A week of fireworks and other concerns

Darned Fireworks!  Not actually on our property, but, all around us for the past week (plus), we've been hearing and seeing fireworks literally every night. This totally stresses out the chicklets!  They are way more hesitant in the mornings to leave their coop, but they eventually do ramp down for the sunshine and fresh air. They do love their dust bath area. They do love their mealworm treat at the end of each day. They definitely are ramp trained to go into the coop each evening now as soon as they see their people.  Even when it is not evening, and I'm just working on finishing up a few things on the coop, Red or Blue marches up the ramp to check out what is going on up there. Red has become considerably more trusting, at least with me. And gradually is settling into her routine with the others.  She and Green seem to be best buddies.

Little peep and Green are getting their face feathers now, and it is becoming more difficult to tell them apart from one another.  There are a few distinguishing factors, but very minor.  I may pick up some ankle "bracelets" to help keep them identified. Or not.  I'm kind of torn on this idea.

It is interesting to see more predators on our property.  I don't know if we are just "noticing" them more because we are worried about the chicklets or if it is because there are more predators on our property and interested in our chicklets. In the middle of the night, the coyotes definitely sound like they are crossing "on" our property more this summer rather than off in a distance.  I'm torn on the idea about putting a monitor in their coop.... do I want to be listening in on chicken talk all night?

Speaking of Chicken Talk.... D asked a good question that I have yet to see in any of the backyard chicken books.... when do chickenettes start sounding like real "brack bracks"?  They are going into 11 weeks of age now and still they sound more like little peepers than the real deal. Granted, they are still young pullets, but they don't look all that young anymore.

A Groupon Kind of Day

It's hot and windy today.  I don't know if it is actually as hot as yesterday, but it is pretty warm and the wind offers no relief, even in the shade.  Yet, the chickens seem to want to group together, I'm assuming to try to shelter each other from the wind? Red and Green were first to settle down next to the pan then Blue and Orange nuzzled in to the middle. 

Rub-a-dub-dub Four Hens In the Tub

It's the first day of July and it is another sweltering day for our region. Humidity was especially heavy today, and the chickens were feeling the HOT!  Even in the shade, the poor girls were walking around with their beaks open and their tongues bopping up and down.

L suggested that I find a squirt bottle with some cool water.  Spent about five minutes shooting a mist of water into their cage.  They actually seemed to appreciate this cool down.

In the meantime, I was drying out some sand that I had purchased from the hardware store to put into their dust pan.  Since we are continually moving their housing over pasture, they really don't get an opportunity to create a dirt patch for dust bathing.  I noted this morning that Red was doing a lot of scratching with her toes around her neck and chest.  I read up on how a large kitty litter pan can be used as an alternative dust bathing area.  The sand in the bag was moist so we had to spread it out on a flat surface (cardboard) in the sun to get it dried first.  Then I poured about an inch of sand into the pan (about 12" by 26" by 4"). I added about two cups of DE over the sand and we slipped the pan into the cage.

D expressed concern that there was no Momma hen available to teach them how to use it. We decided to just watch and try to coax them over to the pan, at least to reassure them that it was "OK."  At first they stayed a long way away.  After about five minutes of us sitting near the end of the cage with the new pan in place, the girls decided that it was time to investigate.  Green was actually quite cute.  She approached one end, wrapped one set of toes over the edge of the pan to seemingly test to see if it would support her weight. She leaned inwards over the pan bringing her other foot up and then jumped in to the pan and quickly jumped right back out.  Blue walked all the way around the pan several times after that and seemed to verify that it wasn't going anywhere. Red and Orange stood back to watch the whole scenario. After Blue finished her inspection, Green came back and hopped in.  Blue attempted to walk on the edge of the pan, but realizing that it was too narrow, opted to hop in and out of the pan before deciding that the sand in the pan might contain some food. Then all four chickens were in the pan pecking at the sand and investigating the possibility of some food.

Eventually, Green laid on her stomach/chest and started kicking and scratching at the sand, then stretching out her wings and flapping them until she was covered with dust, head to tail.  The other three were still busy pecking at the sand when Green hopped out, totally bathed in dust. But, eventually, the other three took turns taking a dust bath, and hopefully, feeling so much better, afterwards.

I realize now that they will need at least another inch of sand in the box to make it easier for them to create a bit of a valley in the box to make it easier for them to coat themselves.  I had read online, that it is best to have their dust bath far away from their food, and now I can see why that's important!

Update - These photos were taken the next day and it was a bit too hot for them to really get into rolling in the dust.  Some of them did play in the sand, though.

1. The Box with two inches of sand plus DE. 
2. Finished checking on the contents of the box.
3. Feeling sand between her toes.
4. Blue and Red competing in the sand.
5. Blue Wins.
6. Green burrowing into the sand.
7. Shifting positions before getting out. 
8. Orange taking her turn in the sand
9. Stretching out for a preen.
10. A full out preen of the tail feathers.