Montana

[karlamaria]

Im so sorry about your chickens and the heat, it's been real bad out there. My girls have done well, I'm go glad we went with a asphalt roof over the pen, even though it cost me a fortune it stays pretty cool under it. We also put a tarp up along the side to keep sun out . I have been giving lots of cold fruit, ice water and leaving them in the pen instead of my yard which has full sun all day and evening. No shade until later in the evening so there safer in the pen.
I my self have not faired well, the heat is terrible and with no air conditioner. Is been ridiculous. I'm thinking of getting one this week, no use suffering from the heat at my age.

 

[montanachicks]

It got to 99 here today ---- horrible, but I keep telling myself that other people in other places have it worse than us. Just imagine if we had humidity on top of this heat.

I have been worried about my birds, also. I have a huge exhaust fan going in there, then put a big old fashioned box fan in one of the windows to suck the heat out -- the coop has quite a bit of shade & it still got to 102 in there today. My dad has been emptying out the ice cubes from the ice maker twice a day & taking out to them and putting it in their water -- and freezing water in empty gallon milk jugs, then taking the hammer to it, cutting off the top, and dumping that in both the outside water and inside water. They love to hang out underneath a big lilac bush in the middle of their run and I run the water hose under there every evening -- it makes a big muddy mess but they love standing in it -- I'm sure it helps to cool off their bodies., once the water soaks up in the dirt, they love laying in the cool dirt. Don't think there is a whole lot more I can do except install an air conditioner or swamp cooler in there .

So, Doug -- any luck today? Azriel said she finds eggs underneath the roosts, and so do I.... but it's usually part of an egg, as someone else found it before me. If you ever see a couple of hens peck, peck, pecking away at the floor, it's almost a given that they are eating an egg -- it is such a bad habit that usually you will never break. And there is only one cure for.

Hope everybody stays cool tomorrow.,

 

[DuginMT]

No eggs yet, I think they may be stressing a bit because of the heat. It just got over 100 for the first time today. Luckily there is a good breeze. I put a frozen gallon jug of water inside their waterer about noon today. Hope it helps. Been doing some reading about heat stress in chickens. It seems they can take over 110 if in good health and it doesn't last for very long. Will find out I guess. Tomorrow it is supposed to be a bit cooler.

Doug

 

[montanachicks]

Praying and keeping my fingers crossed for the temperatures to take a little of a nose-dive.

 

[karlamaria]

Today was much cooler, down to 82 Degrees as we were in the upper 90s for several days in a row. My girls did well, and. Though the egg count went down, I believe it was from the blueberries and the tomatoes as my girls were consistent with eight eggs a day and then I gave those fruits and we went down to four eggs 3 days in a row. I noticed blueberries and tomatoes did the same thing last year and every time we went down in egg count drastically. The count is back to normal and I'm glad. My girls are doing great,the pen and coop are so insulated its way cooler there then in the yard, the pen has one side covered with tarp to keep sun out . We have been keeping them penned for there safety out of the hot sun in the yard. Also adding ice to the waterer a few times a day and plenty of fresh cold veggies and watermellon. tomorrow says only 79 degrees and I'm thrilled !

 

[DuginMT]

Yep, yesterday only got to 93 here and today is even cooler. I still haven't got any eggs but noticed there is another chicken (a buff orpington) doing the squat. King has been getting louder and louder every morning with his crowing so I decided to try to keep them locked in their coop until 8 every morning, just to be neighborly. King was crowing in the coop this morning between 7 and 8 but it was not nearly as loud! Looking for my first egg any day now and just finished eating the last of my store-bought eggs yesterday!

Karla I think you are lucky to live in Butte. The town has a lot of great character and the country around there is beautiful. The four years I spent there in college were enjoyed greatly!

Doug

 

[Azriel]

We are in the middle of haying, and yesterday was hot,hot,hot. I got a bad sunburn, so covered myself with Vit.E before I went to bed last night. Roundup was hit with a pretty strong storm yesterday, I had to go into town for gas and there were branches down and water running down the street about 6" deep. We got rain this morning, so I have a day off from the haying while everything drys. its not as hot today, but its really humid after the rain so its almost worse.
My chickens are doing well, they have free access to plent of shade and my coop is well ventalated with windows on all sides except the north so the breeze keeps it pretty nice inside.They like to dig big holes under the sage bushes and lay in the shade and cool ground. I keep hoping they will kill off some of the sage, but no luck yet.
Doug, I'm glad your dog is better, and hope she makes a full recovery.
Hope everyone had a great 4th

 

[Azriel]

We are in the middle of haying, and yesterday was hot,hot,hot. I got a bad sunburn, so covered myself with Vit.E before I went to bed last night. Roundup was hit with a pretty strong storm yesterday, I had to go into town for gas and there were branches down and water running down the street about 6" deep. We got rain this morning, so I have a day off from the haying while everything drys. its not as hot today, but its really humid after the rain so its almost worse.
My chickens are doing well, they have free access to plent of shade and my coop is well ventalated with windows on all sides except the north so the breeze keeps it pretty nice inside.They like to dig big holes under the sage bushes and lay in the shade and cool ground. I keep hoping they will kill off some of the sage, but no luck yet.
Doug, I'm glad your dog is better, and hope she makes a full recovery.
Hope everyone had a great 4th

 

[karlamaria]

Yep, yesterday only got to 93 here and today is even cooler.  I still haven't got any eggs but noticed there is another chicken (a buff orpington) doing the squat.  King has been getting louder and louder every morning with his crowing so I decided to try to keep them locked in their coop until 8 every morning, just to be neighborly.  King was crowing in the coop this morning between 7 and 8 but it was not nearly as loud!  Looking for my first egg any day now and just finished eating the last of my store-bought eggs yesterday!

Karla I think you are lucky to live in Butte.  The town has a lot of great character and the country around there is beautiful.  The four years I spent there in college were enjoyed greatly!

Doug

ohhhhh I can not wait to hear about your first egg. You are going to be so happy. Sounds like that's going to e a happy rooster lol.
Butte has its charm, not in beauty by no means but the folks are pretty nice and crime is so low and it's pretty laid back here. Some say it's nothing but a drinking town, but that's really not any truer then any other town with bars.
We got a nice cool rain, not long but good enough to water my trees and plants some. My mom took a turn for the worst this morning, she is back in the hospital and there for I took my handicapped nephew back home with me . For a Friday that was no small feat. I had to have hs bed set up, ( hospital bed) call a1 ambulance to come pick him up. Gather all the things he will need and believe me that alone filled up the car and trunk. Oye I'm bushed. I spent the better part of the day trying to get my mom to let me call an ambulance, in the end I just did it. Good thing as her oxygen was 70 , and she was septic . Doctor says she also has full blown pneumonia again. I'm bushed, have a good night all

 

[DuginMT]

Karla, so sorry your mom has not improved. I pray she will overcome her current condition. You certainly have a lot on your plate right now.

I continue to find my chicks quite therapeutic! I am letting them free range in the back yard for about 20 minutes each night now. Below are pics I shot tonight of my Buff Orpington rooster King. I don't want to brag, but I feel he is turning into quite a magnificent bird. He is almost 17 weeks old now and has been breeding for over a week. Each morning, his crows get louder and more melodic! Also, he crows in the middle of the day. I have been keeping the chicks in the coop until 8:00 AM to keep the noise down but I can still hear him crowing in the coop between 7 and 8. Hang in there Karla!


King loves to stretch his wings!


Those big ol' waddles are nearly the size of a 50 cent piece and still growing!
His spurs are only about 1/8" long now.