Lost 2 today.....

[Melanie9565]

I am devastated. I live in Southern California and we had a record shattering heat spell today. 118°. I had fresh water out for my chickens, fresh cold watermelon, a fan, a mister and various containers storing ice. We had 4 chickens total. This afternoon I went to check on my girls. They were only 2 years old. They were behind the ice block. Together. They had passed. A buff (my hugger) and my Cochin. I don’t know what else I could have done. We buried them beside the coop under the fox statue.
I would like to get 2 more buffs and raise them from chicks again. They seem to be the friendliest. My question is this. I have a barred rock and an Americuana, both 2 years old. Will it be possible to integrate chicks into the flock they are old enough to go into the coop?

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! That's horrible heat!!! You did what you could, but that was just too much for them.
Yes, you can integrate new birds with your two adults,, gradually, with plenty of space. Consider getting birds who can handle heat better, rather than those cute big fluffy ones. And Speckled Sussex hens are super friendly, in my experience too. Check out Henderson's breed chart for ideas.
Your hens might have had health issues that weren't obvious that contributed to this; two years of age isn't old, but some hens already have problems by then.
Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Mary

 

[Kiki]

I am sorry for your loss.
Integration is never a for sure answer.
You won't know how the older birds are going to be/accept new flock mates until you try it.
Do you have enough room to keep the chicks safe inside the coop with a look but no touch kind of set up for a few weeks before hand?

 

[Mrs. K]

Try getting the chicks out there sooner than later. People love having the chicks and they seem so fragile, they tend to keep them inside too long. Tiny chicks are less of a threat, so start getting them outside in the coop, but separate ASAP. As in a week old. After a week or so, make one way gates, where the chicks can leave and return to a safety zone. The gate needs to be wide, but low to the ground, so that the chicks can go through like water, but the hens cannot follow.

This allows the chickens, hens and chicks to work it out on their schedule.

Mrs K

 

[Peppercorngal]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It's very difficult to loose your friends like that. Heat is much worse for the chickens than cold, you did all you could so don't feel bad about it. You can get more chicks and I have found the best and easiest way to integrate them is to free range them together. I did that with my "old girls" and my new chicks this spring. They can get away from each other if there is pecking and no one gets hurt. I just let them free range together and at the end of the day I found they were suddenly all together in one coop! Not immediately, but pretty fast, about a week. Good luck to you!

 

[Melanie9565]

I am sorry for your loss.
Integration is never a for sure answer.
You won't know how the older birds are going to be/accept new flock mates until you try it.
Do you have enough room to keep the chicks safe inside the coop with a look but no touch kind of set up for a few weeks before hand?

Yes. I can put a kennel inside with hardware cloth around it and bring them back in at night. Hopefully a week or so of doing that will help the process. I mean, people do i te grate chickens right?

 

[Mimi13]

How did you integrate?

Well, my originals and my littles are not completely integrated just yet, but they’re getting closer every day.
I built a new coop this past winter/spring and moved the littles into it first. My originals hung out around the run off and on for about 6 weeks. I would feed all of them together several times by throwing out treats next to the run. They were still separated by the wire. Last week the littles turned 11 weeks old and something just made me go ahead and let them out one evening, about an hour before roosting time. Of course the four old biddies came running/waddling across the yard to check them out. I was worried, but that’s my MO. They all did surprisingly well. Only a few pecks. The littles can run/fly to get away from the hens and it’s not bad because they aren’t confined. There is still quite a size difference in the hens/pullets, but the five cockerels are almost the size of my hens, just not as fluffy as my BO’s.
Now when I let the littles out (they don’t venture too far from the coop), the hens will come over as if to say Hi then mosey on to do their own thing. However, the originals have now started going inside the coop/run some. I look at that as a plus because that is soon going to be their coop/run as well.
The littles have ventured over into the originals’ run and even snuck in a dust bath in the good, soft, well-turned dirt. But the older ones aren’t too keen about them being in there. The other day I was collecting eggs and saw my little Dominique dust bathing in the originals’ run and saw the hens were headed that way so I decided to hang around. My head hen, a BO, snuggled down into an adjacent hole and started dust bathing with her. It was neat to see that. Two of my others came in and tried to run her off, but I didn’t let them. I know I shouldn’t have interfered, but I did. Both big and little continued to dust bathe. My last old biddy came up and was successful at stopping my little Lena (named after my DH’s grandmother who raised “dominikers.”) But now, the precious part. Lena scurried out of her hole and scooted in beside Biscuit, my head BO. They both just layed there for several minutes cooing back and forth to each other. I almost teared up. It was so sweet of Biscuit to take the little one “under her wing.” And of course I snapped a picture. Made me proud.
I think they may just be helping me in the integration process.

 

[Folly's place]

And I'm miserable at 95F! All the best to you folks out there in the inferno.
Mary

 

[Kiki]

Yes. I can put a kennel inside with hardware cloth around it and bring them back in at night. Hopefully a week or so of doing that will help the process. I mean, people do i te grate chickens right?

Sounds perfect!

 

[Folly's place]

For your next birds, look at some of the breeds that do well in hot climates, with big combs and smoother feathering. Here in the frozen north, I avoid them, but you have many choices in that category.
Mary