Michigan

[ChicwannaB]

eh Stacykins, I have a 2nd roo for sure!! The one with the chartruse band crowed this morning when I let them out. I kinda had a feeling he might be one as well. Him and Opie run up to each other and do that sort of he-man belly bump thing, neck feathers flared...hahaha, then while hand feeding them this morning I was looking at all their faces real close, two others have the very wide comb on top of their heads just like the two definate boys do, only ONE is really narrow, the red banded one. Im pretty sure that one is a hen.
Oh boy, what WILL hubby say to this??

 

[Ferrret]

Well, I have no idea if my chickens are laying anymore.

They'll go in the coop, make a nest, sit for a while, then leave. We haven't gotten eggs from any of them in a week, and I think the heat may be a culprit. Curly was laying in the garden for a bit, but we stopped letting her in there after we found her nest under the pumpkin plants. They all stopped using the nest boxes a while ago when our broody silkie was fiercely guarding them, and I've put some wooden eggs in there to encourage them to use it again, but to no avail.
If they haven't stopped laying entirely, they are laying their eggs some where we can't find them. We've checked under all the bushes, all over the garden, all around the yard and even under the deck steps and have yet to find any eggs.

BF is quite frustrated that they aren't laying/are hiding their eggs.

Anyhow, I'm off to freeze some jugs of water for the coming week.

 

[babigyrl22]

I just came from the coop and one of my EE and RIR were fighting over the same nest box. This particualr nest box can hold up to 3 chickens and these two goofballs are litterally on top of eachother wrestling and swacking about like crazy chickens.

SMH....

 

[tsparrow]

A couple of my laying hens have stopped laying; I have been trying to get the eggs as soon as they lay them, being so hot. I have put all of my guinea eggs in the incubator and hopefully I will get so lavenders, but with the heat I don't even think I need the incubator, just the sun.

 

[keyt1969]

Well, the polish I got at chickenstock may pass away any minute. It's depressing because I've always wanted one!

We're beginning to wonder if she had something when I brought it home. It would lay down all the time and be hard to wake up. But once it got up it was fine, eating, drinking and chasing the others. All the chicks I got from chickenstock have been by themselves since that day, with no face to face exposure with anyone else.

I've been sick and not able to go outside (hydrocephalus and heat don't mix in a really bad way) but Aric told me she was laying down and was hard to wake up again. I thought maybe it was the heat. We have fans in the barn and Aric has been replacing the water from inside because water from the hose is too hot and never gets cool enough. Difference this time is she's not getting up. Aric brought her in the house with me where it's cooler and I've given her some Pedialyte. When Aric brought her to me she sounded like she was stuffed with a cold or something, so stuffed she can't breathe. I have her in the bedroom where the windows are open but it's not as hot as outside because the air conditioner can be just as bad with such a cool down.

She's not budging. She's gasping for air and not opening her eyes. I'm so sad!

 

[tsparrow]

Oh no, Sorry keyt1969. I wonder if antibotics would help?

 

[babigyrl22]

Quote:
Oh no Keyt! I hope she perks up and does better.

Yes, maybe antibiotics?

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
She died 5 minutes ago

According to the Henderson's chart, Polish are subject to illness and not good for foul weather. Not sure if that includes heat.

Sigh. All this time I've waited for a Polish and she didn't live long. I'm so bummed.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

sorry for your loss keyt. If she was not feeling well, I'm sure this heat did not help.

After church I found the meaties withOUT water. After I filled it I began the lecture to the DD regarding the importance of water all year round being more important that food and in this heat it is especially, .... yada yada yada. After a 20 minute long attack at the water they finally all settled back down in the shade. Whew!

Take it easy and stay hydrated everyone.

 

[Stacykins]

Meep, a second roo!? Hopefully the rest are hens!

As for the heat, I found I made a bit of a mistake by leaving their waterer in the coop. They are all hanging outside of it in the shade, and weren't going in to drink. But now it is outside in the shade with them and jugs of ice too. I just gave them 1/4 of a frozen watermelon and it was picked clean in no time!