Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Have you ever had a mite problem, and how did you deal with it? Pyrethrin or ivermectin or something? I don't know a whole lot about it actually.

The DE enthusiasts tell stories about horrendous mite infestations where some people resorted to burning down their coops.

It works for us. . A wipe around with eucalyptus on perches, lavender and rosemary then a good dusting of the DE under the wings and all the important place's touch wood all is still well

 

[Ribh]

I honestly went into this blind. I had no interest in silkies in the past, thought they looked weird so never properly researched them. While yes Rosie has begged for them, I was able to use the excuse I didn't have a place to properly house them until we built the grow out coop. Even then silkies were not even on my radar until I was asked to hatch eggs to test fertility and had a hen go broody. I'm still learning with these guys and have fallen for the little aliens we have but I have no desire to hatch anymore. Maybe it would be different if I get eggs from a good breeder. My neighbors flock came from one of the hatcheries, they ordered 24 last year and 7 made it to adulthood. So in this experiment for her, yes her eggs are fertile if she wants to sell them, but I'm now questioning the genetics in her flock. The remaining 4 are running and bouncing around outside this morning looking perfectly healthy, but then so did Branch until yesterday when she crashed.

I'm with you. Not a silkie fan & I have plenty of weird looking birds. Round here they're pretty much hawk bait as they're not the smartest chicken on the radar. I figure keeping them is like giving the hawks free lunch for the duration.

 

[BY Bob]

Topped 100°F in the Coop

Heart index of 119°F

I have opened both ends of the coop and hosed down underneath the coop in an effort to create some evaporative cooling.

I hosed down around the magnolia tree and the birch tree/run area. Here's hoping it cools as the sun goes down.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

That was a lot of work! But your chickens look happy!

Happy and alive

 

[BY Bob]

Happy and alive

Can't ask for more than that.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Topped 100°F in the Coop

View attachment 2740254

Heart index of 119°F
View attachment 2740251

I have opened both ends of the coop and hosed down underneath the coop in an effort to create some evaporative cooling.
View attachment 2740253

I hosed down around the magnolia tree and the birch tree/run area. Here's hoping it cools as the sun goes down.

Oh not good brother, I am sorry the temp got high

 

[BY Bob]

Oh not good brother, I am sorry the temp got high

The weather should break on Thursday. One more day. We will survive it.

It is pretty extreme.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

So far so good. It is 94 at the weather station nearby; 90 in the shaded run; 88 inside the actual coop part of the Chicken Palace.
I have hosed down the dirt inside the coop part and put a big bowl of ice in the run. I also put ice cubes inside the hanging drinker.
They are open mouth breathing but not holding their wings out and they are very energetic when scrambled eggs or sunflower seeds are offered.
We have another couple of days of this and I have a big block of freshly made kefir in the freezer for an ice-cream treat tomorrow.
I wonder if I should try to hang wet sheets or towels in front of the open windows - that can have a dramatic cooling effect both by shading any sun that comes in the window and evaporating in the breeze.

It couldnt hurt and then you can mark it down as a good thing or not so good thing

 

[BY Bob]

It couldnt hurt and then you can mark it down as a good thing or not so good thing

I'd like to know how well it works myself.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

The weather should break on Thursday. One more day. We will survive it.

It is pretty extreme.

I think so, its 80 in my run and 75 on the porch, such a flip from yesterday.
4 days of it was a bit much, I am wiped out today. I probably should have eaten, but I didnt until 7:15pm