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The heat has already been pretty hard on my chickens the past week, and it's expected to get considerably worse over the next week. I live in what's normally a very mild, temperate climate so they're really not used to much heat, and I'm worried about them. They have shade, but are there other things I could be doing to help them manage? No air conditioning (  ) so the house isn't going to be much cooler if at all.
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Jul 13, 2022 23:27
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| # ? May 21, 2024 21:18 |
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Enfys posted:The heat has already been pretty hard on my chickens the past week, and it's expected to get considerably worse over the next week.  they cool down by dustbathing, so if they have a favourite bathing place in the shade, dampening the soil a few times during the day will help them with that. if they have a tree or a bush for shade, you can hose it down as well so it blocks more heat. we don't have any trees in our yard, so on our super-hot days (over about 35c) i pile green leafy boughs on top of the quail cage and wet them down. you could do the same with some fresh boughs in the chicken coop, just to give them somewhere to go if they start to get in distress. maybe if the house gets too hot you and the pup and the chooks can all sit in the bower together.
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Jul 13, 2022 23:45
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I bought some battery powered fans and they’ve been really great. They last for hours. Geek Aire Rechargeable Outdoor High Velocity Floor Fan,10'' Portable 7800mAh Battery Operated Fan with Metal Blade,360°Vertical Tilt, 24 h Run Time Cordless Fan for Camping Travel Tent Hurricane Home https://a.co/iqC1tBG
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Jul 14, 2022 00:28
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lekker posted:
The tufts on their heads!
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Jul 14, 2022 05:02
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I just want to share the fun I had yesterday. I’ve had to move back in with my dad for reasons. He has chickens. 1 rooster and 3 hens. He did have about 8 hens at one point but lost some between a raccoon that found it’s way into the coop one night and a few dying of old age. Anyway one of his hens went broody a little bit back and the first chick hatched yesterday.  It’s so cute and fluffy :3. It’s made me realize I definitely want chickens when I get back on my feet and get another house. If I remember I’ll try and get some pictures of the rooster and the girls when I get home from work.
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Jul 14, 2022 13:04
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katka posted:I just want to share the fun I had yesterday. I’ve had to move back in with my dad for reasons. He has chickens. 1 rooster and 3 hens. He did have about 8 hens at one point but lost some between a raccoon that found it’s way into the coop one night and a few dying of old age. That little fella looks both  and like they are plotting the overthrow of all world governments. Your first chick is the Adorable Villain of a Disney movie.
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Jul 14, 2022 14:30
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So cute!
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Jul 14, 2022 14:37
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Jul 14, 2022 15:19
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Any tips for keeping chickens cool overnight? During the day I'm not too concerned as their run is in a cool area and they have plenty of water. But their coop is an Eglu, and next week temperatures are going to be 37C so I'm worried about them staying cool at night.
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Jul 14, 2022 15:28
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You could set up removable birdnetting over the windows so you can let it open during the night.
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Jul 14, 2022 16:08
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Razakai posted:Any tips for keeping chickens cool overnight? During the day I'm not too concerned as their run is in a cool area and they have plenty of water. But their coop is an Eglu, and next week temperatures are going to be 37C so I'm worried about them staying cool at night. You could use a battery powered fan pointed right at their faces or put frozen bottles of water in the coop at bedtime. Or use both and they’d have air conditioning 
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Jul 14, 2022 16:18
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katka posted:I just want to share the fun I had yesterday. I’ve had to move back in with my dad for reasons. He has chickens. 1 rooster and 3 hens. He did have about 8 hens at one point but lost some between a raccoon that found it’s way into the coop one night and a few dying of old age. it's so wee 
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Jul 14, 2022 18:16
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There isn't a day with a high below 105F for at least the next 10 days here. 
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Jul 15, 2022 00:34
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I'm definitely going to stock up on ice packs for the chickens. Poor things were already panting at night - they're just too fluffy.
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Jul 15, 2022 10:53
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Going to hit over 40°C / 105°F here in the UK (for the first time ever) Monday and Tuesday. Got the ladies in the hall with fans on them for the hottest times. Also had Bella at the vets this morning. She's been panting a lot and also looking weirdly spaced out, rather than her usual sharp as a track personality. It's like she's gone half-broody. Paid for vet x-ray, full blood tests and put a camera down her throat (no narrowing or gapeworm), but nothing's conclusive as yet. Loxicom and antibiotics for the next few days and cooling pads to sit on.  Edit/update: She's not doing well. 
spookygonk fucked around with this message at 12:58 on Jul 17, 2022 |
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Jul 15, 2022 17:49
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I remembered to grab some pictures of my dads chickens today. The rooster is Chuck and the hen is Number 1  The red hen is Dumpling. She’s gotten old and doesn’t lay anymore but my dad loves her and keeps her for a pet.  Didn’t get a picture of momma hen (her name is number 2) cause she was sitting on her nest and I didn’t want to bother her too much. One more egg has hatched so far. Both the chicks have been brought inside and put in a box with a heat lamp and all that (brooding box?). We’re gonna go to the feed and seed store tomorrow and see if they have some chicks we can get too. My dad figured if he is gonna raise 2 he may as well raise 10.
