Photo by Audrey Pavia
My Gallus gallus were so red-hot this last weekend , they drudge areas in the mulch , which stays coolheaded and moist .
While the East Coast was being baste by Hurricane Irene last weekend , the West Coast was swelter in a rut wave . No one knows this good than my poorchickens .
Because my flock has the ravel of the grand , they get to make their own decisions about how to good deal with the uprise temperature . I ’ve try stories of chicken decease from heatstroke when save in chicken coop during particularly hot weather , but I ’ve had a destiny of luck with my hiss , which are entrust to their own equipment .
On Saturday , when temperatures climbed to 105 degrees Fahrenheit here , my chickens made their way under the covered terrace and took up residence in a flowerbed that juts up against the house . I once had begonias there , but they were pig , either by snail or a crazy rabbit ; I ’m not sure which . The bark chip I used for mulch are still there , keep the soil underneath coolheaded and moist .
During the hot part of the day , the chickens scratched out depressions in the barque deep enough to get to the damp land beneath . They then nestled in the coolness of these impression , their hot little bodies pressed up against the wet scandal .
At other time during the day , I notice them lounging underneath the brush wolf coppice on the back slope . Not only does this area allow shade , but the dirt remain coolheaded and moist after being doused by the automatic sprinklers , which go off every morning at 5 a.m.
What ’s singular is that the flock always run around during the day , switch spots rather oft . They dig new economic crisis in the dirt or crouch down in the shade in other areas . Occasionally , they venture out to wassail water , which I kept under a coolheaded rose bush .
I ’m guessing they moved around so much because the spots they huddle in did n’t quell coolheaded for too long . chicken shed off a tremendous amount of body heat , and those cool depression probably start out to find pretty warm after awhile .
I ’ve essay setting up misters for the chickens in the past , thinking they would stand under them to cool down . It took me a while to realise they were n’t ducks and want nothing to do with a atomizer of weewee from a garden hose coming down on them . I ’ve also tried giving them clump of cold fruit from the refrigerator . Although they prize the fruit , I do n’t mean the “ cold ” part made much difference to them .
In the end , I decided it ’s just best to allow them figure it out on their own . They seem to recognize what they require and have so far negociate to survive this summer ’s hottest days . Should the temperature rise to 112 F , which it has done in the past during this time of twelvemonth , I may need to liaise . For now , I ’ll allow my chickens handle things on their own .
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