there and it looked good. Doctor came out to talk to me and said he thought it was a reaction to (more like a compensation for) all the Benadryl. However, he wanted to run some bloodwork “to check my heart” and get me some IV fluids to get me feeling better.

So I got 1000cc if fluids and my labs all came back looking good. Phew!

It was still pretty scary, but I’m glad it was more like a false alarm. I’m looking forward to feeling normal again, without itch or dizziness. I’m kinda wiped and am REALLY hoping to take some time off after this week. It’s been quite a year and I still have most of my 2020-2021 vacation time left and get my new days on Thursday. My body is CLEARLY telling me to take better care of myself. Putting myself dead last ALL the time has gone on too long.

So that’s my exciting story. Scary while it was going on, but thankfully not all that eventful in the end. I’m a bit tired from it all, but grateful.

I put my feet up for the swelling and drink plenty of fluids.

Take great care of yourself. I really hope that the medical advisers leads into the right direction very soon

 

[Marie2020]

I will see if I can figure out the picture thing!
Thanks to everyone for the welcome.

It took me a while that's not my problem I have a very hard job getting my ladies to model for me.
They always seem to pick the worst part of my garden

 

[Marie2020]

I had a black cat that would lay on the black driveway when it was this hot. I thought he was nuts. He could not get hot enough.

Éowyn is his opposite. She likes to lay on the cool linoleum in front of the air conditioning vent.

The air conditioner lowers the humidity down quite a bit, but raises the electric bill substantially! (Just saying)

Scrooge

 

[Marie2020]

I just put on clean clothes, and was going into town, but nooooo! The chickens with muddy feet just jumped up on my clean pants! (I shouldn’t have brought out meally worms for them, they attacked me)(occupational hazard I guess)

I get this as well as dog and cat paw prints on my clean white shoes