Carol's Chickens

This morning Honey was spending time on the top of the storage cabinet or on the coop roof. I wasn’t sure if it was because something had spooked her. Occasionally all the girls give the alarm call when one of the neighbourhood cats gets too close, sometimes on the roof of the run.

A little later I heard one of the girls shouting and went to see what the problem was. I was surprised to see that it wasn’t any of the big girls as they were all in the garden area and were quiet. It is usually the big girls that do all the shouting. Honey was stood on the coop roof shouting at the top of her little voice. I first thought that perhaps she had been attacked but as I got closer I could see her looking down at the patio. I looked at the patio where she was looking and there was her broken egg.

She must have been on the coop roof and got caught out again. Her egg must have rolled down the coop and dropped to the patio and smashed open. She was obviously distressed by the egg breaking.

I quickly removed it and mopped up as the other girls came to see what was going on. I kept them away and washed every trace of egg from the patio. This is the first broken egg we have had. It was so fortunate that I was around and came as soon as she called. Any longer and the other girls may have found it and that can lead to egg eating problems.

I reassured Honey that everything was okay (I know they don’t understand my words but I also know my tone of voice gets some sort of message across, the same as theirs does to me) and Honey happily joined the other girls in the garden area. Crisis over!

How lucky that I was there and that I respond to their calls. It reminded me that there is often a reason for them calling out.

In the afternoon  when I went in to them, Amber emerged from the coop. I checked the nest box and there was Amber’s egg. I was really pleased that Amber had managed to get hers laid in the nest box, hurrah!

I was surprised that none of the big girls had laid, then something caught my eye just inside the coop door. There was Bluebell’s egg. I have never known Bluebell lay there before. I can only imagine that she hung on until the last minute because of the heat and then laid as soon as she went in. What an eventful egg laying day!

Yesterday was even hotter than the last few days! The air was still and heavy and we were due storms during the night. I had given the girls peas and apples in a tray of water but the run was dry, dusty and barren. We dug part of it over and poured water on it but the girls were lethargic.

We have had a really good crop of peas this year from our veg plot but they were now over and the plants were ready to come out. We decided to pull them out and put them in the run for the girls.

They loved them! The newly dug ground was forgotten as they piled into the pea plants. They scratched and pecked and pecked some more. I worried it would be too much and they would overfill their crops. They had so much fun.

They all get stuck into the pea plants

They were having a lovely time

The damp and recently dug ground behind the pea plants is ignored

Eventually they lined up in their usual spots ready for bedtime. We were forecast storms over night. I put the girls to bed and felt happy that when they come out in the morning, storms or not, they could get stuck into the pea plants again. There would be no need for their usual mid mornings greens, these will keep them happy all day whatever the weather brings.

Today was really hot again. I decided to try apples in the tray of cold water to give the girls variety. They didn’t like it as much as frozen peas but I think that’s because it takes more work to get the apple.

They all have a peck at the apples

Amber soon works out that it’s easier to take the apple out of the water

When I went back a short while later, there were only a few bits of apple still in the water. I think I will stick to frozen peas and sweetcorn.

Yesterday afternoon when I went in to the girls, both little girls were in the nest box. They came out for some treats and I found Amber’s egg in the run and Honey’s egg in the nest box. This egg laying lark still catches them out.

After the treats Honey returned to the nest box. I really don’t think she knows when she has laid her egg. It was hot and I tried to move her out but she was determined to stay. She even let me stroke her whereas she is normally very skittish. A little later I checked again and she was out.

Ambers egg had cracked on the end where it hit the ground. Both little girls eggs had normal shells though. I will use the cracked egg for scrambled eggs for the girls and will continue with limestone flour for a few more days. Will the little girls ever get the hang of egg laying!

Yesterday Pepper appeared to have hiccups for a while. As I have never heard of this before, I researched on the internet and chicken forums and found that other chicken keepers had experienced this too.

They described exactly what Pepper was doing, it looked like a sneeze but sounded like a hiccup. It didn’t seem to distress the hen and she returned to normal after a short period of time.

I then found a video clip of a hen with hiccups and it was exactly what Pepper was doing yesterday. I was reassured that I was not alone and they said it was harmless.

Hiccups are a spasm of the diaphragm and birds don’t have a diaphragm, so technically you could say they can’t hiccup. Birds have an air sac which draws air in like bellows in a blacksmiths fire pit. Birds can get spasms of their air sac from time to time so this could be classed as hiccups.

Either way I know  that what I saw Pepper doing yesterday, looked like hiccups and the video shows another hen doing the same thing so I therefore conclude that chickens can get hiccups.

