What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

It's been so hot here in the Florida Panhandle! We have 8 week old babies that we are trying to get into the run, but had to deal with 9 unexpected roosters first! Now, we are in the middle of building a mini run we started - but it's dang near 100 degrees out and is well over that with the heat index.

The weather is so hot that the few chickens we have left are hanging out in the coop. I am bringing them ice water occasionally, which they are guzzling down like it's the last water on the planet.

Must be miserable with the humidity. Sorry. I run water on my trees to attract the goobers to cool their feet and therefor bodies. Frozen fruit, frozen water bottles in their waters, electrolytes in water, shade cloth - lots of shade is the best- fan on low in coop at night. @kurby22 & @ChicksnMore are the queens of boiling hot conditions and smart seasoned keepers. I'm sure they will chime in soon. Keep up the good work!!!!

 

[TaylorGlade]

Must be miserable with the humidity. Sorry. I run water on my trees to attract the goobers to cool their feet and therefor bodies. Frozen fruit, frozen water bottles in their waters, electrolytes in water, shade cloth - lots of shade is the best- fan on low in coop at night. @kurby22 & @ChicksnMore are the queens of boiling hot conditions and smart seasoned keepers. I'm sure they will chime in soon. Keep up the good work!!!!

The mini run isn't part of the coop. It's a separate area of the main run, but we do have a large oscillating fan in the main run that covers half of the mini-run as it rotates. We wanted to make sure they could get away from the fan if the needed. The entire run is covered with a reflective tarp or metal roofing. How hot is too hot for 8 week old cream legbar chicks?

 

[ChicksnMore]

Wow! One of my hens layed a JUMBO egg this morning! Most are around 43 grams in weight. This one... over 75 grams! It was bigger than the ceramic egg in the nest! I'm amazed and proud!

View attachment 3599403View attachment 3599402

I want to know how many yolks are in that! Poor lady must have worked hard to lay that one

 

[Nomadicus]

I found a hidden nest this morning with enough eggs in it for a full clutch. I got a quick glance after prying a hen from it. Looks like she was on 12-14 which is a lot for the little Bresse hen. If she is off of the next tonight I'll remove them and toss to the crows for keeping the hawks away. No hawks in the area for sometime now. Crows are hanging around most every day now.

 

[ChicksnMore]

The mini run isn't part of the coop. It's a separate area of the main run, but we do have a large oscillating fan in the main run that covers half of the mini-run as it rotates. We wanted to make sure they could get away from the fan if the needed. The entire run is covered with a reflective tarp or metal roofing. How hot is too hot for 8 week old cream legbar chicks?

From what I've seen, chicks handle the heat better than adults and the old old chickens struggle the most. So if your adults are doing well, then the 8 week olds should be just fine too. Sounds like you're handling it well!
Where I am it's dry desert and I use deep shade and shallow wading bowls to get my birds through it. I don't know how much wading bowls would help in your humidity. But I can tell you here just shade and wading bowls gets my birds through safely even in monsoon humidity. To give you an idea of how hot chickens can manage, my area can hit upto 117° and averages temps in the 100's. Mine get a large bowl to be sure they don't run out, and shallow bowls they can stand in. They like to lie against the big bowl and stand in the shallow. They also get fully covered runs with summer roosting bars so they don't try to use closed, hot coops for shade. Covered runs let's them catch every bit of breeze they can. I think as long as the temperature spike isn't too sudden and the birds have ways to self-regulate, they do ok.

 

[TaylorGlade]

From what I've seen, chicks handle the heat better than adults and the old old chickens struggle the most. So if your adults are doing well, then the 8 week olds should be just fine too. Sounds like you're handling it well!
Where I am it's dry desert and I use deep shade and shallow wading bowls to get my birds through it. I don't know how much wading bowls would help in your humidity. But I can tell you here just shade and wading bowls gets my birds through safely even in monsoon humidity. To give you an idea of how hot chickens can manage, my area can hit upto 117° and averages temps in the 100's. Mine get a large bowl to be sure they don't run out, and shallow bowls they can stand in. They like to lie against the big bowl and stand in the shallow. They also get fully covered runs with summer roosting bars so they don't try to use closed, hot coops for shade. Covered runs let's them catch every bit of breeze they can. I think as long as the temperature spike isn't too sudden and the birds have ways to self-regulate, they do ok.

Thank you. The oldest are just 8 months. The whole run is covered. We just brought them some cold water but I cannot get them to stand in it. I've been trying to get them to use it all summer. I also just brought out some frozen veggies. I also have put out frozen ice jugs and cold water but they won't lean on it.

