Hot in the coop?

[thepick4uchicks]

We are projected to be 111 today. My littles come inside in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day, the bigs stay outside in the run with their feet planted in the mud with ice blocks draining over their feet to keep the mud cool. Nobody is in the coop.

And I have even had to put the bigs in the laundry room for an hour or so to take a break from the heat twice this year. Even fully feathered, with shade and mud and ice, they were struggling.

You have an awesome setup indoors!

 

[centralcaligirl]

Yes, Sacramento.

 

[centralcaligirl]

You have an awesome setup indoors!

There are only two bigs at the moment, otherwise I would have to rig up something in the garage. They absolutely hate being in the laundry room. They're mad at me for days

 

[centralcaligirl]

This is where I keep them in the house.

It's supposed to drop 20 degrees in the Bay Area over the next two days, so by Wednesday you can probably move them out there without a problem. Just keep a close eye on them in the afternoon. If anyone is panting then they are too hot and need either a cooler location or to be out in the run with a mister or some mud or a fan or something.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

There are only two bigs at the moment, otherwise I would have to rig up something in the garage. They absolutely hate being in the laundry room. They're mad at me for days

One time I split my flock of nine into five and four because I thought they would be happier indoors inside two larger kennels their brooder kennels with more room for them because it was so hot and they were getting so big. They were side by side and they could see one another. However, the four were so made at me the entire time that they were separated from the others that they refused to eat good until they were absolutely starving and they had all started using nipple drinkers but when I split them the four stopped using them and I had to go back to a regular brooder waterer. It was absolutely pitiful! They can be such babies at times. My flock still have to sleep all clumped together at night. They have slept clumped together since I got them at two days old from the hatchery. I hate to laugh at them because they are so sweet that way being so attached to one another like sisters when I have three breeds with three of each actually being sisters but they don’t know that. They just love one another for now unless they get into a pecking order dual. That I don’t get but that’s okay. They still have to sleep with one another like snuggle buddies. Too funny! I don’t know if you have read my story on here in another post so I won’t make it too long but my lead pullet I will call her has a sister that for some reason has become so mean towards me. She is the only one and she is mean to everyone including the dogs. Well every time I try to pet her she bites me really bad. She has drawn blood a couple of times. The other time my lead pullet who loves me took her to task immediately on it and rode her to the ground for it. Well today she did it again. Well the lead pecked her again hard immediately again for biting me. She broke the skin and drew blood bad three places today. She may her culled if she doesn’t change her ways. She is a Swedish Flower Hen and they are not normally that mean. I don’t know what has happened to her. She used to be the first to come to me
And want pets and picked up. Crazy chickens!

 

[centralcaligirl]

One time I split my flock of nine into five and four because I thought they would be happier indoors inside two larger kennels their brooder kennels with more room for them because it was so hot and they were getting so big. They were side by side and they could see one another. However, the four were so made at me the entire time that they were separated from the others that they refused to eat good until they were absolutely starving and they had all started using nipple drinkers but when I split them the four stopped using them and I had to go back to a regular brooder waterer. It was absolutely pitiful! They can be such babies at times. My flock still have to sleep all clumped together at night. They have slept clumped together since I got them at two days old from the hatchery. I hate to laugh at them because they are so sweet that way being so attached to one another like sisters when I have three breeds with three of each actually being sisters but they don’t know that. They just love one another for now unless they get into a pecking order dual. That I don’t get but that’s okay. They still have to sleep with one another like snuggle buddies. Too funny! I don’t know if you have read my story on here in another post so I won’t make it too long but my lead pullet I will call her has a sister that for some reason has become so mean towards me. She is the only one and she is mean to everyone including the dogs. Well every time I try to pet her she bites me really bad. She has drawn blood a couple of times. The other time my lead pullet who loves me took her to task immediately on it and rode her to the ground for it. Well today she did it again. Well the lead pecked her again hard immediately again for biting me. She broke the skin and drew blood bad three places today. She may her culled if she doesn’t change her ways. She is a Swedish Flower Hen and they are not normally that mean. I don’t know what has happened to her. She used to be the first to come to me
And want pets and picked up. Crazy chickens!

