Ruby is unwell :(

[Kiki]

The tag says 0.7% and 0.5% for lysine and methionine.
You’re right; I have no way of knowing who is taking in oyster shell. Nobody has had issues with shell less eggs except Buttercup when she first came into lay and then again after molt.
I spoke (over email, I think) to a Modesto Milling rep once when my feed store had an old mill date and the person was pretty helpful. I may reach out and see if I can get those numbers. I am almost out of feed, so this is the perfect time to integrate a change.

If you get those numbers from them I really would appreciate if you send me a copy.

 

[micstrachan]

Will do. I just ran up the hill at lunch to check on Ruby. She seems a bit weak still, but not worse. She and about half of the others are open mouth breathing. I have misters and fans set up.
When I got home, I found Margo had smashed and was eating a very thin shelled egg that was not hers. It was in the box Ruby was in when I left. There’s another non-Margo egg in there, too, that I will check later.
Back to work I go.

 

[micstrachan]

Forgot to mention, it’s been more like a 35 degree upswing (from mid 50’s to low 90’s). The girls are not impressed.

 

[Kiki]

Thin shell eggs

The heat is no fun.


Don't worry about the panting...that is normal for them when dealing with the heat.

Ice water.

 

[Kathy Golla]

I know, seriously annoying. Its 87 here, feels like 100 somehow. Girls are not impressed. I put out a pan of water with a frozen water bottle and they like wading in the water and drinking it. Even the girls who dont like water end up perching on the side and dipping their toes.
Im thinking about misters, I will have to ask you about your setup.
Harder for me is cooling down the coop before bed, which is 92 right now. I have one of those quaker coops which I thought was great cause a person can stand up in it, but it has horrible ventilation and NO cross breeze. Or at least where we set it up has no cross breeze. I would do a few things differently next time.

 

[Kiki]

I know, seriously annoying. Its 87 here, feels like 100 somehow. Girls are not impressed. I put out a pan of water with a frozen water bottle and they like wading in the water and drinking it. Even the girls who dont like water end up perching on the side and dipping their toes.
Im thinking about misters, I will have to ask you about your setup.
Harder for me is cooling down the coop before bed, which is 92 right now. I have one of those quaker coops which I thought was great cause a person can stand up in it, but it has horrible ventilation and NO cross breeze. Or at least where we set it up has no cross breeze. I would do a few things differently next time.

Could you possible cut a hole and cover it with hardware cloth to help with the ventilation?

 

[Kathy Golla]

Ya the issue is it has to be weatherproof in the winter down to 20 degrees and handle lot of rain (like atmospheric river!) during the winter and spring!!!

 

[micstrachan]

Kathy, Ryobi makes a fan that can operate on their One+ tool battery. I’m thinking of getting one for my coop in summer. Today I just have a mister on the hose and box fan sitting on the ground, but last year these bucket misters from Home Depot saved me (well, actually, my girls).
That’s my little Rusty in the background.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Oh, interesting! I saw that on the home depot site and thought it was a bit pricey. Does that run on batteries? Do you like it?
My husband is a Ryobi One Tool nut so we have three of the fans of what you speak. We use them all over the place. The thing about a fan in the coop is you kind of have to have it somewhere the girls wont stick their beaks in it, or at least IMHO. The Ryobi fans are a little rattly, not super quiet, but what fan is. Something to consider at night. I have a Holmes exhaust fan up on the vent (two fans can blow in or suck out, Target), and then we use the Ryobi on the floor (it has good tilt), pointing up at the vent. Or Ive also had very good luck with a desk clip fan (Bed Bath Beyond, Target has too), runs on electricity but very flexible, two speeds and quiet.

 

[micstrachan]

Great ideas on the fans! Yes, I love the misters. They come with a battery equivalent to the Ryobi one plus. They only run a couple hours on one battery. If I put the fan on high and the mister on low, the battery and water run out at about the same time so the 5-gallon bucket does not run dry.

Here is a Ruby update:
Roosted in the coop again last night. This time they did not boot her out of her usual spot. She still face plants a bit when jumping off a high roost. Yesterday after work she free ranged a bit with her tail up. Hovered around me a little bit, which is unusual for her, but she’s vocalizing again, which is great. She was the first to turn in again last night, which is also unusual for her.
She seems a bit better, but still weak. Was in the nesting box this morning. I am hoping @KikisGirls is onto something and there is a nutritional issue that is not too late to correct.