Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Ravynscroft]

Wow. I've heard about the changing weather patterns over the few years on the west coast. The Southeast has been getting record highs lately too but our summers are so humid that it doesn't hurt plant life like it does out west. My Ameraucana stock was bred about two hours away by Susan Mouw so I like to think they are more tolerant of the local climate than birds bred elsewhere would be. 

We had consistent 100+ temps here this whole last summer... adding electrolytes and vites did wonders... the only issues we had was compounded by a high wormload that we didn't catch til we lost a couple... otherwise ours did fine in the heat...

 

[pamperedamber]

How was your Riverside summers these past 5 years?  Our SGV weather has been drought conditions getting worse each year.  We used to only get one or two weeks of severe 100+ temps and then the rest of summer it was hot but not heatwave brutal.  THIS year our 90-100+ temps started end of May and lasted thru to Sept.  I lost my lovely 1[SUP]1/2[/SUP] yr-old Blue Breda and sweet 3-yr-old Blue Wheaten Ameraucana because of heat-related issues.  Ameraucanas and EEs don't like heat but thrive much better in cooler climates.  Our Breda was an exhaustive egg-layer and I'm sure the constant heat compromised her immune system.  Watching our heavily under-downed Ameraucana suffer in our climate zone for 3 brutal summers I will not get another blue-egg bird unless our summers tame down - which have only been getting worse.  Our water district started restricting our usage until we are now down to only 1x/week to water lawns.  Most of our neighborhood has let their lawns go brown.  I never had to water my yards before except for the raised veggie garden bed because we always had cool enough weather and morning dew, but not any more.  We have pop-up canopy for shade, dog houses, lean-to shelters, water misters, wet ground for digging or sitting in, ice added to the Brite Tap nipple valve water jugs, watermelon and cold produce treats but only the fluffy airy "fur" of the Silkies tolerated our heatwave - tough little buggers!

The temps have been around 105 from May through the end of September. Then October is 90's with a few days over 100. I had two Ameraucanas till august. Had to cull the too due to leg issues but my blue hen did really well. The 10 BBS chicks are doing well thus far. The chickens all use the trees, play set, trampoline and garden for shade. We live in an agricultural district so our water is not limited. We keep there pen watered down and they have a shader over a part of their run. And trees. They have 1/2 acre to roam and hid as they please. We have waterers all over the property and we give them frozen fruits to help keep them cool. They also eat out of the garden.

 

[bruceha2000]

@Sylvester017
I am SO sorry you lost your Breda! I hadn't read that before.

100F+ temps, one of the reasons I moved away from So. Cal (where I grew up and went to college) 37 years ago.

 

[Sylvester017]

Wow. I've heard about the changing weather patterns over the few years on the west coast. The Southeast has been getting record highs lately too but our summers are so humid that it doesn't hurt plant life like it does out west. My Ameraucana stock was bred about two hours away by Susan Mouw so I like to think they are more tolerant of the local climate than birds bred elsewhere would be.

We had consistent 100+ temps here this whole last summer... adding electrolytes and vites did wonders... the only issues we had was compounded by a high wormload that we didn't catch til we lost a couple... otherwise ours did fine in the heat...

The temps have been around 105 from May through the end of September. Then October is 90's with a few days over 100. I had two Ameraucanas till august. Had to cull the too due to leg issues but my blue hen did really well. The 10 BBS chicks are doing well thus far. The chickens all use the trees, play set, trampoline and garden for shade. We live in an agricultural district so our water is not limited. We keep there pen watered down and they have a shader over a part of their run. And trees. They have 1/2 acre to roam and hid as they please. We have waterers all over the property and we give them frozen fruits to help keep them cool. They also eat out of the garden.

I don't know if it's because the media/news is overemphasizing the extreme USA weather patterns this past year or if extreme weather patterns really were out of the ordinary. For the past 5 yrs our climate has been getting hotter longer while the East seems to be suffering the opposite with brutal winters and a lot of storms.

 

[Sylvester017]

@Sylvester017
I am SO sorry you lost your Breda! I hadn't read that before.

100F+ temps, one of the reasons I moved away from So. Cal (where I grew up and went to college) 37 years ago.

TY! Yep, we lost the 3-yr-old Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and the 11/2 yr-old Blue Breda -- the heat must've really compromised the immune system of both birds as we lost them within 8 weeks of each other. We did the electrolytes, the shady hiding places, misters, vitamins, cold produce, ice water, etc, but sometimes it just isn't enough when the climate doesn't cooperate. We knew the Amer didn't like the humid climate as she was always sitting under the mister and panting all the time. The younger Breda was a complete surprise because she was up in the morning her usual bouncy self and then died in her sleep mid-day and the Silkie snoozing with her didn't seem to realize it. DH was devastated so I'm looking for another Blue Breda for him. We currently have a Cuckoo Breda and she is easing some of his hurting.

