[Oliveview]

Just phoned hubby back in Spain (I'm in the UK, brother ill) and he said one of the ' big hens' (Rhode Island Red?) died.  The heat has been dreadful, well over 44 deg. She was suffering with the heat yesterday and he and the neighbour cooled her down and sh elooked fine but this morning she was dead.  We suspect she was the one laying the soft egg.
Still, it the scheme of things as they are at the moment, she had a good life, even if it were short.  
I've put up triple layer of shading on the run and they have shading down the side of the hen house and run and they are surrounded by orange trees giving shade, we check the water every couple of hours to make sure they are ok. Hope the heat breaks soon.  Hubby said it is far too hot to even try to go outside.
Pamela (in the UK)

[Aunt Sally]

That is horrendously hot Pamela.  I would think your hens lay hard boiled eggs  :!:

[ssatt44]

The heat can be hard on these kids. Are they going into their "house" during the highest heat time? Normally mine have their water out in the run, but I thought they were not coming out to drink and so added a waterer in the shed. I add some electrolite to the water. I'm using a horse type (green apple flavor) and they LOVE their "punch".  You can also help by adding a small fan. I added a mister system during our "dry" heat time that really helped, but hated the soggy litter. Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost four 6 week olds this weekend. Monsoon is here and all 24 of them piled into a corner during a really heavy thunder storm.

sharon in arizona

[Oliveview]

They normally huddle close up to the side of the outside bit of the run close to the water supply and right up in the shade in the ' hollow' they have scratched out (the booby trap for me when it is dark).  Can't rig up a fan as it is too far from the house for a power supply. Will tell hubby about the electrodes though, thanks.  Sorry to hear about your hens dying in the monsoon rains.
Pamela

[WG.]

Don't say I didn't warn you Pamela ... http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=25499#25499  - pity the July sunshine never appeared for us this year

Really sorry to hear about your chook though.

[Oliveview]

Hubby says it was even too hot for him to go for a swim.... I'm not there to rub the factor 40 into his pale Scottish skin!! How he longs to go brown instead of a nice shade of red
I hope the rest of the birds are ok.  They are still laying every day he says
Pamela (now in UK)

[ssatt44]

The other arizona trick is to stand up wooden pallets in a square with a solid plywood top (or old door) for a breezy run-in shelter (shade +breeze). If you have a hose that will reach, spray down the ground in the run several times a day. Cooling down the ground seems to help. Some of mine come out to "bath" in the spray and roll in the mud  :o


sharon in arizona