Our Mixed Flock Journey!

[drstratton]

That explains why it was big! So fun!

I was quite surprised when I cracked it open!

Wow, warm weather! I saw a post on here where someone took a kid swimming pool and cut the sides down then filled it with water for her chickens to stand in. Might be worth a try if you have something lying around that you can use! You always feel so bad for them when it gets hot

I wish I had something like that, it's a great idea. We have sprinklers in the free range pen that come on 4 different times a day & they have a lot of shade, so they actually do well roaming around during the day. The coop is the big problem, it needs more ventilation, we will work on that later, hopefully they had a better night last night. It's also supposed to get up to 106 tomorrow...hot summer days!

 

[N F C]

I was quite surprised when I cracked it open!


I wish I had something like that, it's a great idea. We have sprinklers in the free range pen that come on 4 different times a day & they have a lot of shade, so they actually do well roaming around during the day. The coop is the big problem, it needs more ventilation, we will work on that later, hopefully they had a better night last night. It's also supposed to get up to 106 tomorrow...hot summer days!

I don't know if this idea is helpful or not but when I had a flock in Florida, I could take the front and back doors off their coop (people size doors, DH had to do it) and replace those solid doors with hardware cloth screen doors. And I'd set up a box fan so it was pointing up just to keep some air circulating.

Don't know if something like that is possible for your set up or not, but figured it was worth mentioning.

 

[drstratton]

I don't know if this idea is helpful or not but when I had a flock in Florida, I could take the front and back doors off their coop (people size doors, DH had to do it) and replace those solid doors with hardware cloth screen doors. And I'd set up a box fan so it was pointing up just to keep some air circulating.

Don't know if something like that is possible for your set up or not, but figured it was worth mentioning.

That is a great idea! We are planning on putting another vent up top on the back side and two windows with screen & shutters on either side of the front door. I will talk to Dale and see if he would be willing to place a screened window with shutters on the backside also, it would definitely make it much nicer for them. I was also thinking of adding a fan, thank you for confirming that as a good idea! I would also like a removable screen where the nesting box is! All of those things together would make it much nicer for them in the hot months and we will be able to button it up in the winter, leaving the upper vents and their little door open of course!

 

[drstratton]

We have another green egg! This one I know came from Penny, Dale saw her sitting in the nesting box! I think the color is a little different than the first one, but I don't know that for certain. It definitely looks more blue/green outside than in my kitchen lighting, which made it look a little more olive green!

35g

 

[N F C]

That is a great idea! We are planning on putting another vent up top on the back side and two windows with screen & shutters on either side of the front door. I will talk to Dale and see if he would be willing to place a screened window with shutters on the backside also, it would definitely make it much nicer for them. I was also thinking of adding a fan, thank you for confirming that as a good idea! I would also like a removable screen where the nesting box is! All of those things together would make it much nicer for them in the hot months and we will be able to button it up in the winter, leaving the upper vents and their little door open of course!

Sounds like you have some good ideas already, hope they help. I'm with you on hating to see them uncomfortable, I can only imagine how hot I'd feel covered in feathers and not being able to perspire.

One more thought...some people incorporate a cupola in the coop roof with some sort of fan that draws hot air outside. If that sounds do-able, you'd have to do some research (I've not done that).

 

[N F C]

We have another green egg! This one I know came from Penney, Dale saw her sitting in the nesting box! I think the color is a little different than the first one, but I don't know that for certain. It definitely looks more blue/green outside than in my kitchen lighting, which made it look a little more olive green!

35g
View attachment 2268510

Pretty egg!

 

[drstratton]

Sounds like you have some good ideas already, hope they help. I'm with you on hating to see them uncomfortable, I can only imagine how hot I'd feel covered in feathers and not being able to perspire.

One more thought...some people incorporate a cupola in the coop roof with some sort of fan that draws hot air outside. If that sounds do-able, you'd have to do some research (I've not done that).

I agree, I'm so spoiled with having AC, while the Chickens and the rabbits are miserable! I think we are going to set up a misting system next to & put fans in the rabbit hutches! The misters will also benefit the chickens to a certain degree!

I didn't think about a larger window on the backside until you mentioned it. A cupola would also be a good thing to have...will my husband be ready to spend the time on it is the question, I will definitely mention it to him!

Thank you Debby for all of the great input!

 

[drstratton]

Sounds like you have some good ideas already, hope they help. I'm with you on hating to see them uncomfortable, I can only imagine how hot I'd feel covered in feathers and not being able to perspire.

One more thought...some people incorporate a cupola in the coop roof with some sort of fan that draws hot air outside. If that sounds do-able, you'd have to do some research (I've not done that).

I mentioned the extra window on the back of the coop to my husband & he thinks that's a good idea too. I also mentioned the cupola & I honestly think that he might be considering it! He just has to think about things for a bit! Those 2 things would be a great way to improve the coop...now I just have to patiently wait & mention it a few more times!

 

[drstratton]

We are getting ready to go to our youngest sons house to take care of their dogs while they are gone to a wedding for the weekend. I hate to leave in this hot weather, but my oldest son is here to check on our animals! He said he has a fan that we can probably wire up to go into the chicken house to circulate the air for them. I'm going to go look at it and see if my husband will wire it up an put it in for me, before we go!

One of my RIR girls laid this beautiful egg for me today, 59g/2oz! I placed it next to Penny's 35g egg from this morning!

 

[N F C]

We are getting ready to go to our youngest sons house to take care of their dogs while they are gone to a wedding for the weekend. I hate to leave in this hot weather, but my oldest son is here to check on our animals! He said he has a fan that we can probably wire up to go into the chicken house to circulate the air for them. I'm going to go look at it and see if my husband will wire it up an put it in for me, before we go!

One of my RIR girls laid this beautiful egg for me today, 59g/2oz! I placed it next to Penny's 35g egg from this morning!

View attachment 2268876

Your girls seem to have got the egg laying down pat...pretty eggs!