Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I usually lose 2 or 3 every summer to the heat. And mostly it's a young bird a year old or less.

I think I've got one with heat stroke now. But, she's drinking and eating, just not quite right.

 

[GregnLety]

I think I've got one with heat stroke now. But, she's drinking and eating, just not quite right.

I have a buff Orpington in a similar state. She's been sick for a week now. Gorda recovered more quickly and has been outside ever since. 102 now with an index of 109. Fresh water twice a day and we soaked their lots around lunchtime.

 

[Shadrach]

It was 33C ish at some point early afternoon and then the rain rolled in. By the time I got to the allotments it was around 27C. When I left it was under 25C. It is supposed to drop to 15C overnight. That's a 17C drop in temperature in around 12 hours.
This is rather extreme for the UK.
Anyway, it's cooler, a lot cooler and hopefully transport problems will ease.
It should also mean I can get more done in a visit. Nobody wants to work in the heat.
I did the basic stuff, water, cleaning and feeding and then just sat in my chair watching chickens. There was a refreshing cool but strong breeze blowing across the alltoments but enough heat left in the ground when the sun sank to make sitting in a T shirt pleasant.

 

[no fly zone]

Well, it's been approx. two months since Achilles first showed signs of Marek's. So far I have not seen any symptoms in any of the 11 birds still here. Am I in the clear?

 

[Shadrach]

I have a buff Orpington in a similar state. She's been sick for a week now. Gorda recovered more quickly and has been outside ever since. 102 now with an index of 109. Fresh water twice a day and we soaked their lots around lunchtime.

Tend to be big girls the Buff Orpingtons.

There is quite a lot I could do about better shade if there was more room in the run. It's having to work in the run that is causing most of the problems.
Underneath the new coop works quite well. The bottom of the side panels don't reach the ground so air moves underneath.
Catalonia could turn out weeks of 35C plus weather, and a couple of my chicken keeping friends out there were Moroccans and they did some interesting stuff back home.
The tribes knew where every cool spot at any given time of day was. I didn't have to worry about them getting overheated. I've sat in a couple of their cool spots and I know I couldn't match them by making something.
It's not the same with the Ex Battery hens here because they are confined for most of the day.

 

[GregnLety]

Tend to be big girls the Buff Orpingtons.

There is quite a lot I could do about better shade if there was more room in the run. It's having to work in the run that is causing most of the problems.
Underneath the new coop works quite well. The bottom of the side panels don't reach the ground so air moves underneath.
Catalonia could turn out weeks of 35C plus weather, and a couple of my chicken keeping friends out there were Moroccans and they did some interesting stuff back home.
The tribes knew where every cool spot at any given time of day was. I didn't have to worry about them getting overheated. I've sat in a couple of their cool spots and I know I couldn't match them by making something.
It's not the same with the Ex Battery hens here because they are confined for most of the day.

Lety and I argue over letting them free range. I prefer it especially for the hot days. There's bushes, trees, plants, buildings and machines they can use for shade. She thinks that if they're out in the sun they'll expire more quickly. I try telling her the chickens know the cool spots. For example, I often block the kennel door open when the dogs are outside. The chickens will go in there and cool off and snack on the dog food.

 

[Shadrach]

Well, it's been approx. two months since Achilles first showed signs of Marek's. So far I have not seen any symptoms in any of the 11 birds still here. Am I in the clear?

No you're not. You are not clear with Mareks until you have no chickens that might have been in contact with the carrier. My understanding is that with certain types of Mareks the chicken can be a carrier but show no ill effects.
It's not a, you catch it and die, type of disease. You should close your flock and wait for them to die before you introduce new chickens. I don't know what the advice is about breeding within a possibly infected closed flock is. I suspect most would say it's not a good idea. I can think of a couple of circumstances where I would consider it.

There are a few on BYC that are coping or have coped with a Mareks infected group. IgorsMistress would tell you straight I believe. Perhaps chat to a couple.

 

[MaryJanet]

Tend to be big girls the Buff Orpingtons.

There is quite a lot I could do about better shade if there was more room in the run. It's having to work in the run that is causing most of the problems.
Underneath the new coop works quite well. The bottom of the side panels don't reach the ground so air moves underneath.
Catalonia could turn out weeks of 35C plus weather, and a couple of my chicken keeping friends out there were Moroccans and they did some interesting stuff back home.
The tribes knew where every cool spot at any given time of day was. I didn't have to worry about them getting overheated. I've sat in a couple of their cool spots and I know I couldn't match them by making something.
It's not the same with the Ex Battery hens here because they are confined for most of the day.

Is a misting system a possibility?

 

[TropicalBabies]

While I'm waiting for the temperature to drop...
Just one of the many pieces of misinformation about keeping chickens cool and heat tolerant chickens is the insistance that large combs, usually single uprights are better than other comb types when it comes to transfering heat to the environment. Just about every site I've looked at has these supposed guides on breeds that are heat tolerant.

So, what about these two? One might think that the rooster in picture 1 has the ideal comb type. But, in fact the rooster in picture 2 has a greater surface area of comb exposed because of all the bumps.
Pic1.
View attachment 3191939

Pic 2.
View attachment 3191940

I personally have not found the single comb to have any magic cooling features. I keep Brahma's believe it or not cuz they have handled the heat better than other breeds including the feral mixs.
I am still taking them up the mountain cuz it is best not to stress or chance it.

 

[no fly zone]

No you're not. You are not clear with Mareks until you have no chickens that might have been in contact with the carrier. My understanding is that with certain types of Mareks the chicken can be a carrier but show no ill effects.
It's not a, you catch it and die, type of disease. You should close your flock and wait for them to die before you introduce new chickens. I don't know what the advice is about breeding within a possibly infected closed flock is. I suspect most would say it's not a good idea. I can think of a couple of circumstances where I would consider it.

There are a few on BYC that are coping or have coped with a Mareks infected group. IgorsMistress would tell you straight I believe. Perhaps chat to a couple.

I meant am I in the clear as to not have to watch my entire flock die painfully. Also, I do not plan to get and/or breed any more chickens.