Lost 2 today.....

[Trux]

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

I'm originally from MN...I start melting at 95

 

[Melanie9565]

Inland Valley, Lake Elsinore area. You did the best you could do, infact from what I read you did more than I did. I just went out and misted them every hour or so, plus I got fans in the coop and on my Roo and chicks. I did ice the chicks water a couple times too. My Maters and peppers didn't fare so well either even with the shade cloth over them.

 

[Melanie9565]

I hope your chicks do well. Inland is usually hotter than here. I guess you just never know. I know the heat was a factor. They didn’t touch the watermelon (which is usually a devoured treat) until it “cooled” down to 105°. By that time the other two were gone.

 

[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

 

[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

 

[aart]

Sorry for your loss.
A weekly dose of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes/vitamins can really help with the heat,
always have plain water available during dosing.

Ditto on the let's see your setup...deep all day shade could really help too.

 

[Melanie9565]

Sorry for your loss.
A weekly dose of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes/vitamins can really help with the heat,
always have plain water available during dosing.

Ditto on the let's see your setup...deep all day shade could really help too.

Sorry for your loss.
A weekly dose of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes/vitamins can really help with the heat,
always have plain water available during dosing.

Ditto on the let's see your setup...deep all day shade could really help too.

 

[Melanie9565]

I will get out and get a picture. We have a mister that gently blows into the coop. It is under a big shady Japanese maple. It didn’t dawn on me until Mary (Follys Place) mentioned the fluffy chicken aspect. The two that died were very fluffy. The other two are not. So I think she’s correct. My next 2 I try to get and integrate will be a non fluffy breed. But hopefully friendly. I miss my hugger.

 

[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.