Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Lovely to see that! If we don't see babies forming when we candle this weekend, a local farm supply place is having chick days on the 8th. We'll get some for Eenie.

It's hot! Only 92 but the heat index feels like 98 according to my phone app. It's a bit hotter inside the coop. View attachment 3558821

But I'm happy to see that, in the nest box, it's actually a bit cooler (the thermometer has a probe I've put down there).View attachment 3558827

At how hot should I worry?

I have battery fans and frozen jugs of water ready to make swamp coolers if necessary. Making sure the run has shade and we can open the garage door on the front of the coop/shed for more air...but 106 degree air is still 106 degree air whether it's moving or not.

But if the air is moving it is helping with any evaporation of moisture - hence how the swamp cooler works. If it were me here I would have the fans on my gang, esp as the temps are all over the place - it's been high 80's and 90F, then like today 64F... I am freezing here, I got used to the heat and now it's darn chilly for me. Of course it's low humidity today and that makes it feel cooler. They cannot get acclimated to the high temps, so they are heat stressed when it gets hot.

But I have to say the horses and chooks are enjoying this weather more, and the chooks are having a blast staying under my truck (it's parked here at the barn I unloaded feed and chicks) - they seem to be making a game out of going under one side and out the other side then around again hahaha. The Tweens and other chicks are pecking at the chrome on the mud flaps - silly birds But it's nice to see them active.

Even the horses seem happier, the good stout breeze is keeping the bugs away If only we didn't have this hazy smoke it would be perfect for them.

Gosh they don't seem distressed at all at 92. 80 is a really normal summer temp. Is your humidity low? It's 60% here. I wouldn't think adding extra moisture to the air would be a good thing...

You don't need to put any ice bottles out, just the fan moving would be perfect. 60% humidity is humid but here when it's humid its up around that or even past 75%, curtesy of the Great Lakes. I plan on using the ice bottles as an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) next time it's hot here - I will keep the windows open to allow air to move helping with humidity.

I have two box fans in the Hen House for evening roosting - it gets pretty sweltering in there in the evening - our sun sets really high latitude wise, and it doesn't get dark till after 10pm. That's a lot of sun shining on the west and north side of my barn walls - and that is where the Hen House is located. I have it insulated but the sun beats in through the windows; I am going to put some awning/shade on those windows tomorrow if the wind is calmer. The other miserable thing here is the wind, after 6pm the wind dies down here all the time, wind here is dictated by the lakes - hot land during the day causes the air over the cold lakes to rush inland, but once that sun starts going down not so much heating of the land mass so the wind is reduced.

The poor chooks have absolutely no air movement so they and the my horses all have their box fans going full tilt. I love watching Henny Penny standing in front of it hahaha

This morning - very smoky

Chooks had a blast running amok

 

[Ponypoor]

She’s thinking “I don’t get paid enough for this! “

She is getting lots of meal worms and scratch grains I might even bring her down some roast beef later on

 

[featherhead007]

Exactly as the eye doctor said. I’m needing to get some reading glasses for the fine print. Darn, I was hoping to slide to the middle of the scale for that one!

 

[rural mouse]

Gosh they don't seem distressed at all at 92. 80 is a really normal summer temp. Is your humidity low? It's 60% here. I wouldn't think adding extra moisture to the air would be a good thing...

We're high alpine borderline desert.....so it's rained everyday for almost 2 months.... ordinarily our air is on the dry side, unless a storm is about to break. The hose running down the hill creates a moving current. Moving water does move air just above it. Even if it doesn't move the air much, it does move....and our well water comes out pretty cold which helps too. If I were in town, I'd me more inclined to take some buckets, old lunch meat tubs, or other plastic containers, fill them with goodies: dried bugs, berries, veggies scraps, grains, sprouts: then fill with water and freeze. Pull one out on a hot day and dump the whole thing out where they can get at it. Refill the container and keep using it until the thing breaks. Any newly filled containers would go on the bottom of the stack in the freezer. I'd save the buckets (if I could make space in the freezer) for the extra hot days and the days we would be gone most of the day.

 

[Ponypoor]

We love Ellie a ridiculous amount. She just turned 1.

As for Sheba, she is still off, though she seems a bit perkier this morning. But her posture is just wrong. Here's the video.

Here's a pretty good still.
View attachment 3556192

This is not how she looked, even a couple days ago. This was taken the 23rd.
View attachment 3556193

This is her normal stance. This was taken 3 months ago.
View attachment 3556195

She acts fine really. She didn't eat the scratch I tossed to get the video, but neither did the others. My husband says they're holding out for tomatoes.

It's been suggested Manny injured her? Maybe I should move him to give her a break? I still have the little coop from when they were small. It's not big enough, but 1 randy rooster would fit fine.

How is your hen today? is she still standing odd?

 

[Ponypoor]

Exactly as the eye doctor said. I’m needing to get some reading glasses for the fine print. Darn, I was hoping to slide to the middle of the scale for that one!

Sorry to hear that, but at least it's just for reading!

 

[bgmathteach]

This is all of the stuff I have for BBQ's "Surgery."

I am sure you will do fine. I assume you watched the video -I have confidence in your ability! But, yes, trust me, I know how nerve wracking it can be when getting ready to 'operate' and you have never done something like that before. Deep slow breaths - you got this!

P.S. if you read this before you do surgery, I would have multiple sterile gauze pads out. YOu may want one for blotting to remove a bit of blood on the foot so you can see better....and always good to have a spare, too, in case she kicks and the one you had out for wrapping the wound goes flying and lands on the non-sterile floor. (I'm sure you can just imagine now how I know this )

 

[bgmathteach]

I LOVE her stylish eyewear! So 'chic'

 

[bgmathteach]

I love feathered feet. This young bantam frizzle is one of my new favorites View attachment 3558657

She makes me think of the Michelin Man, or the Dough Boy - all big and fluffy head to toe! See @RoyalChick - wouldn't you like a lap chicken like that sitting on your lap all cozy????

 

[Ponypoor]

We're high alpine borderline desert.....so it's rained everyday for almost 2 months.... ordinarily our air is on the dry side, unless a storm is about to break. The hose running down the hill creates a moving current. Moving water does move air just above it. Even if it doesn't move the air much, it does move....and our well water comes out pretty cold which helps too. If I were in town, I'd me more inclined to take some buckets, old lunch meat tubs, or other plastic containers, fill them with goodies: dried bugs, berries, veggies scraps, grains, sprouts: then fill with water and freeze. Pull one out on a hot day and dump the whole thing out where they can get at it. Refill the container and keep using it until the thing breaks. Any newly filled containers would go on the bottom of the stack in the freezer. I'd save the buckets (if I could make space in the freezer) for the extra hot days and the days we would be gone most of the day.

This is a great idea - and would give them something to do also. Pecking away at frozen delights