New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[speckledhen]

It's been over 100 here for over two weeks. No rain in about two months. It was 108 this weekend. It's 104 today. No temps in the 14 day forecast below 101. and no rain of course. I've been running a sprinkler on them in the evenings to give them cool dirt to dust down into. I can't wait for it to cool off. It's so hot the eggs are incubating in the nest box without hens setting on them. I've had babies hatching on day 16 in the incubator while still being turned. The ones that hatched yesterday weren't supposed to start until Sunday.

I hear you. Even here, we were in the mid 90's for a few days with heat indices from 101-103*. Humidity is no joke in the South. At my elevation, we rarely see temps in the 90's, but humidity makes all of them hard to handle. I myself wilt in summer heat. I hate summer, to be honest.

I've had a lot of younger birds drop dead for no reason. And I lost my tufted Araucana rooster.

NO! I'm so sorry! I expected some of my old ones to drop in the heat. Today, it's much cooler, catching a break, thankfully.

My ladies aren't either! I came home from work yesterday to find my 6 month old FBCM dead of heat stroke

I'm so sorry! That's horrid. I haven't lost any to heat yet, but when they are as old as some of mine are, you sort of expect the extra stress will do them in. Chickens can handle cold so much better than extreme heat.

 

[1muttsfan]

My sister lives in Dallas and says the heat has been brutal this year. We, on the other hand, are cool this year - it was 48 degrees this morning.

I almost lost my oldest Delaware hen today - my cousin came to visit, and when she got here let her high prey drive dog out, who promptly raced out back and pounced on the hen, who was as usual toddling around in the yard with the flock. They all ran into the woods and we caught the dog, and eventually everyone returned. The hen has some cuts and a big bald patch on her back, and looks a little sore, but I think she will be Ok. Slathered her with bag balm.

 

[speckledhen]

Why do people let their crazy dogs go nuts at other people's houses?! I'm glad you saved your hen.

 

[1muttsfan]

She has nothing but excuses for this dog. And for her granddaughter, who is also pretty bad behaving. The GD and I had it out yesterday - apparently most adults give in as soon as she gets snotty. Big surprise for her.

 

[speckledhen]

I don't tolerate brats misbehaving here around my animals. I don't like people bringing their dogs here. If they do, they'll have to pass my sign just outside my driveway that says "Dogs Harassing Livestock May Be Shot". That should give them pause.
My son lived here temporarily between homes with his two large dogs, but he had them under complete control all the time. They're very sweet, but they had never seen chickens before, a husky mix and a white German Shepherd. Not even a close call. I was nervous about them living here, but he knows how much I love my chickens and my husband adores that cat.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I agree 100% with both of you! I don't do brats or out of control animals! When we moved to our new property there were quite a few dogs running the neighborhood. We tried to ask the owners to keep them on their property, that didn't work, so I told all of them plain and simple if I see your dog on our property me or my husband will shoot it. We've only had 1 problem since and that dog isn't around anymore.

 

[speckledhen]

Betsy passed away this morning. At least it didn't go on any longer with her like this, poor beautiful girl. Her crop simply refused to function. It wasn't impacted, just doughy and would not fully empty, but just like Bailey, she refused to eat, just sat and became weaker and weaker. We tried all we usually do for these Brahmas when their crops malfunction, but of course, the crop is a barometer of what is happening inside the body. She had not produced an egg for a year that I know of, but was not bloated. She turned 6 years old last month with the other remaining originals. Tom and I worked on her every single day since we found out it was an issue.
It has to be something about these Brahmas, or this line of Brahmas. They eat exactly the same food, get the same treatment, the same environment, etc, as all other birds in that barn, yet they are now leaving one by one. Brandy and Bonnie, my former perpetual broodies, are the only ones currently laying. BJ, the Dark girl and head hen, has been going to the nest for two months, sitting, no egg, so something is up with her for sure.
Here is a picture of Betsy (front) and BJ from 2018.

 

[speckledhen]

About to lose another one. BJ was gasping for air yesterday, which has been per her norm in very hot, humid weather this season. But couple that with her obvious internal reproductive issue (going to a nest, sitting long periods, no egg for months), I think the heat has taken a toll on her. It's not hot yet today and she is gasping for air, would not go out with her flock, stood by the waterer drinking, obviously very weak. I'm not sure how much she's even been eating, to be honest. I placed her outside the barn door in front of a pan of water and she just stood, struggling to breathe so I put her in the hospital cage, added electrolytes to a waterer in the form of Pedialyte I had in the fridge already. Tom hung a frozen 2 ltr bottle against the cage with a small fan blowing over it so she has her own air conditioner as well.
After the intense drama with Betsy, then Atlas, this is draining me. I know she is 6 years old, not elderly by the standard of most of my flock, but then again, she is of a line of Brahmas of which I don't know the longevity. BJ is head hen in there, my only Dark Brahma. Dang it, this summer SUCKS.

 

[1muttsfan]

Week after week of brutal heat takes a terrible toll on the elderly and those whose health is on the margin. It is hard to watch them struggle though.

 

[speckledhen]

BJ just died a bit ago. She was okay first thing this morning, then by noon, she was gasping and became progressively weaker until she collapsed in the hospital cage. A few minutes later, violent flappng and she was gone. I have not had a chicken flap like that in many years. Usually they just stop breathing or barely twitch. She was in good weight, fully feathered and gorgeous, but something was very wrong with her. I am stunned today because I did not expect to lose my head hen so soon on the heels of losing Betsy and almost losing Atlas. I've had to dig two giant holes on this rocky ground and my back is not happy with me. I am so over this sucky summer.