Yesterday I was still trying to fine tune the fishing for peas or sweetcorn. But before getting on to that, I went out to the girls first thing and everything was as normal but at seven o’clock I could hear one of the girls sounding the alarm. I rushed out and it was Dotty shouting. Pepper looked to be in trouble, she was sat when I first went out but as I approached she stood up. She looked like she was sneezing but at the same time sounded like she was hiccuping.

I was alarmed as I have read other blogs recently with respiratory problems in their flock. I checked that her eyes were clear and no mucus from anywhere. I got my husband to look as well and he said it seemed that she had something stuck in her throat perhaps. I said they only had pellets at this time of day and he said we can choke on a cup of tea sometimes or maybe she has swallowed a fly. As we watched her she was doing it less often and walking around not seeming distressed by it. I decided to leave her and return to check on her within half an hour.

When I went back out she was completely back to normal. I can only think she had something stuck or indeed had swallowed a fly or can chickens get hiccups? That is what it sounded like but I haven’t heard of it before. I will research it and get back to this if I can find any information on it, anyway what a relief, she was fine.

So in the afternoon I tried out my idea of sinking the plastic box into the ground, then poured in water and added frozen sweetcorn.

The box sunk into the ground

Honey perches on the side of the box

The big girls just reach for the sweetcorn

Honey steps into the water

I soon realised that sinking the box had no advantage as the girls could reach the sweetcorn easily without stepping into the water. Once again only Honey stepped into it. When I came back an hour later the box was full of soil that had been scratched in. I decided it actually worked better just on top of the soil so will just do that in future. It would need a much wider box to encourage the girls to paddle in it.

It is still fun for the girls though and cools them down so I will do this every day that it remains this hot. I will be looking out for anything  that is shallow and bigger but in the mean time this is fun and cooling for the girls and that is all that matters really!

Yesterday evening Amber looked really unwell again. Her wings were down and she stood by the water. I have seen her like this before and the first time I was really worried, thinking she was really ill and that we could lose her. I soon realised this is a sign she is about to lay an egg and once the egg is laid she bounces straight back to her normal self again.

I had hoped we had got past this and that she was getting the hang of egg laying. It’s sad to think of her suffering every time she is about to lay an egg. The bantys do seem to struggle much more than the big girls with egg laying.

Since the hot weather began Honey took seven days off laying but now has laid an egg, missed a day, then laid two days running for the first time. Honey looks fine with it and seems to have got the hang of it now.

Amber took nine days off, laid one egg then missed another two days. The other thing I noticed yesterday evening is that she has had her comb pecked again. I feel so sorry for her.

Amber stands with her wings down

Amber stands by the water looking miserable

The dark line at the base of her comb is dried blood from being pecked. I thought we had got past this and it’s upsetting to see this again. Her feathers have also been pulled out from her front, just under her face.

When I put them to bed, once it was cool, I knew that I would probably find an egg from Amber in the morning.

This morning when I went out to them early, Amber was back to herself again. I was surprised that there was no egg in the nest box. I opened up the side of the coop to clean and there it was, a soft shelled egg on the coop floor. That explained why she was looking unwell.

Amber’s soft shelled egg

With the hot weather I have been giving more treats to keep them cool and it must have upset the balance of Amber’s diet. I mixed up some mash with limestone flour and a little olive oil and took it to the girls.

Back on the limestone flour

Pepper once again is in the nest box. I will keep mixing lime stone flour in with their treats until Amber’s eggs are normal again. At least this is a problem than can easily be sorted out.

Today I looked for a suitable plastic tray for the girls to have water and peas in. I found that a cat litter tray was too small and too deep, washing up bowls the same, but then I found a shallow storage box which I thought might work. I thought that if I used the lid by the side of the box, I could increase the area which would encourage the girls to step in the water and cool their feet.

It didn’t work as the lid was too shallow and if not level, the water ran out and left the heap of frozen peas exposed. This meant the girls could just pick the peas up without any water. I abandoned this idea and poured the contents into the main part of the storage box.

The box was higher sided than the metal tray and the girls couldn’t pluck up the courage to step into it. Honey perched on the side but wouldn’t step into the water.

The lid is too shallow

The water has disappeared leaving the frozen peas exposed

I tipped the contents of the lid into the main box

They reach for the peas but don’t attempt to step in.

Honey perches on the side

She stretches out towards the peas

Honey gives up

My next idea is to dig the tray into the ground to make it easier for the girls to step into. As it’s going to stay hot for a while I intend to leave it there with water in for them to paddle in at any time or drink from, then add frozen peas or sweetcorn in the afternoons as a treat. Even some of the simplest ideas are an ongoing project!

Yesterday was the hottest day yet. We had been forecast possible storms. The air was heavy and still and we had a little thunder but no relief.