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Jul 15, 2022 23:45
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It's consistently been over 100F for the past month here in Texas. I've gotten my chickens a swamp cooler and they love it.
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Jul 16, 2022 00:04
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katka posted:Didn’t get a picture of momma hen (her name is number 2) cause she was sitting on her nest and I didn’t want to bother her too much. One more egg has hatched so far. Both the chicks have been brought inside and put in a box with a heat lamp and all that (brooding box?). We’re gonna go to the feed and seed store tomorrow and see if they have some chicks we can get too. My dad figured if he is gonna raise 2 he may as well raise 10. Why is your dad raising the chicks and not the hen? Take the lazy road and let her do it  My favorite hen, Blazer, went missing yesterday and this morning I found a pile of feathers in the woods. It had only been a day after she began weaning her chicks, which was about the same time frame we lost Penny. I wonder if she died a natural death like Penny and was carried off. Blazer was such a fierce bitch I can’t imagine a predator choosing her over some of the dumber birds. RIP, favorite bird.  This is with her 2 chicks when they were brand new.
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Jul 16, 2022 00:26
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City of Glompton fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Oct 9, 2022 |
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Jul 16, 2022 03:32
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Er, chicken people, is this normal? Edit: Putting it in spoilers because some people might find it distressing. https://i.imgur.com/RwMgpCv.mp4 Cythereal fucked around with this message at 17:28 on Jul 18, 2022 |
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Jul 18, 2022 15:51
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It made me cringe when I saw it in the other thread for sure.
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Jul 18, 2022 17:04
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Some breeds are more prone so getting human-aggressive but mostly it’s because you did something the rooster didn’t like and he sees you as a threat. I like nice roosters so I never let anyone (kids) chase a chicken so my rooster won’t see people as a danger to his hens or chicks. Especially for a young or shy rooster, I put treats near him first so he can “find” food for his ladies and not see me as competition. It also helps him get some credit with the hens for being a good provider. I’ve only had to put down one rooster for aggression and it was really because my husband walked too quickly through the chicken area with a shovel and set off the rooster’s alarm bells. After that he saw my husband as a danger that he had to ward off. As for the guy in the video, he handled that all wrong and kicking a being 1/40th of your size is an rear end in a top hat move.
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Jul 18, 2022 17:15
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Super rear end in a top hat move and will only make the rooster more aggro because he was right, you are a threat Bird bones are easy as hell to break and the bird couldn’t have really done him harm anyway. I’ve never had a rooster draw blood at all, but if I accidentally stepped on one they would be dead. The dynamics just don’t speak to a need for violence. Also chickens are super sweet and wonderful and they are my friends
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Jul 18, 2022 17:52
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So it's been a while since I posted about my chooks. I believe the last post had covered after Mama dying suddenly and all five chooks babies were growing up nicely. Ruffle, Fluffle, and Jason were definitely boys and had to go. QT was certainly a girl and the jury was out on the runt of the clutch, Freckle. Freckle eventually grew into this dude:  Definitely a roo with all the crowing that entailed. And here's little QT:  Definitely a hen because she eventually started laying. Unfortunately, on the day my wife finally came up with a re-home strategy for Freckle, we get a notice from animal control that the chickens weren't allowed at all. Especially because of the complaint that was filed with them. Supposedly we're need to have a permit, and we're now banned for some indefinite time. So both went to their new home. Which is actually their original home where they were hatched. QT just hatched her own chicks and is being a good mommy even in the terrible heat. Freckle's the dad, unfortunately. It won't happen again, though, as he earned his way to the dinner table through some aggressive behavior. I always found aggression with him to be a funny subject. He never tried anything with me. Probably due to the fact that, as mentioned above, I basically delivered food and water to him and didn't chase either one around. The kids had a tendency to chase and probably earned their reward. I have no idea why he ever tried attacking my wife, though. That one was a mystery. So yeah, there's the end to my chicken tales for now.
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Jul 18, 2022 18:12
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Bella update: Blood work shows her kidneys are failing, which explains the lack of poops and her appearing vague a lot of the time. Her weight has been slowly going down these last few days and her crop wasn't empty this morning. We have her on new meds to try and get the kidneys working, but it's a long shot. Looks like Bella is winding down. We're keeping her safe, cool and comfortable. 