The sweet Blue Wheaten Am and gentle Blue Breda we lost this year.




Thank goodness we had this Cuckoo Breda on order when fate dealt us the blow of losing two hens this summer.

 

[MrsBachbach]

TY! Yep, we lost the 3-yr-old Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and the 11/2 yr-old Blue Breda -- the heat must've really compromised the immune system of both birds as we lost them within 8 weeks of each other. We did the electrolytes, the shady hiding places, misters, vitamins, cold produce, ice water, etc, but sometimes it just isn't enough when the climate doesn't cooperate. We knew the Amer didn't like the humid climate as she was always sitting under the mister and panting all the time. The younger Breda was a complete surprise because she was up in the morning her usual bouncy self and then died in her sleep mid-day and the Silkie snoozing with her didn't seem to realize it. DH was devastated so I'm looking for another Blue Breda for him. We currently have a Cuckoo Breda and she is easing some of his hurting.

The sweet Blue Wheaten Am and gentle Blue Breda we lost this year.




Thank goodness we had this Cuckoo Breda on order when fate dealt us the blow of losing two hens this summer.

Humidity and hot conditions are breeding grounds for fungus. Fungal infections can kill a bird. They aren't limited to the gut, but can grow in their respiratory system also. I had a bird panting a few weeks ago in 60 degree weather. No other signs except for maybe not a great appetite, but seemed to drink more than others. I started treating her for fungal lung infection with oxine and a nebulizer for five days. That did the trick, whatever it was. I'm not sure if that's what it was or when she may have developed it, but we have had a hot summer and warm fall conditions up to that point.

 

[Sylvester017]

Humidity and hot conditions are breeding grounds for fungus. Fungal infections can kill a bird. They aren't limited to the gut, but can grow in their respiratory system also. I had a bird panting a few weeks ago in 60 degree weather. No other signs except for maybe not a great appetite, but seemed to drink more than others. I started treating her for fungal lung infection with oxine and a nebulizer for five days. That did the trick, whatever it was. I'm not sure if that's what it was or when she may have developed it, but we have had a hot summer and warm fall conditions up to that point.

TY! I take all suggestions into consideration. Our Amer had no chronic respiratory issue although I have one Silkie with chronic issues but I know what to look for after having to treat her for 5 yrs. The sweet Ameraucana just never thrived in our humid climate. Every year she'd sit under the mister all day panting but once the cool temps or rain hit us she was out and about bouncing around with bright eyes and healthy appetite. She hated our summers which got worse each year and she'd mope about in the heat but this 3rd year guess her immune system couldn't function and malady took over. Vet suspected Marek's as she became increasingly lame and couldn't feel pricks in her leg. She had been exposed to Marek's as a juvenile and never developed symptoms but I guess that makes a chicken a carrier and all it takes is immune system compromise to succumb during a stress time. She was so very heavily under-downed she didn't need hot temps to make her feel even more uncomfortable. She had so-o-o much feathering!


Her production ceased or was erratic during heatwaves but normal during cooler months. She was such a lovely fluffy sweet bird and flockmate but it really stressed us when we saw her in distress every summer. Loved her non-combative temperament, her color variety, her blue eggs, her alert wary cautious sentinel personality and everything about her and finally realized why she wasn't a good layer when we saw how miserable she was in our extreme weather this year. She was such a love along with the Blue Breda that we're making borderless canvas photos of them for our wall - yep, and even prints of the 2 old snotty Silkies as well!

Every year we've had hotter and longer periods of heatwaves to the point the water district restricted the community to 1x/week lawn watering and after 6 a.m. no dishwasher use or clothes laundering. Most of the neighborhood has brown lawns this year and probably a sink full of dirty dishes all day long! I would love another BW Ameraucana but unless our temps resume to their normalcy of 5 yrs ago I will wait. In our 31 yrs living here, this past year has been the worst ever for prolonged and consistent 100+ temps.

 

[cree57i]

 

[cree57i]

Got to share with someone who can understand my elation-

First Silver AM egg EVER (well ever here) was laid this morning! 58 gms.!

HAPPY DANCE!!!


14 more girls to go. Hoping for better saturation, but hey, I was beginning to think they would never lay!

 

[marchick]

Got to share with someone who can understand my elation-

First Silver AM egg EVER (well ever here) was laid this morning! 58 gms.!

HAPPY DANCE!!!


14 more girls to go. Hoping for better saturation, but hey, I was beginning to think they would never lay!

Congrats, That's Awsome! I feel sorry for your girl! Thats a big first egg!