In the afternoon, Pepper was in the little coop trying to lay her egg. The bantys seemed unaffected by the heat but for the first time Dotty and Bluebell were panting. I needed something extra to cool the girls. I found an old metal tray which I put about an inch of cold water in. I then poured in some frozen peas. I hoped as well as eating cold peas and taking on extra water, that the girls would stand in the tray and cool their feet.

Amber was the first one brave enough to investigate

Bluebell, Dotty and Honey came over to take a look

They decided they liked this

Pepper leaves the nest box and comes over to take a look

Amber is the first one to stand in the water

Amber was the only one who actually stood in the water. Pepper put one foot in. They enjoyed it though and it cooled them down as I didn’t see any more panting. Today I will try to find a plastic tray that is large enough to encourage them into the water rather than just eating the peas while standing outside the tray. Even if I don’t find anything bigger, I will still repeat this as they obviously enjoyed it and it cooled them down.

For some time, at bedtime, the big girls have settled on the high perch and the bantys on my little chair which hangs under the roof. For the last three nights the positions have changed. The bantys have been on the big perch and Bluebell has been on the little chair. The first night I thought it was probably a one off but after three nights it seems to be the new routine for now.

I usually spend some time with the girls after dinner and leave them at half past eight to go and watch some evening television then return later to put them to bed. Last night I went back out at half past nine to check on them and they were just getting themselves lined up for bedtime. Bluebell settled on the chair first and the little girls were on the storage cabinet and looked like they really wanted to go on the chair, but as Bluebell was already there they had to go on the high perch instead.

It seems that it’s Bluebell that has made this change in the routine yet I don’t know why she would prefer the chair. She looks so big on it and not particularly comfortable. I wonder is if it’s just to assert herself over the little girls!

I was also surprised that they get settled so early but I suppose it makes sense to get in position while there is enough light to find their way to the high perch. I can see why they don’t want to go in the coop at this time as it’s still quite warm. I am sure that when the evenings are cool again and it gets dark earlier they will revert back to going in the coop themselves as they did last summer. I don’t mind lifting them down each night as I prefer them to go in when it’s cool.

Bluebell is first to take up the position on the little chair

The little girls settle for a position on the high perch

The little girls settle nearer to the big girls

Bluebell is staying here

It will be interesting to see how long this new regime lasts.

It’s unusually hot here for British summer. We often only get a few days to a week of warm weather at a time and twenty one degrees celsius or seventy degrees fahrenheit or a little above is usually the top temperature. At the moment we are experiencing thirty degrees celsius or ninety degrees fahrenheit and it’s forecast to last a month. That’s a heat wave to us.

I know from my fellow American chicken bloggers that they experience much more extreme weather conditions than we do, hot and cold, but for us this is unusual.

Last year we had one of the wettest summers on record, it really did rain all summer long. This year it was one of the coldest summers on record up until this hot spell and now this is being hailed as a possible contender for the hottest spell on record! This is after the weather “experts” said we may have no summer for the next ten to twenty years! What is it with the British and their endless obsession with the weather and I have to include myself in that statement! We can’t help it, we all speculate about it, check the reports and talk about it endlessly. It is one of the things that makes us British!

Chickens cope well with the cold but they don’t like the heat. My girls haven’t experienced this heat before. The dominiques are cold hardy with a layer of down underneath their feathers and are not so suited to the hot weather.

I am lucky that their run is at the top of our garden and shaded by tall trees behind the garden. It gets the morning sun but by midday is in shade. Even so I do all I can to keep the girls cool.

The automatic coop door opens at five o’clock in the morning at this time of year and at that time it’s still cool.

At midday I change their water for fresh cold water in both drinkers and I water a shaded area of the soil to keep the area near their favourite bush cool. I give them treats such as melon, cucumber, grapes and apples to give them extra moisture.

In the evening when they settle on the high perch I leave it until eleven o’clock to put them to bed instead of the usual ten o’clock. This means the coop is cool when they go in.

I check regularly for the dreaded red mite as they thrive in hot weather and sprinkle D.E. everywhere. So far I have managed to avoid them.

I also poop pick the run a minimum of three times a day, often a lot more, sometimes every time I go in there. This keeps down flies and means there isn’t much to pick up each time.

I shall keep up this regime as long as the hot spell lasts. My girls are doing okay. The worst bit is when they want to lay their egg in a warm coop at the hottest part of the day. The bantys have taken a week off laying since the beginning of the hot spell and I don’t blame them.

The bonus is that the girls have also stopped feather pulling since the start of the hot weather because instead of sitting in a huddle in the afternoons they sit spaced out due to the heat, which puts them out of reach for feather pulling.  I am becoming quite hopeful that this problem has finally turned a corner.