Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

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

I understand that. I have been going constantly since last Monday and right now I can't seem to be p get my feet under me. I've got a 4c day weekend coming up. Hopefully that helps.

 

[RoyalChick]

Topped 100°F in the Coop

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Heart index of 119°F
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I have opened both ends of the coop and hosed down underneath the coop in an effort to create some evaporative cooling.
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I hosed down around the magnolia tree and the birch tree/run area. Here's hoping it cools as the sun goes down.

Geez. That is really hot. Poor chickens! My hottest day is tomorrow. I will repeat today’s regimen of keeping them in the shady complex until the sun starts to go down. And will hose down everything and provide frozen yoghurt.
Everyone has runny poo - but I assume that is just too much water. They seem OK otherwise. Well, apart from the continued egg issues.

 

[RoyalChick]

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

I once survived a blazing hot summer in an office with no AC and used towels and a fan to make it bearable. So it works! But given the coop is relatively cool just with damping the earth I am not sure it will bring much incremental benefit.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Dotty pecks me because she doesn't like me and is spoiling for a fight.
Diana pecks me because she is expecting food.
And now Maggie pecked me on my shin because I had an interesting freckle. She drew blood.

Everybody at one time or another, but especially Hazel, lightly pecks me and are continually inspecting, tasting and testing my various clothes while I work on something or just hang out with them, and I let them. When they peck flesh it's usually not hard, and if it gets hard I let them know I don't like it. Somebody, Popcorn? grabbed a mole on the back of my arm and really yanked and twisted the other day. I let out a yell and that ended that. "Oh, I guess that's NOT a bug? Sorry!" - and we'll see if that happens again....probably has to happen three more times though...

 

[MaryJanet]

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.

Good idea about the wet towels

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I believe you're safe from mites with a plastic coop if I'm wrong, I hope someone will speak up and correct me.

I'm still 20 pages behind but there are joints with the plastic coop that I think could be hiding places for mites. It's not a one-piece extruded thing. However the plastic is probably easier to make very clean as it's a non-absorbent surface.

 

[MaryJanet]

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

I never want to eat properly in the heat. I'm usually too full from drinking so much water.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Belated tax add on
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@BY Bob maybe @Scrambles83 is 1/2 tax ahead now with this picture? Or the 3rd chicken has made the previous SHRA tax complete and has a full SHRA tax in the bank?

 

[Lady Red]

Geez. That is really hot. Poor chickens! My hottest day is tomorrow. I will repeat today’s regimen of keeping them in the shady complex until the sun starts to go down. And will hose down everything and provide frozen yoghurt.
Everyone has runny poo - but I assume that is just too much water. They seem OK otherwise. Well, apart from the continued egg issues.

Same.here.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm still 20 pages behind but there are joints with the plastic coop that I think could be hiding places for mites. It's not a one-piece extruded thing. However the plastic is probably easier to make very clean as it's a non-absorbent surface.

Oh I see. The joins would make a difference.