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Jul 19, 2022 09:08
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I’m so sorry.
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Jul 19, 2022 09:40
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You take such good care of them  I'm so sorry
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Jul 19, 2022 10:45
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Best wishes for you, Bella, you beautiful girl.
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Jul 19, 2022 11:58
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I mentioned the wading pool a page or so back. With the incredible heat this week we've taken to freezing half-gallon jugs of water and then keeping one in the wading pool during the heat of the day, rotating them as they thaw. Every time I look out the window I see all the girls standing in the pool.
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Jul 19, 2022 14:30
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I've been putting ice blocks out in their little pool as well as giving them frozen cucumbers and the like, but they are looking pretty miserable especially after it failed to really cool down last night
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Jul 19, 2022 14:44
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Unrelated. I let my girls roam the yard freely during the day and it's mostly fine because my house is brick and stone and my fence is galvanized sheet-metal, but any wood anywhere they can reach they're rapidly in the process of absolutely destroying, like one strip of wood on the side of our house and an old wooden shed. Anything I can do besides tack up chicken wire everywhere they can reach? There aren't any termites in this wood that I can tell (I put out bait traps earlier this year).
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Jul 19, 2022 17:24
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Have you tried getting them a log? I’d guess your hens may just need some new toys.
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Jul 19, 2022 17:30
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Joburg posted:Have you tried getting them a log? I’d guess your hens may just need some new toys. No, I hadn't even considered it because they seemed fairly content hunting around the yard for bugs and stuff. Good idea.
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Jul 19, 2022 18:45
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Joburg posted:Have you tried getting them a log? I’d guess your hens may just need some new toys. I’d love to come live with some chickens. But I’m quite happy where I am, thanks.
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Jul 19, 2022 19:11
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Captain Log posted:I’d love to come live with some chickens. But I’m quite happy where I am, thanks. Now how am I going to keep them entertained?!
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Jul 19, 2022 19:46
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40c in london, this is terrible i'm praying for swift relief for your chickens, enfys! if they get very stressed, could you dip them in water and let them just run around wet? i've never done it before and am not sure if it would shock them too badly. it's very sad to hear about bella's diagnosis. the final decline of a grand old creature is poignant to witness. all of your hens are so important. they know it, too - their presence and dignity in every photo is adorable. bella will have the most comfortable and dedicated end-of-life of literally any chicken on earth, after an extraordinary and beautiful lifetime 
mahershalalhashbaz fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Jul 19, 2022 |
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Jul 19, 2022 22:17
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Joburg posted:Why is your dad raising the chicks and not the hen? Take the lazy road and let her do it Momma hen kept wanting to get off the nest and not sit on the rest of the eggs after the first two chicks hatched. My dad took them in and she got back in the rest of the eggs. She’s still sitting on them but no more have hatched. I don’t think any more will but my dad wants to let her sit on them a few more days.  Here a picture of momma I managed to take when she got off the nest to eat and get some water.  Here’s the chicks in their brooding box. They love getting the wood shavings in their water. We have to clean it several times a day. The two black ones are the ones our hen hatched. The other 8 are Easter eggers we got from the local feed and seed.  Bonus picture of the feed and seeds mascot. His name is Roscoe. They’ve had him for about 15 years. He’s mean but beautiful.
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Jul 19, 2022 23:47
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We might be getting some Americanas and rhode island reds this weekend to join our flock. Anyone know the best way to introduce chicks to a flock while keeping them safe, would putting them in a cage in the main coop work?
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Jul 20, 2022 03:47
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Joburg posted:Now how am I going to keep them entertained?! Alright, you win. I'll be available for Chicken Time at some point next week.
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Jul 20, 2022 14:04
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| # ? May 21, 2024 21:18 |
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ChaseSP posted:We might be getting some Americanas and rhode island reds this weekend to join our flock. Anyone know the best way to introduce chicks to a flock while keeping them safe, would putting them in a cage in the main coop work? That can work pretty well, I did that with my 4 week old naked neck chicks. They were in the cage in the coop at night, and in an outdoor pen near the coop during the day. I think I moved them back and forth for about a week before I started leaving their pen door open during the day. They followed a couple of the mama hens & chicks around but I still had to round them up at nighttime for a few weeks. You do need to be very careful if the chicks are less than ~16 weeks old and the flock is in run 24-7. It’s easy for the size difference and confinement to be an issue. One more note, Rhode Island Reds are often bullies and Ameraucanas are not usually assertive at all. You might re-think one of those breeds if you can.
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Jul 20, 2022 16:13
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