 

[kurby22]

Spent most of the day with the pig, Mojo. The harness is a smashing success. By his evening treatment he was at least temporarily over his fear. He even ate a little out of my hand. Sniffed my fingers and didn't run the last time I sat down near him and scooched closer. His deepest wound has quit oozing puss and finally looks clean. Now just need to keep it that way til it closes.

I'm soooo glad the piggy harness has helped!! That is so very great that it's easier for you and things are looking cleaner!

OMG! He is not phased by the rat at all! Cheeky little sod (the rat, I mean)!
Penelope has started stalking the baby rats here again. She is getting a bit obsessed and even screamed at Elliot (the cat) to hand over the rat he caught. He dropped it in shock and it made good it's escape. Bloody Penelope!

Hahaha, I wish I could experience your flock! They all sound so entertaining and charismatic! It was really disconcerting watching the rat run around and climb up on Emilio and there wasn't any response at all! It was rather fascinating in a way! Haha.

Poor little Shadow! Maybe he thought he was being dumped again? Having said that, both my cats are impossible to travel with. They both scream blue murder and Grace is so frightened she once pooped herself
Odd thing is, while Grace will hide if she sees the cat crate, Elliot will happily go in it and close the door behind him. Go figure!

Yeah, that is very possible!! He is such a sweet boy, but yeah....car rides and cat crates are never ideal for cats. Poor Grace, she sounds so sensitive! Elliot doesn't sound like he's really connecting the dots very well

Onyx was stuck again. What a silly, naughty chicken. Velma was tangled in the aviary netting that had been hanging down on the ground. Took several snips to cut the netting to get her out. That was scary. She looks to be alright, except for a slight limp. She had already had a hoppity skippity run, but the limp is a little more pronounced. Will what I think is a sprain heal on its own? No bumblefoot.

Onyx is committed to her naughtiness isn't she?? Poor Velma!! Bruno got himself caught in the bird netting once and was hanging by his spur. He too had a very pronounced limp and wouldn't stand on it for a couple of days, but he's fully back to his old ways, just needed some down time to let it get better. Hopefully it's the same with Velma!

It's been so hot here in the Florida Panhandle! We have 8 week old babies that we are trying to get into the run, but had to deal with 9 unexpected roosters first! Now, we are in the middle of building a mini run we started - but it's dang near 100 degrees out and is well over that with the heat index.

The weather is so hot that the few chickens we have left are hanging out in the coop. I am bringing them ice water occasionally, which they are guzzling down like it's the last water on the planet.

Yeah, the heat and humidity is tough!! It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things to help them out! I also give them watermelon, make ice cube yogurt treats, and keep their runs a bit wet to help with the heat. I am not sure the water is helpful with your humidity, so the fans are a great idea and maybe a shallow bowl they can stand in to cool their feet. I buy lunch pack cooler packs and freeze them and then put them in the shallow bowl/dish to keep the water cool or just lay out the frozen packs and they stand on them to cool down. 8-week-olds are good at piling so a big ice pack would be nice for them to lay on or stand near it as a group!

 

[TaylorGlade]

Yeah, the heat and humidity is tough!! It sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things to help them out! I also give them watermelon, make ice cube yogurt treats, and keep their runs a bit wet to help with the heat. I am not sure the water is helpful with your humidity, so the fans are a great idea and maybe a shallow bowl they can stand in to cool their feet. I buy lunch pack cooler packs and freeze them and then put them in the shallow bowl/dish to keep the water cool or just lay out the frozen packs and they stand on them to cool down. 8-week-olds are good at piling so a big ice pack would be nice for them to lay on or stand near it as a group!

How about frozen 20 oz water bottles? I tried milk jugs with the older ones and they just ignore it and the water to walk in.

 

[Nomadicus]

We are getting pummeled now and the power is off. Wireless is on backup power until the power company finds the outage spot. I want to go out and check on the youngest of the kids but there is nothing I can really do for them. Their coop is open and they know how to get in it. This is just their very first storm. They have never even see rain before.

 

[TaylorGlade]

We are getting pummeled now and the power is off. Wireless is on backup power until the power company finds the outage spot. I want to go out and check on the youngest of the kids but there is nothing I can really do for them. Their coop is open and they know how to get in it. This is just their very first storm. They have never even see rain before.

I worried during our chickens first storm too. I even went out and checked on them. But when I went out, they were all just fine and on their roosts. Hang in there. Stay safe and I hope you get power back soon