Gracie laid her first egg!!!

[Mom of six hens]

Hi!!
My chick that had pasty bum is all grown up. She has been squatting, red comb and wattles. She is a GSL. Well today, she camped out in the best box. Really loud egg song off and on, but no egg. It is 103 today and I am so sad for her. There is tons of ventilation, but she is panting. I have given her some frozen watermelon which she gobbled up. I gave her a couple of ice cubes with meal worms in them. She seemed to enjoy them. She is constantly fluffing the straw and does not appear I'll. I just took the shop fan out for the girls and part of the breeze is cooling the nest box. She seems to enjoy that too. Is there anything else I should be doing?

UPDATE
She laid her first egg. 18 weeks five days. I am so excited.

 

[Elitefarm]

Congratulations!! To help keep temperatures down try to provide lots of shade I also like to put in frozen water bottles for them to lay against. I also give them pans full of cold water with ice cubes, and black sunflower seeds tossed in, I use dishes or pans so they can stand in it as well or small kiddy pools. Change their water a few times a day and giving frozen snacks help I also like to wet down their favorite dust bathing holes and they like to roll in the mud or lay in it

 

[TooCheep]

Congrats! Good suggestions above on how to keep your girls cool.

 

[Mom of six hens]

Thank you so much for your advice. The rest of the girls have dust bath area of compost which I wet down. I definitely will get them a small pool to put ice bowls in. I put half of their water with ice. The other water container has ice and electrolytes.

My big challenge is the nesting box. One side is hardware cloth and screen. The front has needed curtains. I have about two inches of straw. The entire coop has a 12 x 12 canopy and the run is covered with sunshade fabric. There are big lilac bushes on the west side which provides additional shade. Gracie camped out in the nesting box for almost three hours. Should I put water in the nest box next time?

 

[Mom of six hens]

Oh, the south side is wooden fence and the north side the sun is blocked by our shed.

 

[Elitefarm]

It sounds like you have it under control. From my experience with cows using straw holds in heat more then shavings or some people put mats during the summer to keep their hens cooler. I wouldn't put the water in the boxes if they need it they'll get up. I have also heard some people wet down shaving in the nesting boxes, I don't personally as I like to keep eggs on the counter and don't want to compromise the bloom and we only get to about 80-90 here

 

[Willowspirit]

I think you are doing a great job and congrats on your egg!

 

[BarredRockMom]

Great job keeping your feathered friends cool & congrats to Gracie! I'll just bet that egg song came out loud & proud!! (I never get tired of hearing it.)

 

[CLovesDucks]

Hi!!
My chick that had pasty bum is all grown up. She has been squatting, red comb and wattles. She is a GSL. Well today, she camped out in the best box. Really loud egg song off and on, but no egg. It is 103 today and I am so sad for her. There is tons of ventilation, but she is panting. I have given her some frozen watermelon which she gobbled up. I gave her a couple of ice cubes with meal worms in them. She seemed to enjoy them. She is constantly fluffing the straw and does not appear I'll. I just took the shop fan out for the girls and part of the breeze is cooling the nest box. She seems to enjoy that too. Is there anything else I should be doing?

UPDATE
She laid her first egg. 18 weeks five days. I am so excited.

Congrats on your first egg!

 

[hispoptart]

Congrats Gracie!!!! Good job in that awful heat!