Partridge Silkies - Nothing else

[cuntryuppiechick]

We've had over 100 degree days and they barely noticed. I have my coop under a tree. Then I have shade cloth over my run. I ran another set of shade two feet below the top layer. The babies are in a small cage under all that with a plywood roof and open sides. Shade is dropped down the wall of the run for the rising and setting sun. Multiple layers of shade with space between allows pass through ventilation and keeps it very cool. I have not been doing ice and they only have a one person mister and a small wading pool. Neither my babies or adults are affected.

 

[jen5680]

Well my poor little girl didn't make it thru the night

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

Sorry Jenn...

 

[Cetawin]

Thank you Sonoran for your kind words and Penne for that great gesture. The day I lost them, the heat index was 114-128 degrees that afternoon with 100% humidity. They had ice water, a box fan outside, shade under my front porch were 10 of them died. They had a cold watermelon just an hour and 5 mins before I found them. I nodded off for a nap after giving them the watermelon...I awoke from a nightmare of something having slaughtered ny birds. I ran outside and called them and my roo stuck his head out from under the porch and laid down. So I got on all fours and looked to see birds lying everywhere and my black orp hen panting and staggering towards me. I crawled under and got the 5 live birds out and into the shade where I had my daughter running the hose. I then went back to check each bird and bring them out. My Delaware Cannonball was barely alive so I rushed her to the hose and she was looking at me as if to say "mama you're here" she stopped breathing and I admit I tried CPR on her. Then I began hosing everyone else ... I got their body temps down and took them inside to an air conditioned bathroom and began syringing electrolyte solution into each if them every 15 mins...I lost my daughter's EE about midnight. I have my blue orp roo, black orp hen, blue orp hen and red cochin recovering. I had a partridge silkie go down the day before and she is not doing well, she sees the vet this afternoon.

If I may, I would like to memorialize my girls here for you. They were very loved and are missed.

Luna, Splash Cochin
Speckles, SLW
Bella and Tonks, BO
Sandy, EE
Domino, Dominique
Maggie, NHR
Faith, SF
Maya, blue Orp
Lucy, Molly, & Holly - BA
Cannonball & Fattie, Delaware

Praying for a miracle today for Pamela, partridge silkie

They have 3 fans and a window ac (for night) inside the coop, ice water, frozen gallon jugs, free range all day and had a fan blowing under the front porch. They were all big girls and I have done everything I could but yet I feel like I failed them.

Thanks all and I am sorry to talk about non partridge silkies here but I think you all can understand ny heartbreak.

 

[Cetawin]

. Jen I am sorry you lost her.

 

[Debbi]

Cetawin ~ I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how devastated you must be. It's been wicked hot & humid here in Missouri as well, but yesterday we got some much needed rain for a break. I have noticed in this heat, that my Marans are taking far more dust baths than usual. I'm thinking it's not so much the heat that is getting to them, but the humidity, and the dust baths seem to be helping them "dry out"? I have some running free range, but some insist on staying in the run. Both sets of birds are all doing the dust bath thing almost all day long. I was hosing down the run in hopes of cooling it off, but after seeing them in the dust, I really wonder if the water doesn't do more harm than good, by adding more humidity? Just a thought, and again, so sorry for your loss.

 

[Cetawin]

The dustbathing gets them to cooler soil.

yes the humidity is killer especially when added to horrid temps. When they were out ranging inside the coop was still over 100 degrees with fans blowing. It is really a horrid summer.

I do not hose down the ground I hose the birds when they had gone down in the heat to lower their body temp. I hose under their wings, chest and legs and feet...basically everything except their face.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
That was my initial thought too, but they are scratching just the surface to loosen the dirt, not digging big holes. Even the 7 week old chicks I have outside are doing this, and what they dig up is in the sun, so it can't be that cool? I was spraying mine with a fine mist from the hose, but they all would have none of it, and would run off. Makes me wonder if they didn't know better than me what they needed. Some of the hens are even going to roost in the coop about 3pm, where it was 104* the other day. There are no fans, no ice, their water is outside and I freshen it 3 or 4 times a day, but the coop is dry, very dry. Since I've noticed this, I quit spraying water on the ground and on the birds. Dry is what they seem to be gravitating to. It was an ugly winter, and summer has been no better, that is for sure!

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Quote:
I'm so sorry

. That is a horrible loss. I have had a big loss like that too, in Indiana to a raccoon. It was my worse nightmare bagging up everything they left and I just cried and cried. My thoughts are with you.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Quote:
Oh no, I'm so sorry.