Yesterday when I went up the hill to feed the chickens, I found a dead Rock in the coop by herself. Everybody else was out in the yard. It had been an extremely hot night and I guess she just couldn't take it. We also can't leave them out at night because of all the predators. The yard isn't as fortified as the coops, and really can't be, or it would cease to be a yard.
We did remove part of the wall between the coop and the yard, leaving just the layer of hardware cloth on the inside and chicken wire on the outside. So there should be better air movement, although it really should have been OK already.
I really hate losing a chicken. It makes me feel so guilty.
So now I am down to 3 barred rocks, 6 Fayoumis and 2 Ameraucanas for hens and the Wallee the Fayoumi rooster. I plan on keeping the 4 Speckled Sussex pullets to go into the laying flock and Bill wants to keep the 2 Dark Cornish pullets and Edgar the Dark Cornish cockerel and raise some more purebreds of them. That's OK with me, because it will galvanize him into building another chicken house. Can't have too many chicken houses, you know.
And I need another house for broody hens to set and to raise their chicks. ANd maybe soon. I was pecked several times by the little brown hen when I tried to reach under her for eggs, a couple of times by one of the silver Fayoumis, and again several times a couple of hours later by a Rock. All of these incidents were when I was trying to gather eggs. They are not broody yet, but I'd be willing to bet that at least one of them will be completely broody in a week. Naturally, right when I'm getting ready for Quilt Camp. Bill probably won't even notice. Oh well, if they are going to be broody, they will still be that way when I get home and can make some adjustments to the living arrangements.
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