This cracked me up. They are definitely set in their ways!

 

[thepick4uchicks]

This cracked me up. They are definitely set in their ways!

Yes! For such young birds!!

 

[murgiyan]

It's supposed to drop 20 degrees in the Bay Area over the next two days, so by Wednesday you can probably move them out there without a problem. Just keep a close eye on them in the afternoon. If anyone is panting then they are too hot and need either a cooler location or to be out in the run with a mister or some mud or a fan or something.

Yes I am so glad it will be cooler in a couple of days. I was too "chicken" to leave them out in the coop so brought them in the house at noon. They do hate me when I handle them because we have to literally pick them up which they don't like. They don't eat or drink for a while and huddle up in a corner. But then slowly they get more relaxed.

When they're in the house sometimes I pick them up, one at a time, swaddle them in an old towel and caress their back, head and neck. They seem to really enjoy it and fall asleep. THe other two usually get anxious and keep looking at me though. It's kind of cute to watch them. One of them (I call her honey) is really my honey. She's very perceptive and calm. She's more comfortable to be picked up. The other two, Coco and Cinnamon try to fight me at first but do enjoy it I think.

 

[murgiyan]

One time I split my flock of nine into five and four because I thought they would be happier indoors inside two larger kennels their brooder kennels with more room for them because it was so hot and they were getting so big. They were side by side and they could see one another. However, the four were so made at me the entire time that they were separated from the others that they refused to eat good until they were absolutely starving and they had all started using nipple drinkers but when I split them the four stopped using them and I had to go back to a regular brooder waterer. It was absolutely pitiful! They can be such babies at times. My flock still have to sleep all clumped together at night. They have slept clumped together since I got them at two days old from the hatchery. I hate to laugh at them because they are so sweet that way being so attached to one another like sisters when I have three breeds with three of each actually being sisters but they don’t know that. They just love one another for now unless they get into a pecking order dual. That I don’t get but that’s okay. They still have to sleep with one another like snuggle buddies. Too funny! I don’t know if you have read my story on here in another post so I won’t make it too long but my lead pullet I will call her has a sister that for some reason has become so mean towards me. She is the only one and she is mean to everyone including the dogs. Well every time I try to pet her she bites me really bad. She has drawn blood a couple of times. The other time my lead pullet who loves me took her to task immediately on it and rode her to the ground for it. Well today she did it again. Well the lead pecked her again hard immediately again for biting me. She broke the skin and drew blood bad three places today. She may her culled if she doesn’t change her ways. She is a Swedish Flower Hen and they are not normally that mean. I don’t know what has happened to her. She used to be the first to come to me
And want pets and picked up. Crazy chickens!

That's so sad. I would be devastated. But then I think they all have different personalities. For now I think you should keep your distance from her. Maybe she'll forget the behavior eventually and be ok.

The day I picked my 4 chicks at 3 days old from Tractor Supply, one of them (I named her Coco) started pecking at the other three as soon as we got in the car. They were literally the size of my finger. My son was holding the tiny box they were in. Coco would not stop. This being my first time getting chicks I almost wanted to take her back. I called the store from the road and asked. The lady who'd helped me had left.

When we got home I still saw her pecking. She developed pasty butt a couple of days later. I cleaned it up. It went away after a couple of days. Now they are 10 weeks old. I have noticed Coco still pecking at the other two (one got killed by a hawk 2 weeks ago). Last night I saw her peck near the eye of Cinnamon. I hope they don't get injured by her pecking. Coco does not like being picked up either.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

My 5 week old chicks ( there are nine of them) also sleep in a cuddle puddle, regardless of the heat! But our heat didn’t go over 95. I would have brought them in the house too if it hit 100.
My big girls have a fan in their coop to move air.