Heat Wave Day 2: Trying to Cool Off

We read that one way to help the chickens beat the heat is to give them a shallow pool of water to stand in. We set it out yesterday, and no one took the dip. Today was a different matter, and here Peggy and Sally (though not at the same time, of course) enjoy the pool.  You can also see the umbrella we have set up to give them some additional shade.

Ever seen a chicken pant?

It's hot out today. 100 degrees according to the tv, 110 according to the thermometer in the chicken run. The ladies are digging holes to keep themselves cool & panting. This video shows Joanie demonstrating the chicken pant - notice the open beak and heaving bosom? We've given them a birdbath, picnic table umbrella, frozen water bottles, & an occasional hose misting. I hope they'll be just fine.

Adopt Henry, a young cuckoo maran rooster

A friend of Bexley Chickens has a bunch of hand raised pullets - but one turned out to be a rooster. If you're looking for a sweet tempered, pet roo (for your yard, not for the stewpot), Henry might be your guy. Lynn thinks Henry would make a good breeding rooster - he's friendly & beautiful.
If you think you can give Henry a good home, leave a comment with you contact info - I'll pass along Lynn's phone number.

The picture above is a cuckoo maran that looks like Henry.

Nothin' doin'

I think the strongest testimony for the no-big-deal nature of a couple of backyard chickens is that there's been nothing to post about for weeks. The chickens are out there just doing their thing. When it got really hot a few weeks ago, we put up the patio umbrella for them to have a little more shade. They've been enjoying scraps from the early summer produce haul (I highly recommend situating the coop near the house for more convenient scrap sharing). But, basically, they're just living the chicken high-life and sharing their eggs.
I'll try to think of something splashy to share soon.