Red Laced Cornish X and project talk (pics p. 8)

[pepper48_98]

I am sorry for your loss Steve..... I sweat it every evening when I come home but so far I have't had any supprises. I did lose 2 hens at the start of summer but so far, I have been lucky. I did come home late one day lastweek when it was106 and almost lost one of my best WLR roo and a hen but I cooled them off soon enough.

 

[SteveH]

I counted more carefully as I loaded the wheel barrow, and the count was actually worse; 24, plus a pullet that's been going backwards since the buffalo gnat catastrophy made 25. [She's had raspy breathing since the gnats got in her airways, and getting worse with time. I should have culled her last week just to put her out of her misery, she was mostly bones and feathers even then.]

I lifted the tarp from the closed end of the portable pen, as soon as I got home, to allow more air flow, but for some reason they still want to pile in that corner.

I'm going to transfer some to the main pen after it cools a little more tonight. [Though "cools" is relative......................... its still way too hot and my clothes were soaked with sweat from the short time it took me to dispose of the dead birds.]

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:

Good lord Steve! Gosh, how horrible! Sorry you are having so many tragedies lately!

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I got pictures of the little freako today. They aren't great but here he is, "Blue" is his name. I'm pretty sure it's some sort of genetic problem, like his legs stopped growing or something. He swings his legs out really wide when he waddles. LOL. He's pretty heavy but definitely not growing like his brothers and sisters. It's hard to tell from the pictures, because he is stretching up, but he is actually quite a bit smaller than the others.

I'll probably get a few more pics and then process him and put him out of his misery. I will then also get pictures of the carcass and do a bit of exploratory "surgery".

Bantam rumpless?!?!

Here he is right next to his brothers and sisters. Blue is on the far right, Big Red is in the center, then Brownie, then Dottie, then an Ameraucana, then Spot, and last on the far left/ rear is the huge Delaware male I have.

Blue, Big Red, Brownie, Dottie and Spot all HATCHED THE SAME DAY. They are only 9 weeks and 6 days old and already as big as my 6 month old Red Broiler pullets.

 

[al6517]

Everybody is squaking about the temps in places where to be honest it can be considered mild LOL. we have gone now for more than 60 day's without a drop of rain and well over 105 degrees every day. Everything is just quiting and it's quite misserable, keeping animals healthy in this weather is impossible at best. Just keeping yourself and family safe in this heat is a chore, let alone worry about the garden or keeping grass green............... (what a waste ) of time................ Lord why have you forsaken me and mine

The Devil called me today and said he wanted his weather back LOL.

A worthy tip.................... water your confined birds in a deep large pan, they will hop in and cool their feet and legs. It realy helps to keep them comfortable in their own way without the hassle of other more extreme methods. I haven't lost any birds to the heat and nobody but nobody is getting this kind of weather, it's just plain terrible.

OK rant over LOL, Hope everybody is doing well.

AL

 

[knjinnm]

Hi All,
We are finally receiving a bit of rain in 87008 NM. When it's not raining our temps have been in the low 90's but the humidity is 18-23%, really dry. As long as there is shade and cool water everyone is OK.
Al thanks for suggesting food baths for the birds. I also have a spot where I can dampen loose soil so the birds can dust in somewhat moist soil to cool themselves.

Stay cool everyone

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Oh Steve, I'm so sorry.

The heat wave over there has made the news here and I feel sorry for you all. I am not looking forward to summer. We regally get over 110f and I measured 120f in the shade under my carport the summer before last but I was in town with no chickens then. Last summer was unusually cool, only a handful of days over 105f and my chickens didn't enjoy that so I'm sure they are going to really struggle if we have a hot one this year.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

I've had about a dozen heat casualties thus far. Frankenchicken "Ford" was first. She had spent several days just panting. That morning she was fine. At evening snack time (I throw food to distract while I collect eggs) Ford was under their house dead. I had figured it was just a matter of time before the heat got her.

The young cockerals have been bit the hardest. I lost six yesterday. I would have thought three to four month olds would have done better.

I'm going to keep reading how you folks keep your birds cooler and see what else I can do here. Where the heck have my afternoon thunder showers gone?

 

[al6517]

I think it's a good idea if we discuss different way's we all keep our birds healthy in this heat. I don't mean misters and treats with high moisture content, I mean real solutions you have come up with for everybody's particular situation what ever they may be. This could be helpful to alot of folks as they see idea's they say hey that is like my set-up and I may try that, What do Ya'll think ??.

AL

 

[pepper48_98]

Al, I think that is a great idea.

I have a feed pan about14 inches in dia in the coop with water so they can get into it to cool their feet. In other pens, I make a mud whole. I also give them fresh cool water when I get home grom work so they can get a drink of water that isn't 100+. This has helped so far. I have been told that they cool themselves through their feet as well as panting.

Any more thoughts?