Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[roosterhavoc]

the worst time for mine is 2-5 pm that's when they follow the shade in their pens. My pens face north to south if they were east to west it would be brutal on them

Same here. Although I should face them east and west in winter to warm them up. Been meaning to do that but by the time I think about it there is 2 ft of snow on the ground.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Got one pumpkin and black out so far. 28 to go. This is my last incubator hatch and I'm packing them up. Got a few hens still setting but no idea when hatch day is for any of em lol

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

the worst time for mine is 2-5 pm that's when they follow the shade in their pens. My pens face north to south if they were east to west it would be brutal on them

2-5 is hot here too, I think the humidity is what got them today, (they are feeling better now, preening and roosting on basket and moving around the edges more and making lots of small chicken talk versus just panting in the basket)... my birds have a covered coop in an area that gets some shade in the afternoon so I think that normally helps and they have a section that is always well shaded, but it was just not the normal weather today at all for them. When I can let them out to roam I have lots of trees so there is shade all over the yard for them. But I have got to watch them as hawks, dogs, cats and so on have gotten in my yard before so when I am at work they can't roam... it is absolutely no fun coming home to blood and feathers everywhere. I also put their coop on bricks to prevent burrowing or digging critters from getting in at night 'cause I have lost birds in the past to night raids by various critters too.

I am going to put in a second "coop", really my coop is very small. Hubby has agreed to more birds. So I will probably build a second small one... next is to hash out with hubby breed. I am pretty sure if I bring chicks home the dominate EE hen will foster them no problem as she is always trying to incubate eggs.

I have been showing him breeds... he is afraid of me bringing a rooster home though. I bounced setting eggs under the hens off of him but he was afraid of getting boys so I had to junk that idea.

I am open to a variety of breeds myself.

 

[B123]

the worst time for mine is 2-5 pm that's when they follow the shade in their pens. My pens face north to south if they were east to west it would be brutal on them

If heat is a real issue, you can try feeding early in the morning and later in the evening, but take any feed away from them during the day. It is kind of interesting how it works. A lot of heat is generated as they metabolize and digest feed. It is somewhat counter intuitive, but when I was a kid, we raised meat birds for exhibition and did this. Heat is hard on birds and while the meat birds did not grow as fast on restricted feed, they stayed alive on the worst hot and humid days.

Just keep plenty of water in front of them and shade.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

If heat is a real issue, you can try feeding early in the morning and later in the evening, but take any feed away from them during the day. It is kind of interesting how it works. A lot of heat is generated as they metabolize and digest feed. It is somewhat counter intuitive, but when I was a kid, we raised meat birds for exhibition and did this. Heat is hard on birds and while the meat birds did not grow as fast on restricted feed, they stayed alive on the worst hot and humid days.

Just keep plenty of water in front of them and shade.

Interesting... I think I might be able to do that by cutting the feed ration in half in the AM (I actually go to work in the morning before the chickens get up) & then say around 7pm give them the other half? I will of course check the water again in the afternoon when I get home.

 

[sdm111]

If heat is a real issue, you can try feeding early in the morning and later in the evening, but take any feed away from them during the day.  It is kind of interesting how it works.  A lot of heat is generated as they metabolize and digest feed.  It is somewhat counter intuitive, but when I was a kid, we raised meat birds for exhibition and did this.  Heat is hard on birds and while the meat birds did not grow as fast on restricted feed, they stayed alive on the worst hot and humid days.  

Just keep plenty of water in front of them and shade.

thanks for the info, they fine with the way the pens are set up all but about a foot on each side from ground up is covered and shady. With my work they all get fed at 4:45-5:00 pm everyday.

Now if they were facing E. To W. The sun would beat into the front and back cause of no shade

Where I'm at specifically I have more of a problem with water than sun. But that's only in the spring, hurricane season, and with cold fronts oh wait that covers the whole year lol

 

[flypen]

Well, it looks like so far out of the ones I have feathered out I only have one buttermilk colored pullet this year.

 

[B123]

Interesting... I think I might be able to do that by cutting the feed ration in half in the AM (I actually go to work in the morning before the chickens get up) & then say around 7pm give them the other half? I will of course check the water again in the afternoon when I get home.

That should be fine. The main idea is not to make them too hungry, but get the feed out of them during the middle of the day when it is the hottest. We only did this on the days when it was supposed to be unusually hot and humid. I would guess every area is different and birds are pretty adaptable.

 

[B123]

thanks for the info, they fine with the way the pens are set up all but about a foot on each side from ground up is covered and shady. With my work they all get fed at 4:45-5:00 pm everyday.

Now if they were facing E. To W. The sun would beat into the front and back cause of no shade

Where I'm at specifically I have more of a problem with water than sun. But that's only in the spring, hurricane season, and with cold fronts oh wait that covers the whole year lol

You are welcome. It sounds like you have it covered with the later feeding. I can't imagine the heat and humidity you have in the summer! I think it is bad enough up here when is is 90 some degrees with 90 some percent humidity, but a little reprieve at night.

 

[flypen]

Pure Blueface, notice all the chicks have white tips on their feathers.