fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[NanaK]

Looks good!

I did some clean up outside, watered some potted plants, chicken chores and such. Gosh it got hot so early. I was dripping wet when I came in about noon. Jumped in the shower to cool off. Now will snap some green beans in the a/c. Too hot to do much else!

 

[fuzzi]

Boy, it's brutal outside. I've been using a hose set to a slow trickle to water my stressed shrubs. Every 15 minutes I go back outside and move the hose nozzle to the next shrub. The two gardenias, two hydrangeas, one azalea, and my dh's kumquat tree (what's left of it) have all been watered. I also gave 15-20 minutes of trickle time to my Japanese maple.

Chickens are quiet, some roosting and some scratching around. I gathered egg #4 after church, offered the flock some refrigerated bits of ripe tomatoes and cantaloupe pulp/seeds, which were enthusiastically received.

They have lots of shade, airflow, and three watering stations. They seem to be doing okay.

 

[fuzzi]

From last night:

Still some segregation going on...

 

[fuzzi]

Hottest day of the year so far, with the heat index at 110°, or so I was told.

I got home from work, and went out to the coop to check on my chicks (I still struggle with calling them my "chickens"). There was a mad stampede towards the door as I walked up to it, and then a flood of living moving feathers for me to wade through

I brought an offering of ripe tomato bits and melon rinds. They seem to prefer me offering them bits to eating them off a large saucer.

The bolder Dominiques would dart in, snatch tomato from my hand, then dart away before the Sussex could react. They're getting bigger than the Sussex, too, but they seem very gentle.

While watering the garden's raised beds I discovered a squash that had grown dark yellow, which means tough, so I sliced it into thick pieces and brought them to the coop.

The tomatoes were all gone, but the squash was welcome!

The Sussex wouldn't let the Dominiques get close to the squash, so I took one of the slices and gave them their own private dining area:

They love the seeds, especially.

I collected egg #5. Three of the eggs have been in the right hand nesting box, two have been in the middle box, none in the left box so far.

Back at the raised beds I found a soft pepper (sweet) and a partially eaten tomato. I added them to the buffet.

Rahab is checking out the additional offerings.

You can see that the squash seeds are all gone.

All the chick(en)s seemed normal, none appeared listless or acted strange, so I don't think they're suffering from the heat.

They have three watering stations, but the water temperature in the five gallon bucket waterer was actually cool, not even as warm as tepid.

Still have to get the additional shade cloth placed over the tarp area, but it's TOO STINKING HOT. Maybe later in the week.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hottest day of the year so far, with the heat index at 110°, or so I was told.

I got home from work, and went out to the coop to check on my chicks (I still struggle with calling them my "chickens"). There was a mad stampede towards the door as I walked up to it, and then a flood of living moving feathers for me to wade through

I brought an offering of ripe tomato bits and melon rinds. They seem to prefer me offering them bits to eating them off a large saucer.

The bolder Dominiques would dart in, snatch tomato from my hand, then dart away before the Sussex could react. They're getting bigger than the Sussex, too, but they seem very gentle.

While watering the garden's raised beds I discovered a squash that had grown dark yellow, which means tough, so I sliced it into thick pieces and brought them to the coop.

The tomatoes were all gone, but the squash was welcome!

View attachment 3609430

The Sussex wouldn't let the Dominiques get close to the squash, so I took one of the slices and gave them their own private dining area:
View attachment 3609436

They love the seeds, especially.

I collected egg #5. Three of the eggs have been in the right hand nesting box, two have been in the middle box, none in the left box so far.

Back at the raised beds I found a soft pepper (sweet) and a partially eaten tomato. I added them to the buffet.

Rahab is checking out the additional offerings.
View attachment 3609439
You can see that the squash seeds are all gone.

All the chick(en)s seemed normal, none appeared listless or acted strange, so I don't think they're suffering from the heat.

They have three watering stations, but the water temperature in the five gallon bucket waterer was actually cool, not even as warm as tepid.

Still have to get the additional shade cloth placed over the tarp area, but it's TOO STINKING HOT. Maybe later in the week.

Excellent!

 

[fuzzi]

Forgot to share my little project!

