Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Woodcat]

Hi

 

I'm looking after my daughter's chickens and they've all suddenly stopped laying. Is the hot weather likely to be affecting them?

 

thanks

 

C

[Nutmeg]

Good question, mine went from four eggs to one yesterday and I assume it is down to the heat.

 

Hopefully someone will know if this is the case.

[jomaxsmith]

It won't be helping. Make sure you give them plenty of fresh, cold water. I've been putting ice cubes in my Glug!

 

Jo

[Olly]

Chickens find heat much more difficult to cope with than cold - so yes, it could be affecting them. Make sure they have got a shaded area in the run, the Omlet cover usually does the trick, and that they've got enough water. It'll cool down soon enough and then they'll pick up again!

[Woodcat]

Thanks. this bunch have the whole garden so they've plenty of shade and I've added some extra water around so they can get at it wherever they are.

 

hopefully they should perk up. They do seem a bit subdued though. They haven't attacked the dog for days.

[Egluntyne]

They do seem a bit subdued though. They haven't attacked the dog for days.

Couldn't help smiling at this.

 

The hot weather does take it out of them, but shade and plenty of water is the answer.

 

You could also give them chilled treats such as chopped cucumber, melon, tomato etc...from the fridge. They will love you forever.

[Surrey Hen]

So far mine seem unaffected by the heat. They are still laying an egg each most days but having read this I think Ill just go out and pop some ice in their glug and get them some cucumber from the fridge - thanks for the tip

[Sandychick]

You could also give them chilled treats such as chopped cucumber, melon, tomato etc...from the fridge. They will love you forever.

 

Thanks for the tip here also.....some very happy hens with beaks in chilled salad at the moment! No eggs for 2 days don't think it's the heat though as they live under trees and don't look like they have noticed the hot weather.

[BarbaraJ]

Think it must be the heat as mine were all laying for weeks now only 2 are and the other day 1. they are all fine running around the garden though don't seem to be eating as much as normal

[crazygal]

I gave mine some cucumber earlier and they had a peck and then walked away with their beaks in the air- fussy girls!!

 

My son dropped an ice cube by mistake out of his drink and again they ran up to have a peck then walked away in a disgusted fashion!

 

There's just no pleasing some chickens, but what they do go crazy for is water in any other container other than their glug- the children have been filling up cups from the wendy house with water and the chickens have been going mad for them.

 

Happy days...

[Egg Lou]

I gave mine a couple of chilled apples from the fridge.. played beak football and certainly seemed to enjoy the cooled juicy bits as they didn't last long

[Woodcat]

we've found the eggs. they'd not stopped laying, just stopped laying in the henhouse. I was adding things to the compost and found a dozen all together.

[Dave36]

our chooks have gone of the lay as well, and when theodd one does lay the egg shell has gone from dark brown to light brownand the pepper pots have gone almost white