Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Sequel]

Whew! I've had a crazy past 10 days or so and had many many pages to catch up on.
Glad to hear most people have come through the heat wave alright, I've been watching the news about it and hoping the chickens would all be OK.

I've had my in-laws visiting, then the memorial and spreading ashes for my mum who died last year, which necessitated more family members visiting. Oh and I quit my job! Quite the emotional rollercoaster around here.

In chicken news, the little cockerel who got to stay has taken full advantage of his ability to crow without competition. We have called him Squeaky as a temporary name. Droplet is still broody, I've not given her any real eggs, hopefully she gives up without having to be broken. She's eating and drinking and generally keeping herself healthy.

It's been raining a lot here so I haven't got any fresh chicken tax, but here is a landscape of the bay where we put my mums ashes out to the ocean. It was a beautiful and not raining day!

View attachment 3192948

I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother. To spread her ashes in such an exquisite setting was truly an act of love.

 

[no fly zone]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

82 partly sunny 80 % humidity feels like 100 rain off and on.

Have a great day!

100 here, feels like 113. My thermometer in the coop reads 92 though. Fan is making a cool breeze. Just put two frozen water bottles in the waterer.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not sure it counts as much as the type of environment the chickens and their ascendants have been raised in.

I'll go for that.

 

[Shadrach]

One word to describe softness, I think I would use Cashmere.

How about fine Merino wool? I like my cashmere jumpers but I rarely wear them. Don' really want chicken shite on them.
The Merino wool stuff I find is as comfortable and easier to look after.

 

[BDutch]

Hi Shad, you are late this evening to reply. No problems with mr C or public transport today?

Here it started to rain. The end of 2 hot days.
Chickens and birds and wasps have a feast. There are too many pears this year.

 

[Shadrach]

100 here, feels like 113. My thermometer in the coop reads 92 though. Fan is making a cool breeze. Just put two frozen water bottles in the waterer.

I think you've posted pictures of your coop but I can't find them.
Have you considered a double layer roof?
Basically you make a second roof about 10% larger than the current roof. Then make some standoffs about 4 inches high. Provided it's not too windy you don't need to go mad securing the standoffs and the second roof to the original.
On the top of the new second roof glue reflective foil. Air moves between the two roofs and the reflective foil reflects away a lot of the heat.
Bear in mind that this isn't a permenant structure (although I've seen a couple of coops with this feature built in) and the foil is cheap and easy to get.

 

[BDutch]

I think you've posted pictures of your coop but I can't find them.
Have you considered a double layer roof?
Basically you make a second roof about 10% larger than the current roof. Then make some standoffs about 4 inches high. Provided it's not too windy you don't need to go mad securing the standoffs and the second roof to the original.
On the top of the new second roof glue reflective foil. Air moves between the two roofs and the reflective foil reflects away a lot of the heat.
Bear in mind that this isn't a permenant structure (although I've seen a couple of coops with this feature built in) and the foil is cheap and easy to get.

On top of the lid of the laying nest I stapled a piece of alu screen / foil that was used to keep the sun out of the car.
The lid was oriented south and it got very hot in there. Now it doesn’t anymore.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi Shad, you are late this evening to reply. No problems with mr C or public transport today?

Here it started to rain. The end of 2 hot days.

View attachment 3193826
Chickens and birds and wasps have a feast. There are too more pears this year.

Transport all ran well today and C left me some potatoes.
The reason I'm late is it rained a bit today and the temperature was around 25C to 22C which is just right for me.
I did some chicken moving.
There are two hens who now always use the new coop. Sometimes three hens will roost in there. I've watched a number of hens show interest in the coop at dusk but they've either stopped at the top of the ramp, or gone and and come back out.
I need to speed up the coop occupancy a bit. It's not finished yet but it's good enough to live in. I don't see why it should just be humans who have to put up with building being done while you're trying to live in the house.
So, I put a few in there this evening; eight to be exact, two of which came straight back out.

What else does one do on a pleasant British summer night.

 

[MaryJanet]

I think you've posted pictures of your coop but I can't find them.
Have you considered a double layer roof?
Basically you make a second roof about 10% larger than the current roof. Then make some standoffs about 4 inches high. Provided it's not too windy you don't need to go mad securing the standoffs and the second roof to the original.
On the top of the new second roof glue reflective foil. Air moves between the two roofs and the reflective foil reflects away a lot of the heat.
Bear in mind that this isn't a permenant structure (although I've seen a couple of coops with this feature built in) and the foil is cheap and easy to get.

What a good idea. Soon, I'll have to make a roof for the new roost. I'll keep this technique in mind. Do you think mini orb might be reflective enough? It has a galvanised finish. I could put up a mini orb roof, then do a ply ceiling under it to make the breezeway.

 

[no fly zone]

I think you've posted pictures of your coop but I can't find them.
Have you considered a double layer roof?
Basically you make a second roof about 10% larger than the current roof. Then make some standoffs about 4 inches high. Provided it's not too windy you don't need to go mad securing the standoffs and the second roof to the original.
On the top of the new second roof glue reflective foil. Air moves between the two roofs and the reflective foil reflects away a lot of the heat.
Bear in mind that this isn't a permenant structure (although I've seen a couple of coops with this feature built in) and the foil is cheap and easy to get.

My birds are doing fine. The coop has a high ceiling and plenty of ventilation, plus shade cloth.

Florida gets plenty of wind (hurricanes yay).