I had both sets of chicks in an outdoor brooder from the day they came home. I ran an extension cord from the outside outlet by the side porch to the coop to provide electricity to the brooder. The cord runs under the side of the coop, and once I didn't need heat for the chicks anymore I considered just removing it.

But if I needed electricity again, I would have to manoeuver the cord under the apron and the coop where the grass has gotten thick.

Original installation of the cord, February 2023:

So I left the cord where it was, but rolled up and covered by a foam cooler.

I wanted something better.

Cord, meet failed waterer project (cheap drinking cups failed, not my installation):

I put the 100' cord in the bucket, cut a notch on the edge, fed the cord into the notch, added the cover, snapped it on tightly.

I may hang the bucket, not sure yet. I'm just glad to get the cord out of the weather!

Addendum: it looks as if the apron ends next to the cord, but there's another section of hardware cloth that "underlaps", it's just covered with soil.

 

[3KillerBs]

Forgot to share my little project!

I had both sets of chicks in an outdoor brooder from the day they came home. I ran an extension cord from the outside outlet by the side porch to the coop to provide electricity to the brooder. The cord runs under the side of the coop, and once I didn't need heat for the chicks anymore I considered just removing it.

But if I needed electricity again, I would have to manoeuver the cord under the apron and the coop where the grass has gotten thick.

Original installation of the cord, February 2023:
View attachment 3609470

So I left the cord where it was, but rolled up and covered by a foam cooler.

I wanted something better.

Cord, meet failed waterer project (cheap drinking cups failed, not my installation):

View attachment 3609463

I put the 100' cord in the bucket, cut a notch on the edge, fed the cord into the notch, added the cover, snapped it on tightly.
View attachment 3609467

I may hang the bucket, not sure yet. I'm just glad to get the cord out of the weather!

Addendum: it looks as if the apron ends next to the cord, but there's another section of hardware cloth that "underlaps", it's just covered with soil.

Great idea!

You could make a short article about that.

 

[fuzzi]

Great idea!

You could make a short article about that.

Thank you. I might just do that.

 

[fuzzi]

Another scorcher...

After I got home I cut up a watermelon that was picked a couple days ago. We all gorged ourselves on the sweet cold pieces, then I put aside a portion to take outside to the flock.

After reading other members posts about offering electrolytes in water or food I decided to try it. I used Sav-a-Chick I had on hand to make a solution, then mixed it with the chicken feed to make an electrolyte mash.

The flock were not as active this evening, and I noticed that the roosters were panting, and extending their wings away from their bodies. I put mash, bits of tomatoes, and watermelon pieces on a saucer. The chickens came over to check it out, eating some, but not as enthusiastically as usual. After a few minutes I noticed the roosters were eating mash, good. I poured the leftover electrolytes into one of the smaller waterers.

On impulse I cleared a little area near the door and poured some water on it to make a wallow.

I gathered egg #6 and left. As I secured the door I observed the Dominiques eating the mash that the Sussex weren't. I also noted that the roosters had stopped panting.

 

[3KillerBs]

Another scorcher...
View attachment 3610285

After I got home I cut up a watermelon that was picked a couple days ago. We all gorged ourselves on the sweet cold pieces, then I put aside a portion to take outside to the flock.

After reading other members posts about offering electrolytes in water or food I decided to try it. I used Sav-a-Chick I had on hand to make a solution, then mixed it with the chicken feed to make an electrolyte mash.

The flock were not as active this evening, and I noticed that the roosters were panting, and extending their wings away from their bodies. I put mash, bits of tomatoes, and watermelon pieces on a saucer. The chickens came over to check it out, eating some, but not as enthusiastically as usual. After a few minutes I noticed the roosters were eating mash, good. I poured the leftover electrolytes into one of the smaller waterers.
View attachment 3610292
On impulse I cleared a little area near the door and poured some water on it to make a wallow.
View attachment 3610298

I gathered egg #6 and left. As I secured the door I observed the Dominiques eating the mash that the Sussex weren't. I also noted that the roosters had stopped panting.


View attachment 3610293
View attachment 3610294

A little mash is a great way to get some hydration into the birds.

I only do it once a week even in the worst weather, but I think it's helpful.