NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

I have a fan in my banty coop since they aren't under the big shade tree like the biggies. They are all standing in front of it. I turn the hose on every few hours for the big girls so they can stand in it for a few minutes but tomorrow they are on their own. We have a BIG bush in the middle of the chicken area and they all huddle under there when it gets hot. I traded off most of my fat chickens so have a lot of naked necks and leghorns now - my big worry is all the broodies. Have a fan on them but they won't get up to get water even if it's in front of them. silly girls.

 

[stonykill]

NOOK-NOOK,

was it you that just posted a recently completed pen with the metal roofing? It looks FANTASTIC. What a lot of nice, shady room for your flock. Nice job!


QUESTION FOR ALL WITH REGARD TO THIS UNGODLY HEAT AND HUMIDITY:

Does anyone use a fan in their coop(s) ??

I have a heavy, safe extension cord plugged into an outdoor outlet nearby for now and therefore have the capability of running a fan for the girls. The coop, despite 2 windows and a large screen door, still gets pretty hot. We use fans for the horses at the barn, but they SWEAT. So the moving air cools them by evaporation. Chickens don't sweat, so will the fan be a benefit?

Please weigh in. I am worried about this heat. I keep the birds outside as much as possible, but there are times when I have to have them inside due to the logistics of 2 (temporarily) separated flocks.

THANKS!


TOB

9 coops. Chickens for 10 years. No fans ever. No chicken deaths to the heat ...ever. They should only be in the coop to lay eggs. Otherwise they should be in the run or freeranging if they free range.
In my typical fashion I will be blunt. If it is ungodly hot in the coop and the chicken is too stupid to get out of the coop..... and it dies..... it was not smart enough to live. BUT I currently have 11 broody's in hot coops. I have this all of the time every summer. NONE die from the heat. AND one of the coops is a tin shed in the direct sunlight all day long. It is down right hot in there and the 5 broody's in that one are happy as a broody on eggs.

 

[Lapeerian]

Have a puzzling problem: I have young Silver Blue Americauna pullet that I got from Tab over a month ago. I kept her separated in the Eglu for a month, then tried to integrate her in the flock. I took the 4 young roos out, as they were terrorizing her. She has no buddies and the other young pullets have pecked at her, so I have her in a separate pen. My problem is she is nothing but skin and bones, she is not eating. And yes, Im certain she is not eating. The small handful of food I put in front of her yesterday morning is still untouched today but the problem has been going on longer than that. She has now reached the point that she doesn't have the energy to run/fly away and sometimes falls over because she is so weak. I have tried both chick crumbles and layer pellets, and a mix of both. She hasn't been drinking nearly enough either. Im going to drag out the dog crate and set her up in there as it will be more secure than the pen she is in. I'll try using a dropper to get more water in her too, maybe a slurry of chick feed too? I dont want to lose the pretty little girl. Hubby says there is nothing I can do, which makes me feel worse.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

(this is Travis, using Tab's account)
The best thing to do would put a "friend" in with her, she is probably lonely. Chickens are a social animal. Take one of your calmest hens and put them together. If she is loosing her balance it might be too late but it is worth a shot. After a couple weeks when you are ready to reintroduce her to the flock she will have a friend to hang out with.

 

[ChickPrincess]

(this is Travis, using Tab's account)
The best thing to do would put a "friend" in with her, she is probably lonely. Chickens are a social animal. Take one of your calmest hens and put them together. If she is loosing her balance it might be too late but it is worth a shot. After a couple weeks when you are ready to reintroduce her to the flock she will have a friend to hang out with.

Good suggestion. Was she where she could see the others?
I'd get some Rooster Booster into her, too if possible.
Hope she pulls through!

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Heres what I have
2 dog cages I use for the different ages . They are metal & collapsible . I can move them as I wish & store them flat when not in use .
One I got from a garage sale & one from a friend that moved away ...

This is the small one I have the teens in ...approx : 24 x 36

I have another larger one for the babies approx 3 ft x 6 ft

Yea I have a few friends who do this. I don't want them in the garage if I can help it. Thats why I'm making sure I have room in the coop and enough room in the nesting box(s).

 

[marquisella]

Have a puzzling problem: I have young Silver Blue Americauna pullet that I got from Tab over a month ago. I kept her separated in the Eglu for a month, then tried to integrate her in the flock. I took the 4 young roos out, as they were terrorizing her. She has no buddies and the other young pullets have pecked at her, so I have her in a separate pen. My problem is she is nothing but skin and bones, she is not eating. And yes, Im certain she is not eating. The small handful of food I put in front of her yesterday morning is still untouched today but the problem has been going on longer than that. She has now reached the point that she doesn't have the energy to run/fly away and sometimes falls over because she is so weak. I have tried both chick crumbles and layer pellets, and a mix of both. She hasn't been drinking nearly enough either. Im going to drag out the dog crate and set her up in there as it will be more secure than the pen she is in. I'll try using a dropper to get more water in her too, maybe a slurry of chick feed too? I dont want to lose the pretty little girl. Hubby says there is nothing I can do, which makes me feel worse.

She sounds pretty well out of it. You could try fruit, scrambled eggs, anything that has liquid in it. Sometimes they just don't thrive.
I don't pick up my adult birds much, but today I noticed one of my Orps looking poorly and when I picked her up, I realized she had am impacted crop. I wish I had noticed her acting like that sooner, but I didn't. I don't know if she will make it.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

As so many of you have been nice enough to respond to my question regarding a fan in the coop, it would be hard for me to answer each one by one -- but I'd like to. Really, thanks to all for your advice...what has worked for you, tips, etc. You guys and girls are invaluable -- THANK YOU. I am taking everything in!

TOB

 

[rancher hicks]

(this is Travis, using Tab's account)
The best thing to do would put a "friend" in with her, she is probably lonely. Chickens are a social animal. Take one of your calmest hens and put them together. If she is loosing her balance it might be too late but it is worth a shot. After a couple weeks when you are ready to reintroduce her to the flock she will have a friend to hang out with.

If you have a younger bird I would try that one. I'd also spend a little more time with her if you can spare it.

 

[Lapeerian]

Thanks Trav & everyone. While in the Eglu she had the obnoxious EE roo in the adjoining Eglu, so she was never completely alone. She is now in the dog crate, which is set outside next to the coop where she is protected and can get a nice shady breeze through the barn aisle during the hot day. She is alone, but the other chickens are in and out of the barn all day. I did make a slurry of chick food and got a bunch of liquid in her and she ate some of the mush after I was done, which is encouraging. She is much smaller than the other pullets, Brown Leghorn is close in size but has taken up sleeping in the rafters this weekend so will be impossible to catch. I'll keep up with the hand feeding and extra water each night, get some chick electrolytes for her water too. She had a nice crop full of slurry when I left.